12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. 13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

There are many marvelous tools doctors use to diagnose a problem. They might use lab reports or CAT scans, blood pressures, temperature, stress tests, and X-rays. If the X-ray shows an abnormality, they might do further testing with an MRI that more clearly looks at a tumor. They may even do a biopsy to tell you if the lump is cancerous or benign. If they discover cancer, it would not be an X-ray or the biopsy that is the problem. That just points out the problem that already exists.  The tests help them arrive at the diagnosis of cancer.

There is a law that says we should not murder. If there was no such law, would it be okay to murder? Would that be a sin if there were no laws against murder? Would there be righteousness if you didn’t yet have a law?

The law came at the time of Moses. The Ten Commandments were listed at Mount Siani. Some laws were against lying or stealing, or murder. Other laws dealt with not taking the name of the Lord in vain or to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. Moses went into detail in his writings to reveal what the Jews could and could not do to keep the Sabbath laws, but most of the laws were like the x-ray machine that only pointed out the heart that was already committing sin. Sin did not start with the coming of the law. It started when Adam disobeyed the Lord in the garden of Eden by taking the forbidden fruit. Since that time, we all have the diagnosis of sin.

The law of God points out the problem that is already there. All have sinned. All have come short of the glory of God. Adam stopped being perfect when he disobeyed God and all the world has experienced the curse of separation from God and death.

There are two problems we have with health - one is our genes and the other is our lifestyle. Both are important to good health. The doctor was very interested in the fact that both my mother and my father died of heart disease. I have a greater chance that I may die because of it. There is nothing I can do about my genes, but there is something I can do about a healthier lifestyle.           

The diagnosis of sin is all around. In our own lives we can point to certain sins in our lives. Sin affects marriages because of infidelity. Bodies are maimed because of drug and alcohol addiction. Futures are ruined because of sexual impurity. Friendships end because of disloyalty and never repaired because of unforgiveness. Sin is a curse which destroys! Adam received the curse of sin and passed it on to you. David says, “Indeed, I was guilty [when I] was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5) Sin was so bad that by the time of Noah, God had to destroy all people except one family.

Throughout the Israelite history the people of God kept being drawn to idolatry, blasphemy, resisting God, ignoring God, disobedience, unbelief, ignorance, and pride. Paul treats the Genesis account of the fall of mankind as a fact, not some made up story. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 says, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”           

We are separated from God for we have this inherited disease. We are not just individual people who sin, but the whole race of mankind is doomed, but as we shall see, there is hope for us all.

Dale