Sin Will Take You Farther

By Harold McWhorter

Lyrics

1. As a child, I foolishly turned God away,
Not knowing the heartbreak a sinner must pay,
But God, in His goodness, has let me return,
To share with His children this lesson I learned,

Chorus:
Sin will take you farther than you want to go,
Slowly, but wholly, taking control,
Sin will leave you longer than you want to stay,
Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay.

2. So with pleasure and promises, Sin took control,
Leaving me dying, with nothing to show,
Gone were my loved ones, and my dearest friends,
Only a Saviour could love me again.

Bible Reference

James 1:15, Proverbs 14:12

About This Hymn

“Sin Will Take You Farther” is a Southern Gospel warning song that has circulated widely in revival services and quartet concerts. The lyric you quoted matches versions sung by groups like The Cathedrals, with a testimony style verse that admits a youthful turning from God, then a chorus that teaches the progressive cost of sin. Modern distribution credits for accompaniment tracks and digital releases list Harold Lester McWhorter as composer and lyricist, and the song appears in gospel performance catalogs under his name. Because there are other unrelated songs with the same title in country and gospel publishing, some databases point to different writers, which adds to the confusion. The chorus and verses you provided align with the McWhorter credited versions rather than those other works. Qobuz YouTube+1

Notes on attribution:
You may see another “Sin Will Take You Farther” registered to Jim Rushing and Bryan Kennedy. That is a separate composition that shares the title, not the same lyrics you quoted. Easy Song