July 17

There is a right way to live, and it is God’s way. There is a wrong way to live, and it is called sin, or man’s way. No matter how intelligent we may be, and no matter how wise we may consider ourselves, our way of living always leads to death. “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). “The wages of sin is death.....” (Romans 6:23). Make no mistake. “You can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death” (Galatians 6:7&8). Irregardless, of how small or inconsequential our sins may seem to us, sin is always found out or revealed (Numbers 32:23), and sin always results in destruction and death.
In fact, our sin not only affects and impacts ourselves and other people, but it also affects the world and the environment in which we live. The prophet Isaiah reminded God’s people, “the earth dries up, the crops wither, the skies refuse to rain. The earth suffers for the sins of it’s people, for they have twisted the instructions of God, violated His laws, and broken His ever-lasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth and it’s people.....All the joys of life will be gone. The grape harvest will fail......The city writhes in chaos; every home is locked to keep out looters....The world is shaken beneath you. The earth has broken down and has utterly collapsed....The earth staggers like a drunkard......it’s sins are very great” (Isaiah 24:4-10,18-20).
Before God brought order to planet earth, our world was a mess (Genesis 1:1). Adam and Eve’s sin messed up creation all over again. The apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament, “all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against it’s will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:19-22).
God will some day make everything right. But, in the meantime, if you think your sins are no big deal, you best think again!