Sin has many characteristics and this post today will only list 7 major characteristics of sin which will be more than enough for you to understand the nature of sin and its destructive effects.
We see sin and its devastative effects everywhere in society and this article will shed more light on the traits of sin that makes it the most dangerous plague humanity has ever known.
Having said that, let’s dive into the 7 major characteristics of sin that clearly show the destructive nature of sin on a person and why it must be avoided in one’s life at all costs.
7 Characteristics Of Sin And Its Effects.
Here are the 7 destructive characteristics of sin that will help you understand why sin must be avoided at all costs in your life.
- Rebellion
- Guilt.
- Pride.
- Moral Corruption.
- Selfishness.
- Spiritual Death.
- Murder.
1. Rebellion.
One of the most common characteristics of sin is that it makes one naturally rebellious and disobedient toward God and His commandments.
Before our first parents, Adam and Eve fell from God’s grace by eating the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, man was in perfect obedience to God and His commandments.
Right then, before original sin and lawlessness came into this world, Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony without all the evil we see no in this world.
But when they fell from grace by eating the forbidden fruit, that’s when all manner of problems and evil began in this world (Genesis 3:10-22).
Since they were the first ones to sin and rebel against God’s word, that is why we are all born with a sin nature that naturally makes us rebellious against God.
We inherited this nature of rebellion towards the Lord because our first parents of whom we all come from first sinned and rebelled towards God which is why there is so much evil in this world.
This sinful nature of rebellion we are all born with can only be done away through salvation and genuine repentance by accepting Jesus Christ into your life and letting Him transform your life so that this sinful nature of rebellion is taken away.
2. Guilt.
Sin also brings guilt and condemnation upon a person who does it. The bible in Romans 3:10-31 says that we are all guilty before God for breaking his holy commandments.
The guilt of sin which comes as a result of breaking God’s law shows that no one is guiltless before God because our conscience tells us so. No wonder we feel bad when we do something wrong as our conscience is convicting us that what we are doing is wrong.
And this guilt of sin can only be removed by Jesus Christ who came into this world to die for our sins so that we can obtain God’s forgiveness and pardon for our evil deeds.
When a sinner is forgiven, he or she will now appear guiltless before God as though that person has never sinned through the justification by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-3).
But if you have not repented of your sinful ways, this guilt of sin will be present in your life because you have broken God’s holy laws which demand that you be justly punished.
No wonder Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:8,9 hid from God in the bushes this time after eating the forbidden fruit because of what they did.
They hid from God because they knew that what they did was wrong and in like manner, a sinner feels guilty in God’s presence because of sin and wants to hide from His presence.
Must Read: How To Have Power Over Sin In 7 Easy Steps (+Video Sermon)
3. Pride.
Sin also makes one proud and haughty which is demonstrated after Adam and Eve sinned when they didn’t want to accept responsibility for what they did in the Garden of Eden by playing the blame game.
Pride simply means having a feeling that you are more important or better than others that cause one to exalt him or herself above others.
The sin of pride is also the major reason why the most beautiful and intelligent angel ever created by the name of Lucifer was cast out of heaven when he thought he could be like God (Isaiah 14:13,14).
This is why most people especially people who are not saved and have the humble nature of Christ Jesus can’t admit mistakes or being wrong even when it’s clear that there are in the wrong.
All this sinful behaviour fallen man shows towards each other and God is a result of the original sin that began in the garden of Eden.
And this pride can be seen in a lot of high minded young generation that thinks it knows everything or owns their lives and that no one can tell them what to do.
But the bible warns in Proverbs 16:18 that pride brings destruction upon one’s soul which is why pride isn’t worth it as it just ultimately destroys you in the end because whether you like it or not, God always wins in the end and the devil knows that as well.
4. Moral Corruption.
Moral corruption is among the worst characteristics of sin that is why before the flood when men began to multiply they were corrupt beyond imagination such that all their imaginations were evil continually (Genesis 6:5).
And this moral corruption that these people had in the pre-flood era was all a result of sin and the fallen human nature all because of the disobedience of our first parents Adam and Eve.
No wonder the Lord had to destroy those former morally corrupt civilizations who slept with fallen angels to preserve humanity in which only 8 people survived namely, Noah and his family.
This moral corruption and perversion are still seen today which is why homosexuality and lesbianism have risen to record heights such that it’s now entertainment which is sad indeed.
Sexual immorality is on the increase also especially among young people who now behave like wild beasts which is why there are so many abortions and unwanted pregnancies nowadays. All this is because of sin.
Our moral fibre especially in this generation has been severely compromised and eaten away by sin and iniquity. That is why there is a lot of child defilement as people these days aren’t ashamed to display their nakedness even to their young innocent daughters. Shame.
The increase in internet pornography among young people is a testament to the destructive moral effects of sin but please don’t join the bandwagon of moral deprivation and don’t compromise your godly moral character for anything or anyone, dear.
Must Read: 11 Consequences Of Sin (To Help You Avoid Sin At All Costs Before It’s Too Late.)
5. Selfishness.
It’s a well-known fact that human beings are naturally selfish and this selfishness is a result of the sinful nature we all have or are born with.
Human beings are the most selfish and self-centred species in this universe and this is why true love is hard to find as everyone is all about themselves these days.
And this selfishness is made manifest in relationships and marriages of which most of them are not lasting long these days which is why divorces are high in our current generation which was rare a few generations before.
People no longer understand what true selfless love the bible talks about in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is all about as everyone is concerned about themselves and what you can benefit them.
Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 also warns that in the last days like the ones we are leaving in, a lot of people will be lovers of themselves and will only be concerned about themselves.
Love to sinful humans is all about who you are to them, what you can do for that and what they can benefit from you. Nothing more nothing less. Only Christ can give you true selfless love to enable you to love others selflessly without selfish motives.
No wonder, no human being can truly love you selflessly the way God does because human beings are inherently selfish. Yes, someone can say I love you but all that bluff is because there is something you are benefitting that person, period.
Must Read: 54 Agape Love Quotes (To Help You Understand The Essence Of True Love)
6. Spiritual Death.
Sin also brings spiritual death as well as premature death because Romans 6:23 clearly states that the wages of sin is death and God’s love gift of salvation is eternal life through Christ Jesus.
Since we are all born with a sinful nature we inherited from our first parents who fell from grace when they ate the forbidden fruit, we are all born spiritually dead.
The Bible both in the old testament and new testament define spiritual death as is the separation of man from God due to sin.
And this spiritual death will be eternal in the lake of fire if a sinner dies unrepentant in their sins according to Revelations 21:8.
No wonder a new spiritual birth experience is required through Christ at salvation that makes a sinner once dead in their sin be made alive again in Christ (Ephesians2:5).
This is why Christ talks about being born again to experience a new spiritual birth that will make you a partaker of His divine nature that will make you die to your old nature of sin that made you do bad things in the first place.
Without this new spiritual birth in Christ found at salvation, an unrepentant sinner will remain spiritually dead in their sins and if they die in such a state, they will face divine judgement and eternal separation from God in hellfire prepared for Satan and his angels.
Must Read: How To Escape God’s Judgment & Wrath (In 3 Simple Steps)
7. Murder.
Before sin came into this world, there was no murder of any kind. It’s only when Adam and Eve fell from sin did murder come into the picture.
No wonder you see in Genesis 4:8 the first murder to be committed in human history by Cain who killed his brother Abel for no reason.
That dear friend is what sin can do to a human being and all the murders you see being committed in this world be it homicides is as a result of sin.
Nowadays, people kill each other for no reason or petty issues which is sad indeed. That is why this world has witnessed so many wars since its inception all because of the fallen sinful human nature of man.
Murder isn’t limited to just taking someone’s life in cold blood, the bible also goes further in 1 John 3:15 to say that hate and unforgiveness are also forms of murder.
You can only kill someone you hate in your heart which is why hate is murder as well because if you love someone, you won’t take their life at all but due to sin, we have all committed murder in some way be it in the form of unforgiveness hate or killing someone.
But you may say, I have never killed anyone but remember, murder comes in different forms. You may not have killed anyone but if you have hated or held a grudge against anyone, you are a murderer in your heart by default.
Closing Remarks.
These are all the 7 major characteristics of sin I had to share with you in this article and hope you learned something new about the destructive effects of sin on humanity.
On the other hand, if you haven’t been saved but want to or feel led to after reading this post, read this post on how to be born again so that you can flee from the wrath to come.
In closing, if you enjoyed this post, kindly share it with others so that they can benefit as well just as you have. Stay blessed.
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