Ok, I get that sin, by definition, is the choosing of the selfish nature over what God wants. I get that it naturally means I am choosing ME when I choose to SIN. But have you ever considered just how easily we make our sin about ourselves? I am defining sin as the willful choosing of something that God says NO to.
Consider this. We commit a sin, which is the first way we make it about ourselves. Let’s assume we get caught by someone other than God who sees everything. When we get caught, we continue to make it about ourselves as we try to come up with various reasons why the consequences, natural or otherwise, should not be ours to bear. Do you get this?
Let’s say I cam up with a book of rules and a corresponding list of consequences when we do wrong. No one should say that the consequences are unfair since we are all aware of the consequences. But that is what we do. Think of it in terms of a game. If I was explaining the game of baseball to you for the first time, I would take time to make sure you understand the rules about strikes and outs before we played. But not wanting to live with consequences is like saying you’ve been mistreated when called out according to the rules.
In affect, we are arguing that God is unfair. This is the second way we make it about ourselves…or third when you remember all that complaining we do. Either way, when we choose not to accept consequences, we continue our sin as we look out only for ourselves. I don’t recall enjoying any of the discipline my parents handed down to me when I did wrong, but I have God’s Word which tells me that discipline is good for me. Check it out at Hebrews 12:5-11.
I have a better idea. Instead of worrying about discipline and consequences, let’s concern ourselves with not sinning in the first place. What habit are you hanging on to? What kind of stuff gets in your way and causes you to lose control? I would encourage you to change the sinful habits to godly habits and to apply self-discipline…before the consequences become yours to bear.
Consider this. We commit a sin, which is the first way we make it about ourselves. Let’s assume we get caught by someone other than God who sees everything. When we get caught, we continue to make it about ourselves as we try to come up with various reasons why the consequences, natural or otherwise, should not be ours to bear. Do you get this?
Let’s say I cam up with a book of rules and a corresponding list of consequences when we do wrong. No one should say that the consequences are unfair since we are all aware of the consequences. But that is what we do. Think of it in terms of a game. If I was explaining the game of baseball to you for the first time, I would take time to make sure you understand the rules about strikes and outs before we played. But not wanting to live with consequences is like saying you’ve been mistreated when called out according to the rules.
In affect, we are arguing that God is unfair. This is the second way we make it about ourselves…or third when you remember all that complaining we do. Either way, when we choose not to accept consequences, we continue our sin as we look out only for ourselves. I don’t recall enjoying any of the discipline my parents handed down to me when I did wrong, but I have God’s Word which tells me that discipline is good for me. Check it out at Hebrews 12:5-11.
I have a better idea. Instead of worrying about discipline and consequences, let’s concern ourselves with not sinning in the first place. What habit are you hanging on to? What kind of stuff gets in your way and causes you to lose control? I would encourage you to change the sinful habits to godly habits and to apply self-discipline…before the consequences become yours to bear.
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