THE EXTENT OF SIN

A. As to the Heavens.

The Scriptures reveal the fact that both sin and salvation began in heaven and came to earth. Sin began in heaven with the fall of Satan (Ezek. 28). Salvation is completed in heaven with the mediatorial work of Christ (Heb. 9:24).

B. As to the Earth.

1. The Vegetable Kingdom.

“Unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying. Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field” (Gen. 3:17, 18). Isaiah 53:13 reveals the blessed fact that the curse shall be taken off of the vegetable kingdom when Christ comes: “Instead of the thorn, shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

2. The Animal Kingdom.

Before the fall of man there were no man-eating animals. Isaiah 11:6-9 tells us that this curse also shall be removed at Christ’s second coming: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

3. The Race of Mankind.

a. The Universality of Sin.

All men are sinners: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

b. The Totality of Sin.

All of man is sinful — his body, soul and spirit. “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. . . . there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:12, 18, 19.)

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