Why is Sin Such a Big Deal?
For many today, the concept of sin seems obsolete, archaic, and even unhealthy! Much of our culture’s morality has been determined by popular survey—a moving target certainly! It’s comical how eating a gooey brownie can be termed “decadent” and “sinful,” yet other things that are clearly wrong are celebrated. So who defines right and wrong?
To understand sin from a biblical perspective, we must start with Genesis Chapters 1-3. Here’s a summary:
Almighty God of the Bible created the heavens and the earth to be good and to operate in perfect order and harmony. He formed mankind in a unique way—in his image—to closely relate to him in loving communion. He also created mankind with a free will so that man could choose to follow and fellowship with God willingly.
God’s simple command to Adam and Eve was this: Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). One day, however, the devil came to tempt them to sin—to convince them to trust their own estimation of what was right or wrong and disregard God’s. Their choice corrupted not only their own hearts, but also every person born after them. Mankind’s dilemmas had their origins right there—physical, spiritual and moral decay to start with, but also expanding to social, economic, and even political disorder.
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned”
So what’s the big deal about sin? Why is sin so bad? Here are a few thoughts on that:
Sin corrupts our thoughts, our emotions, and our behavior.
Sin sets a default within our hearts to violate the laws of God.
Sin dethrones God and put ourselves in charge.
Sin says we ought to determine what’s right and wrong, instead of defining it by God’s Word.
Sin is rebellion against God. Sin stirs up a desire to do evil.
Sin causes us to shift blame for our wrongdoing to others.
Sin makes us self-focused and selfish, with no qualms about using people for our advantage.
Sin promotes satisfying our desires for pleasure without regard to God’s laws.
Sin puffs us up. We act self-righteous and go to great lengths to look good.
Sin justifies greed.
Sin has a smooth way of defending pride, malice, hatred, and bitterness.
Sin makes us neglect doing what we know is right.
Sin justifies us doing what we know is wrong.
Sin causes us to make false accusations against God’s character, as if we were in a position to judge him: ie, God’s against me, God’s mean, God’s not fair, not powerful, etc.
Sin plugs our ears to hearing God’s Spirit.
Sin makes us stubborn, hard hearted, and manipulating.
Sin dulls our conscience and takes us to a place of self-deceit.
Sin has a dirty mind. Sin likes to have a dirty mind.
Sin makes ourselves superior in our own eyes, but looks with condescension on others.
Sin twists thinking to call evil good and good evil.
Sin stains our character, defiling us and others.
Galatians 5:19-21 says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
However, God loved us so much that he sent a remedy for sin: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
God loves you! Trust in him for salvation today!
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com