Is Sin Really That Bad? YES

And if you take your Bibles, I'm going to read a couple verses from Romans and then passage in Galatians. Okay? So, if you want to turn to Galatians, to follow along, that's in Galatians chapter six. Again, this is a continuation of a brief series, two or three weeks that we started last week. Message last week was I think love God hates sin or hate sin or love God or something like that but essentially, it is the same thing as the title of this message.

I ask the question to begin that sermon, is sin really that bad? Is sin really that bad? As Christians particularly as a fundamental baptist, we grow up hearing that sin is bad. However, not everybody that calls themselves Christian today sees sin as being really all that bad and we live in a world today that is constantly shoving it down our throat that sin is really a wonderful thing. It's it's good.

It's it's it's it's what we're here for to to live it up, to have a good time, to get all the pleasure we can because when the when the this life is over, that's it. You're dead and you're buried. You might as well get everything while you can. It's all about I. It's all about me and sadly, sin is exalted.

Sin is celebrated. Today in the world in which we live. It's not merely tolerated. It's not merely excused. Sin is celebrated in our particularly in our pop culture.

And so, as Christians, I think we need to be reminded. The answer to this question, is sin really that bad? And the answer is, yes, it is. Yes, it is. Romans five twelve, wherefore is by one man, sin entered into the world and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.

Sin that bad? Yes, it is. Romans six twenty three, for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Galatians chapter six verses seven through nine. Galatians six seven through nine.

Be not deceived. Now, Paul is writing to those professing to know the Lord as savior. Many of were who most certainly were. Essentially, he's writing to Christians and he says to Christians here, be not deceived. You don't have to be deceived.

You have the truth. You know the truth. Don't be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall love the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall love the spirit reap life everlasting. So, Paul here reminds us not to be deceived. That what you sow, you will what? You will reap and if you sow sin, you will reap the consequences of sin. If you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer and we'll continue. Lord, we thank you again for your word today, for the privilege of studying it together. We pray Lord that you would guide and direct us in our study. We pray Lord that Jesus Christ would truly be exalted today. We pray if there be one here that doesn't know Christ as savior that they might be saved before they leave this place today.

In Jesus precious name, we pray. Amen. May I ask you another question? Is poison all that bad? I mean, is it really?

Salmonella. Is that bad? I mean, you know, when when they have a report on TV and it says, don't buy so and so's, you know, packaged vegetables or or lettuce or peanut butter or whatever it may be, do you go out and buy it and eat it anyway? Probably not. Is anthrax the bubonic plague or more recently Ebola?

All that bad. What happens when somebody comes down with one of these diseases? What do we do? Okay, we isolate them. We quarantine them and stay away because we don't want what they have because it really is that bad.

Cancer. Is cancer really that bad? Now, for you that have had it, I don't think you have to think long on that and for the rest of us that don't want to hear our doctor tell us that we've got it, we don't have to think long on that. Cancer is bad. Nobody would question that.

Nobody wants it. Was nine eleven today is the fifteenth anniversary of nine eleven, not an anniversary I particularly want to remember all that badly. Was it all that bad? Yeah, it was. Over 3,000 people going about their business that day lost their lives.

Some of them were in their office doing their work. Some of them had children, husbands, wives. Some of them were Christians. Many of them were not and went out into a Christless eternity. Some of them burned in the fire, some of them were crushed by the building, some of them jumped out of the windows, and I don't know if you have ever been, if you were ever at the World Trade Centers before they collapsed, but I was there.

I remember taking a picture at the foot of one of the World Trade Centers looking up, and it seemed like the building was never going to stop. If you stand at the base and look up the side, it looks like it's going to fall over on top of you, it all has to do with perception. But it seems to go on and on forever. I can imagine people jumping from the top of that building, jumping to avoid the fire and the heat. Is terrorism all that bad?

Yes, it is. It's something we would like to avoid and something like that we'd never wish upon anyone. Sad to say in this world, it still happens. It may not have happened to that extent here since that day and and I thank the Lord for his mercy and his protection. We haven't really in any way I deserve that as a nation but the Lord has spared us since then.

From that kind of attack again. Those things are very bad and as we think about them, nobody would suggest that they're not. What do they all have in common? They bring death and destruction. They bring death and destruction.

Two weeks ago, we learned that sin was really so bad because of what it is. Well, what is it? What is willful rebellion against the loving, holy creator God. Willful rebellion which cost him the life of his son to free us from its grip and to give us eternal life. In him.

Jesus is the graphic on that cross of how bad sin is. As he suffered there to pay its price. It is willful rebellion which apart from faith in Christ will lead God to cast every sinner into a place of eternal punishment called the Lake Of Fire. It's a real place. People will really spend eternity in that place.

There are many Christians so called today that would have you believe that it isn't a real place. There are many so called Christians today that would have you believe that it isn't eternal. That you're thrown in and poof. That's the end. That is not what the Bible tells us and you either believe God's word or you don't.

God's word is clear. It is a real place. It is a place of eternal suffering without hope. And that is a result of sin. This morning, we are going to look at another reason.

It's effect upon us collectively and individually which must not be overlooked and that effect is death. Sin brings death. Eternal death in the lake of fire we just talked about but death and destruction and ruin and misery and so many ways into this world. Turn if you would to James chapter one. James chapter one.

We're going to read verses 13 through 15 in just a moment. I may come back to this again later in the message. I think there's another place where it it really fits in but while you're looking up the scripture passage, I think it fits now too as an introduction. Several people have come to me over the years and asked, if there is a god in heaven, then why why are are children born deformed and and why do people die terrible deaths and and why accidents and people are paralyzed. Why is it that these terrible diseases destroy good people's lives as well as quote unquote bad people's lives?

Why all this suffering? Why why all of this this this bad stuff in the world in which we live? If God is really a loving God, if God is really a good God, then, why does all this happen? Well, there's actually an easy answer to that. Not necessarily easy to receive but easy to say because it's true.

The answer to that is the suffering in this world is not God's will. It's not God's doing. It's sin's doing. It is man's will that brought suffering into this world. It is sin that is the cause.

Look if you would in James one verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither tempted he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.

Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth what? Death. Death. Every good and perfect gift that goes on to stay comes down from who? From God, from above, from the father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning.

What that means is, he doesn't change. He's dependable. He's faithful. He's good. Sin is bad.

Amen. God doesn't bring bad things in our life. Sin has. Sometimes, God has to bring judgement because of it but sin is the cause. What happens?

Well, we're tempted. Adam and Eve were tempted and then, our lust takes over. Well, you know, it really isn't so bad. Well, look, they're having a good time. Well, boy, I enjoyed it last time.

And then love, lust gives birth to sin which only ever brings death and misery and heartache and ruin. Death and destruction are the legacy of sin in this world and in every individual life. It is the destroyer of all that is good. It robs life and joy from all who practice it. It is sin which separates all men from the goodness of God.

We'll take a few minutes this morning, this morning to elaborate on the areas of life that are destroyed by sin and you say, well, I'm a Christian. I've been forgiven. Yes, you have. At the eternal judgment, your sin will not be brought up because it is under the what? The blood of Jesus Christ.

But what did Paul write to Christians in Galatians? Be not deceived. God is not mocked for whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also what? Reap. And when we sow sin in this world even as Christians, we still will reap the consequences here on this Earth for it.

We must not be deceived. First thing is this, it is a destroyer of physical life and health. Yes, sin is that bad. It is a destroyer first of all of physical life and health. Turn back if you would to Genesis chapter two.

Genesis chapter two. Beginning in verse 17 God said to Adam He said, but every but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, For in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt what? Surely die. Surely die. God was clear.

That death does involve most definitely physical death and hell. Genesis three three to five. Chapter three verses three to five. Eve is being tempted by Satan. Verse three, but of the fruit of the tree, Eve answers, which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you what?

Die. Die. So, either God told Eve as well or Adam passed along the commandment to Eve to his wife and said, God said, don't eat of that or you'll die. In either way, she knew. Verse four, the serpent said unto the woman, you shall not what?

Surely. Surely, you won't die? What are you talking about? You're not going to die. No.

Sin's a good thing. It's pleasureful. It's wonderful. It's it make you happy. You won't die.

Matter of fact, he said in verse five, for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open and you shall be as God's knowing good and evil. God, God just doesn't want you to have any fun. So, eat of the tree. And she did. And what it bring?

It brought death. Just like God said, that it would. Both physical and spiritual. Genesis three nineteen, three nineteen, God said to Adam, in the sweat of thy face, shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground, for out of it was thou taken, for dust thou art and unto dust, shalt thou return. So, the first thing we see clearly from scripture is when sin came into the world, brought death.

Adam and Eve would have lived forever. But thanks to sin, they now will die. Not only death but also illness and suffering are the result of sin. In Genesis three sixteen, God said unto the woman, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, Thou desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee. In verse 19, we we just read, it not only spoke of death but it also spoke of weariness and and tiresome labor.

These are also the legacy of sin. We all suffer physical illness as a result of sin in this world. Sometimes, we suffer because of specifically our sin. If you go out and you get drunk, and you get behind the wheel of a car, and you crash into somebody you'll suffer because of your sin but sadly, sometimes we suffer because of other people's sin. You see, the person in another vehicle that got hit.

They may have, they weren't drunk. They may have done nothing wrong and yet they suffer too because of the sin of someone else. We all suffer a body that is breaking down and lacks energy and has issues. In this life because of sin. Not necessarily my sin or your sin but because we live in a sin cursed world.

And it's all thanks to sin. Sin isn't our friend. Sin has always been our enemy. And it is the cause of sorrow, of illness, and of death. However, there is one greater Jesus Christ, the righteous.

First Corinthians fifteen twenty two, it says, for as in Adam all die, even in so in Christ shall all be what? Made alive. Praise God that Christ has conquered both death and illness. He healed every manner of disease, every physical handicap, and even raised people from the what? From the dead.

Thus, first Corinthians 15 reminds us, oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is coming a day when Christ will call his people home and those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Praise God through Jesus Christ if we are alive when he comes, we will not face what?

Death. Death. But even if we're not alive when he comes our bodies will be raised incorruptible in mourning. Like unto, if not better than, Adam and Eve. And we will live with him.

Be like him. As Christians to be absent from the body is to be what? Present with the with the Lord. And our body goes in the ground awaiting the day when it will be resurrected by Christ's power. Our soul will be in heaven with him.

Our body be dead, we are yet what? Alive. Alive. For God is not the God of the dead but the God of the what? Holy.

The God of the living. Thanks to Jesus Christ, our savior who defeated death and hell on the cross of Calvary for us. Number two, this morning, sin is not only destroyer of physical life and health. It is also destroyer of joy and peace. God didn't create man to be full of turmoil and strife.

And he certainly doesn't desire that for his children. He wants us to have joy. He wants us to have peace. However, sin is a destroyer of that. David says thus in Psalm fifty one three, he says, for I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me.

When David was being convicted of his sin but not yet willing to confess and forsake that sin. It was on his mind. He couldn't get rid of it. It followed him wherever he went and it robbed him of his joy and it robbed him of his peace. The same is true of us.

When we're unwilling to confess our sins before the Lord. They rob us. They siphon away the joy and the happiness that is ours in Christ Jesus. Turn if you would to Psalm 38. Psalm 38.

Look at David's description here. Thirty eight one. He says, oh Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger.

Neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head and as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled. I am bowed down greatly.

I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken. I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee.

My heart panteth. My strength faileth me. As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone for me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore and my kinsmen stand afar off. We could continue.

We'll stop there. You see the effects of sin? Does that look desirous? Does that seem pleasant? No.

What is it that rob David of all his joy and his peace? It was his sin. He says, because of my sin and you say but as a Christian, that burns been lifted off and Christ paid for that on the cross and yes, he has. We can still choose to walk around holding on to things that Christ has already forgiven us for because we will not confess them. There is nothing more miserable than a Christian who's running from God, who's got sin in their life, and is refusing to deal with it.

And it can destroy them. Not just spiritually But emotionally. Physically. That isn't what God wants for you. God loves you.

Died for you. He made you his son. He's given you not only forgiveness for eternity from sin but he's given you a means to confess and be rid of it. I remember in I've told you this, some of you know this illustration. I'm sure Al remembers it by now.

But and it doesn't have to do with the tire factory. Alright? But when I was in college and we had a test, and I had to write on the test whether I read certain things and well, I I in my mind, I justified, well, I will read them. You know what happens when you do that. You usually don't end up doing the thing you said you were going to do anyway.

And even if you did, it was still a what? A lie because the test didn't say, will you do this? It said, have you done this? And but if you didn't read it and you put no, you started out with like a C. I can't have that.

So, I put yes. And for the next two years, I couldn't forget that thing. I asked God to forgive me 100 times. And I couldn't forget it. I couldn't get it off my mind.

It troubled me. Until at camp one year after hearing a message on a similar subject, just happened the dean of students was there at the camp from college and so, I went and I confessed my sin to the one that I wronged. Not just the Lord but the school. Guess what? I haven't felt guilty about that sin since that day.

I knew what God wanted me to do and there really wasn't truly confessed before God until I did what I knew God wanted me to do which was to humble myself and confess it to the people I wrong. Sin, if you let it lie around, it will rob you. And of course, the world in which we live is full of everything and anything but peace. And the cause of it all is sin. You know, we know war destroys countries, destroys lives, destroys everything.

Why do we still have wars? Hey, how insane can you be? But it still happens. Nearly every day around this world, somebody's at war. Because of sin Number three, it's a destroyer of the testimony of Christians.

It's a destroyer of the testimony of God's people. Turn if you would to Matthew chapter five. Matthew chapter five. Look in verses 13 through 16. Five thirteen through 16.

Jesus said, speaking mainly to his disciples, he says to them, you are the salt of the earth but if the salt has lost his savior, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and be trodden under the foot of men. You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick that it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.

Back to verse 13, Jesus said, you're the salt of the earth. You're the season the world with righteousness, with the knowledge of God, the gospel but he says, if the salt have lost its savor, it is thenceforth good for what? Nothing to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. We have a testimony before the for the world in which we live. That testimony is important.

That testimony is vital. It really isn't our testimony. It's his testimony. He is the true light of the world. We're just mirrors that reflect it to others around us.

But when we allow sin in our life and it we allow it to go unconfessed in our life. What does sin do? Sin will destroy your testimony. And effectiveness as a Christian. It used to be in Christ day that they got salt out of the salt mines and the salt was mixed with other minerals that look like salt but were not salt and if the salt got wet or humid, the salt would dissolve and what was left behind may look like salt but it didn't taste like salt and it didn't affect things like salt and it was only good to be what?

Tossed out in the street. Because it lost its saltiness. What does sin do in the life of a Christian? It can destroy our testimony for the Lord and in doing so, in the purpose of bringing glory to God and drawing other people to Jesus Christ, we become what? Worthless.

Because we have lost our savior. We have the light of God in our heart but if we allow that light to be dimmed and to be hidden because we are allowing sin in our life to fester and grow and not to get it out, then that light is of no use to others around. It'd be silly to light a candle and then put a bucket on top of it. What would be that purpose? But sad to say, it's just as silly for us as Christians to hide the light or to allow the light in our lives.

To be dimmed. Because of sin. And that's exactly what happens. When we do not see sin for what it is. A destroyer of that which is good.

You ever know as a Christian who swears and tells dirty jokes? Do you hear them witnessing a lot? Probably not because in their heart, they know that what they're saying here and what they're saying there are what? A contradiction one with the other. Lie and cheat, drink and do drugs, watch pornography?

What do those say about who you really are? Particularly to those around you. There's a pastor in Virginia Beach, well known in fundamental circles. I won't say his name. Good man.

But he he had an illness. Can't remember what it was but whatever it was. It may have been high cholesterol. I don't know but his his doctor told him. He said, if you'll drink just a little wine before you go to bed at night, it'll help with whatever problem you have.

Well, he started drinking wine before he went to bed at night. And we can debate as to whether that is a sin or not a sin. But I tell you what happened, it was a sin without doubt. He started drinking it more. Now, who knows?

He probably never would have done that if he hadn't got a taste for it in the first place which is why it's always wiser to stay away from it. But he started drinking it more and more. He was on toll road in Virginia and he pulled up to the toll booth to pay his toll and the person taking the toll smelled alcohol on his breath. They called the police. He got ticketed for DUI, but it got published in the paper.

Guess what happened to his ministry of over a thousand member church? It was destroyed. He lost it. He was weeks or months from retiring. And he lost his testimony and he lost his church because of sin.

Sin's a bad thing. We must not toy with fire because when you play with fire, you get what? You get burnt. It's a destroyer of physical life and health. It's destroyer of joy and peace.

It is destroyer of the testimony of Christians. It is destroyer of all good relationship. It ships. It divides or separates friends, marriages, and homes. In Proverbs sixteen twenty eight, it says, a froward man soweth strife and a whisperer separated chief friends.

The Greek word translated death in these passages is Thanatos in the Greek. It means to destroy by separating. That's exactly what sin does. It separates. It destroys relationships.

One takes advantage of another. Selfishness. One is mean and unkind to the other, pride. One is disloyal and unfaithful to the other, lust and envy, disrespectful and disobedient, rebellion, angry, and unforgiving, lies and steals from the other, and the list goes on and on and on. Every relationship that's been destroyed has been destroyed.

When he comes down to it by what? By sin. Every marriage that's been destroyed was destroyed by sin. Every friendship destroyed by sin. Every church destroyed by sin.

Many nations destroyed by sin. But most importantly, our relationship with God destroyed by sin. Isaiah fifty nine two, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God. And your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear you. It is sin that has separated us from our creator.

Relationship that can only be restored through faith in Jesus Christ or else it will forever separate us from him. For the child of God, you cannot be separated from God by your sin because Jesus Christ paid the price for it on the cross of Calvary. Praise God for that. But it can hinder your fellowship your testimony, your ministry, your prayer life, your power, the holy spirit in your life. Thus, we are told as Christians to do what?

To confess our sins and to depart from iniquity. When you sin, confess it and then what? Don't go back to it. Depart from it. For it is not healthy, particularly to your relationship and ministry and service for God.

It is a destroyer of all relationships. And finally, tying into that is a destroyer of spiritual and eternal life. The Bible says in Ephesians two, that we are dead in trespasses and in sins. Dead how? Again, Thanatos.

What does it mean? Separated from God by sin. Hebrews nine seventeen, it says, it is appointed on the man once to die but after this, the why? The judgment and it tells us about that judgment. In closing, in Revelation chapter 20, if you want to turn there this morning, and we'll just read these verses.

They're familiar to you particularly if you know Christ but if you don't this morning, please consider this isn't a fairy tale. This isn't something conjured up from someone's imagination. This is real. This will happen and this is the result of sin. Revelation of 20 and verse 11, and I saw a great right throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away and there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were open, another book was open, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Look if you would in chapter 21 verse eight. But the fearful and unbelieving, the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

The most terrible thing about sin is it separates us from God. The only way to be reconciled to God is through his son, Jesus Christ, for he died the just for the unjust, that we might be brought together to with God. Through faith in him. Do you know him today? If you don't, you can.

Is sin reigning in your life? You can dethrone it. Are you condemned in it? And you know it? You can be forgiven and receive eternal life through Jesus Christ.

If you're here today say, pastor, I've done that. I know Jesus Christ as my savior. When the Bible says, let all those that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity. See sin is your enemy and not your friend. As something that brought great pain to your savior, as something that will destroy your testimony and rob you of your joy.

Flee it. Don't play with it. Confess it. Don't hide it. God, Jesus Christ, will give us victory through him who loved us so.

Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord for Jesus Christ, our savior and I pray Lord if you're dealing in our hearts today with something as maybe a particular sin, Lord, that we just haven't seen it for what it is. I pray that we would confess it today. We would trust your word and we would forsake it by your grace and I pray Lord if there's one here today that's never trusted you as savior. I pray as we give this hymn of invitation that they would come and receive you as the Lord and savior of their life.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.