Sin is the worst.
Sin in me… sin in you… sin in the world… it’s just the worst.
The ramifications of sin are many.
Sin destroys our friendship with God.
Sin devastates our relationships with one another.
Sin decimates you and I from the inside out.
And as we all know, sin has so MANY faces…
Pride… that’s sin.
Lust… that’s sin.
Unforgiveness… yep, that too.
Greed… complaining… worry… the list of sins could go on and on but I’ll stop there.
If you’re starting to think to yourself, “Michael, I thought these devotionals were supposed to encourage, bless, and build me up… dude, this devotional is doing the complete opposite of that!”
Well… stick with me for a moment, but let me tell you what’s got me thinking about sin, it’s many faces and horrific consequences.
IDENTIFY THE LIE
As we continue this devotional series, ‘I Wrote in My Journal Like This’, well, that’s a fresh journal entry for you.
As I was pondering my sin, it’s effects on those around me along with how I’ve seen sin recently cause so much pain and suffering in the lives, friendships, and relationships around me, I wanted to understand, as best I could, the root issue of sin.
In short, where there is sin, no matter what the sin is, there is a lie. Or to say that another way, before we sin, we believe a lie.
Before we responded to our spouse, co-worker, or friend in anger, we believed a lie about God… about ourselves… about that person.
Before we jumped on our computer to look at illicit content, we believed a lie about God… about ourselves.
Before we chose the path of greed or lust or pride, we believed a lie about God… about ourselves.
I think you get what the point… before sin, there is ALWAYS a lie that we are choosing to believe. And if we are unable to identify what the lie (or lies) are that we are being tempted to believe, then we will continue to walk down sin’s path.
Maybe think about it like this… if you find yourself struggling with some of the same old sins that you’ve been battling for years, if not decades, well, that battle will continue to rage on in your life until you’re able to identify the lie that’s leading you to the same-old sin(s).
BEHIND EVERY SIN IS A LIE.
Before Adam and Eve sinned, they believed a lie about God, and about themselves. What was the lie? In short, the believed that God was holding out on them… that’s the lie they believed about God.
And the lie they believed about themselves, well, they believed grabbing for something God had not given them would make them more complete, more fulfilled.
They believed a lie that led them to sin and as we all know, the consequences of the lies they chose to believe were absolutely devastating.
Not sure what sins are harassing you right now, but whatever they are, take a moment to ask the simple but all-important question:
“What lie am I believing about God, myself, or others right now?”
And not to be overly repetitive, but when we believe the lie, whatever that lie might be, sin will not be far behind. And as we all know, where there is sin, well, it’s the worst on so many levels.
BELIEVE THE TRUTH
Identifying the lie… super important, but the next step to take is remembering the TRUTH.
And just so you know, truth ALWAYS begins with a person. Jesus made clear in John’s gospel that He is TRUTH (see John 14:6). Our starting point is not just truth related to a situation or circumstance, truth MUST begin with Jesus because Jesus is TRUTH.
So here’s what this looks like…
"Jesus, here’s the lie I think I’m believing, what would you have me believe about this person, situation, or circumstance?”
Is it that simple? Hmmm… YES! Because Jesus wants us to know the truth so that we walk in the truth, He desires to reveal Himself to us.
Consider for a moment the Apostle Paul’s question to a community of Christ followers…
“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?”
Galatians 5:7 (NLT)
Did you catch that? They were running well, but somewhere along the way, they began to believe a lie and when that happens, following TRUTH (that would be Jesus) won’t happen.
Where there is sin… there is always a LIE.
Identify that lie.
Ask Jesus who is TRUTH, what is the truth?
As you and I begin walking with TRUTH (Jesus) in His truth, sin will be in our rearview mirror… even the sins that have been front and center for years and years.
