Sin is a Lie

We are all sinful beings.  It is a truth of our existence, a truth that will continue to follow us until the end of our earthly lives.  We fall to the allure of sin every day, and likely more than we even realize.  Sins come and go without us noticing, such as a quick impure thought, a condescending comment, or a little white lie.  Sin is crouching at the door, ready to pounce on us.  Sometimes, it doesn't even need to pounce.  We're so accustomed to it, that we willingly let it happen.  Other times, it waits for a moment of weakness.  Most of the time, especially when we reflect on our lives, we can see many of the sins we’ve committed.  We know they’re sins, and we know we shouldn’t do them.  And yet, we continue to sin, day after day.  Even those who have given their lives to Jesus and have tried to walk with him for years still struggle with sin.

Even after being justified by Christ, having our sins forgiven and our eternities secured, we’re still sinners.  We’re still broken people living broken lives in a broken world.  You’d think we’d be able to see how we are, see our own sinful ways, and simply decide that we’re going to be righteous.  We’re going to live sinless lives, not doing or saying anything bad.  And then an hour goes by, and we realize that we’ve already messed up. 

Why?  Why can’t we just live perfectly?  We have free will.  Why can’t we decide to follow Jesus in everything, every day, every single second, doing nothing even remotely unholy?

It’s because we're all gullible.

You see, sin is a lie.  It’s a lie that we all fall for, multiple times a day.  Sin stands there, whispering in our ears, egging us on, sounding like a talking snake in a garden.

Just one more drink.  You’ll be fine.

Nobody knows if you look at pornography.  You’re smart enough to cover your own tracks.  It doesn’t hurt anybody anyway.

Your spouse is out of town, and won’t know what you do when they’re gone.  Nobody will get hurt.

You deserve this.

It doesn’t matter what you say to this person.  They’re foolish and stupid and not worth your time anyway.

Do what you want.  You’re forgiven either way.

Sin is a voice in our heads, feeding us lies, and we believe it.  We might not say we do, but that’s what happens.  We give into sin’s push because we think we know better than God.  We think our actions won’t hurt anybody.  We make decisions based on what we can get away with as opposed to what is right. 

The unfortunate thing is that there’s nothing we can do to make this stop happening.  We’re going to sin, every day, for the rest of our earthly lives.  We repent of our sins and choose to follow God, and yet that voice is still there, and we still trip and fall.  That doesn’t mean we should give up and just give in, though.  It means that we must draw closer to God, lifting our lives to him in prayer every day.  The scriptures say that not one of us is righteous, not even one.  We are all unworthy of the love of God, and there is nothing we can do to make ourselves worthy.  However, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross makes all that irrelevant.  It no longer matters that we’re not worthy, because God has forgiven each and every one of our sins, even the ones we haven’t committed yet.  The big ones, the small ones, the ones we don’t even know we do.  God has cleansed us of our sinfulness and made us right with God, and that justification doesn’t expire.  Ever.

Thank you Jesus for all you have done for us, none of which we deserve.  Please be present in our lives.  Be our shield and our stronghold from the allure of sin in our lives.  Help us follow you and not the world.  You are everything we need in this life and the next.  Amen.

Temptation

Temptation is something that each and every one of us deals with each and every day.  It's not the fact that we're being tempted that should worry us, for that is inevitable.  It's how we respond to that temptation that should get our attention.  There are two main things we should do if we are struggling with temptation.

The first is to get closer to God.  Every person, even those who have a close walk with God, are bombarded with temptation, and sometimes they fail.  It is part of the human condition: we, despite being saved and justified by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, are still flesh and bone beings that are limited and weak.  We are still affected by our sinful nature.  However, those who pull closer to God through prayer, reading his word, and trying to walk with him in obedience will be less likely to trip and fall at every step.  One of the main goals in each of our lives should be to get to know Jesus better, day by day.  As you draw nearer to God, it allows God and his spirit to have a greater influence on every aspect of your life.  Reading God's word daily will imprint his truths onto your heart, allowing you to pull from memories pieces of scriptures that will help you power through moments of temptation.  God is our shield and our stronghold and our strength, and the closer you are to him, the more protected you are from the evils of temptation.

The second thing is more practical.  If you are struggling with temptation in a particular area, it is wise to attempt to remove or limit that temptation in your life, or at least make it less directly appealing.  If you struggle with lust and pornography, put blockers on your  computer or phone and get an accountability partner.  If you struggle with overeating, don't go to buffets or other places where you tend to overeat.  If you drink too much, stay away from bars and liquor stores and other places that may tempt you.  Whatever your temptation is, remove its influence from your life.  It is better to lose an eye than to be cast into damnation with two eyes, as the scriptures say.  Being aware of one's one limitations - and we all have them - is one of the key steps you can take to limit sin's grasp on your life.  Admit that you are weak and accept God's strength as the foundation of your life.  Those who do not admit their weaknesses are more likely to fall by them.  Do not feel shame at the weaknesses you have, for we all have them.  Accept them, draw close to God, and do what you need to do to ensure that those weaknesses will not gain a foothold on your life. 

Whether or not most of us or the world understands this, the single most important thing in life is not our job description or our bank account.  It is our relationship with Jesus.  It is drawing closer to him while living in a broken world.  It is what we do with the gifts he has given us in this life and following his will.  If we have no self-control and allow our lives to be overrun by temptation, we are hampering our own relationship with God.  We will never be perfect in these bodies, but walking a life not dictated by temptation and drawing closer to God are important steps to fulfilling God's will for our lives.