The Cold Hard Facts
Before I tell you how wonderful God is and how much he loves you—which he is and which he does—here’s some sober truth from the Bible regarding the state of your soul apart from Christ: You have a big problem, and it’s called sin! Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Emphasis added).
Have you ever told a lie? Have you even stolen something—even something small? Have you ever misused God’s name? We’ve all broken the commandments of God! Like every person since Adam, you inherited a sinful nature from your parents, and now you live with the natural inclination to sin. But hey—is it that big of a deal? After all, we’re only human, right?
Here are some biblical reasons why your sin should be a concern to you:
1. Sin separates you from God.
Ever notice how your relationship with your spouse/child/parent is affected when one of you is hurtful to the other? That’s a minuscule picture of what sin does between you and God, except he’s never the offender! Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
2. Sin makes you spiritually blind.
Truth can be right in front of us, but we won’t “get it” unless we turn to God in faith. Then it’s like he turns the lights on for us and we can understand! 2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (Emphasis added)
3. Sin makes you a slave.
Choosing to sin is our default setting, and no matter how hard we try to be better, we can’t escape its hold on us. 2 Peter 2:19b “...for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”
4. Sin makes you an enemy of God.
An enemy? Wait—doesn’t God love us? Yes, he does, but sin corrupts us! I’ve heard someone say that God hates sin like we hate cancer. Cancer becomes an enemy in our bodies that we fight. We’d never choose cancer, but sadly we do choose to sin! Our sin is an affront to God because he is holy. Colossians 1:21 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”
5. In sin you’re dead—spiritually dead!
Following Christ is not about getting off drugs, turning over a new leaf, or becoming a nicer person. It’s about recognizing that you’re dead in your sin and need to be made alive! Ephesians 2:1 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,” (Emphasis added)
6. All sinners will be judged by God who is holy.
His perfect holiness cannot mix with or condone sin. God is just, and the guilty must be punished. 1 Peter 4:5 “But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
7. Sin has eternal consequences.
Life is short and we have one shot at it. We’d be foolish not to consider our eternal destiny. Hebrews 9:27 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Revelation 20:15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
So here’s our choices in regards to sin:
A. Live how you want and don’t think about it. Let what happens happen. (Not a smart choice.)
B. Try harder to not sin and hope for the best. (Good luck with that!)
C. Humble yourself before God and put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. (Pick this one!)
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Receive his free gift today!
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com