Against… Yourself!

Harrod did evil, he imprisoned and eventually killed John the Baptist. His motivation in this was to allow himself to continue in his own sin. Harrod enjoyed his sin. It was pleasant, fun, comfortable. Sin always is in the beginning… Sin looks attractive, feels good, and is enjoyable when it starts. But it soon puts your eyes and heart on you and only you.

Harrods eyes were on himself. All he could see was his sin. His wish came true, he was allowed to continue living in his sin. His sin increased. John was dead. And inside Harrod, the heart grew cold and fearful.

Then along comes Jesus with the greatest message of all time, true peace, effective forgiveness, rest at last. But Harrod’s eyes were still on himself, so he saw Jesus as just another attack on himself. He saw another attack on his sin. He assumed John had returned because all Harrod could see was Harrod and his pleasurable sin.

We do the same. Once we justify a sin in our life, we become defensive. Well meaning people may cross our path without even knowledge of our sin, and we lash out at them defensively. We fear them. We strike first because we assume they are out to get us. We reject them because all we can see is ourselves, and our sin.

Oddly, Jesus would set Harrod free from the fear of loosing his sin. Jesus would show Harrod forgiveness through repentance. But Harrod did not see the big message, he only saw another attack on his own pleasurable sin. Harrod completely missed true life, because Harrod’s eyes remained on Harrod.

Sin does this. It turns our hearts inward. Sin becomes a parasite living off us, destroying us, draining us slowly. We become addicted to the pleasure of sin and justify, defend, even attack to preserve it. We see the world through the filter of our sin. We pervert truth in our mind through a cloud of half truths. We can not see anything but our sin. It becomes life. All else, all that really matters fades away into the shadows.

I’m not referring to just a deep addiction to drugs. Sin is sin… Disobedience. It’s any act of not following God, in any area of life. Hate is just as sinful as murder. Envy is as sinful as theft. Adultery is as sinful as witchcraft. Sin is simply disobedience … Any disobedience.

The answer? Confession and repentance. Give up the sin. See the big picture. Life is bigger than your sin. Seek life! Trust Jesus to bring you back to Himself, the true gospel. Seek Him regardless of personal consequences. He is always the answer.

And then your eyes see light. Truth. Peace. No more fear. No regrets. Rest in Jesus.

Go and sin no more.