The fact is, the problem of human sin is at the heart of the story of the Bible, and the only way to read our scripture without seeing that is to use a strobe light. Immediately after the story of Creation, we have the story of sin in the Garden. Adam and Eve sin through pride (wanting to be like gods themselves) through rebellion (eating the forbidden fruit) and through dishonesty and cowardice (appropriately, the first sin is followed by the first lame excuse and attempt to blame someone else). That story is followed immediately by an avalanche of sin, increasing exponentially as humans increase in number, with the result that humanity – created to be in fellowship with God – is willfully separated instead. The rest of the Bible is, at heart, the story of God’s attempts to heal that separation, and the climax of God’s work comes in the Gospels, which describe how God bridges the separation physically, coming to earth in human form, as Jesus of Nazareth. The rest of the New Testament sets out to explain that healing, as in these passages from Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Sermon Notes