Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve, the two that started it all. These two names will remain as a reminder to us forever because of their actions. Genesis chapter two talks about how man was made perfect; flawless and in God's favor. These two individuals change how mankind would be from that time on. Sin entered the world and things began to change.

Before Adam and Eve's decision there was no sin or death, because of their actions we now have to deal with both. This brings up the question of where original sin came from. We know that God cannot create evil, so it did not come from Him. He gave man free will. From this man went against God and therefore created sin. Because of this we know have inherited depravity. We can not have the relationship that God intended us to have. We now must make a choice if we are going to follow Him or not. Since Jesus' death we can now ask Him to enter us through the Holy Spirit; God just does not walk with us like He did with Adam in the garden.

Sin has been defined as many things by many groups throughout the ages. In the Old Testament it was defined as a failure to hit a mark or an attitude of rebellion. In the New Testament it is defined as failing to conform to a standard or as a condition. However, we must decide for ourselves what it means in our own lives. The Holy Spirit will guide us in our definition. Without being taught right and wrong we still are able to decipher between the two.

The Bible uses sin in two major ways: a noun and a verb. The Calvinists would have us believe that it is a lack of conforming to the perfect will of God. This definition may sound good, but it has its flaws. The Weslyans define it as a willful transgression of the known will of God. If you enter these two definitions into a few verses such as 1 Corinthians 15:34 or John 8:11 we find that the Weslyan definition will fit better. If we use too broad a definition it can lead to actual sinning. We may not know we are doing it, but we still are.

If we use the Weslyan definition of sin we find that there are four elements that lead to sin a personal voluntary act. The first of these is to use God as a standard. He is perfect and flawless, as we should strive to be. The second is man as a free personality. God gave us free will to decide our own actions; He did not just make us drones. The third makes sin a live option. It is something that is always there and we can always choose