We live in a dark and depressing world. Why is there so much pain and hurt? Why is it that although there are good people with good intentions, there is still so much wickedness in the world? No matter what, we will always fail. The race of man is engineered for error. Terms such as "good" and "bad" are all relative. How do we know what is truly good or truly bad? Bottom line: we are all sinners, no matter how "good" or "bad" we may be.

Let's try looking at this issue from a different perspective. In the book of Genesis, before Adam and Eve sinned, the purpose of humans was to glorify God. Humanity is special because we were all created in the image of God. Today, that remains true. Everyone -- pastors, saints, murderers, politicians -- is created in the image of God. This is one of the factors that is most representative of God's glory, especially in the time of Adam and Eve. The two humans also possessed an incredible relationship with God -- a relationship that is unlike anything mankind can achieve today. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve were flawless. They were God's perfect creation.

God, however, had a very different plan. When He allowed the serpent to tempt Eve, He began His ultimate mission: to show the whole world who He is and demonstrate His sovereign power. Without sin, we, as humans, cannot witness the true power of God. It is through God we are able to overcome the hardships of sin. It is through God's holy son Jesus Christ that we are free from the chains sin has placed on us. God displayed His utmost power when Jesus died and rose from the grave three days later. When this happened, Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for our wrongdoings. From that day forward, we are saved by His forgiveness and grace. This is the ultimate power of God.

Now that we are saved by grace, we have an even bigger purpose, and God continues to work so that we may see His glory. He works through us. He gives us each a gift or talent, and by using these gifts and talents, we have the ability to further His kingdom. I believe all of this traces back to the fact that sin exists. Because sin exists, God is moving. Because of sin, one day, we will be able to witness the true, awesome, and glorious power of God.

Yes, it is true that we live in a dark and painful world. As hard as it is to get through life sometimes, we have an awesome God who continues to work in us. Because we sin, we have a greater purpose -- to bring glory to the God who overpowers everything. He conquers sin. Our sin may be a burden to us, but God makes us new and continues to love and develop us in spite of it. We are all created in His image. Through us, He will bring glory to His name.