The Deceptive Destroyer: What Sin Does to Us
Introduction
Tragically, many in our modern world treat sin as a game. For the masses, sin has become a form of entertainment, a diversion, or a lighthearted "vice." We live in a culture that laughs at what God mourns. However, the Word of God is clear: Sin is not a game; it is a serious and terrible reality.
Left unaddressed, sin does not just complicate our lives—it condemns our souls eternally. It is a poison that masquerades as a potion. Today, we will look deep into the Scriptures to understand the devastating mechanics of sin and, more importantly, how we can be liberated from its grip.
I. The Devastating Effects of Sin
1. Sin Enslaves Us
Many chase sin in the name of "freedom," but they find a prison instead. Jesus addressed the religious leaders of His day who claimed they had never been slaves to anyone.
• The Reality: Jesus replied in John 8:34, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."
• The Irony: You are not free to sin; rather, sin makes you unable to be free. It becomes a master that demands more while giving less.
2. Sin Separates Us from God’s Glory and Presence
The most tragic consequence of sin is the relational wall it builds between the Creator and the creature.
• The Distance: Romans 3:23 declares that all have sinned and fall short of (are destitute of) the glory of God.
• The Barrier: Isaiah 59:1–2 explains that God’s hand is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear, but our iniquities have made a separation between us and our God. Sin causes God to hide His face from us.
3. Sin Kills Us Spiritually
Sin is a terminal disease. It doesn't just make us "bad"; it makes us dead.
• The Wage: Romans 6:23 tells us that the "wages"—the earned payment—of sin is death.
• The Spiritual Delinquent: Ephesians 2:1 notes that before Christ, we were "dead in our trespasses and sins." Sin turns a human being into a spiritual "delinquent" or outlaw, living outside the life of God.
4. Sin Leaves Us Hopeless and Weighted
The life of sin is a life of "missing out" on the best God has to offer.
• The Exclusion: Ephesians 2:12 describes the sinner’s state as being "without Christ... foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world."
• The Weight: Hebrews 12:1 describes sin as a weight that "entangles" or "besets" us. It is an unnecessary burden that prevents us from running the race of life.
II. The Divine Solution: What Must We Do?
When the people in the book of Acts realized the gravity of their condition, they were "cut to the heart" and asked the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37).
1. The Prescription for Peace
Peter gave the definitive solution in Acts 2:38:
1. Repent: Turn away from the sin that is killing you.
2. Be Baptized: Every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
2. The Twofold Blessing
In the waters of baptism, God provides two distinct gifts:
• Forgiveness: The slate is wiped clean; the debt is canceled.
• The Gift of the Holy Spirit: As Ephesians 1:13–14 explains, the Spirit is the "seal" and the "deposit" (or earnest money/arras) of our inheritance.
Note on "Arras": In a wedding, the arras are coins given as a pledge of faithfulness. Spiritually, the Holy Spirit is God's "down payment"—a guarantee that He will complete our salvation and give us our eternal inheritance.
III. The Urgency of Now
The greatest ally of sin is the spirit of "tomorrow." We often react like Governor Felix, who trembled at Paul’s preaching but said, "When I find it convenient, I will send for you" (Acts 24:25).
• The Acceptable Time: 2 Corinthians 6:2 screams across the centuries: "Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation."
• The Danger of Delay: In Luke 12:20, God called the man who planned only for the future a "fool." Why? Because that very night, his soul was demanded of him. Tomorrow is a debt no man is certain to collect.
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Conclusion
Sin is not a toy; it is a trap.
• It enslaves you.
• It separates you from the glory of God.
• It kills you spiritually.
• It leaves you without hope.
But the invitation of Jesus remains open: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). The only way to escape the consequences of sin is to take the path of repentance and baptism, and then to remain "faithful, even to the point of death" (Revelation 2:10).
