Jesus broke the chains of sin

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you.”-Isaiah 59:2

This passage of scripture, recorded for us by the Prophet Isaiah, communicates the seriousness of sin. Today there is a movement to distract, diminish, and ignore the significance of sin. However, if sin keeps me separated from God; then sin is a serious problem that I must address.

The word for sin, most commonly used in the Bible, means to miss the mark or to go beyond the limits. Although there is no singular definition of sin found in the scriptures, when you link together the passages regarding sin you begin to get a feel for the scope of sin. Sin is described as lawlessness (1 John 3:4), wrongdoing (1 John 5:17), and unbelief (Romans 14:23). James 4:17 takes it even a little further when he writes:

 “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Where did sin begin? Some would contend that sin began with Adam and Eve. However, sin had its start before Adam. Adam was the gate by which sin entered humanity, but sin began in heaven with an angel named Lucifer. Lucifer became full of pride and ultimately wanted to ascend above the throne of God (Isaiah 14:12-15). This act of defiance became his downfall. He, then, entered the Garden of Eden and tempted Adam and Eve with the same temptation. He encouraged them to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil so that they too could know right from wrong and be like God; even though they had been instructed by God not to eat from that tree.

Genesis 3 describes Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God and His command. Since that time, sin has been passed down through all generations of mankind. We, as Adam’s descendants, have inherited a sin nature (Romans 5:12). The cost of that sin nature being death (Romans 6:23). This means that we are not simply sinful in practice, but by nature. We are born into sin (Psalm 51:5). This is why the Apostle Paul declared in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

According to 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” How then can we be saved?

There is only one person in the history of the world who did not have a sin nature: Jesus! His virgin birth allowed Him to enter our world while bypassing the curse passed down from Adam. Jesus then went on to live a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21); which allowed Him to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins (1 Peter 1:19).

It is through Christ that we are born again! John 3:6 declares:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”

When we were born we inherited Adam’s sin nature; but when we place our faith in Christ we are born again and we inherit a new nature:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, and the new is here.”-2 Corinthians 5:17. 

Although Jesus breaks the chains of sin off of our lives, the struggle does not disappear. In fact the Apostle Paul wrote about the inward struggle that remains in Romans 7:15-20 when he dialogued about how he continues to do the things that he ought not do and fails to do the things he knows he should. Although God has given us a new nature, the old nature (which has had total control of your life for so long) is not going to go away quietly. We were slaves to sin. We were destined to be separated from God, forever. We had no other option until Jesus came along. He made a way for us through His own death that we may have a chance at life. He broke the chains of sin off of our lives and gave us hope for a future. Sin is no longer our boss! We are under new management and no longer have to be subjugated to sin:

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”-1 Peter 2:24 

Through His finished work on the cross, Jesus satisfied the wages of sin and through His resurrection provided believers with victory over their sin nature!

Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church