DNA Day: Passing It On

Today is another day where the celebration in question -- DNA Day -- happens to correspond very well with a post I've already written. Scripture says "all have sinned, and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23)." But as we learn later in Romans, not only have we sinned, it is indeed threaded into the very fiber of our being...

Originally Titled, "Kind of like the National Debt"

Did you know the NIV version of the Bible uses the word, "Inheritance" 220 times? The land, as an inheritance for Israel. A father's passing down to his sons. The inheritance, down generations, of God's promises.

I was reading a column yesterday, in which the author discussed her children's genetic inheritance from her and her husband. Her eyes. His math skills. Her tendency to faint upon even reading about blood.

It made me think about what my wife and I have passed to our children. My son has my eyes and dimples; his Mom's hair. In fact, all my kids got their mother's hair, except the unruliness of my daughter's, which comes from my side of the family. My daughters also got my wife's creativity and compassion; my son wound up with my analytical and sarcastic streaks. And, there are less pleasant aspects of our own personalities -- aspects trained away by maturity and prayer, and some with which we are still dealing, even now -- which are also cropping up in our kids. A sense of humor that can, occasionally, not know when enough is enough. A sudden flare of temper.

Scripture reminds us that sin is also in our DNA. An inheritance from the beginning of Man's journey on Earth.

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. (Romans 5:13-14)

As children of the World, Death is our inheritance. However, as adopted Children of God, we have a new inheritance to which we can look forward. The promises of God, passed down from generations, are now ours as His Children.

In fact, in Romans 5, Paul continues his discussion of our original inheritance of sin and death, when he says that the sacrifice of Christ covers over that original condition:

... just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (vs 18-19)

Death is in our blood. Passed from father to son like eye color. But the inheritance of Life is found in His blood, for those who will accept it.

Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades

Photo by Jason Armstrong

How often have you heard somebody say they don't need Forgiveness because, "I'm good enough?" Or,  "She's a really nice person. Of course she's going to Heaven?"

I suppose it's a comforting sentiment, and we may well forgive our friends their confusion. But the problem isn't whether these friends are swell, or even nice,  people. It's a problem of standards.

Romans 3:23 tells us "all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God."

Imagine the most beautiful sunrise you've ever seen. The other day, I looked out the window as the sun was coming up over the fog-covered city. Right outside, as mist rolled between the orange and gold autumn leaves, rays of sun cut through into a kaleidoscope of color.

Or, consider the images we have of deep space, the swirls of gasses into an impossible palette of majestic hues, or the mysterious beauty of the ocean floor.

Now think of the most realistic artist you've ever seen. Given the right color of paints, and enough time and inspiration, that artist could create something beautiful, looking almost like a... photograph... of what God created from nothing.

Image from the Hubble Telescope

Even the best artist in the world can create, at best, a facsimile of the Creation of God. Simply put, the artist doesn't have the tools to produce anything but a paltry, though beautiful, copy of God's original.

Righteousness works the same way. On our own, we simply haven't got the ability to be anything but sinful. And no matter how many kind -- even good -- acts we perform, we will never be as Good, as Pure, as Holy as our Creator. It is not in us to measure up to the standard He has set.

Fortunately for us, Jesus can.