THE SIN STRUGGLE?

Have you ever wondered why, despite being born again, you still struggle with sin? If Christ has made you spiritually new, why does your body still feel broken, weak, and prone to temptation? The answer lies in an important biblical truth that is often overlooked: our physical bodies are still contaminated with sin. While our spirits are made alive in Christ the moment we are saved, our bodies remain bound by the curse of sin until the day of redemption.

In this blog, we’ll first explore why the human race continually sins against God. We’ll also look at how the fall of Adam and Eve explains the broken state of our physical bodies, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of why these bodies cannot enter Heaven.

To better understand the Bible, I always encourage individuals to start with the book of Genesis, as it’s the book of beginnings. For example, it provides the framework for how the world was created, the creation of mankind, the institution and meaning of marriage and family, and the explanation of how and why sin entered the world, severing the relationship between God and mankind and destroying the created order.

However, for today’s topic, we will focus on the damaging effect of sin entering the world and why the human race struggles with it. To better understand this truth, let’s start with Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV), which states:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

This passage shows God presenting Adam (the first man in creation) with a choice: one of obedience or disobedience to a direct command. Adam’s decision would lead to life or death for all of humanity. Unfortunately, Adam chose to disobey, as recorded in Genesis 3:1-7 (NIV). After Eve was deceived by the serpent, Adam also partook of the fruit, and their eyes were opened. However, it wasn’t until Adam ate that they both felt the shame of their nakedness.

Romans 5:12 (NIV) reinforces this truth: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.”

Adam, the father of the human race, passed on his sin to all who would come after him. Before their disobedience, Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with God and were created to live forever. They were perfect in both body and spirit.

It’s important to note that we are spirit beings housed inside physical bodies. Genesis 2:7 (NIV) states, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” This shows that while the body was formed from the earth, the spirit came from God.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they experienced spiritual death instantly, which is why they felt shame. Their physical bodies began to die slowly over time, even though Adam lived to be 930 years old. This spiritual and physical condition of separation from God is inherited by every human being at birth.

To better illustrate this truth, imagine a beautiful flower connected to its life source—God. When plucked from the soil, it immediately begins to die. Likewise, Adam and Eve ‘died’ spiritually the moment they were cut off from God, though their physical bodies decayed over time.

This spiritual and physical death is the reason why we sin continually against God. Without Christ, we are disconnected from God, incapable of producing true righteousness. As Jesus said in John 15:5 (NIV), “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

So, due to the fact that we are born sinners, we automatically come into this world separated from God. And therefore our spirit and physical body cannot enter heaven. However, once we accept Jesus Christ as saviour and lord, God immediately regenerate our spirit with new life. This new life/regeration now gives us immediate access to Heaven. But our physical bodies do not immediately get regenerated with new life. Our current physical bodies still die/decay and go into the grave. Why is this? We’ll stay tuned for part 2 of this blog post, where I will explain from the scriptures why our current physical bodies can’t enter Heaven? Until next time, remember: good doctrine equals good living.