The Damages of Sin
Every saint of God must develop a genuine hatred of sin, especially the damages of sin. It leaves marks everywhere it touches. Just like fire, you cannot touch it without being burned. Sin is the cruelest enemy of man and has reduced the greatest of men with its impact. The acts of sin may be manifest in hidden places, but hiding sin is like hiding fire; it burns through. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (I John 3:4) The Bible is the one single book that names sin perfectly. Both Testaments have united to give us the clear warning of sin, never to restrict, but always to protect. God is perfect and pure Himself and manifests no hidden motives in naming sin. Sin is always and in every case a manifestation of something dark in our nature from which the Father longs to protect us.
Sin touches man in three destructive ways. It first is manifest in our emotions, second in our conscience, and lastly in our spirit. Sin would have no effect if it did not touch our emotions. The tree in the garden looked enticing to Eve. Men steal because they lust, men lie because it covers up, and men fornicate because of the fire of desire. The body of man is filled with needs and all of those needs are manifest in emotions. The disciplined person regulates those emotions and refuses to be controlled by feelings. A good man loves his wife and refuses to “look on a maiden.” A godly single person has pure anticipation for marriage and refuses the thought of losing their innocence. Because iniquity abounds, men today are driven by emotions and they have lost the fear of God.
Conscience is the heart of purity. A pure sense of right and wrong is the foundation of righteousness. Undisciplined homes, schools, and society can destroy a conscience in our childhood and youth. When the emotions of sin have had their fling, then the conscience must be damaged to cover their tracks. ItÂ’s hard to live with a defiled conscience, so man begins to justify the sin and thereby damages the conscience. Once the conscience is driven by sin, then life goes down the drain. Our society, even the church world, has almost no sense of right and wrong. The entire culture has begun to suffer incredible destruction.
The last step in sin’s path is the spirit or heart of man. The Bible calls man’s spirit or heart the eye of the human body. It’s the God-breathed aspect of man by which we can relate to God and even have intimate fellowship with Him. No man can be converted, born again, and transformed to a new creature except when God’s Holy Spirit can touch that man’s spirit. The Bible calls it “conviction.” It’s one of the grandest actions of the Holy Spirit. It is not an arbitrary action and cannot occur until God has man’s attention.
When sin has damaged the human spirit, darkness invades the total life. Jesus Christ spoke some of His greatest words on this subject. He said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23) We live in a world where the multitudes have paid no attention to sin until the spirit of man is dark and black; and they walk the path to hell and know it not. The church refuses to talk of sin and righteousness and justifies the sin nature like it’s a prize to treasure. Sin never fails to damage the emotion, then the conscience, and then the spirit. When man’s spirit has been invaded, the “lights go out” and even God cannot touch that soul. That’s the point of blaspheming the Holy Spirit when the lights have gone out. Nothing can do this kind of damage but sin.
No wonder Jesus said, “How great is that darkness!” As we approach the zero hour for this generation and the Rapture is about to occur, the saints of God must relearn the truth of God concerning sin and be His witnesses of its darkness. When sin finishes, it is midnight to that soul. Sin turns out the light and that man goes straight downward. There are multitudes that still have hope. Our business is to tell the world of Jesus’ cleansing blood and the authority of His name. A saint of God can be so full of Jesus’ light that it beams from his face and then men cannot help but see. Allow His Spirit to possess you, fill you, and give special attention to its glow on your face. Let your word be seasoned with His love and be His witness.