Sin
I remember, as a teenager, I didn’t grasp the true concept of what sin was and how sin constantly surrounds us. Sin is everywhere we look and consumes the majority of the shows we watch and songs we “jam” to. It fills the magazine articles we read, and if we don’t watch what we allow in our minds, it can consume our every thought and action.
What is Sin? It is an offense or revolt against God; deliberate defiance; wickedness; iniquity; ungodliness. “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).
I recall as a teenager I was very judgmental towards adults, when it came to sinning. I’d hear stories of men/women cheating on their spouses, stealing, killing, and so on; I’d ask how could he/she do such a thing, but little did I know how strong the temptation of this world is.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV) I mean what did I know?
I was only a high school student whose only real exposure to sin was through television, movies, and conversations my friends and I engaged in. So, I stand here today with a better understanding of how easily sin can creep into our lives and, if we don’t watch it, can overpower us and lead our lives.
Now I would never justify sinning, because wrong will always be wrong and right will always be right, despite society screaming sins aren’t sins anymore because everyone else is doing it. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, revelries, adultery, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”(Galatians 5:19-21 KJV).
I recall the time when I was thrust into the world from a sheltered family, not knowing how the world truly operated beyond the life of a high school teenager/first year college student. I joined the United States Army about four years ago and I truly mark it as one of my greatest experiences/accomplishments yet. The following story does not in any way reflect upon the morale of the United States Army, but it reflects upon the morale of the world since the military is one of many organization composed of an array of people.
As if being away from your family isn’t hard enough, just add the task of confronting these temptations you’ve never had to resist before. I saw people on cocaine, people prostituting, had all kinds of sexual temptation put before me, knew of many married people engaging in sexual activities with people other than their spouses, and I saw many things that I want even mention.
This is not to judge others, but to help us all find that faith we need to resist such temptation. “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”(Hebrews 12:3-4 KJV)
How can we avoid allowing ourselves to be tempted by the sins I witnessed? Is it even possible to not sin? I’m not at all stating I am without sin. I have done my share of sinning and many times have come before our Lord and Savior asking for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”(1 John 1:9 KJV).
By us repenting and humbling ourselves before God, we show faith in God; of course we know that repenting alone doesn’t show full faith, but actively working to conquer that sin or those sins that have weakened you also portray that faith our Savior is looking for (Acts 2:38).
I recall the numerous times I’ve sinned and the times I felt too embarrassed to come to God and repent, perhaps due to repeating a sin or doing something I knew to be wrong. By far the worst thing we can do is shy away from our Savior because we are ashamed. That is honestly the time when we should cling to our Savior, talk to Him about what went wrong, ask God to help us defeat this sin, and prepare to overcome it.
Shying away could eventually lead us to losing our relationship with our Creator. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 KJV). God is similar to our parents; He is disappointed when we do wrong, but He chastens us and shows us there are consequences.
We must always come to an understanding as to what we did wrong and how to avoid doing the wrong thing in the future. God is a loving God, and He is very forgiving as long as we put the effort into creating that lasting relationship with Him (Matthew 6:14-15 KJV).
Unfortunately, many young people will have experiences similar to mine, if not worse. Of course, there’s a way to make sure, when these temptations come, you are able to resist them. You can start by adjusting your exposure to sin, such as cutting back on the amount of time you spend watching television, regulating what shows you watch, tweaking the music you listen to, adjusting the types of movies you watch, and changing the type of people you keep as company (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
There’s a saying: we are what we eat. So are we not also what we allow in our minds? If we allow ourselves to watch, listen, and be in the presence of these ungodly temptations, then what kind of faith are we displaying to the Father in heaven? If one of your friends is always providing you with ungodly temptations, then for your sake you need to spend less time in the presence of that person.
We should surround ourselves with others of like mind who can give us that needed nudge when we step out of line, help us get back on track because they have the same faith and dedication to the Word of God. “As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 KJV).
None of the above mentioned things are easy to accomplish, but prayer and faith can bring you through any task you set your heart upon.
Finally when we sin, which we all will, we must accept responsibility for the wrong we do and accept the consequences. We all see that we live in a society were we make excuses as to why we committed an immoral action, but a true man/woman of God accepts the consequences of his/her actions, since it was him/her who had the final decision in acting upon that immoral desire.
The greatest part of this life that I look forward to is the unbiased judgment of God, and you should do likewise, for God will judge us all equally for our sins. We want receive a lighter punishment because one man is wealthy and the other is poor or one is of a different ethnicity than the other (James 2:10-11).
This life we live in is tough and temptation lurks on every corner, but we must remember that temptation can be trumped by faith, prayer, fasting, and our hearts being in the right place. WE HAVE TO WANT TO BE RIGHTEOUS! No one said it will be easy.
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:7-10).
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