Who Is Affected By Sin?

Pollution

Many people choose to ignore sin. Sadly, even some Christians do this. They ignore the sins of others because they see the sins as being between them and God and so they are of no concern. They often ignore their own sin believing that God’s grace will cover them. Yet sin cannot be ignored.

The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 24:5).

In the verse above, sin is described as pollution. This analogy is used because sin affects more than just the one who committed the sin. So in this article, I want us to consider this question: Who is affected by sin?

Sin Affects God

Though we might immediately think of sin affecting the sinner, I believe we should begin with this point – our sin affects God. When we sin, we sin against Him. Joseph recognized this and cited it as the reason why he would not commit fornication with Potiphar’s wife.

It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?’” (Genesis 39:7-9).

Even though others are affected by our sin, the fact that sin is against God is of primary concern. After David sinned with Bathsheba and arranged to have her husband killed to cover up the pregnancy that resulted from the affair (2 Samuel 11:1-21), he was convicted by Nathan the prophet and repented (2 Samuel 12:1-13). But notice what he wrote about this: “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4). Certainly, David sinned against Uriah the Hittite. Yet he also sinned against God and he recognized the severity of that. When we sin we “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and fail to live up to what God wants us to be.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

Sin causes a break in fellowship between man and God. God wants to have fellowship with man (cf. Genesis 3:8), but sin prevents this. John wrote, “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:5-6). It is against God’s nature to ignore and accept sin. Therefore, when we sin, it affects God and our relationship with Him.

Sin Affects the Sinner

Some sins are private and others are public, but they all affect the one who committed the sin. Besides the physical consequences that often come as a result of sin (Proverbs 13:15), sin puts the soul of the sinner in jeopardy.

If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29).

We might wonder how many sins it takes to cause us to be lost, as if there is a certain number of sins we can commit and still be “safe.” James wrote, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). We should not take sin lightly. If we are lost, we will end up in a place where no one wants to go. Jesus described this place of torment as a “furnace of fire” where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42). Elsewhere, He said it is “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48). We do not want to go to this place. But sin can lead us there.

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

Sin also affects the sinner because it hardens his heart and sears his conscience (1 Timothy 4:2). After this happens, it is very difficult to return to faithful service to the Lord (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Sin Affects the One Sinned Against

Some sins may be private and have no “victim” other than God. Other sins are against someone else. This is a violation of the command to love others.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).

We should always be seeking to “do good to all people” (Galatians 6:10). Sin is the opposite of this.

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel” (Proverbs 18:19).

Not only do we display a lack of love when we sin against others, we also make it more difficult to encourage them to faithfulness. We have a responsibility to encourage our brethren (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and teach the lost (1 Peter 3:15). But if we sin against the ones we are trying to encourage and teach, our efforts will often be fruitless because they will have closed their ears to us in response to what we did against them.

Sin Affects the Witnesses of It

Some sins may not be against others, but are committed in the presence of others. This also has an impact. Our sin can encourage others to sin.

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. […] However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. […] For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?” (1 Corinthians 8:4-10).

While Paul was discussing a matter of liberty, the principle applies to sin as well. If someone witnesses you doing something that is wrong (just as Paul made the point about one witnessing you doing something that he thinks is wrong), then “his conscience” can “be strengthened” to commit the sin you committed (1 Corinthians 8:10).

Giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited” (2 Corinthians 6:3).

If those in the world see us – as Christians – committing sin, it can easily hinder them from coming to God. If we sin in the presence of others, we can discredit the gospel in their minds. Many cite the hypocrisy of Christians as an excuse to remain in sin. Do not give them that excuse! Peter said, “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).

Sin Affects the Church

Finally, when we sin, it impacts the church – particularly the local church of which we are a member. Our public sins bring reproach against the church.

You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ just as it is written” (Romans 2:21-24).

Just as the Jews could cause others to blaspheme God because of their actions, Christians can cause others to speak evil of the bride of Christ (the church – Ephesians 5:23-24) by our actions. People will speak evil of the church anyway (Acts 28:22), but we must not give them a real reason. Peter wrote, “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name” (1 Peter 4:15-16).

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6).

As Paul addressed the problem of sin that had been accepted in the church at Corinth, he warned them that sin within a local congregation makes the church weaker. Sin and its influence are progressive (2 Timothy 3:13). As we noted at the beginning, it is like pollution (Isaiah 24:5) and affects far more than just the one who commits a particular sin. Therefore, we must not tolerate sin and allow it to spread among our number (1 Timothy 5:20).

Conclusion

Sin should not be taken lightly as it can cause us to lose our souls. But as we have noticed from the Scriptures, our sins also negatively impact God, the victims, the witnesses, and the church. If we have sin in our lives, we must repent and seek God’s forgiveness.


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Comments

  1. ian campbell says

    This is a hodgepodge. Everything was changed at the cross. God was in Christ and He reconciled the world with Himself, NOT COUNTING their sins against them. Furthermore, the only way Christians can stop sinning is when they are taught that they died to sin. It is the only Biblical antidote to sin.

  2. Ian, I’m confused. You criticized what I wrote as a “hodgepodge.” Then, rather than quoting Scripture to make your point (as I did on each point in the article), you just made some statements that “sound” right. If what I wrote was wrong, please correct me. But do so by quoting Scripture and make your case.

    Besides, it looks like you were trying to apply the answer I gave to the question – Who is affected by sin? – to another question altogether about forgiveness, Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and holy living. Important topics indeed, but not the focus of the article. It’s almost as if someone were to ask me what color my car is, and I say “white,” then you criticize me for not saying how fast it goes. That wasn’t the question, but you’ve done the same thing here.

    But if I’m missing something, please point it out. With book, chapter, and verse please.