“Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And [then] the LORD’S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and [lest] ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.” Deut. 11:16-18 KJV
The topic of whom my sin affects came up in our Pentateuch class last Monday. Some folks have the idea that personal sin is no big deal because after all “I’m only hurting myself.” That is wrong thinking. Our sin is never committed in a bubble and even when it’s secret it never just affects us.
Sin is a power. It is released from our lives into the emotional atmosphere around us. So saying that my sin only hurts me is like saying a downed power wire only hurts the wire. The truth is unconfessed and unrepented sin endangers anyone who is in the proximity of the perpetrator. When I choose to live in sin it has the potential of hurting everyone around me by dragging them headlong into compromise.
When a nation practices and winks at sin it has the potential of bringing judgment on everyone in the nation whether they are practicing the sin or not.
But praise God there is an antidote, the grace and forgiveness of God which is bestowed upon people and nations who seek the Lord with hearts repentant of their sin. Where sin is renounced and the Word of God is embraced the effects of sin are dealt with and wiped away.
Let’s Pray: Dear Lord. I know my sin affects more than just me. Show me anywhere I still need to let your Spirit have greater control. I want to walk after you so that your blessing may fall on me, my family, my church, and my world. I trust you to show me how through your Word which I embrace as my rule for life. In Jesus name A-men
Reinventing the We'll 
Amen! I prayed that prayer as well, Pastor J! Thank you for sharing this eye-opening message! Truly, we are not our own, because we have been bought with a price; the precious blood of Jesus Christ! When we sin, inwardly, outwardly, or otherwise, we crucify our Savior afresh! Also, as you said, there is the potential that I would hurt everyone around me! Lord, help me to never be a stumbling block, which would cause others to fall! Amen! God bless you!
Paulette
May God hear our prayer!
Pastor J, your blog always seems to be just what I need when I need it. Thank you, Lord for speaking to me through this blog. Lord, show me anywhere I still need to let your Spirit have greater control. Lord, and I know you will give me the strength to have victory over sin. A-men!!!
A-men! He gives the victory! It is all Him! I love Him So!
Thank you, Pastor J
Moses tried to hide his sin in the sand and it came back to bite him … We are no different. Thanks for the reminder and for the honest prayer. I prayed as well.
Blessings
ann
Than you Ann for the word of encouragement! We are all in process are we not?
Very good illustrations of how “secret” sins can hurt others.
It is also true that if I am harbouring a “secret” sin, I am out of fellowship with God, Christ can no longer shine through me, and therefore He can not work through me to reach others.
We need to be in constant prayer that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us anything which would cause us to lose fellowship.
You bring up a good point Angela! Sometimes secret sin is even secret to us. We so need the Holy Spirit to bring us into all truth even the truths we try to hide from ourselves. “Search me oh God and see if there be any wicked way in me!”
Thank you Pastor J, for showing us how our sin doesn’t affect just us. All the more reason for us to run to Him with it, for forgiveness and help. God bless you and I’m praying with you!
I find myself running to Him continually and He keeps bringing me deeper into righteousness. Just when I think I will be able to stop because I have finally arrived He shows me a deeper level of righteousness He wishes me to attain!
Thank you j and I join you in this wonderful prayer. Saying our sins do not affect others is along the lines of deceipt that adam and eve would not “die” if they ate from the tree….thank you!
It is a good point Tom!