Twenty Reasons Not To Sin Series

TWENTY REASONS NOT TO SIN Part1

Coming Clean Part 2

Pastor Jeff Seaman

Why is it that we fall into the same traps over and over again? Why is it that we believe the same lies long after they have been exposed? Why is it that we make a habit of doing wrong even when we desire what is right.

Could it be that we never step back and look at the lasting consequences of sin? Could it be that sin tastes so good—even if it is only for a moment—that we forget how rotten it makes us feel when we digest it? Could it be that Satan has done such a good job of packaging the poison that we drink it because of its shiny label?

Listen to the warning of Proverbs:

Prov. 5:1-5 “My son, attend to wisdom, bend your ear to knowledge, that caution may be your safeguard, and prudence may take care of you; keep hold of caution and sound sense, that they may save you from the loose woman: here lips drop honied words, her talk is smother than oil itself, but the end with her is bitter as poison, sharp as a sword with double edge; her feet go down to Death, her steps lead straight to the grave

Prov. 23:29-32 “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over win,, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.

What a picture Solomon paints! How it enhances the night! How it charms the whole party. But Solomon says look again. Grown men are lying in their own vomit. Dignified women have slept with crude strangers. Carpets are stained with blood from a fistfight over nothing. The sparkling wine has fangs!

And that is just the snapshot of the moment. Look at the scene again, six months later, five year later, when intoxicating drink has become a close companion: Jobs have been lost, marriages torn apart, children beaten by fathers in a drunken rage.

Ask the parents of the kids who were crushed to death by the car of a drunken driver.

There is nothing more hateful than sin and its fruit! That’s why the Word never stops giving us warnings, showing us how to avoid the tentacles of temptation.

Prov. 6:20-23 “My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you, when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the correction of discipline are the way of life,.

Yes, “the correction of discipline are the way of life,” and disobedience brings death always. Keeping this before us at all times—binding it in our hearts forever and fastening it around our necks—will help us to resist the seduction of sin, no matter how lovely the temptation appears.

Prov. 6:25,26 “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life”.

This is hardly fun and games.

So the word asked:

Prov. 6:27,28 “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?”

Absolutely not! If you play with fire, you will be burned. If you play with sin, you will be destroyed. It is never worth it in the end.

The Word of God has given us the antidote. The Scriptures have provided the cure. There are principles that can snatch souls from hell’s grasp. But these truths must be applied. You can drown with a life preserver within your reach. You can burn to death with a fire escape right out side your window.

The solution must be put to use. The way of escape must be pursued. The helping hand must be grasped. These truths can save your life.

I will give you twenty reasons not to sin, any one of which is enough to keep you holy.

#1. SIN DOES NOT SATISFY

Sometimes as believers we forget that sin can bring real pleasure. It often feels great to sin. That’s why sin is so powerful and addictive. It can be exciting, thrilling, stimulating, and lots of fun. There are drugs that can make your feel like a king, like you own the world.

Yes, in the words of Hebrews 11:25, there are pleasures of sin that can be enjoyed for a short time. But there is no lasting satisfaction in sin!