The ABCs of Sin

by David Gibson

A—The Attraction of Sin: Pleasure.

There is pleasure in gossip, pornography, fornication, alcohol, drugs, etc. Isn’t that why sin is so tempting? Satan really knows how to bait a hook! He doesn’t want us to know that sin is deceptive (Hebrews 3:13), its pleasures are passing (Hebrews 11:25), and its momentary pleasures are far outweighed by the joy of being within the will of God.

B—The Basis of Sin: Self.

Sin is the rejection of God—both of His goodness toward us and His authority over us. Two qualities can help preserve us from sin. One is gratitude. How can we take God’s good blessings and then rebel against Him? Another is humility. It takes humility to do His will instead of our own.

C—The Consequence of Sin: Death.

Sin results in alienation from God and eternal death (Romans 6:23; James 1:13-15; Revelation 21:8). Shouldn’t knowing what a high price tag sin carries make us all the more wary of it?

There is another set of sin ABCs:

A—The Answer to Sin: Christ.

He took the punishment we deserve, so we don’t have to pay the eternal penalty in hell. What He offers in its place is life that is life indeed (John 10:10)!

B—The Banishment of Sin: Forgiveness.

God promises to remove all our sins, every single one of them, when we respond in faith, repentance, and baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). What a wonderful God!

C—The Conquering of Sin: Sanctification.

We need not only to be forgiven, but also to root out the practice of sin in our lives, replacing it with a new, holy lifestyle (Colossians 3:5-17).

Sanctification means: 1) being separated from sin and the world, and 2) being set apart, devoted to God’s good purposes.

Sin.

May we see it for what it is: deceptive, defiling, destructive. It just isn’t worth it. It never is.

Christ.

May we see Him for who He is: the best Friend we could possibly ever have. Let’s obey Him!