Monday, June 29, 2015

the effects of sin

Psalms 134:19 says I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Going back to Genesis chapters 1 and 2, we can see that God created man in His image, male and female Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. God said everything He created was good.  He placed man in the Garden of Eden.  It was a perfect place. It was perfection.  His creation had a beautiful, safe place to live. Every need was met. The weather was perfect. He would come and spend time with them everyday.  He would walk and talk with them.  Here, man was in a perfect relationship with the creator. Everything was provided and nothing was evil or bad. All was good. This was His original purpose for His creation. To be able to be all  and provide all with not one ounce of evil or struggle. Everyday having perfect communion, walking and talking with his creation, just loving them.

I don't know how long it took, but eventually, Satan entered that serpent and sin entered this perfection. Sin entered and destroyed the perfection that God had given.  Sin severed and changed the very existence of mankind.
I was reading about epigenetics.  There is an article that talks about very new discoveries and how the original sin and epigenetics are related.  You can read it here:  www.inplainsite.org/html/original_sin_or_epigenetics.html

This is a really interesting description of the epigene and how it the switch that turns a gene off or on. It is the epigene that determines whether a gene will be activated or turned off.  It also describes how nutrition, severe stressors, and behaviors actually can manipulate the epigenes. These manipulations or mutations can then be passed on to children for several generations.
This article describes how the fall of man from the garden and the sin, actually changed the epigenes and physically altered us into sinful, fallen man.  How every one of us is born into sin.

The article desribes how even one person can change the epigenes in their body through nutrition and behaviors. One generation can affect many following.
This also goes along with being "born again."  The Bible describes salvation as being born again.

1 Peter 1:23 being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a person be born again from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again from above.

Perhaps, the actual epigenes are changed into the image that God intended when He first created man.  Perhaps the physical response of salvation lies in the epigenes of our body.
This is quite  curious to me. I don't know how this all works, but it is truly fascinating.

I do recognize there are physical consequences on our bodies due to a sinful lifestyle.
We can all name people who have severe responses to alcoholism, drugs, and out-of-control living. I can name someone right now, who looks older than her mother due to a life of smoking.  Sins of the mind also have outward manifestations. A life of depression manifests in a physical nature. The body responds to the depression with ailments and sickness.   A life lived in sin, affects our physical body and if epigenes are part of that body, it makes sense they are effected as well.  This part of DNA is passed on to the next generation and the next and the next, unless it is changed.  Those epigenes will turn off or on the specific genes to bring about changes that bring about consequences of our actions.

So thinking about that, God intended us to be fearfully and wonderfully made. He formed us from the womb and has great purpose for us.  His original purpose was to be in a perfect relationship with Him.
Sin destroyed that and has altered our very physical nature.  The Bible shows that early on, people lived hundreds of years. We are now averaging around 70. Is this an effect of the sinful nature?

I think about those who restore old cars.  The car was originally made to look good and had a purpose. Cars end up getting ruined and broken by use and accidents. Sometimes, someone will find that old car and restore it to life. Repaint it, fix it, replace the engine, etc.  It is brought back to life and given back the original purpose.

Sin comes in several forms. 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
There are three things listed here that brings about separation from God: Sin

1. lust of the flesh
2. lust of the eyes
3. pride of life
These are not of God, but of the world.

Galatians 5

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye are led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; which I denounce, as I have also told you in time past that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

This is a list of sins that are manifestations of the lust of the flesh.  These are not of God, but of the world. This is exactly opposite of the purpose God had for us.

Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is this: Charity, joy, peace, tolerance, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 For those that are of the Christ have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts.


The fruit of the Spirit is manifestations of God living in us. These are exactly what He intended for us.
These are of God.

Much of the battle of sin is actually a war with our flesh.  Our very physical nature lusts for sinful things. Our eyes lust for sinful things.  Our pride causes us to sin.  We are often so quick to give credit to the enemy, Satan.  But actually, we are our own enemy when it comes to sin.  Satan may place the temptation there, but our very sinful nature gives in and brings about the sin.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul said "31 I die daily to stay in the glory of having taught you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord."
He also warned us to watch diligently and sin not. 34 Watch diligently, and sin not; for some do not know God: I speak this to your shame.

Our flesh needs to be crucified, so that the Spirit may be made manifest in us.
Our flesh holds onto sin, unless the Spirit of God enters and changes us. When our spiritual man is made righteous by God, the physical body will be effected and the nature of man will no longer reign over us.

As I read over this article, I began to think about my actions, behaviors, and even my nutrition.  If what I have done to my physical body is passed to my children, I am indeed guilty.  I pray I can demonstrate a lifestyle that reflects God and His nature. I pray that my children will learn from me to live a life that denies the nature of the physical man and allows God to reign in their life.  Maybe that will be passed on instead.

Sin has destroyed the connection with God. Our spiritual being longs to be with God. Our physical nature seeks to fill that longing.  Many make wrong choices to fill that longing only God can fill.  The only way to fill that longing is to allow God to fill us with His Spirit and re-establish His original purpose. That can only be done through the washing of the blood of Jesus Christ.











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