“Nobody ever broke the law of God.  You can break yourself against the law of God.  You might as well attack Gibraltar with a popgun as to go up against the law of God in your own little weak self.  You can’t do it.  You can’t jump over a skyscraper.  You don’t break the law of gravity.  You can break your neck—but break the law of gravity?  And there are those today who think they can be immoral and escape the consequences.  There are some very clever ways of escaping some of the results, but none for escaping the consequences.  ~Vance Havner, sermon: “It’s About Time”, collection: When God Breaks Through, p 42 

The Impact of Sin

Sin has degraded us of our honor. God made us in His own image--but sin has made us like devils! "You are of your father the Devil--and you want to carry out your father’s desires!" John 8:44.

Sin disquiets the peace of the soul. "There is no peace, for the wicked." Isaiah 57:21. Whatever defiles--disturbs. Sin creates fears--and there is "torment in fear." Sin makes sad convulsions in the conscience. Judas was so terrified with guilt and horror--that he hanged himself, to quiet his conscience. In order to ease his conscience--he threw himself into hell!

Sin produces all temporal evil. Sin is the Trojan Horse, which has sword, and famine and pestilence, in its belly. Sin is a coal, which not only blackens--but burns. Sin creates all our troubles; it puts gravel into our bread, and wormwood in our cup. Sin . . . rots the name, consumes the estate, buries loved ones.

Sin unrepented of, brings final damnation. The canker which breeds in the rose--is the cause of its perishing. Just so, the corruptions which breed in men's souls--are the cause of their damning. Sin's pleasure will turn to sorrow at last. Like the book the prophet ate--sin is sweet in the mouth--but bitter in the belly. Sin brings the wrath of God! What tears can quench that fire? ~Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments

The Saddest Man

Our Sunday school literature currently has us in Genesis. As I was reviewing the creation account I was reminded of a comment by Bible teacher John Phillips. He said something to the effect that Adam had to be the saddest man on the planet (at least the saddest living prior to the deluge). I think Phillips is on to something here. Consider Adam and his long, long life span. He had plenty of time to see the outworking of sin and was only one of two people on earth that remember live previous to the introduction of sin. Imagine the thoughts that must of weighed Adam's mind. Thrown out of the garden, one son murdered another son, helplessly watching Eve in the agonies of childbirth -- Adam's life was one long diary of the results of the curse. Adam stood on the very beginning edge of history and he could see the world preparing itself for the flood. Surely, Adam was the saddest man prior to the flood.