Then Shall the Sanctuary Be Cleansed - Donald K. Short

Real Sin and Guilt
Sin came into the world in a disguised,
mysterious way. It did not come with some terrible
overt act, nor was it even by a spoken word. Sin
became real, the carrier of death, when a created
being surrendered to the love of "self" and
unconsciously proposed to take the place of the
Creator. "I will exalt my throne," my place, my
domain, my influence, my power—"I will be like
the Most High" was the secret intent of Lucifer
(Isaiah 14:14). It was this same covenant with
"self" that brought Adam under the dominion of
sin. He did not understand the full significance of
his exaltation of "self" or it would have proved
fatal immediately. There was something he did
understand; he had a terrible sense of "guilt." This
guilt was precisely the burden God did not want
him to have.
This anguish of guilt caused him to flee from
before the Lord's presence. He was convinced that
God had become his enemy and he had no desire to
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