The Sin Of One Person

"Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against the morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." - Joshua 7:13


Have we ever taken the time to think about the impact our sin can have on other people?  Most of us think that our sin will not affect anyone but ourselves.  However, the Bible makes it clear that the sin of just one person can paralyze an entire nation.  That is a very sobering thought!

In Joshua chapter 7 we read of a man named Achan, who took of the spoils from the Jericho, even though God had forbidden the children of Israel to do so.  I am sure that Achan did not believe that anyone would get hurt as a result of his actions.  However, the sin of Achan cost him and his family their lives.  It also caused Israel to lose a battle they should have easily won and innocent soldiers were killed as a result of his sin.  Israel was denied the victory, power, and the blessing of the Lord!

We must realize that our sin DOES have an impact on others!  Choosing to disobey Christ might cost us His blessing upon our family, or the power of God may be absent from our church because we are disobedient.  It is possible that those around us will have to suffer because of our sin and iniquity.  The Bible says that the obedience of one Christian can bring blessing to others, but it also makes it clear that the unconfessed sin of one Christian will have an impact on those around him.  Remember, one person does make a difference!