Sin –

Sin is the fallen nature. We are sinners by nature because of the first birth. 

There’s a fable of man; Social workers proclaim that man was born upright and good but it’s the environment that is spoiling man – so governments spend a lot of money to try to better environment to change man, yet they still get no Victory… The problem is inborn. 
Some blame others – “you are thee source of my troubles”, but 

You are the source of your troubles, your troubles come from within (you) 

Your troubles stem from within you and not from what is going on around you. – accept this and you will grow spiritually. 

* If your heart was right, you would never blame anybody for your troubles.*

* The problem is from within and not without. 

* See, as for Christ it didn’t matter what was done to Him, he always reacted right. Why? – because he had no problem with the inside. What was done to him did not receive any corresponding response. He always had a right reaction because there was no evil in His heart. 

* So this thing with the world that environment is bad and man is good is false. 

The world has taxed man (to death) almost so as to change the environment. Man has tried to change his environment through improving Infrastructure, Education, recreational facilities. And yet society is worse off than it has ever been. 

To where public housing and education have not changed man. This shows us that it’s not the environment, it is what man was born with. 

YOU CAN GIVE MAN THE MOST IDEAL CONDITIONS YET MAN WILL GO WRONG ALL THE TIME. It was in paradise that man fell. 

If man (Adam) in his original righteous state could fall into sin, how much easier is it for man (in our day – in his fallen condition) to fall into sin. 

Sinful disobedience is the source of this distinctive character. No external factor is directly responsible than for the fact that it was internally. 

* The essential primary problem is disobedience. This is the thing that has led to all our troubles – a kin study on your life’s condition will always trace back to some disobedience somewhere. 

* Sin is not something merely negative, it’s not the absence of quality. 

* We limit sin to merely something negative e.g Stealing, fighting, killing, but sin is active it is deliberate. 

* sin is disobedience and departure from obedience. It is querying the right of God to command man. Sin is a state of rebellion. 

 Ephesians 2:3 – We were by nature the children of wrath – with the desires of the flesh/body and that of the mind. Flesh here means mankind (Genesis 6:13, Ezekiel 37:8, Galatians 5:17)
IN EPHESIANS 2:3 cf Colossians 3:5 here, Paul talks about the sensous part of the flesh. 

The word Lust here essentially is that it is a perversion of that which is normal that that was created right. It is a strong urgent craving for that that is beyond the normal and it moves over to an area that is prohibited by God. 

EVERY LUST IS A NORMAL RIGHT DESIRE GONE OVERBOARD. 

Paul therefore was showing us here that Lust is manifested in the desire of the body and that of the mind. 

A desire is a command that is urging us to action. 
The commands that urges us to action in any animal nature are:-

– Hunger 

– Thirst

– Sleep 

– Sex

– Pleasure

– Happiness 

– Contentment 

– Attract and be attractive. Etc 

These are normal drives/desires that God placed in our body. All these desires are in all of creation 

And, there is nothing inherently wrong with these desires. They were given to man by God. He (God) Himself said they were good and very good. In other words all types of desires of the flesh when under control are very good. Sin is when these desires (that were) originally right and good suddenly take control over a person. 

Thus, when these desires start to control you, then you begin to suffer. Any of them beyond control can ruin man. 

Philippians 3:19 whose God is their belly. 

There is nothing wrong with hunger, but if all you are  thinking is beyond the good (hunger) then it becomes lust. 

Ephesians 5:18 – thirst is good but if it leads you, then it becomes lust. Whether sleep as long as it’s under control, otherwise it becomes lust – Proverbs 6:10.