Sun. 14/9/2014
Quarter’s Theme: Discovering Life Foundation
Unit 1 Theme: Knowing The Foundation Doctrines (Lessons 1-5)
LOYALTY CAMPAIGN MONTHS
Sunday 14/9/ 2014
LESSON 2
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 55, 165
Devotional Reading: PSALM 9:5-17
Topic For Adults
DON’T BLAME OTHERS FOR YOUR SIN
Topic For Youths
NO CURSE WITHOUT A CAUSE
Topic For Intermediates
YOU WILL BEAR THE OUTCOME OF YOUR SIN
Scripture Lessons
Gen. 3:8-24; Rom. 6:23
Memory Verse:
For the wages of sin is death
( Rom. 6:23a) NKJV.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
Sun. 14/9/2014
The Wages of Sin Is Death
Rom. 6:15-23
When God gave the command on what fruit to eat and what not to eat, He made it plain that death would be the penalty of disobedience. I know that when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and did not die immediately, the Devil would be telling them, “can you see that God did not mean what He said?” But at the end, their sin brought on them both spiritual and physical death. Apostle Paul asked the Romans what the “fruit” or “results” of their wickedness were (v. 21). He told them emphatically that the end of those sins is death and that the wages of sin is death. The question is, are you dead or alive in God? What is God’s report about your life in relation to Him?
Point of Emphasis: He who is living in sin is dead while still alive.
Prayer Point: Help me Lord to live in holiness, so that I will not partake in the evil rewards of sin in Jesus’ name (Amen).
BACKGROUND
T
here is nothing in the world which man engages in that doesn’t have
consequences, positive or negative. Someone who engages in sinning
is actually investing and he or she will have the reward at the appropriate time. This week’s lesson looks at what are some of the likely outcome or reward for sin which an unrepentant sinner will get.
NOTE ON THE TEXT
- LOSING OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD: GEN. 3:8-13
From the story of Adam and Eve, it is discovered that God created man in His own image in order to have fellowship with Him. This is the reason why man was made the crown of God’s creation. Out of all the creatures of God, it is man that has the breath of God i.e. the Spirit of God through which man can relate meaningfully with Him (Gen. 2:7). It is not surprising, therefore, that before Adam and Eve fell, God used to come to them in the cool of the day to check on them, discuss and laugh with them.
Fellowship means companionship, a relationship in which parties hold something in common and having familiar interaction. However, when Adam and Eve sinned against God, they fell out of fellowship with God. God came to them as usual, but they were afraid to meet Him nakedly. They realised they were naked and therefore they hid themselves from God’s fellowship. Know that it is not God that decided not to have fellowship with Adam and Eve but it was the shame and fear on the part of the couple that debarred them from fellowshipping with God.
The same thing goes for every sinner. One of the consequences of sin is that sinners cannot have the boldness to approach God not alone having a meaningful relationship with Him. Sinners always live in fear and shame and are thereby running away from the presence of God just like Cain (Gen. 4;13-14; cf. Isa. 59:1-2).
- SIN BRINGS CURSE: GEN. 3:14-19
A curse is a swear-word, it is a malevolent appeal to a supernatural being for harm to come to somebody or something. When God discovered that Adam and Eve had disobeyed His instructions, He decided to give them the punishment they deserved. The first person to be rebuked was the serpent, the Devil, who deceived the couple. The Bible records that God said that the serpent is cursed more than all cattle and every beast of the earth. Part of the curses was that it will be walking about on its belly and its food would be dust all the days of its life (v. 14). There would also be enmity between it and men in general, leading to the bruising of its head (v. 15). These curses have been fulfilled on the life of the serpent which was the symbolic representation of the Devil in the passage.
God also told the woman her punishment to include sorrow in conception and pain in labour and love for her husband and surrendering of her authority to her husband (v. 16). Adam was not exempted; the ground was cursed because of him, leading to labouring and sweating before making ends meet (vv. 17-18). This curse also brought death upon mankind for God told Adam that he was taken from the ground and would return to the dust. As it was from the beginning, so it is today. All sinners are bringing curses upon themselves. Deut. 28:14-47 enumerates various curses that are awaiting sinners who refuse to hearken to God’s commandments and do them.
III. SIN BRINGS PHYSICAL DEATH: GEN. 3:22
The intention of God for man is to live forever. Though there is no place where it is expressly stated that man would not die a physical death but some of the statements of God in the Bible imply that. For instance, in Gen. 2:17, God specifically told Adam and Eve that the day they eat out of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that day they will die. This implies that if they did not eat out of it, they will not die. In Genesis 3:22, God also said that since man had known good and evil, which was not his original plan for them, there is the probability that man would eat from the tree of life and live forever. This means though the original plan is for man to live forever but now that man had sinned, that privilege should be withdrawn from him. Therefore, it is sin that brings physical death to man and that is why it has been appointed unto man to die once (Heb. 9:27). But thank God those who belong to Christ will not partake in the second death.
- SIN BRINGS THE LOSS OF PARADISE: GEN. 3:23-24; ROM. 6:23
It is sin that brings untold hardship that man is facing today. Once the privilege of a comfortable and hardship-free life had been lost, God had to ensure that man is prevented from the garden of Eden which was a symbolic representation of paradise. Man was sent out of eternal enjoyment which was a representative of eternal life. Man’s lifespan was cut short. God also ensured that the garden was properly guarded so that man might not have access to the tree of life which would make them to live forever.
This incident is the interpretation of the death that God mentioned in Gen. 2:17. This is the spiritual death, which means eternal banishment for unrepentant sinners. This is the reason why Apostle Paul said emphatically that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Initially, sin brings spiritual death; followed by physical death for unrepentant sinner and later on eternal death. Only those who repent of their sins and give their lives to Jesus will regain paradise and eternal life.
CONCLUSION
Sin may seem sweet and pleasurable at the surface but deep down, it is poisonous, bitter and deadly. Some people are battling with life-long problem and diseases just because of five (5) minutes enjoyment. A child of God must not play with sin at all because it is full of deadly poison that kills.
QUESTIONS
- Does sin have any advantage?
- How can sin sour anybody’s fellow-ship with God?
- Explain physical and spiritual deaths as consequences of sin.
- Why must a believer not play with sin?
French
DIMANCHE 14/09/2014
LE SALAIRE DU PECHE C’EST LA MORT
RO. 6 :15-23
Quand Dieu donna l’instruction concernant quel fruit manger et lequel ne pas manger, Il affirma clairement que le péché serait la pénalité de cette désobéissance. Nous savons que quand Adam et Eve avaient mangé du fruit interdit et n’en étaient pas morts immédiatement, le diable leur dirait : « voyez-vous que Dieu n’était pas si sérieux à propos de ce qu’il avait dit ?» Mais en fin de compte, leur péché attira sur eux la mort physique et spirituelle. L’apôtre Paul demanda aux Romains ce qui était le ‘fruit’ ou ‘le résultat’ de leur méchanceté. (v.21). Il leur dit de manière emphatique que la fin de ces péchés était la mort et que le salaire du péché c’est la mort. La question est de savoir si tu es mort ou si tu es vivant en Dieu ? Quel est le rapport de Dieu concernant ta vie dans tes relations avec lui ?
Point essentiel : Celui qui demeure dans le péché est mort tant bien que vivant.
Axe de prière : Aide-moi Seigneur à vivre dans la sainteté afin que je ne prenne pas part dans les méchantes récompenses de péché au nom de Jésus.