SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (Part 2)

SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (Part 2)

By W. B. Dunkum

 

Sin in Two Forms

 

The Bible and theologians of both past and present distinguish between sin and sins. Paul speaks of sin as "the carnal mind,"' "the old man." The sin nature is the by-product of our fallen nature. There is a prone to evil, the theologians call it depravity. This nature is manifested by temper, deceit, fits, and spasms. The human heart is prone to evil as the sparks fly upward.

 

No doubt many have theories and twisted purposes to fit their motives. This is the outcropping of carnality. The old man will blind your eyes and you will never see clearly until your heart is made pure by the precious blood of Christ.

 

When playing with sin you are dealing with God's highest explosives, and if you continue in sin you will at your eternal peril.

 

True faith in the meritorious and substitutionary death of Jesus Christ is the only means whereby we can be saved and implicit faith in the same blood brings the cleansing of our natures from carnality, the stump and roots of sin.

 

Genuine repentance means that we must confess our sins to the Lord and forsake them. "Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." And we must promise God that we are done with the sin business. He will not forgive as long as one sin remains unconfessed. Unconfessed sins never go under the blood. Here is where restitution comes in. One is not merely to take an inventory of one's life and stop there but must back track and make right the wrongs of the past. Some had rather die and go to perdition than pay the full price, but this is exactly the price one must pay. Jesus Christ was a Jew but there are no bargain counters when it comes to salvation. You cannot Jew down the price. We must pay the last farthing.

 

The Greek word for sin literally means to miss the mark. A sinner has missed the way. His life is lost to good; a soul has lost the way; made shipwreck of existence, perverted his powers, abused his opportunities and will eternally perish. In spite of amazing grace and divine love he is guilty of spiritual and eternal suicide. To lose a life is utterly a catastrophe, but to miss the mark and lose the soul is an awful tragedy.

 

The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin I John 2:1.

I. The Bible sets forth the nature of sin.

1. A falling short of the demands of God.

2. Acting in opposition to the Bible.

 

II. The Bible shows the evils of sin.

1. It dishonors God in all its relations.

2. It depraves the soul.

3. It brings guilt on the conscience.

4. It never exhausts itself.

5. It offends a gracious God.

6. It wounds a loving Savior.

7. It breaks a holy law.

8. It defiles a precious soul.

9. It hinders from doing good.

10. It culminates in hell.

 

III. The pleasures of sin.

1. There may be pleasures of sin.

2. They are but brutish pleasures.

3. They are but momentary.

4. They cost the loss of greater pleasures.

5. They end in sadness and misery.

 

IV. What we usually call little sins.

1. A spirit of frivolity.

2. Conformity to the world.

3. Pride of heart.

4. Uncharitable conversations.

 

V. The injury which little sins do.

1. They interfere with our devotions.

2. They make room for greater sins.

3. They burden our conscience.

 

VI. How to treat little sins.

1. Capture, destroy, repent and forsake.

2. Persons were discussing the best way to get rid of sin.

 

The first said to meditate on the subject of death.

The second said to meditate on the Judgment.

The third said to meditate on the joys of Heaven.

The fourth said to meditate on the torments of hell.

The fifth said to meditate on the blood and the sufferings of Christ, and be sure the last is the choicest and strongest motive of them all.

 

Sin is glaringly visible, thrustingly ugly, and tragically everywhere. Sin is a collision of your will with the will of God. Collision means a wreck. Look, if you please, at the wrecked lives and homes caused by sin.

Horace Mann of Boston, one hundred years ago, worked out the free public school system of the nation. He thought that a tax supported school system would eliminate crime. But sad the time has come when they are headquarters for hotbeds of crime. The prisons and penitentiaries of today could furnish men and women who are educationally equipped to grace any college or state university faculty. Hence, education does not improve sin, but an educated crook is one of the worst men we have to deal with.

The wages of sin is costly. Sin is often adorned in the most dazzling colors.

It has been said that the old theology of sin is dying oat and that false religions and false philosophies are being substituted in its stead.

Nations, like people are forgetting God. Many have become dust and ashes after leaving God off their program. Babylon, Tyre, Sidon, Greece, Rome, Spain, France and others are examples of such. Drunkenness and riotous living prevail every where and we wonder what next.

A moral standard today is almost a thing of the past. The morals are desperately low. The judges and police of our country tell us that a large percent of the moral delinquency of the nation is found among the young. The war conditions play an important part. But the movies had ruined the young beyond a question before the war began. Today tens of thousands are found at picture shows, bowing to the god of pleasure, when they should be at church.

We are living in an awful age. Sin is prominent as in the days of Noah. Universally speaking very few have not been touched by sin. Sin may not come out in the form of theft, adultery, or murder; but don't fool yourself by saying, we are prominent in church circles. You may teach a Bible class, and belong to the official group and pray and testify; I am not trying to shatter your confidence but it might do you well to read: "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart."

One act of disobedience to the known law of God is sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law;" "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin;" "All unrighteousness is sin;" "To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin." Neglect God's way, you sin, and will be eternally lost.

 

Three Great Themes Running Through the Bible

I. Man is lost in sin, without hope and without God.

II. There is no salvation except through the blood of Jesus Christ.

III. Those who accept Him will be saved and those who reject Him will be lost eternally.

 

Redemption From Sin, Rev. 1:5,6.

1. The foundation of human Redemption from sin is the love of God.

2. The conscious realization of our redemption -- He has washed us from our sins in His own blood.

3. The privileges of our Redemption -- We are made Kings and Priests.

4. The glory of our redemption -- To Him be glory and dominion forever.

 

Two-fold Purpose of Redemption

First, restoration from sin to holiness.

Second, restoration to fellowship with God.

 

Two Great Sins in Life

a. A desire to get rich.

b. A desire for prestige and power.

 

Five Reasons You Should be Saved, Ezek. 33:11

I. Because you are lost.

1. All who live in sin are lost now.

2. Unless saved will be eternally lost.

 

II. Because it is right.

1. We are what we are by choice.

2. Our choice leads to destiny.

3. A holy life is the only right way to live.

4. We owe our life to God.

5. Salvation will start you in the right direction.

 

III. Because it is reasonable.

1. In its demands.

2. In its standards.

3. In its provisions.

 

IV. Because of its worth and its benefits.

1. Its benefits are temporal, moral, physical and eternal.

2. Makes better men and women.

3. Satisfies perfectly and fully.

 

V. Because of the future.

1. You must meet God -- Salvation prepares you.

2. You must die -- It gets you ready.

3. You will be at the Judgment.

4. You must spend eternity somewhere.

 

VI. A life of sin is unreasonable because

1. It confers no benefits or blessings.

2. It brings misery and trouble to all who indulge in it.

3. It is a life of disappointment.

4. It is not a normal life.

5. It is a life of ingratitude to God.

6. It makes man a rebel.

7. Its pleasures are temporary.

8. It lowers man in the scale of mortal being.

9. It ruins man physically, intellectually, morally, and spiritually.

10. It ruins homes, lives, and nations.

11. It is a life thrown away.

12. It gives no hope for the future.

13. It fills death with terror.

14. It unfits one for Heaven.

15. It ends in hell eternally.

 

VII. The Christian life is reasonable because

1. You were created for a purpose.

2. You belong to God by purchase right. "Ye are bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus."

3. All Heaven are interested in your conversion. God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, and angels will celebrate your conversion.

4. All good things come from God whom you refuse to serve.

You owe Him your best service.

5. It is a service that betters humanity.

6. It saves from eternal wrath your just deserts.

7. It secures Heaven as your eternal reward.

 

Sin, an Offense

By one man's offense death reigned. The scriptures point to this as the world's darkest tragedy. Humanity began its downward course leaving behind sorrow, disease, pain, and death. Satan's fallen nature provokes him to endless war against everything good in God's universe. He considers this his master stroke, hence, humanity is hell bound. But listen, "God sent forth His Son." Therefore, Satan is crowded out.

So everyone of us has felt the effects of sin, -- one's own sins as well as the gins of others. Sin may come to you in culture, silk, and broadcloth, but "at the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder." "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "But where sin abounds, grace doth abound much more exceedingly." R. V.

See God's only begotten Son as He hangs on Calvary providing salvation for the world lost in sin.

The offense brought condemnation. But God's Son brought fortification. His grace goes deeper than the effects of sin have gone. The remedy will reach deeper than the sea, higher than the Heavens, farther than the East is from the West will He remove our sins from us. It's about time for someone to have a shouting spell.

 

Mocking at Sin

"Fools make a mock of sin." Prov. 14:9

Sin is the moral malady of God's Universe.

Its existence is mysterious.

Its birth is unexplainable.

Its influence is far reaching and its results are awful.

No pen can picture it and no tongue can describe the evil it has wrought.

Many Treat Sin at if it Were a Trifle.

All the sobs and sighs, wails and woes are caused by sin. Sin is a disease of the soul. Sin is a paralysis that weakens. Sin is a leprosy that pollutes. Sin is a plague that tortures. Sin is a pestilence that destroys. Sin is a crime that damns.

Sin digs every grave. Its mission is destruction, and its wages is death. A man who plays with a lion, elephant or tiger is called a fool, but sin is stronger than all these combined.

Sin lessens your mental capacity, dulls your sense of obligation, and incapacitates you in a general way. Partaking of sin cannot contribute to your greatness in the sight of God, but rather wins for you God's displeasure. Only one course to take about sin, keep away from it and have nothing to do with it. No one was ever made better by sinning, but countless millions are being damned through sins of various descriptions. Sin impairs the vision, deadens the faculties, and destroys all spiritual life.

1. Sin is a transgression of God's law.

2. Sin is missing the mark.

3. Sin is moral malaria.

4. Sin is a faith destroyer.

5. Sin is a home wrecker.

6. Sin is moral leprosy.

7. Sin destroys spirit, soul, and body.

8. Sin separates the soul from God.

9. Sin is a moral cancer.

10. The end of sin is always death.

To be continued...