Post 35: Universal Sin and Its Impacts

Image: Grave yard at night with the words "Death Comes To All" and "bytesofsalvation.com, June 2026" shown on the image.

Summary: This post will discuss the universal impact of mankind's first sin and the impacts that has had on humanity. The post ends with discussing the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ on the Cross as the solution to the eternal impact of sin.

The Original Sin and the fall of Mankind

At some point in your life, you may have heard the phrase "universal sin" or "we all have sin in our lives". If you are anything like me, you may have subsequently dismissed that idea as something that is false, like it does not apply to you if you do not apply it to yourself. Maybe you believe that you are a good person at heart who does not do the "bad" things that people who commit crimes do.

God Almighty, who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, tells us in His word that there is no one on earth who never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The bible tells us that we have all gone astray (Isaiah 53:6) and all fall short of His perfect, sinless standard (Romans 3:23). But how is it that we all have this sin problem even if we cannot pinpoint a time in which we have deliberately done something wrong or sinful?

This universal sin problem goes back to the early creation of humanity. In Genesis 1, the bible teaches us that God created the heavens, the earth, the animals, plants, and all other living creatures. God also formed the first man, Adam, from the dust, and gave man dominion over the land and animals as well.

God placed man in the Garden of Eden to steward and cultivate it. God issues His first command to Adam, with the expectation that the command would be obeyed perfectly. In this command, God tells him that he must not eat of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil that was in the midst of the Garden of Eden, or else he would surely die (Gen 2:16-17). God also made the first woman, Eve, as a helper and wife for Adam (Gen 2:18-25).

In Genesis 3, the serpent (also known as the devil) deceives Eve to think that God is holding out on them by not allowing them to eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The devil contradicts what God actually said, which convinces Eve that eating of the fruit will make them 'like God', knowing good and evil (Gen 3:1-5). She then ate of the tree, and gave the fruit to Adam and he ate also (Gen 3:6-7). This was direct disobedience to God's initial command to Adam. As a result, God cursed the serpent (Gen 3:14-15), Eve (Gen 3:16), and Adam (Gen 3:17-19). Subsequently, mankind was driven out of the Garden of Eden, and therefore perpetually separated from God (Gen 3:22-24).

How Sin Impacts Humanity

Separation from God:
Sin has brought spiritual alienation from God. "Sin creates a barrier between humanity and God, which brings spiritual separation from God. " Isaiah 59: 1-2 tells us,

"¹Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. ²But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."

This verse says that God is always powerful and willing to save, but human sin acts as a barrier that separates people from Him.

In Luke 16:26,in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus describes a "great chasm" or an impassable divide established in the afterlife. The verse reads:

"And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there cross over to us."

The great chasm in Luke 16 represents the irrevocable state of the dead, separating the righteous and the wicked forever. This chasm represents a final, permanent separation from God's presence for the unbeliever, highlighting the urgency of faith during life."

The only way to cross this "great chasm" rests in believing that the atoning sacrifice of Christ (1 John 2:2) and His blood which was shed for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 9:22) will fully redeem and reconcile you to God your Creator (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:21-22). Only through personal faith in Christ's saving work on the cross can His sacrifice, which was offered to the whole world, be applied to you individually.

Death:
Death did not exist before the fall of mankind (Genesis 3). When Adam, the first man, sinned, death entered the world as a consequence of his action (Gen 3:19, Romans 5:12). Man was subsequently driven out of the Garden of Eden and spiritually separated from God (Gen 3:22-24).

As a part of the fall of mankind, the guilt of sin became applied to all of mankind through Adam's offspring. All of mankind has inherited this sin nature at birth (Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:19) and therefore fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).

The bible also tells us death is the natural consequence and earned payment for sin, and because we all are guilty of sin, we all deserve death for our sin (Romans 6:23, James 1:14-15). Death is also unavoidable, affecting equally the "righteous" and "wicked" alike (Ecclesiastes 9:2-3, Hebrews 9:27)."

Because death is coming to all, what you believe while you are alive will impact your eternal destination. Those who come to faith in Christ while they are alive will be given the gift of eternal life (John 3:16) but those who reject the message of the cross remain under condemnation because they do not believe (John 3:18).

Corrupted Creation:
Because of sin, corruption has entered God's creation and the world itself is under a curse causing futility, environmental corruption, and suffering. Romans 8:20 tells us:

"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope."

The context of this verse is that the Apostle Paul is explaining that when Adam sinned, the physical world was subjected to a temporary state of frustration, decay, and corruption (also referred to as the "curse").

Romans 1:21 says "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."

This verse describes the root of sin and idolatry. When humanity exchanges the truth of God for a lie and turns away from the Creator, the direct consequence is a darkening of the heart and irrational, fruitless thinking.

Sin also brought forth suffering and pain. When Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden, God cursed them both as a direct result of their sin. Part of the woman's curse was that her pain would be multiplied in childbirth (Gen 3:16) and part of man's curse was that in pain we would toil and eat off of the land (Gen 3:17).

Environmental Corruption:
The Bible often portrays nature as responding to the spiritual condition of humanity, highlighting that sin and greed do not just damage human relationships, but defile the Earth itself.

Adam's disobedience in the Garden of Eden led to the "cursing of the ground" (Genesis 3:17-18). This symbolizes creation being subjected to futility, resulting in an environment characterized by struggle, decay, natural disasters, and ecological imbalance.

Genesis 6 tells us that God decreed the worldwide flood judgement because the violence and wickedness of man was great in the earth. This is a direct example of how mankind’s violence and wickedness corrupts the land which lead to God destroying the corrupted creation.

In Numbers 35:30-34, God is warning the Israelites not to pollute "cities of refuge" within the land of Canaan with blood of the innocent. Canaan is a holy land, not because of the Israelites who lived there, but because God dwells there. Here, the bible is teaching that the shedding of innocent blood physically and spiritually corrupts or "pollutes" the land where the people live (Numbers 35:33, Psalm 106:38-41). Back during ancient biblical times, part of the law dictated that if someone committed murder, the only way to remove this guilt and perform the required ritual purification is through the execution of the guilty party (Genesis 9:6, Exodus 21:23–24).

In Isaiah 24:3-6, the bible talks about God having decreed a future universal judgment that will impact the entire world because of sin. The passage teaches that because humanity broke God's covenant, a divine curse consumes the globe, describing the land as "withered" and "polluted", with population drastically reduced. It emphasizes the heavy price paid for sin and the interconnected relationship between humanity's spiritual choices and the physical state of the earth.

Internal Corruption and Guilt:
Sin brings a heavy burden of guilt, shame, and a broken, sinful nature. Psalm 38:3-4 is a cry of distress describing the physical and emotional weight of sin and guilt. In Psalm 38:3-4, King David describes profound physical agony and spiritual despair caused by the heavy weight of his sins and God's conviction. He feels overwhelmed, likening his guilt to a drowning flood and an unbearable, heavy burden.

Throughout the rest of the psalm, David details how his suffering leads to isolation—his friends abandon him, his enemies set traps for him, and he feels completely alone. Ultimately, the psalm shifts to a cry for divine help and forgiveness, as David realizes his only hope is to confess his sins and rely completely on the Lord.

Broken Relationships:
Sin destroys trust and harmony, leading to conflict with others, broken fellowship with God, and causing emotional anguish.

James 4:1 is directly addressing sin leading to conflict, posing the question, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?" The context of this verse is that James is addressing bitter conflicts within the early church caused by selfish, worldly desires rather than a focus on God.

Isaiah 59:2 explains that human sin is like a barrier that separates people from God. The overall context of the surrounding chapters is a discussion centered on calling out the collective rebellion of the nation of Israel against God's laws. Despite the people complaining that God was not noticing their fasting and prayers, Isaiah reveals to the Israelites that their systemic unrighteousness was the real problem.

In Genesis 37, Jacob exhibits favoritism towards Joseph, one of his sons, by giving him a "coat of many colors". Joseph also shares two prophetic dreams with his family that symbolized his future rise to power. Their father's favoritism and the prophetic dreams breed jealousy, resentment and anger among Joseph's brothers. Then, the brothers initially plot to kill Joseph but Reuben, the eldest brother, convinces the rest of them only to throw Joseph into the pit without harming him, sparing his life. While Reuben is away, the other brothers sell Joseph into slavery, then deceive their father into thinking Joseph was killed in a wild animal attack by showing him Joseph's coat dipped in goat's blood. Their actions caused deep mourning and severely broke apart the family relationship.

Sin Brings God's Judgment:
The bible teaches that God pours out wrath and judgment against the ungodly and the wicked (Romans 1:18, Ephesians 5:6).

Genesis 6 describes that God regretted creating mankind because of the pervasive wickedness and violence that was throughout the land. Because of this sinfulness, God decrees a worldwide flood to destroy His fallen creation. This is one of the most severe judgements that God brought forth because of sin.

Another example of God's judgement was the destruction of Sodom and Gamora. Sodom and Gomorrah were cities of widespread wickedness, including violence, sexual perversion, and social injustice (Genesis 18:20-21, Genesis 19:4, Ezekiel 16:49, Jude 1:7). A major catalyst in this situation was that all of the men in the cities came together with a singular evil intent to sexually assault the two male angels who had come to rescue Lot from the impending judgment (Genesis 19:1-29). Because of this sinfulness, scripture tells us that God destroyed the cities with fire and sulfur (Gen 19:24-25).

Yet another well known example of God pouring out wrath against wickedness came in the 10 Plagues, discussed in the Book of Exodus. Exodus chapters 7-12 go into more detail about each of the plagues which came with increasing severity. Among the 10 plagues included many severe judgments from God, beginning with water turning to blood which ruined the water supply, and ending with the final plague being the death of all the firstborn in Egypt.

The Gospel Hope Beyond Sin's Impacts

The Solution to Our Sin Problem:
"So, what is our hope beyond the penalty/wage of sin?" Why, Jesus of course, and with Him alone lies the good news!

God, who is perfectly just (Deuteronomy 32:4), cannot overlook sin and must punish sin (Habakkuk 1:13). In God's mercy, He did not give us what we all deserve, which is the death (spiritual separation) we deserve because of our sin. Instead, God shows us grace in that He gives us something we do not deserve, which is a way out of this spiritual separation from Him because of sin.

By God grace, He provides a solution to this sin problem, in purposing His only begotten son Jesus to redeem us from the death penalty we deserve by dying on the cross as a substitute for us. Jesus bore the penalty of our sins when he died on the cross. The bible tells us that Jesus is the propitiation or atoning payment for our sins, which satisfied the holy wrath of God against sin (1 John 2:2).

Forgiveness & Redemption:
When someone comes to believe solely in the blood of Christ for forgiveness and deliverance from the penalty of their sins, the bible says that person is now reconciled to God through Christ: Matthew 26:28 says:

"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins".

The context of this verse is that Jesus is addressing his disciples in the upper room during the Last Supper, just before he is betrayed unto His crucifixion. During this address, Jesus refers to the shedding of His own blood to establish a new agreement between God and humanity for the forgiveness of sins. This new covenant of forgiveness it is offered for "many," meaning it is available to all of humanity but will only be applied tho those who will accept it.

Ephesians 1:7 tells us "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,"

Here, Paul is preaching to the church in Ephesus, reminding those believers of their redemption which has been purchased by the blood Christ shed on the cross to save us from our sins. In the redemption that only Christ can offer, the legal debt of our sins has been permanently canceled because Jesus paid the price on our behalf. Paul also reminds the Ephesian church that this redemption is only available according the kindness and generosity of God's Grace, not based on any human merit.

Resurrection & Eternal Life:
Jesus' resurrection gives believers hope beyond the grave. I think one of the most amazing benefits that comes from being reconciled to God through Christ is the promise of resurrection from death that is applied to the person who believes in Christ.

Jesus Himself proclaims to be the source of eternal life and the conqueror of death in John 11:25-26, where Jesus 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

The context of John 11:25-26 is that Jesus is speaking these words to Martha outside the tomb of her brother, Lazarus. After speaking these words, Jesus demonstrates that He has present authority over death by raising Lazarus from the dead!

One of my favorite Bible passages that speaks of the believers future resurrection in Christ is 1 Corinthians 15:20-21, which says:

"²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man."

This verse is an amazing reassurance that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead and a promise of resurrection for those who have died having obtained salvation in Christ!

Call to action!
So Reader, if you're someone who does not believe that the bible is true regarding our fallen spiritual status before God due to sin, I urge you to turn from that belief and recognize that we all fall short of God's perfect standard, need a payment for our sins to be made right with God.

Those who reject their need for salvation through Christ's sacrifice alone and the payment he made for sins while have to pay for their own sins on Judgement day. Since the wages of sin is spiritual death, meaning eternal spiritual separation from God (Romans 3:23), that is not a payment you can successfully make...ever!

But those of us who place their trust in Jesus Christ paying the full penalty of our sins when He died in our place on the cross receive forgiveness from all sins and have Christ's payment for sin imputed to our account, completely wiping out our sin debt before God. In Christ, God promises that believers will not experience the spiritual separation heirs that the unbelieving world will experience but instead will have eternal life with God in heaven (John 3:16)! AMEN!