The Effects of Sin Can Be…
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)
Do you understand that there can be extreme consequences for God’s children (if they themselves or people around them) participate in sin and unrighteous behavior, as per the Bible? Sinful living could very possibly lead to very negative consequences, including mental turmoil, sickness, and even death. Hence, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (Rev 3:19). Yes…repentance and forsaking of sin could bring mercy and healing (Prov 28:13)…praise God! But without it, things could get mighty dark. And your sin consequences can even affect your loved ones, including your own children (Exod 20:5; Deut 5:9).
Persistent sinning could lead to…
1) emotional unrest: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.” (Psa 32:3)
“For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.” (Psa 38:4)
2) sickness, even various types of chronic suffering: “If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the Lord your God, then the Lord will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.” (Deut 28:58-59)
“There is no health in my bones because of my sin.” (Psa 38:3b)
3) bloodshed: “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin” (Heb 12:4)
4) death: “There is a sin leading to death” (1 John 5:16)
These verses don’t fill buildings – I realize that. And the Church barely mentions them (at least in my experience), as these passages do not win popularity contests. But sin and repentance needs to be seriously preached. Offenses against the Lord need to be highly discouraged in order for them to be extinguished from true believers lives as much as humanly possible. If people just want “tickling of their ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-4), they will suffer as many are right now…both spiritually and physically! “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:16) and “let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1)…is that so hard to understand? And yes, these instructions are clearly taught in the New Testament, not just the old.
People that do not know the Scriptures well, they typically use John 9 or the book of Job as examples of things in the spiritual arena that could happen (independent of personal sin and its consequences) that could be the cause of personal hardship. But the truth is, the Bible is used inappropriately when sin is not linked with suffering when a clear case can be made that it could be, as the spiritual person is supposed to judge all things (1 Cor 2:15) and restore his or her brothers and sisters (Gal 6:1-2) when possible (Matt 7:5). Many want to shy away from using God’s Word when the person they are talking to might be convicted, as it is easier not to confront people (versus doing so). They even convince themselves that it is the loving thing to do…and aren’t they right? Well, the Bible actually tells us they are actually flat-out wrong (2 Cor 7:10; John 17:17)…”Better is open rebuke than hidden love” (Prov 27:5)! And that’s what godly obedient teachers of the Scriptures are supposed to do (Titus 1:9), that is, wield the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17) and take advantage of its divine purpose… “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). It is a surgical instrument that cuts out cancer (sin) and pastor’s and teachers are supposed to master the use of it.
Let’s start with John 9. An improper understanding of the Scriptures can lead to using this story of the blind man wrongly, leading people to incorrectly detach suffering from the consequence of sin. Yes, Jesus clearly states, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (v3). The end of this verse is the key though. The blind man’s example is just one of many used to reveal God’s divine truth and revelation in Scripture, that the works of God may be displayed. The LORD’s full revelation is now complete (1 Cor 13:10; 2 Pet 1:3). So that need exists no more – no other Scripture is required. So count that reason out if you are attempting to detach suffering from sin in this Age. This story took place at a different point in time and the purpose of this miracle is not necessary for today…unless you think the Word is incomplete and insufficient.
Now, for those who use Job to avoid addressing sin and its consequence(s) and its relationship to personal suffering, what they miss in that story is that Job was a very righteous man, “blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:1, 2:3). If we all lived that righteously then we can fairly and safely start trying to attribute sickness and trials due to strictly spiritual reasons. I personally do not think I live as righteously as Job…do you? Do you actually think God would say this about you…”And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’” In my biblical opinion, the Job story should be used sparingly unless you think God would personally say this about you, or you believe the Lord would think you can withstand all that Job did. May I respectfully ask…are you prideful enough to think that?
Pulpits must preach sin and repentance and educate the masses on everything there is to know about these topics. When everyone is trying their best to live righteously by “walking by the Spirit” (Gal 5:16), and when believers are quickly repenting when they fail, then let us start applying Job’s situation to our own. When Christians who knowingly persist in sin are lovingly disciplined in their churches as the Bible commands when they do not repent of their sin (Matt 18:15-17), maybe then we can talk about Job and “spiritually only causes” for suffering. Until then, “Those whom God loves, He reproves and disciplines; therefore be zealous and repent” (Rev 3:19). If we zealously repented of all sin in our lives, I’d bet a lot of people would be A LOT healthier in all ways…just saying! “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to [deliverance], but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor 7:10).
And just to make clear, I am going to share a quote from Jay Adam’s about this precise topic from his counseling book in which I wholeheartedly agree…”While all human misery—disability, sickness, etc.—does go back to Adam’s sin (and I would be quick to assert that biblical truth), that is not the same as saying that a quid pro quo relationship between each counselee’s misery and his own personal sins exists. That I as quickly deny. It may be true in one given instance, but not in another….Suffering, in a world of sin, comes to all in one way or another in the providence of God, but before investigating each case, that is all that may be said about it.” (Jay Edward Adams, A Theology of Christian Counseling : More Than Redemption (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resource Library, 1986), 140)
Here’s the thing…by repenting and forsaking of all your own sin first, the investigation gets a whole lot simpler and maybe the problem gets resolved quickly! It’s the first logical step in resolving a person’s issues, as factors outside of ones control are much harder to deal with, and many times prove unnecessary to even have to address once the person is in a restored and right relationship with God! In my experience, some level of personal sin does play a part in a person’s suffering in many cases (with some exceptions). But as Adams warns, a rash and automatic judgment should never be made until the situation is biblically untangled and properly assessed. There is no doubt that suffering is the result of sin in some way, shape, or form, as pre-Fall there was absolutely none. And praise God…in heaven when we are delivered from this sinful world, there will be no more ill effects of sin. I know I am looking forward to that with great anticipation…are you???
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body” (Phil 3:20-21)
You must live as a victor through Christ, not defeated due to the world, flesh and/or the devil…but victorious because of the Word (John 1:1,14)! Believe in the Great Physician (Mark 2:17), repent of all sin as He requires in order to be filled with His Spirit (Eph 5:18), and have sweet fellowship restored with Him (1 John 1:6-10). Let Him heal you if it is in His will! What are you waiting for in order to be restored? Do it now! Take advantage of God’s amazing gift of grace and reap all of its benefits!! And if you need help with it, ask a good brother or sister in Christ to assist you…they are commanded to do so (Gal 6:1-2). If they refuse, they’ll need to repent along side of you (Jas 4:17)…but that is a topic I’ll address on another day! 🙂