Life in Christ: The Sin Outfit, Part 1
A visual object lesson on how sin hinders our life in Christ
By Susan "Susie" Kimes
Life in Christ Overview
Over the last many weeks we have talked about what the Bible says concerning our Life in Christ. We've searched the scriptures together and discovered that God laid out His plans for us before the creation of the world, that He prepared the way for us to be born into this world and then wooed us to Himself. Then He saved us, and lavished us with love and gifts at the moment of salvation.
We also learned that He gave us the ability to love one another and forgive one another, and that He has given us the courage and ability to seek someone else's forgiveness. He has given us power to overcome our fears. We also learned through the scriptures that we are to watch out for pride and to follow His example to live our lives as dependent children, dependent only on God and God alone.
Tonight's Visual
And now, tonight, I will be giving you a visual of how our life in Christ is hindered, even to the point of, as James pointed out, that we can make ourselves an enemy of God. But first, let's get a little background by reading Genesis 3:1-9.
We see how Eve and Adam struggled after the fall. But let me help you to make this personal and bring these same principles to light by combining them with what we have learned over the last weeks together. In order to do that, I have brought a very special outfit with me to put on. Let me show you.
Deception: The Hat
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"'" (Genesis 3:1).
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman (Genesis 3:4).
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires" (Romans 8:5).
Temptation: The Glasses
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).
Independence and Rebellion: The Boots
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Genesis 3:6).
We determine to do what we want to do, go where we want to go, without giving thought to God's plans for us.
Shame: The Coat
"Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves" (Genesis 3:7).
We use our bodies in a shameful way and then feel guilty about what we did.
Burdens: The Backpack
"So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves" (Genesis 3:7).
We now feel the burdens of life. Worry, anxiety, guilt, feeling helpless yet needing to remain in control.
Cut Off From God: The Umbrella
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, 'Where are you'" (Genesis 3:8-9).
The umbrella represents the barrier we have placed between God and us. We are cut off from God and have made ourselves an enemy of God.
Susan sometimes presented the Sin Outfit teaching wearing a black trench coat, hat, and sunglasses. These were part of her visual object lesson illustrating sin, hiding, distorted thinking, self-protection, and spiritual bondage. The teaching is meant to be a picture of freedom and restoration, not darkness.