WHY WAS I BORN IN SIN?
(The following passage is an excerpt taken from an upcoming book.)
“…..I stepped into the middle aisle of the sanctuary, as my skinny legs shook like tree limbs on a windy, autumn day, and made my way down to the front. I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I just knew HE was calling me…..When I got to the foot of the altar, I knelt down, bowed my head, and folded my hands to pray, just like I always did every night before going to sleep…..[But] Instead [of praying], I just cried. However, it wasn’t my typical cry, the kind that occurs after a spanking or after falling off my bicycle and scraping my knee. These weren’t even tears I mustered up so the adults present would think I was being sincere. These were REAL tears streaming down my little [brown] face. Even though I had been in church from the time I was born and had even been baptized by my great-uncle the late Bishop Timothy Smith, Sr. in the baptismal pool of our family church Mt. Olive Holy Temple, I still had not confessed my sins and accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. It’s not that I was rejecting the King of kings and Lord of lords. My young mind just didn’t understand why I needed Him, until that very moment when He revealed Himself to me….”
The little girl in that story was me! On this particular day, at 7 or 8 years of age, I made the best decision of my life when I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.
Some, who hear my story, may say I was too young to really know what I was doing. But, I was not too young! As I mentioned in the story, in that moment, Jesus opened my young mind to realize that, I, along with everyone else, was born a sinner. Romans 3:23 (King James Version) says:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…..”
Why are all born in sin? According to the third chapter of Genesis, the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. When God created Adam, he instructed him not to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He could eat from all the other trees in the Garden of Eden, but he and Eve were to leave that particular tree alone. If they chose to eat from that tree, they would surely die (Genesis 2:17)! Does that mean they would drop dead the moment they took a bite of the fruit? No, rather they would immediately experience a spiritual death and, in time, a physical one. Without God’s grace and mercy, the final result would be eternal destruction or hell. Unfortunately, they allowed Satan, who was speaking through the serpent, to convince them to disobey the voice of God, opening the door for sin to run rampant.
Prior to making this foolish and detrimental choice, Adam and Eve were created as perfect beings. For instance, they were immortal, and with that came perfect health, weight, skin, and hair, along with constant energy. They had no need for clothing because they were unashamed. Moreover, they were the most intelligent creatures alive because God intentionally created them in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Sadly, they gave all that up for a piece of fruit!
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN GOD CONFRONTED ADAM AND EVE?
What happened when God confronted Adam and Eve about their disobedience? When they ate the forbidden fruit, they immediately felt guilty and used fig leaves to try to cover up the parts of their bodies that gave them the most shame.
Then, when they sensed God looking for them, they did their best to hide from Him. Of course, they soon learned that there is no hiding from the Creator, the One who knows all and sees all! When God finally confronted them about their disobedience, they tried to shift the blame. First, Adam said (Genesis 3:12, New Living Translation):
“It was the woman You gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
When God questioned Eve, she replied (Genesis 3:13, NLT):
“The serpent deceived me. That’s why I ate it.”
What the first couple failed to realize is God doesn’t want to hear our excuses for why we sin and continue to sin. He only wants our confession and repentance.
Continuing with my story……….
“Although no one accompanied me to the altar, I wasn’t left alone for long. My second grade teacher Mrs. Pope soon knelt beside me, put her arm around me and, with tears in her own eyes, led me in what is often termed ‘The Sinner’s Prayer’”……“The Sinner’s Prayer” is inspired by I John 1:9 (KJV), “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” and Romans 10:9 (New International Version), “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
WHY DID GOD GIVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON?
Although Adam and Eve messed up, God had another plan! He gave His only begotten Son Jesus (John 3:16) as a living sacrifice to die on our behalf, and three days later He rose again.
So, when we receive Jesus, we are made righteous before God and are guaranteed eternal life once we leave this earth, the way God originally intended.
To begin this brand new year of 2019 on a positive note, I encourage you to repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord. If you already received Jesus, but are not where you used to be spiritually, I encourage you to rededicate your life to Him. Furthermore, don’t just ask Jesus to save you from eternal damnation, but allow Him to be Lord of your life, in control of your life, again the way God originally intended!
THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.
Romans 10:9 (New International Version) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Please pray the following prayer:
Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!
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