Who Did Sin?

 

JOHN 9:1-7 

SUBJECT: ADVERSITY’S SOURCE

THEME: Understanding that Sin is often the Source of Our Troubles and Adversities Could Prompt Us to Make Decisions That Help Us Avoid Some of Life’s Difficulties and Trials.  We Must Also Learn How to Respond to Adversity to Ensure That It is a Help to Us and Not Our Ruin.

RELEVANCY: How do we respond when various forms of testing come into our lives? Do we complain bitterly against the misfortunes of life, or do we rejoice and thank the Lord for them?  Do we advertise our trials or do we bear them quietly?  Do we live in the future, waiting for our circumstances to improve, or do we live in the present, seeking to see the hand of God in all that comes our way? Do we indulge in self-pity and seek sympathy or do we submerge self in a life of service for others? 

INTRODUCTION:

As Jesus and His disciples passed through Jerusalem, they came upon a man who had been blind from birth. This surfaced a question in the minds of the disciples that they must have been wrestling with for some time.

John 9:2, And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Their Dilemma Was Based upon a Wrong Assumption They Had Been Taught All Their Lives, Namely, That Illness Is a Sign of God's Judgment. There was no question in their minds that someone had sinned. But who?

The Disciples Were Trying from Their Limited Perspective to Answer a Question We Often Find Ourselves Asking. It Is the Why Question. Why did this happen? Who is responsible for this? Why did my son run away? Why did my father contract cancer? Why did our house burn? Why did I lose my job? Why was I sued?   Subconsciously or consciously, verbally or silently, these questions spring to our minds and lips.   Are they good questions to ask?

The questions are endless. Each of us has a specific list.  Sometimes there is so much emotion involved we dare not even allow ourselves to verbalize the frustration we feel because asking for and finding no clear-cut answer threatens the foundation of all we believe about God and His goodness. And yet, the questions still linger.       

We have already looked at the fact that God is sometimes the source of our adversity, and we said that God always has our good in mind when He is responsible for our troubles. We also admonished you to be sure to respond to adversity with an attitude of trust in God’s plan and will working in our in your lives. Today we want to look at another sources of adversity…sin.

MESSAGE:

COULD SIN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ADVERSITY?

James 1:14-15, But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Matthew 15:19, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

God is not the only source of adversity. Oftentimes adversity comes as a result of our own actions. Jesus’ disciples were not completely off base in their approach to discerning the cause behind the man’s blindness. Adversity is in many cases the result of sin. In fact, sin always results in adversity of some kind. James writes about it in chapter 1 verses 14 and 15.

A. SIN ALWAYS RESULTS IN SOME FORM OF DEATH.

Genesis 2:17, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Certainly, sin results in eternal spiritual death—the final separation of a person from God.  Sometimes it is immediate physical death, but usually it is more subtle. Sin causes our relationships to die. It causes our self-esteem to die. Certain sins kill healthy ambition and discipline. All of these forms of death result in adversity to some degree. 1 Tim. 5:6, But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

A Christian living in sin is wasting their lives and utterly failing to fulfill the purpose for which God saved them.  To be out of fellowship with God for a Christian is a form of the living dead.

   1.  Sin is the Source of Death in The Garden of Eden.

Romans 5:12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

ILLUSTRATION:  The classic case would be the story of Adam and Eve. Their lives were free of adversity. There was no sickness, death, decay, or suffering of any kind in the Garden of Eden. There was no tension in their relationship with each other. Neither was there any conflict between them and the environment. They could not have wished for anything more. We are not sure how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. We are certain, though, about why they had to leave-sin.

   2.  Sin is the Original Source of Many Adversities. (Gen. 3:14-24)

After they disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden fruit, everything changed.

      a.  Eve would experience pain in childbirth.

      b.  There would be the potential for conflict between the man and the woman.

      c.  There would even be conflict between man and his environment.

      d.  To top it all off, man would have to experience death and thus live his life under the shadow of that monumental foe.

      e.  Death brought with it fear, sorrow, doubt, and insecurity. All of these were the result of sin. From that moment on, life for Adam and Eve would be full of adversity-and all because of sin. 

B.  SIN IS THE ROOT OF ADVERSITY; THIS WAS NOT GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN. (Gen. 1 & 2)

   1.  Adversity Is Not a Part of God’s Original Plan for Mankind.

This biblical narrative does more than simply illustrate the possible connection between sin and adversity.

      a.  This Passage Serves as the Foundation for Answering Many of Life's Toughest Questions. It is clear from even a casual reading of these first few chapters that God never intended for man to experience the adversity and sorrow brought about by our forefather’s sin.

      b.  Death Was Not a Part of God’s Original Plan for Man. Death Is an Interruption. It is God's enemy as well as man's. It is the opposite of all He desired to accomplish.

   2.  Sickness and Pain Are Not a Part of God’s Original Plan for Mankind. (Gen. 3:8-19)

Sorrow, Shame, Hiding, Fear, Blame Shifting, Strife/Enmity, and Pain all came into the world as a result of man’s sin.

       a.  Sickness and Pain Are Certainly No Friends of God. There was no sickness in the Garden of Eden. It was not a part of God's original plan for man.

       b.  The Ministry of Christ Bears Witness to this Truth. Everywhere He went He healed the sick. God shares our disdain for disease. Sickness is an intruder. It had no place in God's world in the beginning; it will have no place in His world in the end.

      c.  Death, Disease, Famine, Earthquakes, War-these Things Were Not Part of God's Original Plan. Yet they are part of our reality. Why? Did God loose His grip? Has He abandoned us? Is He no longer a good God? No. Our reality has been fashioned by Adam's choice to sin. And sin always results in adversity. Romans 5:12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

C.  GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL GOODNESS; THIS IS STILL GOD’S PLAN. James 1:17, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  

Sometimes we are quick to blame God for some of the tragedies we face, when in reality we brought these things upon ourselves.  When we blame God, we also question His goodness and integrity.

   1.  God's Goodness and Power Are Not to Be Measured in the Balance of the Tragedy and Adversity We Experience Day in and Day Out. If His goodness is to be questioned, let it be done in light of His original purpose as well as His ultimate plan.

Rev. 21:3-4, And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. [4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

It is God who will wipe away every tear. It is God who will do away with death, crying, pain, and sorrow.

   2.  Many Times We Have Adversity Because We Are Reaping What WE Have Sown!

Galatians 6:7-8, Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. [8] For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

ILLUSTRATION: Jonah would have never ended up in a storm on the seas nor in the belly of a whale if he had obeyed God in going to Nineveh instead of going to Tarshish.  (Jonah 1; 1-5, 7, 9, 12, 14-15, 17).  He was reaping what he had sown.

   3.  God is Motivated to Bring About Good Because HE is Good!

Why will He do these things? Because He is a good and faithful God. How can He do such things? By the strength of His might. He is the all-powerful Sovereign of the universe. Nothing is too hard for Him.

       a.  God Has a Purpose for Everything That Happens to You.

Romans 5:3, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

2 Cor. 4:17-18, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; [18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

            1.  Adversity Has a Positive Side. I realize that isn't a statement you are likely to hear very often. Your first response may have been, “Oh, really? You don't know what I'm going through!”

            2.  Viewing Adversity as Helpful Demands Real Faith.  To see the positive side of adversity is not wishful thinking, denial of reality, or pie-in-the-sky optimism. Rather, it is a statement of faith.

The positive side of adversity is rooted in two strong beliefs:

       b.  God Has a Plan and a Purpose for the Life of Every Believer, Including You. If you desire for God's plan and purpose to be accomplished in your life, the Lord will go to whatever lengths are necessary to see His plan and purpose fulfilled in your life. He will not go against your will, but if your will is to desire His will, then the Lord will move heaven and earth to see that His will is done in and through you. Believing this means, of course, that God can use any adversity that comes your way for His plan, to further your purposes on the earth or to work His purposes within your life.

         c.  Second, God Can Turn Things to Good for You Regardless of the Situation You Are Facing Today. You may think your life has derailed and crashed beyond any repair. But the Scriptures say, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28).

D.  WE ALL ARE LIVING EXAMPLES OF SIN LEADING TO ADVERSITY. The idea that adversity is sometimes the result of sin hardly needs biblical support. Each of us could give testimony to this principle.

   1.  Every Day Life Is Filled with Examples of Sin Resulting in Adversity.

ILLUSTRATIONS:  

       a.  Every speeding ticket or fine we have ever paid serves as evidence.

       b.  The last argument you had with your spouse, parent, or child probably stemmed from sin in some form or another.

       c.  The sorrow and pain caused by a divorce or even separation are always related in some way to sin.

       d.  Sometimes it is personal sin that brings adversity into our lives.

       e.  On other occasions the sin of someone else causes us difficulty. Jesus' disciples were not completely wrong; adversity and sin do go hand in hand.

As self-evident as this may seem, it is amazing how we sometimes cannot see, or refuse to see, the relationship. We tend to want to shift the blame on someone or something else.  (Gen. 3:12-13).

ILLUSTRATION:   I recently read about a mother who brought her teenage son to see a certain pastor in Atlanta, Ga. The problem, as she saw it, was her son's involvement with "the wrong crowd." She went on to explain how her son's interaction with this group had caused him to develop a bad attitude toward authority. As a result, he had become impossible to live with.

After several meetings, the truth finally surfaced. The situation was one in which the boy's mother had left her husband (the boy's father), and she was completely unwilling to work toward reconciling the relationship. The boy wanted to live with his father, but his mother would not hear of it. The pastor talked with the father on several occasions. He took responsibility for his part in the conflicts at home. He was willing to do whatever he had to do to get his family back together. His wife, on the other hand, would not budge.

When the pastor explained to the woman how a hostile separation usually affects the children involved, she became angry. "I told you why he is acting the way he is," she said, "It's his friends." Nothing that pastor said made any difference. She could not (or would not) see any connection between her son's behavior at home and her response to her husband. As far as she was concerned, the problem was her son's. On several occasions she was willing to publicly request prayer for herself in regard to the sorrow her son was causing her. But she never came to grips with the fact that the conflict she was experiencing with her son was directly related to her own sin.

   2.  Over Half of Our Adversities Are Sin Related.

It is hard to put a percentage on this, but I would guess that 60 to 70 percent of the people I counsel are suffering from the consequences of their own sin or the sin of another.

      a.  Our Sin Will Affect/Hurt Others.

Some of the most difficult counseling situations I deal with are those in which an innocent party is suffering from the disobedience of another. It always seems so unfair. Yet part of coping with that type of adversity is realizing its source-sin.

      b.  Sometimes All We Can Do Is Suffer.

I admit that this is not a very satisfying answer in some cases. One reason is that if I am suffering because of someone else's sin, there is really nothing I can do about it, except suffer! If it is my sin I am suffering from, I can at least take some consolation in the fact that if I had not erred in some way, I would not be suffering. But when it is truly someone else's fault, the situation can be extremely frustrating.

Later on we will discuss how to respond to different types of adversity. The point I am making here is that sometimes there is no explanation for adversity other than the fact that we are feeling the effects of our sin or someone else sin.

CONCLUSION:

Have you been so hung up on trying to figure out why adversity has come your way that perhaps you have missed God? Has the adversity in your life strengthened your faith, or has it weakened your faith? Adversity is a reality that none of us can avoid. Therefore, it is in your best interest to begin responding in such a way that the negative can be used, to accomplish the will of God in your life. And as you begin responding correctly, perhaps you will begin to understand why!

The Lord Has a Way of Arranging Things So That Good Comes from Bad. That's His very nature as Redeemer—to take what attempts to enslave us and to use it to free us. Not only that, but when the Lord redeems a situation, He also sends a message to other people who observe what God is doing in our lives. That message may bring about many different reactions—from conviction to repentance to praise. What God does for good in our lives is never limited to us; it is always for others, too.

Jesus taught this to His disciples through the healing of a man who was blind in Jerusalem. There was purpose to the man's adversity. The disciples saw his blindness as being caused by something bad. Jesus taught that the man's blindness was for the cause of something good.