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WHAT WE BELIEVE
The bad news is really bad

Reuben Pauls

This Article explains more fully the problems created by humans within God’s created order (first discussed in Article 3). The responsibility for the choices made are placed squarely on each individual’s own shoulders. Evil is not something mystical which was created by God and overtook humanity without warning. There was choice involved.

In this Article, we see various words used to define sin – “disobey”, “disrupting God’s purposes”, “falling short of the glory of God”, “alienating”, “eternal separation” and “spiritual death”. While this is not the order those words appear in the Article, the downward spiral of sin’s consequences cannot be missed. By humanity’s choice, we have given sin a foothold, and sin touches every person. We cannot blame Adam and Eve, the first humans. We also share in the responsibility.

Sin is a response by humans which breaks their relationship with God. “Disrupting God’s purposes” and “falling short of the glory of God” indicate that sin severs humanity’s most important relationship. The severing of this relationship not only influences how we respond to God, but also how we interact with other human beings. Breaking the vertical relationship with God results in horizontal “breaks in relationship”. On the day my mother led me to Christ, she said, “Do you realize that your sin is against God, but it hurts me?” When we give in to sin’s power, we harm not only our relationship with God, but our relationships with other humans as well.

The second half of this Article, under the heading “Principalities and Powers”, reflects our increasing awareness that the enemy is real. Spiritual warfare has become a significant theme in the Western world. Our missionaries in other parts of the world have had firsthand experience with combating evil powers over the years, and we are becoming increasingly aware of the influence of demonic activity, Satan worship, Wicca and witchcraft in our society as well.

While it is unwise to “see a demon in every bush”, there are many who are enslaved, bound by evil in their everyday lives. Especially for those who have spent significant time under the influence of the enemy, freedom in Christ appears very distant. Sin is very powerful, and if we were left on our own, sin would be victorious over us. We would not be able to control it, but it would control us.

But that is not the end of the story. We believe that Jesus’ death on the cross has broken sin’s power. In the next Article (#5), we move on to God’s plan of salvation.

This Article is bad news. However, just as the Old Testament is necessary for a proper understanding of the New Testament, unless we really understand the bad news, we may not find the good news worth looking at.

Reuben Pauls is pastor of River of Life Church in Sorrento, B.C. and former executive minister for the Canadian MB Conference.

CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN CONFERENCES OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES Article 4

Sin and Evil Sin and Its Consequences We believe that the first humans yielded to the tempter and fell into sin. Since then, all people disobey God and choose to sin, falling short of the glory of God. As a result, sin and evil have gained a hold in the world, disrupting God’s purposes for the created order and alienating humans from God and thus from creation, each other and themselves. Human sinfulness results in physical and spiritual death. Because all have sinned, all face eternal separation from God. Principalities and Powers Sin is a power that enslaves humanity. Satan, the adversary, seeks to rule creation and uses sin to corrupt human nature with pride and selfishness. In sin people turn from God, exchanging the truth about God for a lie, worshipping and serving the creature rather than the Creator. Sin opens individuals and groups to the bondage of demonic principalities and powers. These powers also work through political, economic, social and even religious systems to turn people away from holiness, justice and righteousness. Whether in word, deed, thought or attitude, all humans are under the domination of sin and, on their own, are unable to overcome its power. Genesis 3; Genesis 6:11-12; Psalm 14:1-3; Psalm 36:1-4; Psalm 52:1-7; Psalm 58:1-5, 82; Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 16:49-50; Amos 2:4-8; Mark 7:20-23; John 8:34, 44; Romans 1:21-32; Romans 3:9-18, 23; Romans 5:12-14; Romans 18-19; Romans 6:23; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 6:12; I Peter 5:8-9; I John 1:8-10; Revelation 12:9. View complete Confession of Faith

 
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Last modified December 7, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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