The soul that sins shall bear his iniquity. How does a man bear his iniquity? The answer is quite simple: by suffering the consequences of those sins.
Sin affects men in various ways, but it attacks them in every facet of life. It hinders their walk with God and hurts their ability to reach others for Christ.
Sin is not to be considered a light matter. In other words, it is not to be mocked. Only a fool would demonstrate this kind of behaviour toward sin.
When man shuns God’s word, he passes up his only hope for knowing what sin is and how it affects him both now and for all eternity.
Peter knew that the Gentiles were no longer to be considered unclean (Acts 10:9-16), and he demonstrated this by eating with them. However, when some prominent Jews arrived, Peter “withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.” He knew better but allowed fear to cause him to rebel against the clear teachings of the Lord. As such, Peter “was to be blamed” (Galatians 2:11), and Paul had to rebuke him. It is one thing for a man to sin against the Lord through ignorance, but Peter knowingly, purposely, and openly violated God’s word. In like manner, believers today must bear the blame and the shame when they sin against the clear teachings of scripture.
