Sin is a great deterrent when it comes to serving God in Spirit and in Truth. Sin will not enable us to work in the light of God’s truth and power. This is because God is righteous and holy, He abhors sin in every way. It is the will of God that we reign over sin rather than sin reign over us. 1 John 3:9, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God”. Sin carries severe and dire consequences, which is not the will of God for us. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.
So what is sin? Sin is anything that we do that does not give glory to God or demonstrate His righteous nature. We have all at one point in our lives committed a sin, which except we truly repent, is indeed detrimental to our souls and our relationship with God. The effects of sin negatively affect the condition of our souls and lives before God. In other words, when we sin and do not repent but continue to sin against God, we are putting ourselves at great risks because the devil is always looking for ways which he can accuse us before God. The Bible refers to this enemy, as the Accuser of the Brethren. Revelation 12:10, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down”.
Although God’s grace abounds in our lives as children of God, but we must not take advantage of this grace by committing and continuing in sin. If we do, it will instantly limit the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”. We fall into sin when we are enticed by our selfish desires and tempted by the enemy; therefore, we must be conscious of the devices of the enemy and be vigilant to avoid the temptations of sin.
One major reason why we commit sin is because we take our focus momentarily from Jesus and as a result, we lose our deterrent from committing sin. Our faith in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, keeps us away from sin and the dire consequences of sin. If we say that we belong to Jesus, then we must do all that we possibly can to run away from all appearance sins, which in the long run leads to sin.
One very good example of a person who fell from grace because of persistent sin, was king Saul. The life of king Saul demonstrates to us that obedience to God is better than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22, “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams”. The prophet Samuel rebuked king Saul of his sins against God several times, but king Saul did not repent but continued in sin. As a result of his defiance to God, the Holy Spirit left king Saul permanently, and this led to his death and the end of his reign over the Israelites. Just like king Saul, we too have committed sin one way or the other, but we must genuinely repent quickly from our sins before it is too late. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.
Ten Negative Effects of Sin
1. Sin will pull you away from the presence of God.
2. It will hinder your spiritual growth.
3. Sin gives the enemy opportunity to attack you.
4. Sin deters the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
5. It robs you of your peace and joy.
6. Sin angers the Lord.
7. It leads to more serious sins.
8. Sin can shorten your life.
9. It will rob you of God’s blessings.
10. It can cause you to miss Heaven.
Praise God!