Sin as Predator
Tim Keller | January 21, 1996
Overview
What’s wrong with us? What’s wrong with the human race? If you don’t ask that question, if that question doesn’t burn in your heart, your head is in the sand. The answer the Bible gives us to this question is that it is, to a great degree, a problem of underestimation.
God says, first of all, that sin hides itself. It crouches. Secondly, that sin is tremendously powerful. It will have you. Thirdly, we’re told about hope. You must master it. It tells us about the hiddenness of sin, about the power of sin, and that there’s a hope for the defeat of sin.
Outline
Understanding Genesis 4:3–15
The tale of Cain and Abel in Genesis helps us dig deeper into human weaknesses. The issue isn’t just that we sin, but that we often underestimate how tricky and powerful sin can be. But there’s a ray of hope in this struggle against sin, which helps us understand it better.
1. Sin, by its nature, hides itself. It crouches
Sin can be sneaky. It can show up in everyday feelings and conflicts, like in the story of Cain and Abel. Their issue wasn’t really about what they offered, but about how sincere and devoted they were when they offered it. This highlights how crucial it is to put God before ourselves. We all have the potential for both good and evil. Sin happens when we put ourselves before God, leading to feelings of entitlement and anger. These feelings are often hidden behind the actions of a few ‘bad’ people.
2. Its desire is to have you
Once sin takes hold, it sticks around and tries to take over, almost as if it has a life of its own. It’s addictive and spreads easily, making it easier to sin again and affecting the people around us. Sin also disrupts our inner peace and the balance of the universe, causing a ripple effect of negative outcomes.
3. There’s hope for sin
The story emphasizes the need to take responsibility for our actions and to sincerely apologize when we’ve done wrong. It also shows that God is ready to offer hope and forgiveness, even when we’ve messed up pretty badly. The story cautions us against pretending to be more religious than we really are and warns against being lukewarm in our faith. It ends with a call to seek guidance and forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus, acknowledging His power to help us overcome sin.
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