God and sin are not friends. A person who stays away from sin has automatically positioned himself in the right spot to receive the blessings of God. A person who lives in sin will bear the consequence of his (or her) actions. A sinful activity brings some sort of enjoyment; however, once the excitement is over, the same sin leaves the person to face a bitter consequence that will follow suit.
Sin can come from any source to affect a person or a group of people. In fact, God has labeled nations as sinners in the past, and he punished them for their sins. The nation of Israel is an example. The people who should be God’s “apple eyes” turned their backs against the Creator; they suffered a bitter consequence for their actions.
Jeremiah, in the Bible, explained the horror that his country (Israel) faced as a result of their sins. The land of Israel that was once considered a center of attraction for their neighbors lost its value when the people sinned against God.
Israelites dropped their love for God and pursued Idolatry; therefore, God forsook them. God suspended his love for the Israelites and make them became subservient to their enemies.
The opposing nations discovered that God’s protection was missing on the Israelites and took advantage of the situation.
Realizing that God was no more in friendship with the Israelites, the enemies attacked them from every side and overpowered them. They destroyed their land and took them captive. Israelites lost their freedom and become the slaves of others.
Jeremiah who witnessed the downfall of his nation lamented,
“How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress” (Lamentations 1:1-3 NIV).
God Loves The Sinners, But He Hates Their Sins
Does God love the sinners? Yes, he does. God loves everyone – He loves both the saints and the sinners; however, God does not love sin. The Creator can simply not cope with sin.
Jehovah hates sin. He can’t operate under a sinful atmosphere. That is, God will not be able to relate with us if we entertain sin in our lives.
Anyone who is willing to receive the prime benefit of God must steer clear of sin. Stay away!
How Serious Is The Consequence of Sin?
- Sin destroys any good relationship that exists between God and a person.
- God’s limit of interaction with a sinner also leads to the withdrawal of his benefits. (A sinner loses both ways).
- A sinner will be vulnerable to the enemy’s attack since God’s protection will be unavailable for him.
- God has an established judgment for an unrepentant sinner. (God will cast an unrepentant sinner to hellfire on the last day).
God is not partial, he will not punish a sinner and spare the other, Any Christian who lives in sin will not be exempted from God’s punishment.
Every sinner must repent – Without an exception! Everyone must understand that God is not partial; he won’t punish one sinner and leave the other; therefore, both the nominal Christian (A Christian without Christ’s attributes) and the unbeliever should await God’s imminent punishments unless due repentance is exercised.
Are The Consequences of Sin Predictable?
A soul that sins shall die” says the Bible; however, some consequences are bound to follow a sinner before he dies.
The consequences of a sin on earth is not predictable since no one can second-guess God. The Creator mostly take an action that beats human’s imagination. Meanwhile, instead of wasting time on making unnecessary assumptions about God’s variety of punishment in any given situation, everyone should aspire to measure up to the standard of God and serve him in holiness.
What Should A Sinner Do?
Better safe than sorry, a person who realizes his mistakes should not hesitate to repent from it. Once the person is convicted by the Holy Spirit that he (or she) has transgressed, he should immediately exercise genuine repentance to appease God and avoid his punishment.
Meanwhile, not just an exercise of repentance counts towards restoration, a sinner must also choose to follow the appropriate path that God has created in the Bible. That is, a repentant sinner must pick his/her cross and daily follow Jesus Christ.
A person who has repented of his sins and professed to love God must also make a serious effort to stay away from sin and serve God in holiness.
What Are The Benefits to Receive When Repentance Is Exercised?
- God’s divine blessing will pursue a repentant sinner.
- An obedient child of God will prosper in whatever he or she does.
- A person who repents of his or her sins will have peace of mind
- The peace of God that surpasses all human understanding will take over the life of a repentant sinner – Since the Holy Spirit will effectively take control.
- A person who repents of his or her sin will have an assurance of heaven
- Heaven is the prime benefit that every repentant sinner will enjoy. God will accept every repentant sinner into his kingdom. He will grant him/her an opportunity to dine and wine with him forever.
Serve God well. Obey his commandments and you shall prosper in all your ways!
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Sin Separation From God by James Taiwo at BLOG.
