I Believe in Sin's Curse
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I Believe in Sin's Curse
Pastor Jeff McNicol opens this sermon with two wedding stories gone awry: Eric and Megan’s lakeside wedding in Michigan, where the dock collapsed during a photo, turning it into a “lake bottom wedding,” and Kevin and Jessica’s Chicago wedding, where the maid of honor fainted during the kiss, yet the couple continued, giving new meaning to “wedding crasher.” These events started perfectly but took a turn—much like the significant shift Pastor Jeff explores today. In this installment of Pathway Church’s “I Believe” series, he examines the church’s doctrinal statement on sin and its consequences, diving into scripture to understand the fall, its effects, and the hope found in Jesus.
A Perfect Start That Took a Turn
The sermon focuses on the third point of the church’s doctrinal statement: “We believe that God created Adam and Eve in his image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God and under his wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled, and renewed.” Pastor Jeff explores three key aspects of this statement, guiding us through the perfect beginning, the devastating turn, and the redemptive solution.
1. God Created
The story begins with creation, as the doctrinal statement notes that God created Adam and Eve. Genesis 1:27 declares, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Being made in God’s image is unique to humanity—unlike angels or animals. Pastor Jeff humorously notes we’re not like dogs, despite some being loyal, or cats, even if some think they’re the center of the universe.
Reflecting God’s Image
Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” This means we reflect God’s character and attributes, what theology calls communicable attributes. We’re rational, able to think and seek truth; moral, discerning right from wrong; social, capable of love and communication; and artistic, able to create and appreciate beauty. This image gives humanity sacred worth, regardless of status, age, or ability—every life is a reflection of God.
2. Mankind Sinned
The perfect start in Eden didn’t last. Despite God’s ideal environment, mankind sinned, taking matters into their own hands and disobeying God. Sin includes commission (doing wrong) and omission (failing to do right), and it’s shameful. Mark Twain once said, “Man is the only creature that can blush and the only one that needs to.”
When Tempted by Satan
The doctrinal statement notes that Adam and Eve sinned when tempted by Satan. Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.” Satan used lies, deception, and temptation—tactics still effective today. He twisted God’s words, questioned His truthfulness, and suggested God was holding out, making sin seem restrictive or minor. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that we battle “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
In Union with Adam
The statement continues, “In union with Adam, human beings are sinners.” Some, like psychologist Abraham Maslow, claim humans have no intrinsic evil, saying, “As far as I know, we just don’t have any intrinsic instincts for evil.” He’s right about Genesis 1 and 2, but Genesis 3 changes everything. Adam’s sin, as humanity’s representative, introduced a sin nature to all. Genesis 5:3 notes, “When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image,” reflecting Adam’s fallen nature, not just God’s image. Romans 5:12 confirms, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people because all sinned.”
By Nature and Choice
We’re sinners by nature and choice. Psalm 51:5 states, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Pastor Jeff shares a photo of his two-year-old granddaughter, calling her an “angel,” but admits David would call her a sinner since conception. Yet, we can make good choices. Matthew 7:9-11 says, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, we’ll give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, we’ll give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?” Romans 2:15 adds, “The requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness.” Believers have the Holy Spirit’s power, as Galatians 5:16 urges, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” But we often choose sin, bearing responsibility, not blaming the devil as Eve did.
To Alienation from God
Sin leads to alienation from God. Ephesians 4:18 describes sinners as “darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” God, being sinless, cannot fellowship with sin, separating us from Him.
Under God’s Wrath
Sin also brings God’s wrath. We may minimize sin, but it’s an offense to God’s holiness, akin to idolatry. Romans 2:5 warns, “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” Sin demands judgment, a sobering reality.
3. Jesus Saves
Despite sin’s curse, there’s hope. The statement concludes, “Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled, and renewed.” God doesn’t want us under wrath, so He sent Jesus. Romans 5:19 explains, “For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Some say it’s unfair that Adam’s sin affects us, but Pastor Jeff counters that we’d likely have sinned too, given our choices.
The Second Adam
Adam’s sin was imputed to us, but our sin is imputed to Jesus, who bore it on the cross—an unfair exchange for our benefit. Jesus, the “second Adam,” overcame the first Adam’s failure. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 assures, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Through Jesus, we escape wrath and receive grace, love, and mercy.
4. So What? How Belief Behaves
Believing in sin’s curse changes how we live. Pastor Jeff offers three action steps, drawn from Adam and Eve’s fall, to apply this belief practically.
1. Don’t Buy the Lie
Satan lied to Eve, saying in Genesis 3:4, “You will not certainly die,” twisting God’s words to sow doubt about His kindness. He does the same today, questioning if God really forbids cutting corners at work, taking undeserved tax deductions, or indulging in sins like pornography, suggesting there’s “wiggle room.” Pastor Jeff urges us not to twist God’s word to fit our desires but to obey, even when it’s hard, trusting God’s standard over others’ actions.
2. Don’t Minimize Sin
Satan minimized sin’s consequences, but its effects linger thousands of years later. We diminish sin, thinking, “Everybody sins, so what’s one more time?” But every sin mocks the cross, hardens our hearts, and makes repentance harder. It’s not a “little white lie”—it sent Jesus to die. We must feel its weight to appreciate its cost.
3. Seek Forgiveness
Sin alienates us and brings wrath, but Jesus offers a cure. We must confess our sins and accept His forgiveness, striking down sin’s sting through the Spirit’s power. Though we can’t erase our sin nature, it’s not a death sentence—it’s a chance to show obedience to Christ, bringing Him glory by choosing against Satan’s pull.
Living Out the Savior’s Cure
Pastor Jeff concludes that while “I believe in sin’s curse” seems a downer, it opens the door to the Savior’s cure. We can’t eliminate our sin nature, but through confession and the Spirit, we overcome its power, demonstrating allegiance to Jesus. Let’s live with courage and conviction, honoring the One who saves us from sin’s curse and leads us to victory.
SERMON DETAILS
Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Series: I Believe
Sermon Title: I Believe in Sin's Curse
Date: May 11, 2025
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Genesis 1:27
Genesis 1:26
Genesis 3:1
Genesis 5:3
Romans 5:12
Psalm 51:5
Matthew 7:9-11
Romans 2:15
Galatians 5:16
Ephesians 4:18
Romans 2:5
Romans 5:19
1 Thessalonians 5:9
Genesis 3:4
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