Origin of Sin

Origin of Sin

“All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:23)

First Timothy 2:14 makes it clear that though the woman was deceived by Satan, Adam was not.  He sinned with his eyes wide open.  It is the exercise of the will in opposition to God’s will.

That is what Jesus is teaching here - sin does not come from the outside world or from the devil, it comes from the heart.  The source of sin and evil and misery in the world is not the devil; the source is in man.  Adam’s rebellion is produced in every generation, and redemption must be presented to every generation too.  

This is what Jesus is teaching His disciples.  He began by forbidding His disciples to participate in the formalism of the washing of the hands, and then went back to the reason why.  Physical acts are not the problem, Jesus says.  The things that will cause you trouble in ten million directions are what come from the heart, unless your mind, heart, and will are yielded to the Lord.

Meditation:  Am I taking full personal responsibility for my sins or am I looking for scapegoats?

Further Reading: Mark 7:14-23