Have you ever considered the source of sin? The early rabbis and some sects of Judaism said that God created the evil impulse in man, and that the Mosaic Law was given to cure man's desires.

Then we have the old saying, "The Devil made me do it". This idea says that Satan is the reason man thinks and does evil, and if it weren't for him man wouldn't sin. The Bible on the other hand is very clear on this matter. God does not tempt anyone, He tests them. Satan tempts everyone, but neither God or Satan can make a person sin. The choice is ours alone. James, chapter 1, verses 13 through 15, which read like this:

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

This is pretty bad and sad news to an addicted culture like ours. No blame can be put on any other person, place, or thing except ourselves. The gun didn't do it, the alcohol, didn't do it, my wife didn't make me do it, my parents didn't make be do it, and my friends didn't make me do it. I did.

Neither God or the serpent made Adam and Eve sin in the Garden of Eden, and every sin since then is our own choice. It's kind of scary to blame no one but myself. Yet rationalization and justification keep turning into denial, and I keep blaming God or someone else for my troubles. Denial is such a wonderful thing. It's everywhere, and everybody does it so it must be okay. Yet verse 15 above says it brings forth death. SO WHAT'S THE POINT. Take a look at the news, our politicians, our teachers, and pastors. Do they really sound any different than the addict, or the criminal. Listen to what the homosexuals, and most pro choice, and welfare advocates says. Who's fault is it. When problems come up in church or any where for that matter, the very first thing that is done is to find out who or what can be blamed for the situation or the problem. There's is another old saying, When you point a finger at someone, there are three pointing back.

Let's all work together to take the logs out of our own eyes, before we take the splinter out of our neighbors eye. The problems of this world are due to sin, not genetics, or God, or the devil. It's the sin and I.

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FOOTNOTE: This article originally appeared on Mike Kovach's CUJ website, which was taken off-line some time in Nov., 1998. This article reprinted with permission from the author, Jeff Dull.