Hook, Line, Sinker
We have a special treat this week. My friend Adam Noles is our special guest writer for the week.
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” – Unknown
Sin always looks better than it actually is. That’s a part of the schemes of the father of lies, Satan. He presented the forbidden fruit to Eve as something that was good to eat, a delight to the eyes, and something that could make her wise. And she bought it. Hook. Line. Sinker.
Every fish that has tried to take a bite out of a lure thought they were going to get something tasty, something nourishing. However, they soon find out that the meal that they desired was a façade. They had been tricked. And unless the fisherman is only doing “catch and release,” this trick cost them their lives.
Now, sin does not always produce immediate regret. Sometimes sin feels good. Sometimes it makes us feel wise. Sometimes we get away with it. However, the Scriptures teach us that while we might enjoy it now, there are consequences later. Jesus says in John 8:34 that everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. Most of us are freedom-loving people, but Jesus shows us that when we continue to sin, it becomes our master. And this master dominates us, addicts us, destroys our relationships, gives us guilt and shame, and ultimately, ends in death. Paul says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23; cf. James 1:15). Eternal death is the payment that we earn when we live a life enslaved to sin.
Why would anyone sin, then? If it only brings enslavement, destruction, and ruin in our lives, why do we choose to sin? It is because sin always looks better than it actually is. It promises to be one thing: to give us satisfaction, the desires of our eyes, the pride of life (1 John 2:16). However, it only brings harm to our lives.
Do not believe the lies of the tempter. Sin will not end well for you, in this life or in the next. Remember that when you are tempted to disobey the Lord. Remember that when the temptation looks so good.
Challenge Questions: What are the lies that Satan tells you about the sin that you struggle with? What truth can you tell yourself in the heat of temptation to remember the cost of sin?
By Adam Noles