Articles
Sin is a Hard Way to Live
The way of the sinner is hard. Living a lie is the hardest way to live. In order to successfully navigate life lived in a lie, one must sear their conscience.
Sin affects one physically. Have you ever seen the visage of one who has lived a life of sin? It is not true across the board, but many times their look is weathered and worn. They look older than they really are. The lines in the face tell it all. The life of sin takes its toll on a person’s body. The immorality, the lies, the abuse of substances, and the exertion to cover it all up is wearing. It is easy to see the effects of sin all over their body.
Sin also affects one mentally. It destroys the rational thinking process. Excuses, blaming, and covering all affect the way a person begins to think. The thing that one use to call evil is now good or okay. What one thinks of oneself or others also changes. The value of relationships that were once cherished are replaced with others that fellowship sin. The mental exhaustion that comes from covering ones lies, texts, phone calls, and fear of being seen changes what a person justifies.
Sin also affects one emotionally. The anxiety. The stress. The emotional lows. The emotional conflicts within and with others. All that wears a person down. Sadly, eventually, the sinner loses all touch with emotions. They become cold to the touch of sin. The sin that use to move and scare them is diminished if not dead. The conscience that use to accompany the fear of being discovered is no longer present. It is has been denied and neglected so many times the person can no longer feel the guilt and shame.
Sin affects one spiritually. Oh, not just that is separates one from God. That is bad enough! Sin destroys one’s spiritual desire to be with God. One no longer reads the Bible or prays. The joy of assembling with God’s people is lost. More joy is found with sinners than the righteous. The faults of the righteous are used as an excuse for the person’s sinful behavior. Instead of accepting blame, the blame of others is used as justification for the sinful way of life.
There are just some things a person cannot do until that one gets past feeling (Eph. 4:17-19). Once the feeling of guilt and shame are gone, the path downward is faster than ever before. The restraints are thrown off. Often, all that is left is finding the time or moment that the ruse is up. One walks away from God and everything. The time to walk away from sin is the very moment it is enters one’s mind. To keep it there and ruminate over it will destroy a person, as well as all of his or her relationships impacted by the sin.
Rickie Jenkins
