This was a tough week. Someone I know was accused of a crime so brutal I can’t describe it. Waves of disbelief, disgust, and sadness have swept over me. I grieve the loss of life for the victim and what he went through prior to his death. I grieve for the families involved. I grieve the potential loss of a once-promising future for my young friend. I grieve the effects of sin.
In Romans 1, the apostle Paul issued a solemn warning we should all take to heart. The essence of his message? Sin leads only to more sin and ultimately to spiritual death. When people choose to reject and disobey God, even though His message has been “obvious to them” (Romans 1:19-20), they begin a descent into darkness and confusion (Romans 1:21). Their choices and actions become foolish—worshiping their own sinful wants and desires while ignoring “the glorious, ever-living God” (Romans 1:23,25).
What happens next is scary, for God “abandons” or turns these people over to experience the bitter fruit of their wicked ways (Romans 1:18,24). He allows them to reap “the penalty they [deserve]” as they engage in acts “that should never be done” (Romans 1:27-28).
Paul wrote down many types of sins people will commit as they sink deeper and deeper into darkness (Romans 1:29-30). Although the list isn’t exhaustive, a few stand out: haters of God. When we turn from God, our hearts reveal our hate for Him and His truth; proud—the worship of self can lead to unimaginable consequences (see Adam and Eve); new ways of sinning— jaded in depravity, our sins become worse and worse; heartless . . . no mercy—our choices become cruel and evil.
Turn from your sin today before it’s too late. If you don’t, the effects could be devastating for you . . . and others.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Ruth 2:1-23
More:
Check out Psalm 14:1-3 to see what God said when He looked at the hearts of “the entire human race.”
Next:
How have you been turning from God and choosing to sin? What will you do to turn from sin’s devastating effects and experience God’s provision of real life? (John 10:10).
cricket41 on March 16, 2011 at 6:06 am
Wow thank you for posting this. I was full of anger, hatred, revenge, distrust, I hated myself and others. My desire at age18 was to buy a machine gun and line up all the grown ups in my life who had hurt me, and just shoot them all in a row. Thank God that that did not happen, but I stuffed all of that deep down and started hurting myself, I became sicker and sicker (I feel this is some form of what evil spirits mean). I was so out of control and my thinking was so so sick. All of this I see now stemmed from sin (watch out if you cause one of these little ones to sin) I know I read that somewhere in God’s word? If you don’t deal with this stuff right away it grows and grows into a disease of spirituality, mental illness’s, and physical illness’s. Don’t go to bed angry means alot to me now, we need to get rid of it right away or it will start growing into a disease of stinking pollutiion. I still struggle with this stuff, I have some things going on right now that I am sorry for and have asked God to please help me. He has answered my prayers and is still answering them little by little , and I praise him for bringing me out of the pits of hell….
mysavinggrace on March 16, 2011 at 7:40 am
Praise God! 🙂 Thank you for the encouraging sharing. God bless you.
tom felten on March 16, 2011 at 7:43 am
cricket41, I just prayed for you—thanking God for your changed life and asking Him to help you with the stuff in your life. We all have it. That’s why we need Jesus! The verse you refer to is Mark 9:42. Jesus says, “If you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.” This strong language reveals His great compassion for those young ones who love Him and His great hatred of sin. The following verses (Mark 9:43-50) contain instruction from Jesus that if taken literally would lead to the destruction of different parts of our body. The shocking words, however, are not to be taken literally, but were used to show how strongly Jesus urged his disciples—urges us—to repent of sin and turn from its devastating effects.
pri1465 on March 16, 2011 at 10:14 am
Dear Cricket41
May God Bless & Protect you & be with you always.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 11 Timothy 1:7
Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:24
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13
sowharvest on March 16, 2011 at 6:50 am
Tom
May the Spirit of the Lord comfort your heart. It is hard when man has no mercy. But the word tells us that it is GOD that is merciful—-Not man. And left to our own devices we become a walking testatment to the reading today. I pray that GOD will comfort the community/
tom felten on March 16, 2011 at 7:49 am
Amen, sowharvest. The most difficult thing is for me is to see this person who once claimed to walk with God, who once seemed to be spiritually healthy, commit such an evil crime. It’s a solemn reminder for all of us to repent of our sin now and not let it grow. For if we don’t deal with it, as James tells us, “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15).
GChoo on March 16, 2011 at 10:34 am
Dear Cricket41
Thank you for sharing your personal experience with us. Know that we have a God who is there for us 24/7. He is full of compassion and love. When we devote our time regularly to read His Word, we will hear His whispers and feel His comforting and loving hands leading us to His path of righteousness. I pray that you will continue to keep trusting and seeking God’s plan for you. Holding you in prayer. God bless.
GChoo on March 16, 2011 at 10:47 am
Tom, thank you for your sharing and reminder. Pray that God will comfort and give you peace of mind in this sad and difficult time. I earnestly pray that this young friend of yours, that God will show him the way back to the cross, His Great & Merciful Love, whatever is the result of his action.
tom felten on March 16, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Thanks, GChoo, I’ve reached out to my young friend—sent him a message and some helpful Bible-based materials to direct Him hopefully toward repentance and restoration in Jesus. You’re right, God’s merciful love is greater than any sin. May my friend seek it today.
roxanne robbins on March 16, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Unlike man, God sees into the depths of our hearts. (I Samuel 16:6-8).
winn collier on March 16, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I am so weary of destruction. I so long for the one who is Triumphant over evil. Thank you for this sober reminder.
eppistle on March 16, 2011 at 2:15 pm
As love is its own reward, sin is its own punishment.
regina franklin on March 16, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Dear Tom,
I will be praying for you friend and for the victim’s family. Fifteen years ago, my brother-in-law’s mother was killed in an unfathomable manner and at the hands of her own husband. In one day, my brother-in-law lost his mother to death and his father to a life-sentence in prison. I have watched my brother-in-law not only press forward in faith with a loving God but also extend deep forgiveness to both his father and to other family members who responded out of their own anguish and confusion.
Some situations will never make sense, but God is always able to sustain us in His sovereignty, grace and justice
tom felten on March 16, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Thanks for sharing this difficult memory, Regina. Your brother-in-law’s example is inspiring and encouraging. He’s lived out a faith in God that reveals the beauty of grace and forgiveness!
dabac on March 17, 2011 at 4:29 am
Dear Tom and Cricket,
I’ve prayed for both of you – each one to receive what you need from God (to my knowledge and heart):
Cricket – lots of love and Jesus’ peace upon you, I would want to comfort you and God can do it 1000 times better than me, so let Him do it! I see you have the ability to forgive, that makes you so great in God’s eyes!
Tom – for your beautiful heart and let God keep you strong in your walk in light and in your selfless efforts to encourage us readers day by day! And your ability to forgive your friend who hurted all those people (including even you!) and not to lose faith and don’t be bitter seeing such horrible things. Because we are not of this world although we live in it.
And to the parents & relatives of the victim, who must be going through extremely tough times now – whether their son/daughter was disciple or not, I believe in Lords mercy on him/her! God is just and merciful! Remember the beggar Lazarus from Jesus’ story that ended up in Abraham’s arms upon suffering on Earth! Trust the Lord and love him – He always makes it turns out good for those who love him (Romans 8:28)
tom felten on March 17, 2011 at 8:22 am
dabac, thanks so much for your prayers and for your kind words. And, yes, please pray for all those affected by this senseless crime. As you have written, God is both just and merciful. We can look to Him in trust and hope even when the darkness of evil affects us and those we love.
ecieun on March 24, 2011 at 8:26 am
Wow, Cricket41, thank you for sharing and encouraging, I can truly identify, yes its so true that the result of many problems – even mentally I’m facing now is due to sin. May God grant me mercy as I repent and turn back to God. I guess obedience is the best way. Do pray for me and I will continue to pray for you all.
thank you.