Saturday, December 10, 2011

Sin, Lies, and Starving


“Sin must be refused and starved, not played with and fed.” –Sinclair Ferguson

Sin is like a cancer that grows and takes over everything in the body. If given a place in the body, it is not satisfied to remain there in isolation, but according to its’ very nature must expand, grow, and invade every other part. It is not passive, but aggressive. In the face of passivity, it overpowers, crushes, and devastates. It quietly feeds off the seemingly “innocent” pleasures and the next thing you know it has taken over and consumed the soul. As a believer, I have to be vigilant. Satan, the father of lies, is vigilant: he is active, pursuing, and aggressive.

I have been learning the need to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” to weigh my thoughts against the true Word of God. When held up to the light of Scripture some of the most seemingly innocent thoughts of doubt and anxiety are shown to be what they are: sinful, blasphemous lies. These anxious thoughts, if given a place and a little sustenance, will grow like an insatiable cancer, bringing with it a host of other lies. One thought of doubt whether God truly cares about my personal needs will bring into question His sovereignty, His love, and His wisdom. If I believe a “little lie,” I can be convinced of many lies about God’s character. If I entertain a thought that I will never have victory in an area of struggle then I can be convinced that God’s grace is not sufficient to help me and that I can never be “holy enough” to be acceptable in His sight. That’s all it takes: one “little lie.” That’s all it took to destroy the whole of the human race in the Garden of Eden. These lies cannot survive in the environment of the truth of God’s Word. They die a sudden death when exposed to the illuminating, cleansing power of the Truth. It is necessary for me to daily fill my mind with the Word. The health of my soul depends upon it. Passivity will not do. My adversary is vigilant. But my God is vigilant, too; seeking, preserving, and keeping me. To God be the glory!


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