The Impact of Sin
Unit 1.3 - Foundations of the Christian Faith
How does sin affect you? First, we must recognize that sin is a big deal. From the time of our birth, we are lost in a sea of trouble. Our own selfish hearts lead us to “take care of number one.” This selfish behavior is inherited from Adam, the first man, and drives much of what we do and want. Sin alienates us from God, our neighbor, God’s good creation, and ourselves. Apart from Christ, we are hopeless, guilty, lost, helpless, and walking in the way of death. There are echoes here of the state of humanity, but there’s more. If we should continue to sin habitually once we come to know Christ, then we find that our sin brings us a kind of death, which we taste every day. The scriptures tell us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The believer should not be standing in the bank line waiting to cash such a check. The hopelessness and guilt brought by sin are not the inheritance of the righteous. That same verse in Romans continues by declaring that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The scriptures also tell us that Christ came that we might have life and that we “may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
So, how do you prevent the power of sin from controlling you, ushering in death and despair? James 4:4-10 lays down the groundwork for us in this regard. Let’s look at it together:
4 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:4-10)
As you can see, “God gives more grace,” so take advantage of it. Resist the devil, watch him flee, then humbly draw near to God. He will lift you up, and you will experience the grace of God to overcome sin.
Your assignment: Read the following scriptures to see what else God’s Word says about the power of sin and God’s provision to overcome sin.
John 10:10
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Romans 6:20–23
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Genesis 3:14–19
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”16 To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
Isaiah 53:6
1 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 59:1–2
1 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
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