Among all the sins, there is one which tops the list. This one sin brings in all sins. By this one sin, all other sins follow. The Bible says that sin entered into the world through one man (Rom. 5:12). I want to ask you, What sin did that one man commit? Was it fornication, theft, murder, arson? There were no such things in Eden. All the evil, filthy, and terrible things that happen in the world today come from one incident involving Adam. But what did Adam do? Adam did not murder; he did not commit fornication; he did not commit any of the evil and filthy sins in the world today. The sin that Adam committed was simple and pure. Adam thought that God was holding one thing back from him. He thought that if he were to eat of the fruit of that tree, he would be like God. The sin that Adam committed was actually a problem that developed between him and God. God expected Adam to be standing on his proper ground. But Adam did not believe that what God had given him was profitable for him. He began to doubt the love of God. A problem developed concerning the love of God.

Adam did not commit that many sins in this incident. He did not gamble; he did not set his eyes on evil things in the streets; he did not read evil books. Adam's sin was a problem that arose between him and God. Following that, many sins came. Once Adam sinned in this way, all kinds of sins followed. Sins are after their kind, and they all come one after another. However, the first sin was not the sin that we would have thought. The first sin was the unique sin in the Old Testament, the sin of not loving God. After a problem developed between man and God, problems among men began to develop. In the garden of Eden, a problem developed in man; then, outside the garden of Eden, the older brother murdered the younger, and all kinds of sins followed. Hence, we see that sins did not begin in a serious and filthy way, as we might imagine. The Bible shows us that sins began with something very simple. But actually the first sin was the most serious one—a problem between man and God.

When we look into the New Testament, we see the Lord Jesus saying many times that he who believes has eternal life (John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25). There are probably fifty or more times that the Lord indicates that he who believes has eternal life. Who then are those who will perish? Is it the murderers who will go to hell? Is it the fornicators who will perish? Is it those who have filthy thoughts and improper behavior who will go into perdition? Not necessarily. The Gospel of John tells us again and again that it is those who do not believe who are condemned (John 3:16, 18). Those who do not believe have the wrath of God upon them always (John 3:36). The Lord Jesus said that the Holy Spirit came that the world would be convicted concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Why concerning sin? Is it because you have gone to the movies lately? Is it because you have gambled lately? Is it because you have murdered someone or have committed arson? No. "Concerning sin, because they do not believe into Me" (John 16:9).

The greatest difficulty we have today is that we consider filthiness sin, but we do not pay much attention to the Lord's word to see what God considers sin. The Lord said that he who does not believe has been condemned. The reason man commits all his sins is that he does not have a proper relationship with the Lord Jesus. In the Old Testament, it was when man lost his proper relationship with God that all kinds of sins were committed. In the New Testament, it is when man loses the proper relationship with the Lord Jesus that all kinds of sins are committed. Here lie all the problems. While you are sitting here tonight, you may think that even though I have proven that you are a sinner, you really have not committed very many sins. But no one in the whole world can say that he has not committed the sin of not loving God. Neither is there anyone in the whole world who can say that he has not committed the sin of not believing in the Lord. For this reason, no one can say that he is not a sinner.