What You Need to Know About Sin

As we grow and mature into adults, many of us forget what sin is, as well as the consequences of drifting away from God. I'm not here to give you a religious lecture about morals and such. I'm here to tell you what you NEED to know about sin, and how it affects you.

According to a survey taken in 2010, 76% or more of the United States' population believe the country's moral values are getting worse. Ask yourself right now, do you think America has a bright future? Apparently, most Americans think not. Personally, I think this results from all the unethical articles said and written by the news. They focus on the bad things Americans do, not the good things. If we heard more about the good things Americans did on the news, maybe this statistic wouldn't be so deep.

The New Testament is clear about the ultimate consequences of sin: in his letter to the Romans, Paul said "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". Paul reinforces the idea that sinning leads to death. Think about that for a second. If you sin, you are going to die. You will be separated from God the rest of your life and put into hell. Just imagine what hell is like, being separated from God and all. Would it be like going to sleep one night, and never waking up? However, if we don't sin, we don't have to worry about this terrible fate, because we will be with God in heaven.

You might be asking yourself, what makes an action a sin? well, three elements determine the morality of any human act: 1. the object, the action the person has chosen to do. 2. The Intention of the person doing the action, and 3. the circumstances surrounding the act. If an action is a sin, then it is an offense against God and his reasons. For an action to be a sin, usually at least one of these 3 circumstances has to be in question. For instance, a chemistry teacher may not have enough money to support his family, so, given his knowledge of chemistry, he starts to make methamphetamine for extra money. The object in this situation is obviously bad. The intention is that he is trying to raise money for his family. The circumstances are also questionable. Overall, this would be considered a sin. even though the intention was good, the object and the circumstances are still questionable.

Just one candy bar can start it

Why do people sin? One reason is because people develop vices. Vices are opposite virtues, which are habits of good action. If we repeat bad actions, these actions can turn into a vice. Eventually these venial sins, or not so serious sins, could turn into mortal sins, which have serious consequences. For an example, Let's talk about a boy who sees candy in the store. He really wants it, but he doesn't have the money for it. He ends up stealing the candy and getting away with it. Because he stole the candy, he think he might be able to get away with stealing something slightly more valuable. The next shopping trip, he steals a magazine of his favorite sports team. The consequences of stealing become dulled in this boy's mind. He attempts to steal a pair of Jordans, and gets caught. He now faces serious consequences for his sin. This all started from a candy bar. You should try to cease bad habits before they become a vice.

Every person is crated in the image of God. Therefore every human being has infinite worth and dignity because we all share God's worth and dignity. No mundane object can be worth more than a human life. You don't want to sin against God, right? If you don't want to sin against God, then you shouldn't sin against others. Let's forget the consequences of sin real quick, and focus on the benefits. Would you want a friend who is trustworthy, whom you could tell anything? Would you want a friend who always supports your decisions, but advises you if you are doing something wrong? Would you want a friend who will help you become a better person? If you don't sin, along with being in communion with God, you'll be a great friend and role model to those around you.

Sin isn't just about the consequences. Sure, sinning does have terrible consequences, but you shouldn't live in fear of sin. If you don't sin, then you shouldn't have to worry about the consequences of sin, right? If you don't sin, you'll not only find your moral and religious life increased in value, but you'll also have a great social life, do well in school, and overall, you'll set yourself up for a good future.