Inherited Sin

Introduction
What is the one thing that you could change about your life’s story that would have the greatest impact on who and here you are today? What is it that makes you the person that you are today?

Your parents. How they raised you, or the fact that they didn’t. Their choices in these things  are the greatest external influence on you humanly speaking.

What is more is that all of your DNA came from them. The blueprint of your body is from theirs. Every natural talent or difficult you have is from them.

We have agency; we choose how we will live. But we cannot escape the influence of our parents and their choices, no matter how present or even absent they were. Those of us who were blessed with good or godly parents have so much to be thankful for.

The most important thing that our parents passed on to us was not an accent, a pleasant disposition, or good hand-eye coordination. Unfortunately, the most significant inheritance you possess from your parents is a inherited sin. “Inherited sin” is a Biblical concept that we use to refer to the reality that because of Adam’s sin, all of his descendants would experience the effects of sin. It was through Adam’s sin that all men became sinners. Through our connection to Adam, we have inherited a nature of sin. It has become our nature to sin. That is who we are.

One of the most explicit statements of this reality that we find in the Bible comes from Romans 5:12.

 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—  Romans 5:12

For all of human history, families have passed on this sinful nature that exists in each of us. And we even see the effects of this sinful nature most vividly in family dynamics plagued by wickedness and pain.

In fact, the Bible shows us that the family is the place where sin struck first, after its initial strike against Adam and Eve. Ground zero for the death that sin brings to anyone who will buy into its lies is the family. Today, we will look at this text to better understand sin and it’s effects.


Life on earth involves God and spiritual things.
Adam knew his wife and she bore a son. Very physical, or material, events. Yet, listen to the explanation for Cain’s name.

Eve names her first son Cain because it sounds like the verb “to get” in Hebrew. She says she names him this way because she has gotten him from the Lord.

Many think that this very well could imply that Eve was looking for the one to come from her seed that would crush the serpent. There no way to know for sure if she really was thinking this way.

Eve, conscious or not, is recognizing something very important for us to understand. Though their was a perfectly natural explanation for her son’s birth, nonetheless she got this son from the Lord.

There are two ways we can understand this.

1. Everything we have is from God.
Moms and dads, Eve’s child was from the Lord. Your children are from the Lord. Children, you got your parents from the Lord. Men and women, you got your jobs from the Lord. Your money and financial situation are from the Lord. Your house and your car, they are from the Lord.

Therefore enjoy Gods goodness. Don’t be covetous of what others have and what you don’t have. Embrace the challenges before you as those given to you by God to enjoy. Love the life God has given you for His glory. Count the blessings He gas given you. Relish in His mercies that are new every morning.

2. Everything we do is toward God.
Their is kind of another direction that we can take this reality. That is, our choices in the real world have Godward significance.

We like the word “just“ because it makes us feel like our choices don’t matter as much as they do. But this isn’t “just” church. Your job isn’t “just” your job. It’s not just one day with your kids. Your money isn’t just money. Your words aren’t just words. These things have spiritual significance.

God is concerned with the ways we live our lives. Yes, He is big enough to be sovereign over the rulers of nations, but He is also powerful enough to be “near” us in the minutiae of life.

This helps us to better understand the significance of the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. They weren’t "just" sacrifices.


God requires worship in our hearts that is expressed through faithful obedience.
The two brothers were different. One worked the ground, and one took care of animals.

At some point in time, the two brothers came to offer a sacrifice before God. And naturally, because Cain worked with plants, he brought an offering of fruit from his plants to the Lord. And Abel, because he worked with animals, brought an animal offering to the Lord.

Now, some have taught that Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted by God because it was not a blood sacrifice. However, we do not see that in the text, and in fact God gives a prescription for offerings of plants later in the Law. I do not see any compelling reasons to interpret the text this way. What the text says is this:

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. Genesis 4:3–5

So what is the reason that Cain’s offering was rejected then? If it was not because it was of the fruit of the ground, then why would God not accept it? I think we need to understand two key facts presented by the text:

1. Though we are not given detail of the quality of Cain’s offering, we are told that Abel’s was “firstborn” and “of their fat.”
The firstborn is what it sounds like. Here is an important detail that those of us who are not animal farmers may not intuitively understand. There is no guarantee of a second born. So much can change before first and second. And the fat was viewed as the best of the meat. It seems that one thing is being made clear: Abel wanted to present God with the best offering possible.

2. God’s response to the offerings were each connected to the person.
When the text says that God had respect for Abel’s offering, He also had “respect” for Abel. This word “respect” had the idea of looking upon. In the KJV, the word was often translated “regard.” It means to gaze upon something with favor. We often think of this concept (not commenting on the theology of saying this) when we say that a deceased loved one is looking down from heaven on us. And God looks on not just the offerings with favor, but the person too.

Based on these facts and then further points made in the New Testament, I want to make this point:  God responded to the worship of Cain and Abel based on their attitudes and motivations. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because Abel was right in his attitude toward God. God did not accept Cain’s offering because Cain did not have a worshipful attitude.

What is a worshipful attitude? It is humble reverence. It is submission.

It is so important to remember that Abel’s internal attitude was born out in real life. Worship begins in the heart, but it is not only in the heart.


Sin pollutes our worship, and poisons our hearts to anger and bitterness.
So not only was Cain’s worship tainted and not received by God because of his sinful attitude, it made him bitter and angry. What is anger? What makes us angry? Why do we get angry? We get angry when something isn’t the way it shouldn’t be. It’s our frustration or indignation when something is wrong, when it should be right. What is Cain angry about? What has made him angry?

Cain is angry because Abel’s offering was accepted and his was not. Why was he rejected? Because of Cain’s own choices. Who was the problem? Cain. But his anger told him a different story: that the reason God didn’t accept him was because God is not good.

When we start believing the lies that sin promises to us, we start believing other lies too. Sin poisons us to believe that our problems are because of God. We believe that the problems in our lives and the reason things aren’t the way they should be is because God is unjust.

So often though, it is our own sinful choices, our lust, and our pride that bring painful consequences upon our lives. Our own sin is what makes our lives unpleasant or un-whole. We long for things to be the way they should, but we don’t understand that it is our own choices that make us feel empty.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:7–8

Sin is like the mean older brother, taking our hand and using it to smack our own face. “Stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself." And then convinces us that we weren't the ones who did it.

Sin becomes like this horrible death spiral. We sin, and experience the consequences. Then we get mad at God for those consequences, and sin even more in our anger. What does it take to break the cycle of sin and bitterness against God? Repentance.


God is gracious, and offers restoration.
Does God see Cain’s heart? Does He not know that Cain is angry against God and against his brother? Then why does God go to Him? Because God really does desire that we would repent.

Confrontation, when done for the purpose of restoration is grace.

And the offer of restoration was genuine! Cain really could have done well. Cain was not the murderous cynic because that is who he is. He chose to be that.

This is where the rubber meets the road.

who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:4

God genuinely says to you friend, if you choose goodness, then you will receive His favor too. There is this perception of Christianity that we want to make people feel guilty about themselves because we are mean or because we do not want them to enjoy life. But in reality, like our God, Christians call people to repentance because we want to see them experience God’s blessing. We realize that all of us are either Cain or Abel in this sense, there is no middle ground. And to anyone who has not repented, we want you to know our God’s favor.

And to my brothers and sisters in Christ, are you like God? Are you pursuing the lost that they might know God’s favor? From Adam, to Cain, to the nation of Israel, to the world today, God has always been about offering His grace to wayward people. Are you actively doing that? This is why Jesus told us to go and make disciples!

The destructive effects of sin impact our relationships and those around us.

The bitterness and anger in Cain’s heart eventually spilled out. And when it did, it did not just affect Cain. It affected his relationships. And to our shame, our sin affects our relationships too.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:14–15

But that death does not always just mean my death. Sin can bring death for others too.

Life is complicated. Relationships are difficult. But friend, sin brings so much more complexity. It poisons people against one another. We feel deeply in our souls that mothers and their children should love one another. That fathers and their children care deeply for one another. That brothers and sisters should be close with nothing between them. Yet, so often, the destruction of sin has made these relationships the most painful in our lives.

Even in the Genesis story, we see this cycle playing out specifically within the family.

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:7

To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16


Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” Genesis 4:14

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24

Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, their children face similar effects of sin. Without resorting to resentment, have you ever seen how you share some of the flaws that your parents did? But our task is this: will we break the cycle? Will we take responsibility for our own sin? It’s not easy. It’s so much work to, as Paul puts it in the New Testament, mortify or kill the works the of the flesh. But it is not your power or strength that accomplishes this. By faith, we must do what we can and God does the rest.

For those who deal with the burden of relationships that are not as they should be, I want to offer hope. God has made you for fellowship. For community. And we find that community, ultimately, in Him. One day you will be in perfect unity with Him, and with all those who are His children.

But also, let me help all of us who struggle to maintain relationships with those closest to us. As much as you can, break the cycle of sin and bitterness. Repent. That means taking responsibility for your sin. And even more…

Fathers and mothers, choose to make the cycle stop with your generation. You can’t be perfect, but by the grace of God, do the best you can! Love God and walk in the Spirit so that you can break the cycle of generational sin.

God and His mercy never fail people, but they can distance themselves from God.

Even as Cain’s rebellion against God cools into calloused indifference, and he selfishly cries out to God only in self-serving fear, God is still merciful to him. He still protects him.

Yet, Cain still chooses bitterness against the Father who still, in His mercy, reminds him of His Father’s love for Him.

This morning, we have been reminded of God’s mercy. How will you respond to His mercy? He has been so merciful to each of us.


Conclusion
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:18–21

How do we defeat generational sin? We need to be regenerated.

How do we defeat inherited sin? We need a new inheritance.

When we truly understand the depth of sin, and how widely it affect our lives, we see how much of a challenge we face. However, it is this very challenge that gives depth to our need and longing for Christ.


Discussion Questions

• What are some quirky or interesting habits, traits, or talents that your parents passed down to you?
• Is it right for us to feel it is unjust that we inherit sin and a sinful nature from Adam?
• Why do you think that the introduction of sin in Genesis so integrally involves the family?
• Pastor Will mentioned our tendency to excuse our sin by using the word "just" to describe our sin. Examples would be: "I just raised my voice," or "It was just one time." What are we missing when we think and talk this way?
• Is an attitude of worship natural for us?
  • How can we cultivate humility, reverence, and submission in our hearts?
• What are some "sneaky" ways that sin induces bitterness and anger into relationships?
  • What are some simple practices that can help us prevent patterns of sin in our family lives?
• Why was God's confrontation of Cain gracious?
  • How can we be like God in this way?
• What would someone who understands the great challenge of inherited sin and its generational impact do?