Someone Needs to Know About Sin

"You probably have a bit of arthritis in there," my doctor said. He was referring to, and maybe even discounting some of the pain I was feeling in my hips fifteen or so years ago. The short story is hip dysplasia that caused the arthritis along with spinal stenosis caused by arthritis. And around and around we go! The thing I find most interesting is, Doc tells me it's all hereditary. That led me to ask a question: When was someone going to tell me this was a problem? When I shared my concerns with my husband, he gave me the shoulder shrug. Not as in he didn't care, but as in "who can say?" Naturally, I got to thinking.

Heredity. We all inherit something, good or bad, from our parents. Regarding the "bigger picture," we all inherited traits from our original parents, Adam and Eve. (If you have the slightest notion we evolved from primates, now would be the time to go for a banana or do some pooh throwing.) Adam and Eve were created sinless -- not perfect, for they still could fail, and were still limited by their humanity, but they were without sin. When God gave them limitations in order to preserve them, they disobeyed -- sin. Sin effects us in three ways:

1. We are responsible for our personal sins. As an adult, I have experienced the consequences of sin; I have learned things I should or should not do in order to be sinless. I do, however, have moments in which I disregard those lessons and consequences to sin -- snarl at Scott, "white lies", redefine the speed limit... 

2. Adam, as representative of mankind, sinned -- like the student who leaves her chewing gum stuck to the bottom of the desk, and triggers the rule that no one may chew gum in class. We are all subject to the penalty of sin because our agent, our patriarch blew it. (Don't get so excited, each of us was given the opportunity to change that. I know how I responded -- see #1) 

3. Biologically. We are hardwired to sin. Studies have shown processed foods and sugar "feeds" cancer, activating faulty cells in our bodies that develop into cancer. Adam and Eve were the first confirmed study proving "you are what you eat." They fed on the full knowledge of evil, as well as good, and it activated the cancer of sin that is inherent to us all. No one taught them to hide from their Father; they were hardwired to conceal their wrongdoing and separate themselves from Truth. Now, this is not a "resistance is futile" sort of situation; just as I can choose a better diet to limit my chances of getting cancer, we can choose to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. 

Jesus is the way to overcome our biological, collective, and personal problem with sin. He became sin for us, He was condemned for us, He takes our sin and redeems it for righteousness, and He stands as our last Representative for all eternity.

So, back to the original question: When was someone going to tell me this was a problem? Someone did, praise God. Who will you tell today?