Week 12 - Wednesday

The Result of Sin

and death through sin, (Romans 5:12b)

What is so terrible about sin? Why does the Bible make such a big deal about it? After all everyone does it, in some way or another. One of the reasons sin is so terrible is because of the hurt that it causes. When you or I sin, we hurt not only ourselves but we can cause pain and suffering to otlhers as well. One example of this is drinking too much alcohol. In the Bible God says, "do not get drunk" (Eph. 5:18). We all know that people under the influence of alcohol, can and do bring pain and suffering to themselves and others. But the hurt that it causes is not the worst thing about sin. The worst thing about sin is that God hates it. Because God is perfectly holy, sin greatly offends God . Now to some people that might matter, but to most it doesn't. When most people sin, they don't even think about the fact that God is offended by it. They should think about that though. God is so offended by sin that He has determined that the penalty for sin is death. When Adam disobeyed God, not only did sin come into the world, but death came too as a result of his sin. God had told Adam if he disobeyed, and ate from the forbidden tree, that he would die (Gen. 2:17). However when Adam did sin, God did not kill him immediately. Eventually Adam did die but God was merciful and allowed him to live a long life first. If Adam had not disobeyed God, he never would have died because God did not create Adam as a mortal being. The word mortal means subject to death. God created Adam to live forever. Adam only became mortal after he sinned. The reason that all of us die is because of sin. Because Adam was the first man, we have inherited from him, not only his sin nature, but his mortality as well.

Sin brings 3 different types of death to man. The first is spiritual separation from God. Sin is what keeps man from having a spiritual relationship with God (Isa. 59:2). After Adam and Eve sinned they tried to hide themselves from God. Of course God found them, and then He drove them out of the Garden of Eden. Because of their sin they forfeited the close intimate relationship that they had with God. The second type of death caused by sin is physical separation from our fellow human beings. One of the reasons death is so tragic is because it separates us from the ones that we love. But the most tragic thing of all about death is that it permanently ends a person's opportunity to be saved. Hebrews 9:27 says, it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. Not only does sin separate a person from the joy of a spiritual relationship with God here on earth, but if they die without receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they will be separated from God forever and that means hell. Imagine what it must be like to be in hell, knowing that you had had your entire life to receive Christ, but you never did it. One of the most agonizing things about being in hell is that you will have no one to blame but yourself, and you will have forever to do it. This is the third type of death that sin brings to man, eternal separation from God in hell, and it is by far the worst one.

Some people say, "How can a loving God send people to hell". Isn't He supposed to be forgiving? How could God ever do that? Yes, God is loving and He is merciful too. But He is a holy and righteous judge as well. God has a divine sense of justice that He cannot compromise. He has has determined that the penalty for sin is death, and that's the way it has to be. But God has not left us without a way out. There is a way we can be saved from our sins. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty that we deserve. If we receive Him as our Lord and Savior, God will be merciful to us. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Readings for today: Ezek. 18:4; Rev. 21:8; 2 Thes. 1:9; Rom. 6:23