Sin is like a two-edged sword. Firstly, sin is a cause of grief for God. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Genesis 6:5-6 NKJV). It is unconscionable to keep on sinning, grieving God, who is our source; particularly after the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. On the other hand, sin is a cause of man’s woes as well. Those who make a practice of sin are ruining their lives more than they could imagine.
Though sin affects God and man, it is the latter that suffers the most. It is to man’s advantage to avoid sin because of the grief it brings.
The Bible establishes that sin attracts curses. When Adam sinned, the ground was cursed for his sake. “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”” (Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV). On the other hand, when Cain sinned, the curse was on his person. This is what our text established. Though sin affects God and man, it is the latter that suffers the most. It is to man’s advantage to avoid sin because of the grief it brings. Finally, if sin attracts curses, righteousness must be the force that makes blessings gravitate towards us. Some benefits will come to the righteous even before they ask in prayer.