Sin, Sins, and the New Birth
Understanding What Happened to Adam
To understand salvation, we must first understand what happened in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 2:17 (NKJV)
“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Adam did not physically fall over dead the moment he ate the fruit.
Something much deeper happened.
Adam experienced a two-fold death.
His spirit was separated from God, and his body became subject to physical death.
You could say Adam was “born again in reverse.”
His spirit lost fellowship with God.
His mind became darkened.
His body became mortal.
Humanity Became Spiritually Dead
Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV)
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,”
Notice Paul says humanity was dead before Christ.
Not physically dead.
Spiritually dead.
Separated from the life of God.
Humanity Became Alienated From God’s Life
Ephesians 4:18 (NKJV)
“having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;”
Adam’s fall affected the spirit, soul, and body.
His understanding became darkened.
His relationship with God was broken.
In Adam All Died
1 Corinthians 15:22 (NKJV)
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”
Adam introduced death.
Jesus introduced life.
Adam’s disobedience affected the entire human race.
Christ’s obedience made salvation available to the entire world.
Death Reigned Through Adam
Romans 5:12 (NKJV)
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
Death entered through Adam.
Life entered through Jesus.
Sin and Sins
Many believers never learn the difference between sin and sins.
Sin refers to the fallen nature inherited from Adam.
Sins refer to the actions and behaviors produced by that nature.
The root produces the fruit.
Jesus came to deal with both.
Jesus Became the Lamb of God
John 1:29 (NKJV)
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Notice John said sin, singular.
Jesus came to deal with the root problem that separated humanity from God.
Jesus Bore Our Sins
1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
Jesus not only dealt with sin.
He also bore our sins.
The nature and the actions were judged at the cross.
Jesus Offered His Blood Before the Father
Hebrews 9:12 (NKJV)
“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
One Sacrifice Forever
Hebrews 10:12 (NKJV)
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
Sins Remembered No More
Hebrews 10:17 (NKJV)
“then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”
Jesus completed the work.
The sacrifice was sufficient.
Nothing can be added to what Christ accomplished.
If Jesus Dealt With Sin, Why Does Sin Still Affect Believers?
One of the greatest misconceptions in Christianity is the belief that because Jesus died for sin, sin no longer affects the believer.
While the believer receives a brand-new spirit at the new birth, the mind, emotions, will, and physical body still require transformation.
The spirit is instantly recreated.
The soul is being transformed.
The body awaits final redemption.
Because of this, sin can still affect a believer’s life.
Sin can cloud judgment.
Sin can affect emotions.
Sin can influence choices.
Sin can damage relationships.
Sin can affect the physical body.
Sin does not remove salvation, but it can affect fellowship, confidence, thinking, and the quality of a believer’s walk with God.
The Mind Must Be Renewed
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The spirit is born again instantly.
The mind is renewed progressively.
The Body Must Be Presented to God
Romans 12:1 (NKJV)
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
Paul tells believers to present their bodies to God because the body still contains desires that must be brought under the authority of the Spirit.
The Flesh Must Be Disciplined
1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV)
“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
The Flesh and Spirit Are Opposed
Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
We Are Waiting for the Redemption of the Body
Romans 8:23 (NKJV)
“Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
The Corruptible Must Put On Incorruption
1 Corinthians 15:53 (NKJV)
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Humanity Needed More Than Forgiveness
God did not simply want forgiven sinners.
God wanted new creations.
Born Again
John 3:3 (NKJV)
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”
Born of the Spirit
John 3:6 (NKJV)
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Jesus did not teach behavior modification.
Jesus taught regeneration.
A New Creation
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
The believer receives a new nature.
A new identity.
A new life.
Why We Can Approach God
God dwells in unapproachable light.
God Dwells in Unapproachable Light
1 Timothy 6:16 (NKJV)
“who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.”
No One Has Seen God
John 1:18 (NKJV)
“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
The New Man Is Created in Righteousness
Ephesians 4:24 (NKJV)
“and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
The believer can now approach God because Christ has created a new man on the inside.
Salvation Is Received by Faith
Confess and Believe
Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The moment a person believes, they are saved.
Not probationarily saved.
Not partially saved.
Saved.
Believing Is the Issue
John 3:18 (NKJV)
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Eternal Life Through Christ
John 5:24 (NKJV)
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”
Notice the language.
Passed from death into life.
That is what happened to Adam in reverse.
Adam passed from life into death.
The believer passes from death into life.
Conclusion
Adam brought spiritual death.
Jesus brought spiritual life.
Adam introduced separation.
Jesus brought reconciliation.
Adam’s nature was passed to humanity through natural birth.
God’s nature is received through the new birth.
In Adam all die.
In Christ all are made alive.
The Gospel is not about making the old man better.
The Gospel is about God creating a brand-new man through faith in Jesus Christ.
That is the miracle of salvation.
That is the power of the Gospel.