Bible Truth #7 -­‐ Your Sin Affects Other People and God       

Example 1 - Henry Ruggs III – A wide receiver with the Las Vegas Raiders had played well in each game that the Raiders have played this year. Some of his stats were at the top of the game. He had a great future ahead of him being just 22 years old. Ruggs and his passenger were hospitalized with unspecified injuries that police said did not appear life-threatening after the Chevrolet Corvette he was driving slammed at high speed into the rear of a Toyota Rav4 on a busy thoroughfare in a residential area several miles west of the Las Vegas Strip about 3:40 a.m. Tuesday. Ruggs was charged with a dui and reckless driving. He faces 2 to 20 years in prison. Tina Tintor died.

Example 2 - Robert Sarver has been the owner of the Phoenix Suns for 17 years. Allegations of racism and misogyny against him have been a big news story in the sports world.

Think how these men have hurt themselves and others. I don't know anything about their relationships with God, but their actions must have a huge effect on their family, friends, and teams. These are just two examples that are in the news. I would like for you to consider how your speech and actions affect others as well as God. To everyone around you it is easy for them to see how your sin affects them. You know of people in your life whose decisions have affected you, and yet somehow, we think that our own decisions don’t affect others.

King David considers that he had sinned against God. His sin did affect others, but it affected God in an even greater way. Often, we forget this.

Psalm 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Our Sin affects God’s Name:

Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
 
Leviticus 22:32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,

Ezekiel 20:9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

Ezekiel 36:20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. Ezekiel 36:21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Ezekiel 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. Ezekiel 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

Our Sin Grieves God.
 
 

Psalm 95:9-11 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Our Sin Vexes God.

God had done so much for His people, yet they rebelled against God. They forgot His goodness. They forgot His loving kindnesses. They possibly didn’t realize that when they were afflicted by the enemy, so was God. Example: When Paul persecuted the Christians, he was persecuting Jesus. When God’s people rebel, they are forgetting all that God has done on their behalf. They are sinning against love! There sin vexes God.

Isaiah 63:7-10 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

A heavy price was paid for our sin. Jesus took our sin upon Himself.

Isaiah 53:4-7 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

When we sin, we vex Jesus Christ, who died for us. We sin against His love and care for us. He proved His love for us by going to the cross and becoming the sacrifice for our sins. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

When we sin against Christ's love, we are identifying with the Jews who rebelled against God’s loving kindnesses and goodness to them.