When we think about the subject of sin, our minds might initially go to the biggies – murder, adultery, stealing. In fact, when I was in middle school, my Sunday school teacher would use the biggies as his examples – “let’s say you’re doing drugs, or you murder someone.” I could detach myself from the illustration and therefore the lesson because I didn’t take drugs or commit murder. The message I told myself was, “I’m not that bad. I’m just a normal kid. In fact, I’m better behaved than most. Sure I do things I’m not proud of, I say things I shouldn’t, or entertain thoughts that aren’t wholesome.
But when we look at Genesis 3 we’re reminded, it’s not just about the biggies. It starts small. It’s about creep. For goodness sake, the first sin wasn’t murder, it was eating a piece of fruit! But at its core (sorry), it was about disobedience. Eve rationalized that the fruit was pretty, it looked delicious and had seemingly healthy benefits. Surely she misunderstood what God said. Didn’t He want them to be happy? Sure, the serpent was suggesting that God was holding out, but Eve and then Adam through his accompanying actions filled in the blanks on their own.
And we tend to rationalize our sin in a similar fashion. We take a step or two off the path and before we realize it, a step or two becomes a full off-road excursion. It’s not unusual to hear someone who has torpedoed their marriage or been caught embezzling, or sure, even taken drugs or murdered, say “how did I get here?” We don’t suddenly choose to blow up our lives. It starts with a first step, something seemingly innocuous. We take a bite of forbidden fruit.
- Is there something you’re entertaining that you tell yourself is no big deal but you know is disobedience to God?
- What is creeping into your life that you need to stop right now?
- Is there a sin you have given space to in your life that started off small but has grown into something that now threatens to devour you? If so, what is your next step?
We are fortunate to serve a God that calls to us when we wander. He has not only set a path for us but He has forged an immediate onramp back to Him through His Son, Jesus. And God has blessed us with His church, a group of imperfect but forgiven people dedicated to love, encourage and lift up fellow believers as we walk this path together. If we can help you in any way, Belmont is here.
Jon Price, Associate Pastor
jon@mybelmont.org
Photo by Elijah Hiett on Unsplash