The Consequences of Sin

Have we become lackadaisical towards sin?
Knowing that our sins are paid, we have been redeemed and are now under grace and no longer under the law.
Have we allowed ourselves to become watered down and non-effectual Christians?

Romans 6:1-2

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Our sins are forgiven, as Christians we are no longer under the penalty of spiritual death because of our sin.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin still has consequence, shown through out the Bible. Though we are free from the horror of everlasting separation from God. Sin has a consequence on our lives, both physically and spiritually.

Genesis 3:16-19

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 

Genesis 3:23-24

Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Sin caused Adam and Eve to be cast out of the Garden of Eden, pain and suffering for all mankind, pain and suffering in procreation, hardship, and work for food. The very ground was cursed against us.

Genesis 9:2-6

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.  

God destroyed the world because of mankind's sin, saving only Noah and family, and the animals in the ark. After which God cursed mankind by causing animals to fear, dread, and cause to kill man. Animals now became a source of food for man, up to this point man only ate the green herb. Man killing man and requiring life for life. Sin is removing peace.

Genesis 16:11-12

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Genesis 21:18

Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

Because of Abraham and Sarah's sin we have Ishmael, the father of the Arab nations. Setting into motion more strife and discord.

Numbers 20:12

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 

Deuteronomy 34:4-5

And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

Because of sin Moses was kept out of the promised land. Because of sin David, a man after God's own heart was not allowed to build the Temple.

Acts 13:22

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. 

1 Chronicles 28:2-3

Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:
But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

We have numerous examples how sin and its consequences have scarred mankind from the beginning through to today. Satan and his evil, tempting and plying the world and the saved with a season of pleasure, worldly, fleshly desires, causing man to put himself before God.

As Christians we have a commitment to keep...
We have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are new creatures, we are not bound by sin, God promises to provide a way out of temptation. God commands us to be holy as He is holy.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Romans 6:11-14

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 peter 1:14-16

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

God provides all the tools for us to resist sin, for us to be holy as He is holy. God chastens us, corrects us, forgives our sins. God wants us to have fellowship with Him and other believers so that the scars of sin can be reduced, so that we don't limit our ministry by the consequence of sin. Sin by members of the Body of Christ cause the discourse we see today, the ineffectual witness and reconciliation of the world to God.

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Hebrews 12:5-7

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  

This is the consequence of a Christian's lackadaisical attitude towards sin, loosing fellowship with God and the Body of Christ.
Causing the unsaved to harden their hearts, sending potential converts to hell instead of Salvation.
Causing our Brothers and Sisters in Christ to stumble and fail.
Weakening our Churches.
Harming the Body of Christ.

Galatians 5:9

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

We can not have fellowship with sin, we must be separate from the world while living in the world, a beacon of light for the world.

If not, at best we are of no effect, at worst we become satan's helper.

We must revive our commitment to God, understand that we should be in His Word, sanctifying ourselves daily, striving to lead a sinless and holy life so that we can be the ambassadors of God.

God is so gracious and loving, he sent his Son, who died on the cross for our sins, made us new again, redeemed us, providing everything we need to be holy as He is holy.
We only need to be in His Word, allow the Holy Ghost to work in our lives. Then we can be healthy, effectual members of the Body of Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 

1 John 2:27

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

God has given us his all.

Let's not be lackadaisical, let's be committed, earnestly seeking His righteousness, striving to live every moment for Him.