We’re all familiar with the term, “sin,” but do you ever wonder what sin is?
We often think of sin as being those big things that we know not to do. In 1 John, we read that sin is a transgression against the laws of God and in Deuteronomy in Joshua, we read that it’s rebellion against God. Part of this definition from Wikipedia says that “sin can also be viewed as a thought or action that endangers the ideal relationship between an individual and God.” You know, I love that definition because when we think about things that separate us from an ideal relationship with God; those things are sinful. But it’s important to look at what makes that sin and why that’s such a bad thing.
I know it’s easy to get caught up in the rules and the regulations, just like the Pharisees. It’s easy to get caught up in doing things because that’s what’s expected and doing things because that’s what the law says, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s not just about doing things because you’re supposed to. When you look at what happens when sin enters the picture, that’s when you really start to have a deeper understanding of why it’s so important to make choices and to keep your focus where it should be to keep you focused on God and having that wonderful relationship with Him that you can have without the presence of sin.
In Ephesians chapter 4 starting at verse 25,
(NIV) 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
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That passage is very powerful when you’re seeking a deeper relationship with God. When you’re wanting to know how to overcome sin and how to overcome the effects of sin in your life, that passage is crucial!
If you notice, that “in your anger, do not sin” and “do not give the devil a foothold.”
Did you know that when you sin- when you engage in the bitterness, and the anger, and the malice, and all of those things, you are opening the door for your spiritual enemy to work in your life. That’s the real danger.
It’s not just about following the rules for the sake of following the rules. It’s because God knows that if you start down that path, you get sucked into it.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that if you’re going about your day and something out of the plan happens (something that is not pleasant), it can be really easy to get trapped into that line of thinking. One negative thought quickly leads to another. Negative thoughts can snowball, and not only does it affect you, but it affects everybody around you and that’s what sin does. That is sin.
That’s what keeps us being able to focus on the truth and the beauty and the hope that God has for us, because when we are so focused on the bitterness, anxiety, anger, rage, and all of those things… if the enemy can get us distracted and focusing on those things, he knows that we’re not be focused on the hope and the truth and the love that God has for us.
Scripture also tells us that Satan goes around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. The reason that sin is so dangerous is that when you engage in thinking and actions that separate you from that loving relationship with your Heavenly Father, you’re giving the spiritual enemy- you’re giving Satan a legal right. You’re giving him a foothold to interfere in your life and you’re giving him the right to manipulate and torment you. That’s where our struggles come from. We often don’t even realize the connection.
When we start to believe the lies of the enemy instead of the truth that God has already given us, that damages that relationship. It leads us to anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. That’s not what God wants for us! That is exactly why He sent His Son to die for us on the cross, so we can have freedom from sin.
We have a God of hope. The reason God sent His Son to die for us is that the blood Jesus on the cross defeats the enemy. The authority that comes from being able to claim the blood of Jesus- to claim that victory, that’s an incredible inheritance!
God sent His Son to die for us so we could have victory by association. We can have victory and authority over the enemy so we don’t have to allow him to have a foothold in our lives. We don’t have to give in to sin. We can choose a different path that is focused on the truth, and that is why having your spiritual armor on is so incredibly important. When you have your spiritual armor on, you’re wrapped in the belt of truth, you’re wearing the breastplate of righteousness (or right-living), you’ve got your helmet of salvation (you know that you’re saved), you’ve got the shoes of the peace of good news… you cannot forget the good news. You can’t forget that there is hope in this message.
Satan is the accuser. He’s going to take any chance he has to accuse you of being wrong; to accuse you of being “not enough,” to accuse you of being “less than.”
That’s not what this is about. When you’re talking about sin, you’re talking about those thoughts and those actions that draw you away from God. You’re talking about the lies that the accuser tries to tell you, that you feed into. When you feed into those lives of the accuser (the lies of the enemy), that’s where the sin comes in. But it’s not about you being wrong, it’s about you not having freedom because you’re feeding into those lies when the enemy tries to accuse you.
When you struggle with guilt about sin- when you struggle with guilt that you’ve messed up… you know what? Scripture tells us that everybody has sinned. All of us. So it’s not about you being guilty. It’s about the potential for you to have freedom.
So when you think about sin, it’s not a hopeless thing. Redirect that. Don’t listen to the enemy. Put on your belt of truth put on your full armor of God because there is so much freedom when you really understand the consequences of sin but more so the freedom that comes from that right relationship with God having your armor in place and walking in the authority that you can walk in because you are a child of God. Maybe a very practical definition of sin would be feeding in to the lies of the enemy. When you feed into the lies of the enemy, when you feed into those accusations and that guilt- that’s what sin is because it keeps you from having that good relationship with our Heavenly Father. It’s not about you being wrong, it’s about you not having the freedom that God wants for you. You are His beloved child.
I hope you like this video I hope it’s been encouraging to you and I really want you to focus on the truth that God has for you in the plans that he has for you know that no matter what you’re going through God has a loving hands back there truly are opportunities every day to make Every Day Incredible.
If you are a Christian woman who’s wanting a deeper relationship with God, if you’re wanting to really understand that authority that you have as part of your inheritance of the Kingdom, I encourage you to check out diggingdeeper.everydayincredible.net. Our digging deeper group is just for that purpose. It’s to fellowship with other Christian believers, but also to really dig deeper into God’s Word and figure out how to find that freedom that God has intended for you. There is so much freedom in knowing who you are whose you are, and I want to share that with you. I hope you will come join us and I look forward to talking to you!