Sin Affects Others

"So Achan answered Joshua and said, 'Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.' So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was concealed in his tent with the silver underneath it. They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they poured them out before the Lord. Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. Joshua said, 'Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.' And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones." -Joshua 7.20-25

God has revealed Achan's sin as the cause of Israel's defeat, and no the nation must deal with it. God has laid out the punishment for him, and now the nation carries it out. Achan and all he own, as well as all of his household, are taken to the valley of Achor and stoned. After the stoning the remains are burned. Because of his decision to sin against God, knowingly doing what was wrong, his family died.

We are not the only ones that suffer for our choices. Sometimes the decisions we make affect those who come after us. My grandpa was the pastor of a church, and while there he had an affair. It led to divorce and so much hardship on his children. There has been repentance and reconciliation, but the effects of that sin can still be felt.

In the last church I pastored there was a lady who had seen that event unfold first hand. She recognized my last name and she had it out for me before I even started. She worked behind the scenes, and publicly after a while, to attack me because of something my grandpa had done nearly forty years ago. His sin affected my ability to minister to people. Now I will say, this lady had a choice in her actions, and my grandpa is not responsible for the grudge she has held for four decades, but had that event not happened my first senior pastorate would have had one less headache.

Men, do you realize that your choices, your sins, have an affect on others? Do you realize that they way you are living will impact the future of your children and grandchildren? What reputation does your family name carry? What effect are you having on the future?

Let us be men who strive to live holy lives. Just as sin affects others, so does holiness. Let us be men who refuse to compromise and give into sin. Let us leave a godly legacy for those who come after us.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor