SIN AND RAMIFICATIONS

Consequences of sin

What is Biblical sin? In layman’s terms, it can be said that it is any thought, attitude, or action contrary to God’s will and perfect character of love. It includes the breaking of any of his commandments (1 John 3:4, Romans 7:12-13, James 2:10-11, etc.), whether in “the letter” (their narrow interpretation based on what is written) or in their spiritual intent.

I decided to study the seriousness of sin as a follow-up to my article on “Why do I do the things I don’t want to do,” because when I was a teenage believer, no one ever told me of the seriousness of the ramifications of sin, and/or I did not listen or remember.  I never thought about the ramifications, or that my desire to sin was greater than all the truths about the destruction sin causes and the multitude of people negatively affected by just one of my sins.  The one ramification I will discuss is how it can/does affect the sinner (if they are a true Christ follower).  

Scripture tells us that when we sin, we will feel guilt, shame, and remorse. But if we repent, God will remember them no more; Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out. But God did not promise that we would not remember our sins. However, He is God and can do that, but how do we, and can we?

The seriousness of the sin will affect how quickly you jump into it. If it is a simple lie (if there is such a thing as a simple sin), that can be done in an instant without any thought or hesitation. However, some sins take planning and thought. Those are the ones that have long-lasting effects and the ones mentioned in this article.   

What are the ramifications I am talking about? From my own experience and from talking to others, there are many, and they are serious and can have lasting negative effects. To the sinner, there will be guilt.

After they (the sinner) repent and are forgiven, God forgets our sin, but can we forget and forgive ourselves? We should, but it is difficult to forget our sins, and should we?  Remembering will help us avoid making the same mistakes again. But if we stay faithful, the memory of our sins will be softened over time. This will be part of the needed healing and sanctification process,” and hopefully, the shame will be replaced by gratitude to the Lord for His love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness.  

What are some negative effects?

*In the future, the thought of a sin(s) will come back to haunt you at a moment’s notice and out of nowhere. I think this happens when you are right with God, and Satan hates that and will try to get you to stumble and distance yourself from God by reminding you how bad you were.

*You will sometimes feel remorse, regret, and sadness because of a sin you committed, not for yourself, but for the others who were affected negatively by the sin, and there was nothing you could do to make amends.

*You are grateful that few know of your sins because of what they might think of you, even though you have repented, become a new creation, been forgiven by God, and are not that person anymore. And even though you know God forgave you and remembers it no more, can others?

*At times, you may feel that you are not worthy of forgiveness, even though you ARE forgiven, and do not deserve the blessings that have been lavished on you, and wish you could forget.

These are just some of the ramifications that sin has on a sinner, and Satan will use every trick in his book to put distance between you and God. Remember, it is a spiritual battle that needs the armor of God to be activated.   

When we start wallowing in self-doubt, it is an important time for you to remember to go to God in prayer, read the scriptures that tell you who you are in God, His beloved child, and you will find comfort in knowing:

Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

And most importantly,

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  And what a wonderful feeling this is! Some statements in the scriptures we can hardly believe are possible, but I can attest that they do. God, in all His wonderful grace, has blessed me with that blessing. After being involved with numerous serious and minor sins in the past, major back and neck surgeries, and a present health concern, He has still blessed me with a peace that goes beyond my understanding and has made it possible for me to handle whatever challenges I face with that peace. What a burden that has been lifted for me, and can also be lifted for you.