2001-11-29 - Sin as a Treat

Exodus 10:17 Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and make supplication to the Lord you God, that He would only remove this death from me.

I know a man, in fact I know him very well. He only drinks on Thursdays. That might seem like a good thing, but when he drinks, he really drinks. It is his treat. He doesn't want to be a drunk so he limits his drinking to one day. On that day anything, it seems, goes.

How do you find your pleasure? Do you save up "good works" so you can have the treat of a sin or two? I have examined my own life and I find that I do this and I bet I am not alone. Just the other day I found myself rationalizing my behavior by thinking, "well, after all, the quiet times are good, my Scripture memory program is going strong and I always read good books; so what is wrong with that?" Rationalizing my sin: and it makes me no better than the drunk next door who only drinks on Thursday because one day a week doesn't really make him a drunk.

If anything we do is sin then we are seeking our pleasure among those who will be condemned by God in the final judgment. That is a harsh thing to say, but it is still true. We are not to take pleasure in sin. We are never to take pleasure in sin. Sin should abhor us. It should be as an anathema to us. There are many sins to treat ourselves with today that would make angels cry. "If it feels good, do it," mentality is all around us. Whenever I see that bumper sticker I want to crash into the back of the car it is on, get out, and say, "It felt good!" I have yet to have the guts to do it.

Let's do the WWJD thing here. It is kind of basic, but nevertheless it is helpful. What Would Jesus Do is a question we need to ask ourselves when we are at the movies, when someone cuts us off when driving (for drivers like me), when we want to get in the last word, when we need to smile rather than frown; WWJD. We can't live up to the example of Christ but we sure can seek to do so. Sin is never a treat. Getting the last word in is never a victory, but rather a path to more division. A smile will open more doors than an angry face. Graciousness was what Christ was all about and we are to emulate Him.

It might seem odd here but I am going to quote 1 Corinthians 15:3, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." The reason I say it seems odd is that I want to present this verse to you who are believers in the gospel of grace as well as those who are not. Christ died for our sins, all sins. It is an amazing fact. If there is a sin that is holding you down you need only to bring it to Christ. He died for that sin. Bring it to Christ. Sin is never a treat and if you know anything about sinning you will agree with me. We have all learned the hard way. Now is the time to rest in Christ and trust Him for the grace to cease from sinful treats.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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