The Nature of Sin
God was not pleased when He saw the condition of the earth. The people were not concerned. They kept on in their sinful ways, because they would not accept the fact that sin is a horrible and ruinous state of the heart. God, on the other hand, was very concerned, because He knew the truth about sin. He understood that the corruption and violence were not only sin in themselves, but they were the result of man’s sinful condition.
Sometimes we think of sin as a wicked act, done by a certain person at a certain time. It can be this, but it is much more, too. The real truth about sin is that it is the condition of man that exists because man has turned away from God. Sin separates man from God. Sin is the refusal to submit to the will of God. It is a denial of man’s purpose, which is to serve and please God. Sin is man’s rejection of God’s will. It is refusal to listen to the voice of God.
Sin takes control of human beings like a fatal disease and leads them to extreme suffering, not only on earth, but in hell which awaits those that have strayed from God. That is why God was displeased when He saw the sinful condition of mankind. He knew that man could not be allowed to continue in this way. He knew that judgment and destruction had to come upon the earth. The stains which sin had left upon the earth needed to be washed away, so that the glory of God could once again reflect from the hearts of His most prized creation.