The Truth about Sin

There are many things that the Bible calls “sin.” To sin is to disobey God. It is to miss the mark of His best for us.

Some people have an idea of God that He wants to keep us from having a good time. They see Him as an angry God who wants us to suffer and stay away from anything pleasurable. But this is not the God of the Bible.

The God of the Bible is a loving Father who wants the best for His children. If sin were not harmful, God would not want to keep us from it. In other words, there is a reason that sin is sin. Here are three truths about sin:

1. Sin is Deceptive

Sin is deceptive in nature. The writer of Hebrews warned against being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). Sin misleads you. It looks very appealing but its true nature is disguised.

The devil loves to sugar coat sin to make it as appealing as possible. And there is no doubt that there is pleasure in sin; but in the end it leaves you empty. The Bible calls it the “passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). Sin offers temporary pleasure at the price of long-term pain.

2. Sin is Destructive

Sin brings pain and destruction into our lives and the lives of those around us. The sins we commit often harm others, but they also hurt ourselves. The world is in the place that it is because of sin.

There is something about indulging in sin that destroys the core of who we were created to be. And sin opens the door for Satan to work in our lives to bring oppression and other bondage.

3. Sin is Addictive

The goal of sin is to make you its slave. Jesus said this about sin: “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). The problem with sin is that it is never satisfied; it also asks for more.

Once you indulge in a form of lust, you will be drawn to more and more. Once you tell small lies, you will begin to lie more and more. Like a drug addiction, it keeps drawing you further and further into its chains.

The Answer

The world glamorizes sin, but it only tells you half the story. I know by experience that sin is not all that it is cracked up to be. When I encountered God over ten years ago, I finally saw sin for what it was. And I finally saw why God wanted to keep me from it. I experienced His love so powerfully and I was set free from the grip of sin.

The Bible says that Jesus “will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He died on the cross so that we could be freed from the penalty and the power of sin. We do not have to walk around with the guilt and shame of past sins. And we do not have to be in  bondage to sin any longer.

When we turn to Jesus in genuine repentance and faith in His work on the cross, we are given new life. Sin no longer has to rule our lives. The grace of God not only works to bring forgiveness; it gives us the power to walk in victory over sin!

Questions: Which aspect of the nature of sin stands out to you the most? Have you experience the power of God’s grace to free you from the power of sin?