THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN

By Charles N. Spence, Jr.

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isa. 59:2).

What Isaiah told the people of his day was characteristic of the way they were viewed by God. They were sinners. God, who is holy, cannot have fellowship with sinful men. As a result of sin in his life man is Separated from God. Such was indicated by man's banishment from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24). Man, having sinned, is in need of reconciliation in order to be at peace with God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:1, and 10). Man does not have to remain an enemy of God, separated from Him because of sin. Out of His mercy God provided the means whereby man can come back to him.

If one wants to be a friend of God, he must first be willing to acknowledge that he is a sinner. Romans 3:10 states, “There is none righteous, no not one.” Back in his day the prophet Isaiah proclaimed the people’s dilemma when he said, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hadst hid thy face from us, and hadst consumed us because of our iniquities (Isa. 64:6-7). Israel had walked in their own ways and forsook the way of the Lord.

Today, men are not much different. People are being taught that they can come to God without the need to repent from sins or change their lives or without any conviction at all. People are not being held accountable for their actions. In many circles, people are made out to be victims of a poor upbringing, societal problems, and the pressures of life in general. Even many religious folk are hoodwinked into being sympathetic to those who are supposedly victimized by their surroundings. Some people would have God accept them on their terms rather than God accept them on His. There are those who are putting forth their own righteousness instead of submitting to the righteousness of God, (Rom. 10:3). The Word still speaks with resounding clarity when it says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God " (Rom. 3:23)

To effect reconciliation Jesus had to die. He died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6). This truth was a stumblingblock for the Jews because they trusted in themselves that they were righteous (See Luke 18:9-14). On one occasion, Jesus was found eating with Tax Collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and Scribes wanted to know why Jesus would do such a thing. Jesus told them, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. . . I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:10-13). In other words, Jesus was saying to the Pharisees and Scribes that he did not come for them, but for those who acknowledged that they were sinners. The Pharisees and Scribes believed they were whole, but the Bible says that there are none righteous, no not one (Rom. 3:10). Because the religious leaders trusted in their righteousness, they rejected the righteousness of God.

Many today have righteousness as put forth by the creed of their Church, handbook, discipline, confession, etc. Such is the establishment of one's own righteousness but not in accordance with the righteousness of God. You must submit to God’s righteousness, if you ever hope to escape the consequences of sin.