Sin is a universal problem. Right before telling the Romans that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), Paul uses several Old Testament passages to remind his readers of the universal nature of sin.
“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greek are all under sin; as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.
“Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:9-18).
The Jews could not say that sin was only a Gentile problem. Neither could the Gentiles say that only the Jews were lost in sin. All people of every race, time, and location, had sinned.
In the Bible we find a consistent pattern of sinfulness in man. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, transgressed God’s simple command in the Garden (Genesis 2:17; 3:6). This is when sin was introduced into the world. A few generations later, man had progressed to the point in which “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Consequently, God destroyed all of mankind, with the exception of Noah and his family.
However, this did not eradicate the problem. Sin continued. Even the righteous were not immune. David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), had his infamous affair with Bathsheba which eventually led to David arranging to have her husband killed (2 Samuel 11:1-17). Peter, one of the Lord’s chosen apostles, denied the Lord three times, even after adamantly stating that he was willing to die with Christ (Matthew 26:33-35, 69-75).
Man has repeatedly shown a preference to sin – some on occasion, some perpetually. But everyone has done it. When considering this fact, many get discouraged, thinking that there must be no way to overcome sin. “We’re only human” is the excuse that is given (as if this somehow justifies one’s actions).
One of the fundamental tenets of Calvinism is the inherent sinfulness of man. Calvin’s doctrine of total depravity is the belief that we are born in such a state that we are totally corrupt, inclined toward sin, and unable to do what is right on our own. The doctrine states that one cannot even come to God without a direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon his heart.
Yet the Bible teaches something very different than Calvin. “God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices” (Ecclesiastes 7:29). When we sin, it is because we choose to sin. It is not because we are unable to help ourselves since God failed to do something that would keep us from sinning. Calvin’s doctrine takes the blame for sin away from the one who commits it and places it upon God for not regenerating the sinner.
It is true that we are human. But this is not an excuse for sin. Granted, as long as we live, we will have the potential to sin. But that does not excuse or justify it. We still must make the choice: to do good or do evil.
Is a Sinless Life an Impossible Goal?
Being human does not necessarily mean being sinful. The religious world has conditioned us to think this way, but sinfulness is not inherent in life on the Earth. We sin when we choose to sin. So how do we begin our work of rooting out sin from our lives? We must start by recognizing that being “only human” is not an excuse for sin.
Even though we are “only human,” God expects certain things from us. We are to crucify the old man, becoming dead to sin, and put on the new man (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:9; Romans 6:3-6). We are called to holiness, as Peter said, “like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior” (1 Peter 1:15). Jesus tells us, “You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
Is perfection really possible? Obviously, we are unable to change the past and undo the sins we have previously committed. That is where God’s forgiveness comes in. But how realistic is it to think that from this point forward, we can live without sin? Many will say that this is impossible. I would say that while it may not necessarily be likely, it is possible.
Consider the assurance Paul gives to the brethren in Corinth:
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We will never encounter a situation in which we cannot help but sin. Never. What this means is that every time you are tempted to sin, you can resist that temptation and do what is right. Every temptation that is presented to us can be resisted. How can we be sure of this? God made the promise. He provides a way of escape every time. We know it will be there because He is faithful. It is up to us to find that way of escape He has promised.
Despite the divine assurance that we can overcome each temptation, man continues to sin. Of those who recognize that their humanity is not an excuse and who understand what God requires of us, even they still sin. We must do more to root out sin from our lives. As we continue in this study, we will examine reasons why we sin and see what we can do to overcome it.
Summary
If you are going to remove sin from your life, stop making excuses. Though the history of man shows a preference for sin, this is a matter of choice, not inherent depravity. Remember the divine promise: every sin can be overcome.
This material is taken from the book, The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome, published by Gospel Armory, © 2010.
