All in Facing Our Sin
Why is it that sin is so prevalent in man? How did one sin multiply to fill us so completely? Our obsessions begin with a single glance, and our sins in the same way; what starts out small, and seemingly innocent, grows into something monstrous. Don’t those little sins pick at us until we are covered with tiny sores that eventually join to become one large festering mess?
How is it that we fall into sinful behavior? Are we outwitted by Satan, or do our own base desires draw us into the unrighteous behavior we blame solely on the dark one? Are we tricked, or do we simply ignore our own part in this disobedient, and damning behavior? If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that Satan might tempt us, but more times than not, the desire to sin is ours alone. Satan simply knows our ways better than we know his.
Do we take a purely defensive stance against sin as it attacks us? Do we count it as being enough to simply repulse it, and avoid letting it breach our walls? Or, do we make war against it with every resource at our disposal, and rid ourselves of it in body, soul, and mind? There is a word for this in scripture and it is called mortification, which means to subdue or destroy the strength, and function of a sinful desire that is tempting, or attacking us. Do we mortify sin?
We all wrestle with sin. There is not one of us that sin does not desire to penetrate, and subtly begin to transform into its unholy image. One defect in our armor and we are made imperfect; one small scratch, one tiny sin. If we consider Jesus in light of this we see how amazing His sin free life was, and how astounding His work in us is.
How many times have we almost slipped, or actually fallen in our faith? We are walking along thinking everything is going splendidly, and then whoops... our spiritual feet fly out from under us. It is so unexpected, so sudden, and often occurs without any forethought of impending danger; yet there we are, sitting on our backsides wondering how we got there, and suffering in our need for forgiveness.
Have you ever wandered from God? Have you strayed and no longer heard the voice of Jesus, or felt the pull of the Holy Spirit as it drew you back? Are you in this distant place now, or is someone you know there? Well you might feel as though you can’t return, and that your life is too far gone, but that isn’t true. The Lord sends you this message... “return to me, and I will return to you.”
Do you make excuses for your sins? Do you try to justify them in some concocted way hoping that God might have been looking the other way when you transgressed? Well, you might convince those around you, but the fact remains... their judgement of you counts for nothing. You might tell the lie long enough that you even forget the truth, but God’s memory is perfect. So now is the time to honestly face your sins, and go to your knees before God.