THE POWER OF SIN

 

 

Sin kills. Unconfessed sin separates us from God. By refusing to confess and repent, we are telling God that, “I can handle my life better than you can.” Eventually, God sets us free and allows us to reap what we have sown (Proverb 1:29-32; Romans 1:24-28).

 

We should be aware that our unconfessed sins are a stench before our Savior. They are so serious that nothing short of the death of Jesus could adequately address them. How then can we willingly indulge in what is such an offense to Him!

 

Sin also corrupts us. It takes control and opens the door to the deceptions of the devil:

 

·       Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor…(Ephesians 4:25–28; Hebrews 3:13; Romans 7:11)

 

Sin is a rejection of God, but it is also an invitation to the devil, the one who seeks to destroy us. He disguises himself as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14) to deceive us (Revelation 12:9). He has deceived and has taken captive this world (1 John 5:19).

Sin has poisoned our minds and hearts to such an extent that we can no longer perceive the devil’s temptations, which have imprisoned those who are blind (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

 

Sin is also parasitic. I am reminded of a certain grasshopper parasitized by worm larvae. They go to the brain where they begin to eat it out, take control, and to direct their host to jump to its death in the water, as they consume the grasshopper from the inside. In the water, the larvae complete their lifecycle after gobbling up the remains of their captive host.

 

Sin is a larva which eats at our minds and eventually takes control. Jesus explained that these larvae are so consuming that that our eyes see only what the larvae permit:

 

·       “Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.’ For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'” (Matthew 13:14-15)

 

Sin dominates us as the does the larva, which takes control of the grasshopper so that it does not know where it’s going or what it’s doing:

 

·       The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:19)

 

A good example: Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. However, despite the many miracles Jesus had performed in the three years he had been with Jesus, Judas would not submit to the truth and eventually betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver.

 

It was not that Judas needed the money. He had been Jesus’ treasurer and had routinely dipped in. However, after he betrayed his Master, he felt great remorse and tried to return the silver to the priests:

 

·       Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)

 

The curtain was briefly pulled aside, and Judas felt such great remorse that he not only returned the silver to the priests but also killed himself. Why did he not pray to the Lord for forgiveness? Even if he might have been skeptical about this, reason should have told him to seek God’s mercy. It was worth a try - a better option than suicide!

 

Why didn’t reason prevail? Sin derails sound thinking. Jesus taught that we love the cover of darkness rather than the exposure of our sins to the revealing Light of truth (John 3:19-20). There comes a point that we become so hardened that even the prospect of love and freedom appears distasteful to the spiritually blinded.

 

Judas’ guilt was driving him crazy and to the only refuge he was able to see, the darkness of death. To be aware of the power of sin is to turn to our Lord and to seek His forgiveness and cleansing from sin (1 John 1:9).