How Many Sins Does It Take to Damn the Soul?


One sin is sufficient to damn a soul. One sin cut the whole race off from God: "By one man sin entered into the world.... by one man's offense death reigned. ... by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation.... by one man's disobedience many were made [constituted] sinners" (Rom. 5:12-21; Gen. 2:17; 3:1-19). One sin, whether committed before or after a person is saved, will have the same effect that the one original sin had. "When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity . . . All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned . . . in the sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die .... for his iniquity that he bath done shall he die" (Ezek. 18:24-26). Again "The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression.... for the iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for item (Ezek. 33:12-20).

One sin cursed the whole race (Rom. 5:12-21); Cain (Gen. 4:8-13; 1 John 3:12); Pharaoh and Egypt (Ex. 3:2; Rom. 9:15-23); Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-7); Achan (Josh. 7); Gehazi (2 Ki. 5:20-27); Judas (Acts 1:25); Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11); and many others (1 Tim. 1:19, 20; 2:14; 5:11, 12, 15, 20; 6:10; 2 Tim. 2:18, 26; 4:10; Heb. 4:11; 1 Cor. 10:1-18; Jas. 2:10; etc.).

One sin caused Lucifer and one third of the angels to fall(Isa. 14:12-14.). One sin caused angels to be sent to Hell (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6, 7).

God revealed that one sin would cut men off from Him. This is His own law and He cannot be just and truthful if He does not enforce it (Gen. 2:17; Ezek. 3:18-21; 18:4, 13, 18, 20, 24, 26; 33:9, 12, 13, 18; John 8:34; Rom. 6:23; 8:12-13; Gal. 6:7, 8; Jas. 2:10; 1 John 3:8). Many times God promised to "cut off" any man that committed certain sins (Gen. 17:14; Ex. 9:15; 12:15, 19; 30:23, 38; 31:14; Lev. 7:20-21, 25, 27; 17:4-14; 18:29; 19:8; 20:3-18; 22:3; 23:29; Num. 9:13; 15:30, 31; 19:13, 20; Ezek. 14:8; Mal. 2:12; Rom. 11:22, 24). The phrase "cut off" means destroyed in death and "cut off from my presence" (Lev. 22:3; Ps. 109:13-15; Zec. 13:8; Matt. 24:51; Luke 12:46; Rom. 11:22-24).

Sin committed is as much sin one time as it is another. It is as much sin to the saved as to the unsaved. It is the sin itself that is sin, and the time it is committed does not make it unrighteousness at one time and righteousness at another, or sin to one and not to another. Any transgression of the law is sin, whether before or after one is saved, and the penalty for the broken law must be enforced without exception, as well after salvation as before. To reason that sin is not sin when committed by saints, or if committed after salvation, is poor reasoning, and the very devil himself would blush at being accused of such utter lack of intelligence.

Whenever one sins he must, for the time being, cease to be holy. He must stand condemned and must incur the full penalty of the law that the one sin of Adam incurred, or God would be a respecter of persons and a party to selfishness and sin. If He broke the law which He and all free wills are obligated to keep, He would be a sinner. If man does not incur the penalty, then the law is abrogated and he has no rule of duty- consequently, he cannot be either holy or sinful. The penalty cannot be abrogated unless the law itself it abrogated, for precept without penalty is no law. It is only counsel or advice. If God's law is merely advice, then there are no sinners to be saved, there is no need of a Saviour, and the whole plan of the Bible is a sham.

We conclude, that a man is damned for breaking the law of God and for his own sins, and that the sin of rejecting Jesus is merely the last sin that seals the doom of man for his own sins and for original sin.