James 1:15 (ESV)

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully-grown brings forth death.”

Warren Wiersbe hit this one on the head when he said, “We have moved from the emotions (desire) and the intellect (deception) to the will…Christian living is a matter of the will, not the feelings. I often hear believers say, ‘I don’t feel like reading the Bible.’ Or, ‘I don’t feel like attending prayer meeting.’ Children operate on the basis of feeling, but adults operate on the basis of will. They act because it is right, no matter how they feel. This explains why immature Christians easily fall into temptation: they let their feelings make the decisions. The more you exercise your will in saying a decisive ‘no’ to temptation, the more God will take control of your life.”

Sin is not a complicated subject. You either say “yes” or you say “no.” Sin is a battle of the will, as Wiersbe has pointed out, and so in the moment of temptation you have a quick decision to make: do it – or don’t do it. If you stand your ground your faith is strengthened, your life is blessed, and God is glorified. If you fall, then your desire gives birth to sin, and your sin gives birth to death.

Clearly, death for the unbeliever leads to eternal separation from God and punishment in hell. But what does “death” mean for the believer? James is not talking about losing your salvation, but about losing fellowship with God and quenching the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:28 also talks about a loss of blessing when we choose to disobey. Additionally, many bible commentators agree that on-going, unrepentant sin can bring about an early death for the believer.

Either way you cut it, sin gives birth to nothing but pain, misery, and loss of blessings.