SIN WILL DISGRACE YOU!

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

TOPIC: SIN WILL DISGRACE YOU!

BY T. O. BANSO

“Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 Amplified Bible).

The ultimate punishment for sin is eternal damnation. This should make anyone repent and accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Hell is real. And after one’s death, it’s impossible to escape it if one does not settle the issue of where one will spend eternity before one dies. It is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

The apostle John said he saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. He said another book was opened, which was the Book of Life and the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books (Revelation 20:12). Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (verse 15). This lake of fire is hellfire, everlasting fire.

Speaking about the sinners with regard to this everlasting fire, Jesus says in Matthew 25:41, “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (New King James Version).

Hell is a terrible place to be. The Bible says the worm (maggot) there does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:42-49; Isaiah 66:24). Hell is a place of perpetual torment (Revelation 20:10). It is a place of darkness, wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 13:41-42, 22:13, 24:48-51, 25:30; Luke 13:27-28).

There is no reason for anyone to want to go there or wait to confirm if it’s real or not. It will be too late then just as it was for the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. Surrendering your life to Jesus now, making Him your Lord and Saviour is the only way to escape hell and have eternal life. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15 New King James Version).

Eternal life has both present reality and future fulfilment. Talking about His sheep, His disciples, Jesus says in John 10:28, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (New King James Version). In John 17:3, Jesus also says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (New King James Version).

Eternal life is the life of God, the quality of life that a believer lives in Christ Jesus, not just an unending life. Apart from the eternal damnation that sinners will suffer, one thing that sin will do for sinners on earth is that it will disgrace them. While fleeing from sin alone, without accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour, does not guarantee anyone access to the kingdom of God, sin will disgrace anyone who practices it, whether the person is born again or not. A realization of this should discourage anyone from sin.

Could you remember a time in the past that the sin you committed exposed you to shame and ridicule? Did you like the way people talked to you and looked at you? Were you proud of yourself? Was your ego boosted or bruised? I’m not sure there is anyone who has not experienced this as a child or an adult. But an adult feels the impact more.

Sin will disgrace you. God offers us eternal life but Satan offers us eternity in hell with shame, ridicule, or disgrace on earth. Sin is a disgraceful thing, notwithstanding the temporary pleasure the sinner enjoys. Don’t emulate those who appear to be progressing in life while they are sinning. The day sin will disgrace them is fast approaching. From their exalted height, they will come crashing down!

Jeremiah 29:23 talks about the disgraceful things that two false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah, did in Babylon. They committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives and lied in God’s name. Consequently, the king of Babylon roasted them in the fire. Their behaviour was shameful. What a disgrace! Sin is disgraceful. Wise people run from it.

The sexually immoral, corrupt person, liar, backbiter, murderer, etc. may be enjoying the sinful pleasure for a long time but one day, it will boomerang, and he will be covered with shame. The person who thought he was wise in his own eyes would be proved to be a fool. He would be full of regret.

Have you heard, seen, or read how athletes, who in their desperation to win in competitions used performance-enhancing drugs or banned substances? When they were caught, were they celebrated or disgraced?  They were banned for a certain number of years and, in some cases, the medals they won at the time they used the banned drugs were withdrawn. Sin will disgrace you. A good name is better than precious ointment (Ecclesiastes 7:1a).  

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Amplified Bible). Sin will disgrace you. It is foolishness to joke with sin. How can anyone keep a relationship with ‘Delilah’ and think he is enjoying it? Do you remember how Samson was disgraced by the time Delilah finished with him? He lost his strength. The Philistines removed his eyes and took him to Gaza, chained with bands of brass. He became a grinder in the prison (Judges 16:4-21). What a disgrace! He eventually died with his enemies.

Sin will disgrace you on earth and take you to hellfire. But, in the meantime, some people are deceived that they’re smart and nobody can catch them – they would get away with their sins. The devil is only setting them up for a big fall – a big scandal, a big disgrace. Repent. Flee from sin.

Sin will disgrace you whether in the ministry, sports, academics, business, or any profession or vocation. You don’t have to cheat to advance in life. If you continue to cheat, one day you will be exposed and disgraced and shame shall be your portion. All you think you have gained; you will lose, especially your name. It will be worth nothing.

Joshua 7:15 says, “Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel” (New King James Version). Take note of the phrase: he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel. Achan happened to be the man. He was covetous. He took what everyone was forbidden to take when the Israelites attacked the city of Ai.

Hear his confession after he was found out: “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it” (Joshua 7:21 New King James Version). He was disgraced for covetousness. All the Israelites stoned Achan and his family to death and burned their bodies. Achan means “one who troubles” or “troubler.”  Nobody will give his son that name!

Judas is the Graecized form of Judah, which means praise. Judas Iscariot is not the only Judas in the Bible but as good as the name Judas is, he gave it a negative perception because he betrayed his master. But eventually, he was disgraced. He cast down in the temple the thirty pieces of silver he collected for betraying Jesus and went and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5).

Sin will disgrace a person. It will disgrace a nation. When Judah sinned and Jerusalem was destroyed, including the temple, and the people were taken into exile, they were disgraced. Nehemiah says, “Then I said to them, ‘You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach” (Nehemiah 2:17 New King James Version). Reproach means disgrace.

Don’t compromise the truth of the Word of God. Obey. The people who are sinning today and appear to be ahead will soon be disgraced, for there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light (Mark 4:22). Don’t envy them or let them lure you. Don’t compromise your integrity.

Don’t let sin disgrace you. Focus on God. Set Him before you and you won’t be disgraced. “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore” (Isaiah 54:4 New King James Version). David says he has set the LORD always before him; because He is at his right hand he shall not be moved (Psalm 16:8). Don’t be moved by those who are sinning and things seem to be okay for them.

Don’t resort to sinful measures to ‘help’ yourself. That’s no help. Trust God to help you. When He helps you, you can’t be disgraced.  “For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:7 New King James Version).

Avoid anything that will bring disgrace to you now or later. Don’t enjoy now what will deny you enjoyment later. “I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days” (Jeremiah 31:19 New Living Translation).  Avoid stupid actions that will bring you into disgrace. This is what sin does.

Don’t enjoy sin. It will disgrace and degrade you. It has disgraced and degraded many. Many have been sacked or demoted at work. Many have been arrested or imprisoned, or are being prosecuted. Some have lost their homes, businesses, or ministries. Flee from sin. Walk the path of honour, not of disgrace.

Proverbs 13:5 says those who are godly hate lies; the wicked come to shame and disgrace. Also, Psalm 97:7a says those who worship idols are disgraced. Jeremiah 10:14a says a similar thing: the idols will disgrace their makers, for they are frauds. Flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). Flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). All who forsake or turn away from God will be disgraced (Jeremiah 17:13). Flee from sin, whether private or public. Repent!

Sin will disgrace you but righteousness – moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character – will exalt you. Therefore, follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11). “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22 New King James Version). Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Don’t let sin disgrace you. Live a sanctified life. This is God’s will for you.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS:  Father, forgive me all my sins, private and public. I receive the grace to flee from all manners of sins and pursue holiness. I will not play with sin or allow the pleasures of sin to deceive and disgrace me. Father, let there be national repentance in our nation that we shall flee from sin and pursue righteousness. Help us to obey Your Word. As we pursue righteousness, our nation shall no longer be disgraced but shall be exalted in Jesus’ name.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org