3.  Sin brings a huge burden of guilt; Cain felt it! Gen. 4:13  We are masters at making excuses and rationalizations to rid us of that burden.  The worst excuses are dressed in the garb of religion.  Men seek to excuse their sin by blaming God! 3

4.  Is man born with a “sinful nature”?  Most of the denominational world believes so: Psa. 51:5; Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 4:6-7; Ezek. 18:20  Does man acquire a “sinful nature”? Ezek. 18:20; Jas. 1:12-15; 1 Cor. 10:13  A “sinful nature” is something we cultivate: Isa. 53:6; Psa. 14:3 (cf. Rom. 3:10-12; Eph. 2:1-3) 4 What about Jesus? Heb. 2:14-17; Rom. 8:3; Heb. 4:15; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22 The idea God gave man a “sinful nature” is blasphemy!

5.  Some blame God for their sin and temptation: Jas. 1:12-15; 1 Cor. 10:13  “We live in a sinful world, so we just can’t help ourselves.” Gen. 3:12; Job 2:10  The world exerts a powerful influence, but we’re not doomed to failure! 1 Jn. 4:4; 5:4-5 5

6.  We cannot understand God’s word: Eph. 3:1-5; Mk. 12:37; 1 Cor. 1:26  “We can’t keep God’s word! It’s just too hard!”  Moses told the Israelites otherwise: Deut. 29:29; 30:11-14  Moses’ words are repeated in the New Covenant: Rom. 10:6-10 6

7.  God is just too hard on us! The one talent man thought so: Matt. 25:24-25  The accusation was completely untrue, God had provided adequately for all of them.  Many today accuse God of the same thing…of being too hard: Acts 17:30; 26-27 7

8.  God’s way is not fair? The Jews made that accusation: Ezek. 18:25; 33:17-20  God’s judgment is too harsh? William Barclay  God won’t judge us for what we’ve done: Rom. 2:5b-11  There is no doctrine more clearly taught in the Bible than this one! Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 14:10- 12; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 4:5; Jude 14-15; Rev. 20:11- 15 8 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

9.  We compound our mistake when we rationalize or excuse our sin.  It’s very dangerous to claim the flesh is too weak, the temptation too strong, the law too hard or too difficult to understand.  Let us humbly confess and repent: 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:2-2 9