The Devastating Effects of Sin

 The devastating effects of sin are everywhere. You can see it in individuals, families, churches, communities, and around the country. Sin is no respecter of persons. Everyone struggles with sin. It is a curse. It destroys lives. Sin can take root in a person creating a stronghold that becomes very difficult to overcome. 

Our concern should be how to overcome sin in our lives and families. Temptation abounds. I talked to a man earlier today who told me that scantily clad women are all over social media causing men to lust and stumble. There was a time when you had to go intentionally looking for such. Now it is everywhere. Men must guard what they view. They may not be able to help catching a glimpse of a beautiful woman dressed provocatively. They can control whether they gawk or look away. They can rebuke lustful thoughts that creep into the mind. 

Gossips can submit to the Spirit of God in self control about what they talk about. They can hold secrets shared by other people in the strictest confidence. They can be so submitted to God and His word that they use their tongues for good and not evil. The same with telling lies, slander, or talking profanely. The tongue is a restless evil. God has the power to tame the tongue. To give us gentle answers instead of harsh ones that stir up anger. 

People do not have to give into the temptation of substance abuse. With God's help they can resist the temptation and choose the way of escape God provides for them according to [I Cor 10:13]. Galatians exhorts people to walk by the Spirit and not carry out the desires of the flesh. [Gal 5:17] We can resist the devil and he must flee. [James 4:7]

The devil is a liar. He deceives, tempts, entices and entraps. He tantalizes us with temptations. He never tells us the devastating consequences of sin afterward. How sin will destroy us. How sin will take us further than we ever wanted to go and cost us more than we ever wanted to pay. 

Yesterday, one of the most devout people we have met at the detox center relapsed and returned. His story is an all too familiar one. He got out and was doing well for over a month. Then one day he saw a bottle of pills. Instead of praying for the power to resist he gave into temptation. It nearly cost him his life. He had to be revived. One yes to a temporary high nearly became fatal. 

I watched as a new client was being walked into the detox center yesterday. She was so strung out she did not know where she was. She had to be helped to walk. It was her lifeless eyes that gripped me. Her eyes had not hope in them. No signs of joyous vibrancy. She will have a long road of recovery. Maybe she will meet Jesus there and find His abundant life [Jn 10:10] that no drug can ever give her. 

One flirt can lead to a fling. The fling can lead to adultery. Adultery can lead to murder, divorce, loss of home, friends, and reputation. In the heat of the moment, the devil never tells the full story. He only gets people to fixate on the temporary pleasure of giving in. Resisting is harder than relenting. Standing firm is harder than giving in. Saying no to temptation is much more difficult than yes to gratify the flesh. 

I am not sure how seriously the church takes sin these days. It is more than a weakness. It much deeper than a character flaw. Sin is rebellion against God. It is offensive to His holiness. He calls us to holiness like Him. [I Pet 1:15-16] 

Are we serious about resisting sin? I mean dead earnest serious. Are we tired of what it does to people we love, what it does in our own lives, and what sin has done to this nation? When we get serious about it, repent, turn from our wicked ways, pray for God's help, seek God's face, He could come sweep across this world as He has done multiple times in the past. [II Chronograph 7:14] History records the after effects of people turning from sin back to God. We need that again, but I wonder if we really want it. I question whether down deep we really want God or if we crave our sin more. Choosing sin will bring about devastation in our lives and those around us. I hope we will choose God.