We know that sin is painful. But, are there any pleasures connected with sin? Certainly. Moses chose “to endure ill-treatment with the people of God [rather] than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin…” (Heb. 11:24). Sin’s pleasures are addictive. The more we engage in them, the more dependent we become on them for the pleasures they provide. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin” (Jn. 8:34). Speaking of such slavery, the apostle Paul observed, “The outcome of those things is death” (Rm. 6:21).
Why, then, has God given commands that forbid practices and attitudes which, on the surface, appear pleasurable and beneficial–things the world might describe as “having a good time”? Is it because God is stingy and doesn’t want us to enjoy ourselves? Not at all. It is precisely the opposite. God’s commands are written for our benefit (cf. Dt. 10:12-13). When we reject God’s way, it is to our own pain and detriment. The negative effects of sin may not be felt immediately in a physical or even an emotional way. However, the spiritual consequences of sin are inescapable “inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment…” (Heb. 9:27).
We should never doubt the love of God! Calvary stands forever in the hearts and minds of God’s people as indisputable evidence of His divine love (Jn. 3:16; Rm. 5:18). Our love for God and one another is but a reflection of His love for us (1 Jn. 4:19). God’s instructions, including His restrictions, provide evidence that He cares for us and doesn’t want us to be hurt by sin. Eddie Cloer writes: “Sin is hurtful, not because it is forbidden; it is forbidden because it is hurtful” (Eddie Cloer). Like a loving parent, our Father cares enough to teach, warn, and correct us so that we might enjoy the abundant life now and access to the tree of life then, when we are taken to our eternal home.
— Glen Elliott —