The following are some thought-provoking characteristics of sin, before and after it has been committed.

BEFORE SIN: I hear temptation whispering in my ears, gently beckoning me to give in (James 1:14).
AFTER SIN: Shame haunts me day and night. There is no rest from my guilt (James 1:15).

BEFORE SIN: I cannot put a price on the joy that sin would bring me (Luke 12:19).
AFTER SIN: No price would be too high to regain my innocence (Matthew 16:26).

BEFORE SIN:  I cannot live without it! (Matthew 26:15).
AFTER SIN:  I cannot live with myself (Matthew 27:5).

BEFORE SIN:  No one will know (Joshua 7:21).
AFTER SIN:  I know...and God knows (Genesis 39:9).

BEFORE SIN: No one will get hurt (2 Samuel 12:1-19).
AFTER SIN: Sin has devastated my life and the lives of others (Ex. 20:5).

BEFORE SIN:  God loves me (Romans 8:39).
AFTER SIN:  God loves me still, and awaits my return (Romans 5:28).

BEFORE SIN:  All have sinned! (Romans 3:23)
AFTER SIN:  Hear (Romans 10:17), believe (John 8:24), repent (Acts 17:30), confess (Acts 8:37), be baptized (Mark 16:16), and live in accordance to God’s will until death (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Or, simply seek God’s forgiveness if you already are a Christian (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9).

Oh, the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13)!   May we all look deep below the surface to see it for what it really is.   Don’t let sin become your death trap. Rather, live for God and inherit eternal life (Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 6:11-12).