Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” This leads to the question, “Do I sin because I am a sinner, or am I sinner because I sin?” This is like the old question, “which came first the chicken or the egg?” If you believe the account of Genesis 1-2 the answer is obvious . . . . “the Chicken!” God created all the animals first, then came children. The problem is that God created man as sinless, and then he chose to sin! So it would seem that we are sinners because we sin, except for the clear teaching of the Word of God. David says in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” and in 1 Corinthians 15:22 we are told “In Adam all die.” The answer Biblically is we sin because we are sinners. Why is it important to understand this point? This answers the question of why death and destruction affects all humans, because we are conceived as a sinner, and therefore, are subject to the consequences and battle with sin from the beginning of our lives. We are born separated from God, and in need of a savior. It is the sin of Adam, imputed to us, that accounts for our separation from God. Where is the hope in that? 1 Corinthians 15:22 not only tells us that “in Adam all die” but it continues, “. . . even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” Just like the sin of Adam was imputed to us, the righteousness of Christ can be imputed to us. That is the basis of being “born again” (John 3:3). Just as we did nothing to be brought into our relationship with Adam, We do nothing to be brought into our new family when we are born again. No longer do we stand before God as a sinner, now we stand before Him as a saint, declared righteous by the work of Jesus Christ. Let’s live in that victory