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'Christ in You...'
by Dale Krebbs
Sin came into the world in the garden of Eden - for a purpose.
It was through one person that sin came into the world. This resulted in humanity becoming "prisoners in the earth", convicted and bound up in, and restrained by the consequences of what Adam and Eve had done. They disbelieved and therefore disobeyed their Creator. (Lamentations 3:31-34)
God knows all things before they occur. This is a mystery completely beyond mere human analysis or understanding. Sin entered the world through the serpent in the garden. However, it took a human weakness and cooperation for sin to enter mankind who was then in the world. Had Adam and Eve not partaken of the forbidden fruit, sin would not have been in the world. Satan was in the world, but mankind made a choice to allow the prince of sin and disobedience to become sin in mankind. Innocence was destroyed with one bite. God knew ahead of time all that would occur in the garden.
It did not have to be that way, but God knew it would because He ordained that it would. This illustrates one of the enigmas of omnipotence. God's foreknowledge without causing the event of sin coming into the world. But God being omnipotent and omnipresent, planned to use sin as a catalyst to finally bring perfection through the crucible of free agency. Later, God gave a group of people, the Israelites, a Law. A law against sin. This provoked and convicted mankind of the presence of sin even more, as defined by that which mankind could comprehend, and view, and even read on tables of stone.
The Law increased the comprehension of the presence of this enigma of sin and sinfulness. It is said in one place in the Bible that it was through the Law that sin came into the world. And ever since the events in that garden, sin has been in the world. It would continue to be until Jesus Christ came and conquered sin through the crucible of the cross. By that cross, Jesus nullified the power that sin had exercised upon mankind for thousands of years, even prior the great flood, the inhabitants being described as thinking of nothing but sin constantly. Complete universal evil (sin) of every possible description.
Mankind had proved to God that mankind would not listen to Him regardless of being warned by Noah and perhaps many others. Although undoubtedly God had the foreknowledge of what would eventually happen to that generation, it grieved Him in His heart.
The mystery of Omnipotence again. Foreknowledge without being culpable. Because God is who He is, He is able and fair, and righteous not only in what He does, but also in what He allows through His omnipresence. As a minister I once heard said, God planned for there to be sin from the beginning. It is then through our struggle with sin as defined by God's word, that we grow farther an farther away from sin and it effects. Our spiritual muscles are made stronger and stronger.
Sin has been the instrument by which the righteousness of God is formed in the creature He created from the dirt of the ground, made in His own image, having mind as well as brain power, self awareness, cognizance, etc., and many other God-like abilities. When He created the human kind, He had the plan already in mind. And this plan included the crucible of sin, that would be nulified by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This would eventually bring the plan of salvation in its completeness. His plan was and is to bring many children into His family.
Sin has it's place in God's plan for mankind, until there is no sin in mankind.
Notice carefully the Apostle Paul:
"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." - Romans 7:14-25
It is through our struggle against sin, and our faith in Jesus who paid for that sin, that the righteousness of God is eventually formed in us. We are being molded by the Master Potter into Christ's image, while He blots out our sins with His blood he shed on the cross.
May you continue your struggle against sin so that you may eventually become sinless in Jesus Christ, and finally made perfect. As one minister said at the end of his sermon: "I have read the Book: AND WE WIN!"
"Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors [a]and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things ]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:35-39 (AMP)
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