Sin when it is brought forth
When I was a young man others often took advantage of my being naive. There was that old trick where they would point down at my feet and say “your shoe is untied”. Or “there is a bug on your pants”. Invariably I would look down and they would quickly lift their finger to flip my nose. This was followed by laughter and the all too familiar “Made ya look!” It was sometimes amusing but often embarrassing and even annoying to be the brunt of their jokes. So our natural choice was to attempt the same thing on others. If someone else was the object of the joke then no one would be laughing at me. It was of course not normally possible to successfully trick older, more experienced people, but the younger ones were easier. They had not yet been embarrassed enough to be on guard for such shenanigans. Our “Ha ha, made ya look” did not take away any of the sting of our own humiliation but it did at least focus attention on the next victim and not us.
Sin in our lives is not unlike “made ya look”. There are times, when I fall into the trap, that I am certain I am hearing some demon or the devil himself gleefully giggling with a shrill hi-pitched “Ha ha ha, made ya sin”. My ears burn, my heart pounds and I am ashamed. I know the traps. I know the tricks. I am not a naïve little child with eyes wide open in wonder to the delights of God’s creation. I am much older, much more experience and should be much wiser. Why do I let that happen? I knew it was coming, the Holy Spirit who lives within me warned me. I can almost hear His voice saying “If you continue down this path, you will fall”. Yet I keep on. And when I fall in that sin I ask myself why I would do that. If it is a private sin, I bemoan my lack of diligence and plead forgiveness from the Lord. Never have I heard Him say “I told you so”. If it is a public sin, I hurt so many others with my willful self indulgence.
I did not say I have never heard “I told you so”. That often comes from those closest to me or who observed my fall, much like the kids who proclaimed “Made ya look”. I am also certain I have heard that spoken from the spiritual realm by the tempters who are pleased with any failure on my part to live up to the example of my Lord Jesus. I do not have to sin, I choose to sin.
Why would I sin knowing I will be embarrassed? Why do I choose to sin knowing what it cost Jesus? Why, why, why would I lower myself for the momentary pleasure of self exaltation and pride? There are a few excuses. I want to be right. I enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. I want to be able to say “Made ya look”. I want to be my own king, even if it is for only a moment. Those are excuses not reasons. The reason I choose to sin is because I am not mature enough, because I am not on my guard against sin. Mostly it is because I desire the pleasure in sin for a season more than the pleasure of being pleasing to my creator, Jesus.
As I am older, I sin less. I am not sinless, but I do less of the sins I used to do. Not everyone my age sins less. Some sin more. Some sin less than I sin. Some have no desire to sin less. They do not have an intimate relationship with the true creator of the universe and so even their attempts to do good are shrouded in the selfish failings of sin. As I am older I sin differently. I have learned to be content in some ways. I am able to see a bad scene coming and turn to the Lord for deliverance before it arrives. I have the Word of God to make me wise.
I have the experience of years of failure and disappointment to temper my haste to rush in. Mostly I have the sweet comforter Jesus promised to send as my constant companion and guide. I am able to sin less as I am more and more yielded to His leading and prompting. He is, as promised, leading me in all truth and as we all know the truth shall make you free.
So, if I am older and wiser and meant to be free from sin, why am I not the perfect sterling example of Christ likeness that the world needs to see? They obviously do want to see it for they will follow anyone or anything that remotely proclaims to be “The One”. They desperately alter their lives to be conformed to the image that others put forth as perfection. They sacrifice their marriages and children and relationships in order to be the consummate professional someone somewhere has defined as successful. They instantly pounce upon one another when personal failure makes it obvious that once again, this was not “The One”. Why am I not that example, why have I not arrived? I am a sinner. I did not become a sinner because I sinned. I sin because I am a sinner. I lie because I am a liar. I cheat because I am a cheater. I steal because I am a thief. I yell at my spouse or my children because I am little different from that three year old child screaming and throwing a tantrum in the grocery store because they did not get their own way. Some drink alcohol to numb the effects of the sin. If their perception is altered perhaps they will not reason it is wrong. Some pleasure themselves with lewd and illicit materials and relationships which defy the plan and design of God. Some shake their fist at the heavens which they see as the home of the unseen God of creation and demand answers of Him.
Water and oil are designed to be separate. Chemically and molecularly they are intended to be different. You can be vigorous shaking and stirring cause them to appear to emulsify for a short time but in truth they are merely separated on a very low level. Under the influence of the natural laws of God’s universe they will separate into their distinct uniqueness. Water will gather with water and oil will gather with oil. If however, you alter the atomic structure of the particulates which are their basic and core nature then and only then can they become one fully emulsified new substance. People are like that too. What once was created as a uniquely spirit-flesh being was separated by the desire of the flesh to be king when that is the Spirit’s role. That caused a change at the very basic and core level of existence. The only way to put it back the way it was intended to be is to change it at the very core and basic levels by the flesh submitting to the Spirit’s authority and kingship. Those who have received God’s salvation have been changed at their very basic and core levels. The flesh must choose to no longer be separated from God.
It is a spiritual choice. However the flesh by its very nature cannot choose to become Spirit. It is not intended to be. Only by the choosing of the Spirit can the flesh be ruled by the Spirit. God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship in truth and in spirit. Like water and oil, flesh and spirit can only be completely one if they are changed at the core level to return to what God originally created. Adam was created as a spirit filled flesh and bone person willingly obedient to walk in unity with His wonderful creator. It is a choice and you get to make it for yourself.