I keep hearing it from others over and over. I'm not real sure where it started. It just seems when those that stand before us keep reminding us about our "sinful nature" we have no choice but to sin. There is one Bible version in particular that consistently translates the term "flesh" into "sinful nature."
I have been told by others that we all have a "sinful nature" and are destined to sin. There was a time I believed that but not any more. All have sinned (Rom. 3:23). We know that. One man brought sin into the world and death came as a result of sin. Death spread to all because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). Death is the result of man sinning, not man's sinful nature. It seems to easy to excuse our sin as if we have no choice in the matter. One man brought sin into God's creation and ever since man makes a choice to sin. Sinful ways and habits are placed before the eyes of our children who know no sin. They reach out and grab hold and become part of the sin filled society. They move from purity to defilement because we hold sin before them.
Suddenly, born into our world is the Savior. He entered as a baby, born of woman, had a childhood and teen years and grew into a man. Jesus Christ was man in ever single way but did not sin (Heb.2:14-18). Jesus emptied Himself of equality with God and was found as man (Phil. 2:6-8). I do not believe Jesus had a "sinful nature", do you? Jesus proved as man that man didn't have to sin. It does teach us the power of sin. Jesus kept the Law perfectly, never sinning and becoming the perfect sacrifice for God. It is through Jesus that God is just and the justifier of us the sinful.
Maybe we need to re-think our idea that we have no choice but to sin because we have a sinful nature. I'm open for your thoughts but not any attacks!
2 comments:
Which is why we are to become as children, because they don't know sin, except what we expose them to.
For me there is a conflict between "man must sin" and "man is able not to sin". You are right that Jesus proved man can live a perfect life. But if man can live a perfect life, doesn't that make it possible for man to save himself by living sin free? Is living a sinless life like absolute zero - theoretically it is possible, but practically it will never be done (at least based on high school physics a long time ago).
I don't know - it makes me go a little bit crazy thinking about it.
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