In This Issue:
If Eve said, “No!”
Clouds and Sin
The Curse of Sin
The Tree-killing Worm
The Love of Sin
Volume: 843 January 24, 2022
Theme: Sin
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If Eve Had Said, “NO!”
Bill Brinkworth
Genesis 3:1-19 tells the well-known story of Eve and Adam’s disobeying God. Because of this first sin, humanity has been plagued with iniquity and its consequences. One wrong decision changed all mankind and the Earth. Sin has a terrible price tag. No one gets away from its costly wages.
What happened when Eve disobeyed:
- She thought God was not right. The fruit did taste good, and they did not die — right away.
- Adam and Eve had to be clothed. Innocent animals lost their lives so that the couple’s nakedness was covered.
- Adam and Eve could not have fellowship with God anymore. The one-on-one conversations with the Creator in the Garden ceased.
- Eve, and all women after her, have had pain in childbirth. Women would not have that experience if sin did not enter the human race.
- The ground was cursed. Now, there are weeds that overcome most crops. Before God cursed the land, there were none.
- Work would not have been as hard. There would have been no sweat in hard labor.
- Physical death entered into our lives.
- All people now commit sin
What happened when King David sinned:
- King David’s wrong decision started with his staying home from battle.
- He did not obey God by going to war. He tarried.
- He looked at a bathing woman. His peeping led to adultery between him and Bathsheba.
- David conceived a child out of wedlock with her.
- The King deceived Uriah, his faithful soldier and husband of Bathsheba.
- David was involved in Uriah’s death.
- David and Bathsheba’s baby died.
- David’s sons were disobedient, and some died early deaths.
Other great men and women sinned and “paid” its terrible consequences:
- If Samson had not sinned, he would not have lost his strength, sight, and position to judge Israel.
- If the people of Israel had not sinned, they would not have been attacked by serpents, faced starvation, and would have been allowed to see the Promised Land.
- If Moses had spoken to the rock as God commanded him, he would have entered the Promised Land.
- If Herod had not boasted, he would not have been eaten by worms.
- If Aaron and Miriam had not talked about Moses, Miriam would not have had leprosy.
- If Jonah had obeyed God, he would not have ended up in the belly of a whale.
- If Haman had not been bitter against Mordecai, he might not have died by hanging.
- If Judas had not “given place to the devil,” he would not have been used to identify Jesus so He could be killed.
- If the soldiers had gotten saved, they would not have nailed Jesus to the cross.
- … and on the list could go from biblical examples of sin’s wages.
As the Bible confirms, there is a price tag for committing what God forbids. No one gets away with sin. Those guilty of iniquity will have their lives changed because of it:
- Some will have a divorce because they did not wait on God’s choice of a mate.
- Some will flunk in school because they would not learn the right way and cheated through school.
- Some may end up in jail because they cheated on their taxes, stole cars, did drugs, etc.
- Some may hurt someone physically because they watched the wrong TV shows and got desensitized about harming others.
- Someone may be addicted or killed by drugs because their desensitization to sin started with a sip of daddy’s beer.
- Some may be killed in a car accident because they disobeyed their parents and snuck out at night.
- Some girls may have children out of wedlock because they would not listen to their parents about how, who, or when to date.
- Some may be crippled by fighting because they did not listen to their parents and stay away from the wrong people.
- Some may not graduate high school because they are too lazy to study.
- Some may go to Hell and burn forever because they worried about what their friends would think if they got saved and lived according to God’s will and way.
If Eve had said “no” to sin then, we might not be battling its tempting grip today. All sin has consequences — either here or in eternity. Most know this because they have seen what others have reaped by sowing iniquity and have seen the damage it has done in their lives. Why do we willingly commit it and think we can get away with it?
“God hates the sin, but He loves the sinner.” — D. L. Moody
Clouds and Sin
John Bate
- Clouds sometimes obstruct the beneficial influences of Heaven coming upon the Earth. Sin also prevents the blessings of God from flowing into the hearts and lives of men.
- Clouds have their origin on the Earth. Sin originates from below and never from Heaven.
- Clouds can create a powerful, damaging electric field. Sin also damages humanity, and ruins lives with the storm it can bring.
- Clouds assume every variety of shape, color, and duration. Sin has no set form but varies according to persons, circumstances, times, and places.
- Clouds cannot be dispersed by any human force. Sin also cannot be forgiven by any power except by One that is Divine!
“Oh, what authority and show of truth
Can cunning sin cover itself withal!” — Shakespeare
The Curse of Sin
Dr. J. Parker
O sin! How it has cursed us! It has thrown up a barrier between ourselves and God. With its chilling breath, it has extinguished the light of our household joys. It has robbed us of joys and filled the air with discordant cries. Sin has unsheathed the sword and bathed itself in human blood. It has dug every grave on the Earth.
Without it, we should not have known the name of a widow or orphan, tear or sigh, and sorrow. Because of sin, our hearts are torn by pain and anguish, and our joy is gone!
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” II Timothy 2:22
The Tree-killing Worm
Author Unknown
While touring a park of towering trees, a guide pointed out one. “That fine tree,” he said, “was killed by a single worm.”
We learned that the tree was as healthy as any in the park two years ago. A wood-worm, about three inches long, was observed to be forcing its way under the bark of the trunk. It caught the eye of our guide. Although he was warned that the worm could kill the tree, our guide left it alone as it seemed improbable to him that the black-headed worm could do such damage.
After a time, it was found that his assumption was wrong. The worm indeed had tunneled its way a considerable distance under the bark. The following summer, the tree’s leaves dropped off very early, and in the succeeding year, it was a dead, rotten tree.
I am reminded that there is a lesson to be learned from that tree’s demise. How many have ruined their lives by a single, harmlessly-appearing sin!
“To cover sin with a layer of earnest efforts to do right will not take the sin away. The underlying sin will assimilate all the dead works that may be heaped upon it, and the result will be a greater mass of sin.” — Arnot
Love of Sin
T. Watson
It is worse to love sin than to commit it. A man may commit sin through temptation or ignorance, and when he knows it to be sin, he is sorry for it. He that loves sin, however, puts his will into the sin and heaps the danger onto one’s life. The heart allows it to continue, and sin’s consequences will reap much havoc.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23