Scriptures: Genesis 3:1-6, 2:16-17, 2:17, 5:3, John 8:44, 1:4, 1 Peter 5:8, James 4:7, ,Psalm 84:11, 5:4, 1 Timothy 6:17, 2:14, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 15:22

What do these have in common: Murder, rape, robbery, lying, stealing, famine, disease, death, pain, sorrow? The answer: None were ever intended to be here. In the beginning of time, these terrible facts of life were not woefully present, they were wonderfully absent. God's creation was pure, pristine, and perfect. A foreign virus invaded this healthy, happy, holy world; polluted its air, poisoned its water, and perverted its inhabitants. Sin is the original Ebola virus because it is truly immune to any human cure.

Many try to use the presence of evil, sorrow, and suffering to get rid of God. Their argument is this: If there is a God, and if God is God, why I there evil, suffering, pain, grief, and sorrow in the world? In this message, Dr. Merritt tackles the difficult reality of sin in the world. We'll learn it's pervasive presence and it's beautiful solution in the Person of Jesus Christ.

"The devil can be blamed for tempting Eve, but we cannot blame the devil for ruining Eve. The devil can trip a person but he cannot make them fall. He tempts but he cannot make someone sin. If Satan can make anybody sin he would make everybody sin. If he could make you sin part of the time he would make you sin all of the time. Since everybody is not sinning all the time this tells us that Satan can't make anybody sin any of the time. If the devil were to not exist today, the world would still be in a mess. The world is full of sin and people who commit sin. It is not because they have to, it is because they want to." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: sin, separation, Satan, devil, liar, fruit, Adam, Eve, disobedience, destruction, death, deception, blame, temptation, nature, spiritual, likeness, image, Christ, salvation, light, influence, appeal, desire, emotion, pleasing