Faith Origins: Overcoming Original Sin.
Preached by Apostle Aje Pelser, Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town

Origin Scripture Highlights: Read Genesis 2-4 for the full account.
Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
Gen 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
Gen 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
Gen 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Gen 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Gen 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

Gen 3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Gen 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

Gen 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Bible Quick Study from Dr Oldfield, mentor of Dr Andre Pelser
Dr Oldfield gives us some questions and suggested answers from our subject Pentateuch, available from www.miraclebibletc.org
2.1 What did God mean when he said that Adam and Eve would die in the day that they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
Gen 2:16,17
When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, on that day they died an incipient death. In the very moment he sinned he was cut off from the union of God. Eph 2, “We are dead in our trespasses.” People are trying today to obtain divine life by eating healthy foods.

Genesis CHAPTER 3
3.1 Did the devil lie when he first spoke to Eve?
The devil did not come right out and contradict God, so he ventured a question, injects a little doubt, creating a foundation of doubt to work on—the process of sin.

3.2 Did Eve tell the truth?
Eve did not answer and tell the complete truth—God never said, “neither shall ye touch it.” Even though it is not a bad idea not to touch what God has forbidden.
2 Cor 6:17 “Touch not the unclean thing.” But she made a mistake.

3.3 Did the devil lie the second time he spoke to Eve?
The devil’s lie is mixed with the truth: because it is true that when she ate the fruit she would not drop down dead immediately, she would simply die ‘incipiently’ being cut off from God.
‘Incipiently’ is an adjective meaning:
Death through sin was ‘beginning to happen or develop.’

3.4 In what way was the temptation of the first Adam similar to the temptation of the last Adam?
Three temptations:
(i) physical appetite—desires good for food
(ii) aesthetic sense—desires pleasant for eyes
(iii) mental ambition—desires to make one wise
1 John 2:16 “Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life.” She offered the temptation to her husband.

Gen. 3:7 First result of their sin: they lost their innocence. Missionaries reporting that as soon as civilized people get saved, they cover themselves up.
General rule: do not be conspicuous in clothing.

Genesis Chapter 4
4.1 “Her seed would bruise the devil’s head” was God’s promise and that is why she exclaimed, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” Thus, do not always think that the most obvious thing is the answer of prayer. Have patience. Jesus was crucified and His heal was nailed to the cross, but he trampled on the head of the accuser and taught his disciples to trample on serpents and scorpions!
Luk 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Truth overcomes the lie that causes sin:
The original sin is believing the lie. The lie is offering you something you already have.
We are already made in His image. We are already in His likeness and that likeness is being worked out daily as the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth and helps us. The light of God, Jesus Himself is making intercession for us and the same light is shaping the matter and processes in our being, into what He planned for us.
Awareness of this process of Christ in us, the hope of Glory, is the biggest threat to our enemy. Doubting God’s words and who God made us to be, is the enemy’s biggest weapon.

The seven deadly sins
The seven deadly sins are linked to us believing what God for us to enjoy is not enough.
The Christian ascetic Evagrius Ponticus outlined eight—not seven—cardinal sins in the 4th century CE. Evagrius’s influential pupil John Cassian expounded on his list in the 5th century. Borrowing from this tradition, Pope Gregory I analyzed the cardinal sins in his authoritative 6th-century text Moralia and trimmed their number to seven.

The seven deadly sins, also called seven capital sins or seven cardinal sins, in Roman Catholic theology, the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behaviour. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas, they are (1) vainglory, or pride, (2) greed, or covetousness, (3) lust, or inordinate or illicit sexual desire, (4) envy, (5) gluttony, which is usually understood to include drunkenness, (6) wrath, or anger, and (7) sloth. Each of these can be overcome with the seven corresponding virtues of (1) humility, (2) charity, (3) chastity, (4) gratitude, (5) temperance, (6) patience, and (7) diligence.
The seven deadly sins can be thought of as dispositions toward sin and separation from God. Lust, for example, could result in adultery, which is a mortal sin, or could lead to somewhat less intentional immoral thoughts that would be classified as venial sins. The deadly sins were a popular theme in the morality plays, literature, and art of the Middle Ages in Europe.

Origins of the concept of Seven deadly sins is found in dead works of Asceticism (Dead works through strict moral laws to strive towards holiness holiness) and Gnosticism (The glorification of knowledge to the point of pride and elevation of self over others as inferior.):

Once sin is revealed, mans efforts to overcome them becomes doomed to failure. Only Jesus’ blood can truly cleanse us of the conscience of sin. Locking oneself up on a mountain to escape the sin of the world, still doesn’t deal with the conscience of sinful thoughts!
Inflicting personal punishment to rid self of the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life doesn’t work either!

Apostle Paul explains the predicament of sinful nature that entered in the beginning, but gives us hope in Romans 8:
Rom 7:20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

It is actually worth reading this entire passage and letting it sink into your spirit:
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Evagrius Ponticus wrote down what's known as the “eight evil thoughts”: gluttony, lust, avarice, anger, sloth, sadness, vainglory and pride.

Sin Deadly Sins - PGLEGWS 7 Virtues - HCCGTPD
Each of these can be overcome with the Anti-dote of the seven corresponding Virtues. Here is s summary based on historic theology: (I added the 8th wicked thought with some reference to oil of joy.)

(1) vainglory, or pride is overcome by humility,
(2) greed, or covetousness is overcome by charity,
(3) lust, or inordinate or illicit sexual desire, is overcome by chastity,
(4) envy, is overcome by gratitude,
(5) gluttony, which is usually understood to include drunkenness, is overcome by the fruit of temperance,
(6) wrath, or anger is overcome by patience and love
(7) sloth by diligence
(8) sadness that leads to depression is overcome buy the oil of Joy in believing

Iniquity
There is a great description of insubordination and iniquity in the “blessings of Submission” by Prophet Nola Pelser:
1 Sam. 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king. - Here insubordination is referred to as "idols of iniquity."
The Hebrew word for iniquity in this context is ‘aven’ Strong’s Hebrew #205, 'âven pronounced aw'-ven. From an unused root perhaps meaning properly to pant (hence to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble, vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol: - affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners (-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain, vanity, wicked (-ness.) Compare H369.
Another Hebrew word for iniquity is ‘avon’ Strong’s # H5771 aw-vone'
From H5753; perversity, that is, (moral) evil: - fault, iniquity, mischief, punishment (of iniquity), sin.
BDB Definition:
1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
1a) iniquity
1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
Part of Speech: noun masculine

The word avon means
(a) to bend, to curve – attempts will be made to accommodate fixed laws, ideas (worldly viewpoints to one’s desires, habits, actions. Isaiah 13:11.
(b) To writhe. Isaiah 21:3. A distortion of laws, principles will cause a distortion of body. (We have learnt the ways of the world concerning woman and it has caused a distortion of a truly beautiful, peaceful and gentle spirit.)
(c) To be bowed down, to be depressed. Psalm 38:6. Iniquity is a calamity that will cause this condition.
(d) Overturn, overthrow – Isaiah 24:1. Man would overthrow right. Overthrow and overturn lack of submission through the Holy Spirit.
Here are a collection of overcoming scriptures to rule over sin:
Later, God gave Cain a chance to overcome his hatred and covetousness of Able and his sacrifice:
Gen 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Acknowledging indwelling sin in all of us is a good start:
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Being Baptised in water buries the old self and allows us to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice:
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Rom 6:7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

There is a promise for those who follow Jesus that sin shall not have dominion over you:
Rom 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Prayers to overcome sin:
Psa 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 85:2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah

Use the Word to overcome sin:
Psa_119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Cleanse our Lips.
Isa_6:7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged."

Remove all idols:
Isa_31:7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.
Isa_53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
Isa_53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Holy Spirit convicts of sin:
Joh_16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Unbelief is sin, so faith in Jesus overcomes it too:
Joh_16:9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

Blessing of forgiveness of sin:
Jer_31:34 No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
Rom_4:8 BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD SHALL NOT IMPUTE SIN."

A simple rule of life:
Rom_14:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
2Th_2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

Beware of the deceitfulness of sin:
Heb_3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "TODAY," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Jas_1:15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

We have a High Priest that helps us overcome sin:
Heb_4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Walk in the light through fellowship in Christ
1Jn_1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Promise of overcoming sin:
1Jn_3:5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
1Jn_3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
1Jn_5:18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

What good news we have to live by and overcome sin in all its forms! Thank You, Jesus, for your finished work on the cross, for defeating the accuser and overcoming the tempter with the Word, for showing us the way of righteousness and enabling us through your Holy Spirit to be set free from sin and live unto God in holiness. You have perfected forever, those who are being sanctified!

Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”