Devotional:
Sin is more than a bad decision made at the moment. Most of the time, sin stems from a pattern of behavior we aren’t addressing. It’s rarely because we didn’t know something was sinful or didn’t recognize we were entertaining sin. Most of the time, we know better. We just refuse to be honest with ourselves or those who will hold us accountable.
How many times have we told only half of a story or sugarcoated our actions to avoid being told we were in the wrong and at fault for what happened? The more we excuse our behavior or overlook where we are, the more second nature sin becomes.
This is what happened to the people in Revelation 9. Revelation 9:20-21 says, “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” Their sin didn’t happen overnight. It was a pattern of behavior developed over time. They avoided accountability, and it led to destruction.
We can move past our sin if we’re willing to confess our sin to other believers and change our behavior. James 5:16 says; “admit to one another that you have sinned. Pray for one another so that you might be healed.”
God has a plan to heal all of us from our sin. His name is Jesus, and His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins past, present and future. If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart, you don’t have to live in sin anymore. If we admit that we’ve sinned, Jesus promises to forgive our sins and give us a new beginning (1 John 1:9).
Reflect:
- How have you seen sin leave long-term effects on your relationships? your finances? your walk with Jesus?
- Is there anything in your life now that you know does not honor Jesus and needs to change? What is it?
- Is there anyone in your life that you can confess to? If so, who? If not, maybe your next step is to join a group. Go to bedfordalliance.church/d-groups to learn more.