We feel guilty because we are guilty!
- Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Why do you think Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord God in the Garden of Eden?
- Genesis 3:9-12 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Truth: The reason they hid themselves from God is they felt GUILTY. Why did they feel GUILTY? They felt GUILTY because they were GUILTY!
When God created Adam and Eve, He created within them a protective, regulation system called CONSCIENCE. The CONSCIENCE was designed by God to act as a Moral Compass. When any of God’s human creations are in a position to violate God’s unalterable, perfect righteous holy Laws of Love, the CONSCIENCE, “internally sounds off” just like a car alarm activates to warn the driver of potential danger.
As with the auto alarm, where the driver proceeds at great risk and peril, so it is with an individual ignoring the warning which issues forth from the CONSCIENCE.
Sadly, we frail human beings are so self-centered and determined to proceed in LIFE making our own decisions. We regularly attempt to silence our CONSCIENCES, instead of heeding the warning and changing directions to a safe course of action.
Result: ALL HUMAN BEINGS have violated God’s Law of Love. Violation of God’s Law is called sin. When we sin, we are instantly GUILTY. There is no eraser or opportunity to undo a sin. Sin, once committed, is irrevocably recorded. The ONLY remedy for SIN, ANY SIN, is forgiveness.
You and I [all people except Jesus Christ] have broken the Moral Law of God many times and the just penalty for our willful sin is death.
3. Do not take the Lord’s Name in vain. Using “OMG” or “Jesus Christ” as a swear word, violates His Moral Law.
7. Do not commit Adultery. [Jesus said] “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:28.
8. Do not Steal. To steal anything makes me a thief.
9. Do not bear False Witness. To ever lie about anything, makes me a liar.
10. Do not Covet. To desire what someone has, either possessions or place, makes me covetous.
When we examine these 5 of God’s 10 perfect commands to regulate the Law of Love, do you agree with me that you and I are GUILTY?! Mankind’s greatest problem is our GUILT.
God, not only clearly established His unbreakable, irrevocable, perfectly righteous Law of Love, He also clearly set forth the penalty for ANY VIOLATION of His laws:
- Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins shall die.
Violation of God’s Moral Laws of Love automatically causes the conscience to condemn, convict and declare our guilt. The perfect Creator Judge must righteously assign the just penalty for sin: DEATH!
Can we now agree that you and I are GUILTY of violating God’s perfect Law of Love?
We know none of our sins can be erased or changed as the violations are fixed upon the completion of the sin. What can we do?
This is the exact question 1000s of Jews asked some 2000 years ago in Jerusalem some 50 days after Jesus had been nailed to a crucifixion cross and killed by the religious authorities, under the direct ruling of the Gentile authority, the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate.
Acts 2:36-39 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
These GUILTY people [both Jews and Gentiles] needed exactly what we also need today. All people need a SAVIOR, a SUBSTITUTE, for the death penalty penalty judgment which our sin received! To be saved from sin and guilt, all people needed a SAVIOR, a SUBSTITUTE, who would die in our place and take upon His own body the death they deserved! JESUS CHRIST is that SAVIOR.
Jesus lived a perfect life, without sin, and offered Himself up as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of any person who would believe, trust, commit and follow Him as their Lord.
What have we established today? You and I are sinners. We have been rightly convicted and condemned by our CONSCIENCE and our CREATOR. The death penalty for our sins has already been pronounced.
Like the Jews in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago, we cry out: “We are GUILTY! What shall we do? Jesus, Himself as the Son of God, answered the question specifically:
John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him [Jesus] whom He sent.”
How does this happen? Just as one experiences natural birth to become physically alive, one must be born again spiritually to become spiritually alive.
Again, Jesus very specifically answered this question so there would be no doubt whatsoever:
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
So how is a person born again? One must Believe, Receive and Follow Jesus Christ by an exclusive attachment of your will that Jesus will be your Lord and Savior.
John 1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
What did this look like some 2000 years ago in Jerusalem?
Acts 2:37-41 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Thank you for your great question.
As we prepared this answer to your question there still is an unanswered question. What will you do with this same information which the Jews and Gentiles in this passage received?
Will you get alone with the Holy Spirit of Christ and ask: “Are all these things true? Jesus if they are true, will You clearly convict me of my sin and show me that Jesus loves me, and died for me? Jesus, your death is proof of Your love for me. Please help me to believe and receive this gift of your death for my sins so that You become my Lord, Savior and forever Friend.?”
We prayed for you as we sent this answer. The most important eternal statement was declared by the Lord Jesus Christ to Nicodemus some 2000 years ago in Jerusalem: [John 3:3] Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
This is the most important question you will ever be asked because your eternal destiny depends upon your answer: “Have you been born again?”
All people born into the world will spend all eternity in either heaven in perfect joy and peace or in hell in perfect pain and regret.
If you have had a “stirring in your heart”, a conviction of your personal need of the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ, to save you from eternal death and you have chosen by an act of your will to become a Christ-follower and a Christ-lover, please write back and tell us.
Shall we continue to pray for you? Please note that request in your reply.
All our love to All In Christ
– Jon + Philis + Friends @ WasItForMe.com
Watch: Have I Sinned Too Much? https://vimeo.com/user146864084
