the problem with sin

1. the cost of sin
2. the opportunity cost of sin
3. the effect of sin
4. the butterfly effect of sin

the cost of sin

even if the cost of sin alone is the whole of the problem with sin (which it is not), this in itself should be enough to stop us from sinning. objectively speaking, why should we ever choose to sin when we can always choose not to sin?

separation from God

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." - Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)

above all, sin gets in the way of our relationship with God. it hinders our prayers and prevents us from being blessed by God.

lack of assurance

"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." - 1 John 3:9 (NIV)

it may be that we have "merely" fallen away (Matthew 13:20-21), or it may be that we were never saved to begin with (Matthew 13:19). either way, as long as we remain in sin, we have no assurance (ie. faith) that we are saved. indeed, 'everything that does not come from faith is sin' (Romans 14:23b, NIV).

the opportunity cost of sin

if there is an "opportunity cost" for doing the right thing, how much more will there be an opportunity cost for doing the wrong thing! sin is not only doing the bad that we should not do. at the same time, it is also not doing the good that we should do.

when we yield to temptation, we forfeit the opportunity to strengthen our faith by overcoming temptation. oscar wilde once remarked that 'the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it'. however, yielding to temptation does not actually get rid of it. it simply replaces a particular form of temptation with another more resistant form of temptation. the only way to get rid of temptation is to overcome it by taking the way out which God has provided for us.

the effect of sin

even as sin gets in the way of our relationship with God, it also affects our relationship with others. for example, lying affects how others view us, to say nothing of how others view God.

the butterfly effect of sin

every action leads to something else, which in turn leads to something else - both positively and negatively. just as edward kimball mentored dwight moody, who mentored frederick meyer (whom i recently discovered was the pastor of york baptist church from 1872 to 1874), who mentored wilbur chapman, who mentored billy sunday, who mentored mordecai ham, who mentored billy graham, so does sin have far-reaching consequences which extend way beyond the act itself.