Have We Understood the Impact of Sin?

Psalm 74:3–8 NLT

“Walk through the awful ruins of the city; see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary. There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries; there they set up their battle standards. They swung their axes like woodcutters in a forest. With axes and picks, they smashed the carved paneling. They burned your sanctuary to the ground. They defiled the place that bears your name. Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!” So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.”

This psalm outlines the devastation brought upon the Jerusalem Temple in 586 BC. This devastation came as a result of the sin of God’s chosen people. The primary problem with sin is that it dishonors God. It dishonors our Creator, Father, King, and Friend. But in this passage, we also see how sin destroys everything in its path. 

Sin destroys:

• The home that God gives to his children.

• Our intimacy with God and our ability to worship him. 

• Our witness in bearing the name of Christ in front of the watching world. 

• That which is beautiful, including our families and loved ones. 

And so much more! Reading Psalm 74 can be heartbreaking, but such destruction does not have to be our future! If we wholeheartedly turn from our sin and seek God’s help, we have the hope of redemption! The words of James 4:6-10 are instructional:

“And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

God will not turn away the person who seeks him in humility. Just as the father of the prodigal son received his son with joy and open arms, so too does our Heavenly Father receive his children when they return to him!

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 15-16).