Sin begets sin with a relentless and pervasive force. As God warned Cain, if one does not change, sin lies at the door, its desire ever ready to dominate. It strives to pile iniquity upon iniquity, much like one lie often produces another to maintain a façade of deception. God's admonition is stark: repent at once, or sin's powerful tendency to grow will thoroughly control the individual who fails to resist it. Sin's desire is so persistent and its appeal so subtle that, if not consciously stopped, one becomes a master at sinning, making it a way of life. As Jeremiah laments, God's people are wise to do evil but have no knowledge of doing good. This pervasive influence of sin cannot be ignored, for it wormed its way into every fiber of human being, holding sway as a living, malignant power that struggles to retain dominion even after conversion.

Fear and unbelief are grave sins in God's eyes, listed first among the offenses in Revelation 21:8 that lead to the Lake of Fire. Fear begets other sins, acting as a precursor to many wrongdoings. The root of this sin lies in unbelief, a lack of faith in God's power and love. Psalm 78:22 illustrates how the Israelites, despite God's provisions, feared because they did not believe or trust Him to care for them. This unbelief sparked God's wrath, as seen in Psalm 78:21, mirroring the fiery judgment promised in Revelation. Christ Himself connects fear with a lack of faith in Mark 4:40, questioning why fear dominates when faith is absent. Without faith, fear becomes the controlling factor, leading us to live by sight rather than trust in God. Hebrews 3:18-19 warns that unbelief barred ancient Israel from their rest, just as it can bar us from entering God's Kingdom. The foundational weakness of unbelief causes and produces sin in our lives, as Romans 14:23 declares that whatever is not from faith is sin. Unbelief breaks the trust essential to our relationship with God, as seen in the example of satan. Created perfect, he doubted God's goodness and love, leading to fear that he would not receive what he deserved. This fear, born of unbelief, resulted in rebellion and a profound departure from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 cautions against an evil heart of unbelief that can cause us to turn away from God, dragging us down as doubt dragged Peter into the waters of Galilee when he lost focus on Christ.

Sadly, our society has reached a cultural tipping point where civil discourse has collapsed and ideological divisions between left and right have escalated in violence. Shockingly some degenerate people have called the killing of a truth -speaking individual as courageous, poisoning the relationships not only between governments but also between citizens and family members. God's people should assiduously avoid getting swept up in the political and cultural backlash, but remain anchored in Christ, living counterculturally in conviction, courage, and godliness. Isaiah 59 illustrates how sin leads to spiritual blindness, injustice, and violence. God's chosen saints must separate themselves from the corruption of the world, a venue in which it is dangerous to speak the truth. God's called out ones must never mirror the word's hostility and hatred but must reflect God's righteousness regardless of the cost.