The Danger Of Sin

Sin comes about by breaking one of God’s Laws. For example, we have committed a sinful act when:

1. we worship something or someone other than God

2. we worship images representing God

3. we take the name of the LORD in vain

4. we break the Sabbath

5. we dishonor our father and/or mother

6. we commit murder

7. we commit adultery

8. we steal

9. we give false testimony

10. we covet or take possession of something that is not ours

How many of you have never broken one of these Laws? I cannot tell a lie, I am guilty. I venture to say that there is not a person in the whole world who has never broken one of the Laws. Each of us was born with a sinful nature and that sinful nature has gotten us into trouble more than once. That sinful nature is inside of us.

The late Rev. Seth Joshua tells how he met a man who said that he could not swallow what the preachers called “original sin.” “My good fellow,” said Rev. Joshua, “there’s no occasion for you to swallow it – it’s inside you already. (Christian Herald)

Man was given a chance to make choices. Adam and Eve were given freedom to make choices and obviously, they made a wrong choice. Once they made the wrong choice, life for them changed. Things would not be the same. Now life would become difficult for them. They would have to work to provide the necessities of life such as food, clothing, and shelter. There was no question as whether God still loved them. The issue was new and it was called disobedience, transgression, or sin.

Satan works the same today as he did in the days of Adam and Eve. Remember what the serpent or devil said to Eve. He said to Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). What was the devil doing to Eve at this time? He was making Eve question the Word of God. He was planting doubt in Eve’s mind concerning what God really said. The devil went on to say, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4).

What happened after disobedience or sin took place? Scripture says, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:7). When the devil said, “your eyes will be opened,” he was certainly right.

Their eyes were opened and they “realized they were naked”. Their sin had found them out.

We, too, have the freedom to choose and we often make choices that are not in line with God’s Laws and/or morals. When we deviate from the standard, we sin or transgress the Law. Furthermore, we cannot hide our sins from God or from other people. Sooner or later our sin will find us out.

Three men in South Boston posed for a passing photographer. They then refused to pay for the picture, beat the traveling or wandering artist, and tried to smash his camera. Then they ran away, chuckling over their feat, and ridiculing the plight of their victim. But the photographer had one resource which the three rascals had forgotten – the undeveloped plate in his camera. This he developed and turned over to the police. By means of that telltale bit of paper, the three men were recognized immediately and arrested under a charge of assault and battery, and were soon secure in the grasp of the law. Sin manufactures its own condemnation. For witness against it, the Judge of all the earth does not need any outside testimony. --- Albert Thomas Howell.

We cannot hide our sin from God any more than Adam and Eve could. The sin of disobedience caused a change in the life of Adam and Eve and the sin of disobedience can cause a change in the life of each of us. Satan is working just as hard today as he did centuries ago to cause people to become disobedient. He likes to plant doubt in the minds of people.

Satan likes to make people think negative instead of positive. He likes to play with the minds of people so people will believe they are in control of their life instead of God being in control. He likes people to take the wide and crooked road in life instead of the straight and narrow road. Satan likes people to delay doing the important things in life.

Adam and Eve must have doubted God’s word of instruction concerning the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden. God said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:3). We, too, are guilty of doubting God’s Word much of the time. Think of the pens, pencils, notepads, or other office supplies you have picked up over the years without even thinking you were stealing. God’s Word says, “Thou shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).