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F E AT U R E S
sin
Kevin DeYoung
Sin is another name for that hideous rebellion, that
God-defiance, that wretched opposition to the Cre-
ator that crouches at the door of every fallen human
heart. Sin is both a condition, inherited from Adam
(Rom 5:12 – 21), and an action — manifesting itself
in thought, word, and deed — that when full-grown
gives birth to death (Jas 1:15). In simplest terms, sin
is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). It means we have broken
God’s commands and have fallen short of his glory
(Rom 3:23). But sin goes deeper than merely miss-
ing the mark. Sin is idolatry (Col 3:5; 1 John 5:21). It
is worshiping false gods, whether these deities are
overt and physical or more subtle and internal. Sin
can also be considered adultery, a spiritual whoring
after other lovers and other sources of satisfaction
and meaning (Ezek 16:15 – 42). Sin is pollution (Jas
1:27). Sin is pervasive (Rom 3:9 – 20). And sin is the
problem in the universe. The redemptive story of the
Bible does not make sense without it.
SIN INFILTRATES THE GARDEN
In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth — the land, the sky, the sea; the birds, the fish,
the animals; the sun, the moon, the stars; a man and
a woman. He created all this, and it was “very good”
(Gen 1:31).
And sometime later everything good started to
come undone.
We know very little about the first sin, except that
it manifested itself in an angelic rebellion. Jude 6
explains that some angels “did not keep their posi-
tions of authority but abandoned their proper dwell-
ing — these [the Lord] has kept in darkness, bound
with everlasting chains for judgment on the great
Day.” 1 Tim 3:6 suggests that the fall of the devil was
the result of pride (see Ezek 28:11 – 19 for another
possible allusion). However it happened, Satan
(“the adversary”) fell. It’s important to note that sin
originated in the world of spirits, not in the world
of human beings. Moreover, it is critical to see that
these spirits did not sin by some external power or
temptation, but in and by themselves. The devil’s sin
came out of the devil’s own self-twisted arrogance
and deception (John 8:44).
While the angelic rebellion is merely hinted at
in Scripture, human rebellion is put front and cen-
ter. Tempted by a speaking serpent — a slithering
embodiment of Satan (Rev 12:9) — Eve partakes of the
forbidden fruit, with Adam joining in at her side (Gen
3:6). Immediately, they both realize their nakedness
and experience shame in God’s presence for the first
time (Gen 3:7). As a result of Adam’s failure to pass the
test of the probationary tree, God curses the woman,
the man, the serpent, and the ground. The NT later
uses this episode to unpack the doctrine of origi-
nal sin. Because of Adam’s transgression, the entire
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human race has inherited both guilt and corruption
(Rom 5:12 – 21). As our federal head, Adam’s sin has
been imputed to us, and we bear the consequences
as those who have participated “in Adam” (1 Cor 15:22)
in his rebellion. Consequently, we are by nature dead
in transgressions, disobedient, and deserving wrath
(Eph 2:1 – 3).
After Adam, and east of Eden, nothing is the wa