SIN COMES FROM WITHIN MAN
Sin comes from inside us. It is our fault
that we sin. Of course, it would be nice to believe that it was not our fault
that we sin. We could freely sin and then excuse ourselves with the thought that
it was really the devil's fault, and that the blame for our sin should be
completely laid upon him.
Mar 7:15-23 there is nothing from without the man, that
going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those
that defile the man. If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was entered into the house from the
multitude, his disciples asked of him the parable. And he saith unto them, Are
ye so without understanding also? Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without
goeth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and
goeth out into the draught? This he said, making all meats clean. And he said, That which proceedeth out of
the man, that defileth the man. For
from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications,
thefts, murders, adulteries, covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness,
an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: all these evil things proceed from
within, and defile the man.
Rom 7:19-20 For the good which I desire, I don't do; but
the evil which I don't desire, that I practice. But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do
it, but sin which dwells in me.
It is
this negative component of unrighteousness that we call sin and such a person
is of the devil. Sin is the
result of giving way to our own natural, evil desires (James 1:14,15),
1 Jn.3:8 He that committeth sin
is of the devil. which the Bible calls
'the devil'.
"For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil" (1 Jn.3:8). If we are correct in saying that the devil
is our evil desires, then the works of our evil desires, i.e. what they result
in, are our sins. This is confirmed by 1 Jn.3:5: "He (Jesus) was
manifested to take away our sins". This confirms that "our sins"
and "the works of the devil" are the same.
Acts 5:3 provides another
example of this connection between the devil and our sins. Peter says to
Ananias: "Why hath Satan filled thine heart?" Then in verse 4 Peter
says "Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?"
Conceiving something bad within our heart is the same as Satan filling our
heart. If we ourselves conceive something, e.g. a sinful plan, then it begins inside
us. If a woman conceives a child, it doesn't exist outside of her; it
begins inside her. James 1:14,15 use the same figure in describing how our
lusts conceive and bring forth sin, which brings forth death. Ps.109:6
parallels a sinful person with a 'satan': "Set thou a wicked man over him:
and let Satan stand at his right hand", i.e. in power over him (cp.
Ps.110:1).