Safe Sin
Genesis 3:1-4; Ezekiel 18:20-23
“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” (Gen. 3:4-5 ESV)
From the very beginning, the old Devil has been trying to convince mankind that they can sin and still be “safe”. In the Garden of Eden, with tongue in cheek, and fingers crossed behind his back, he told Eve to go ahead and disobey God, and that she would not instantly drop dead. God had referred to spiritual and eternal death, but the Devil got her to thinking only of the physical and temporal, the sweet now and now, and how appealing and lovely that forbidden fruit looked. Today the same devil tries to “hook” us in similar fashion. He wants to persuade us that God does not really mean what He says in His Book; and that we will be smarter and more intelligent if we just forget those old rules and regulations. “Just do what comes naturally,” he says. Unfortunately, since the Fall, what comes naturally to the unregenerate and unsanctified heart and mind, comes from the inbred carnal nature, that “bent” toward sinning with which we are all born. Hence our decisions and actions will be wrong and sinful a great majority of the time. The SIN Principle ruling inside always results in SINS on the outside.
But HALLELUJAH! God has the answer to the “nature” problem. Read 2 Peter 1:3, 4. When we by the cleansing of the blood, and infilling with the Holy Spirit, become partakes of His Divine nature, and as we grow daily in grace and knowledge, our inclinations and our desires will constantly be more and more in line with His perfect will. That is now our nature. And of course, thank God, we have a never-failing guide and map book, THE BIBLE. When there is the least doubt or question concerning any impulse or desire we should immediately clear it with God’s Word, and act accordingly. Holiness in action is great and practical, and it works every time!
Rev. John F. Kunkle
Pure in Heart Ministries 