Articles
How Sin Works
How Sin Works
Dwayne Butler
Higden Church of Christ
The story has been told about a lady in a diet club who came in lamenting that she had gained weight. During the weekend, she made the mistake of making her family’s favorite cake. She reported to the others in the club that half of it was eaten at dinner without her even taking a glance at it. She wasn’t interested in it at all. However, on the next day, when the family was no longer around, she kept staring at the cake. The temptation to cut just a thin slice became stronger and stronger. Finally, she cut a thin slice. In her words, it was so thin you could almost see through it. But then, the unthinkable happened. One slice led to another, and then another, and then another, and before she knew it, the whole half of the cake was gone.
The lady went on to tell us how upset she was with her lack of will power and how she knew her husband would be disappointed. Of course, everyone in the diet club did the best they could to encourage her. They even told her that it was just a one time mistake and all she had to do was leave it behind her and get back on the right track. There was nothing but kindness and encouragement and understanding. But right in the middle of that, someone asked her what her husband said when he found out. The lady smiled, and then the craziest answer came out. “That’s really why I’m upset. My husband never found out. I made another cake and I ate half of it too!” Everyone was speechless!!
Friends, does that remind you of anything?? I think that’s exactly what sin wants us to do. It wants us to cover up sin with even more sin, and after that, it wants us to continue to cover it up with more sin. That is exactly what sin does. See if that’s not exactly how James described the enticement of sin: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren” (James 1:13-15). Now think of the illustration above. The temptation (the cake) was there. Each time she walked by, the temptation grew stronger and stronger. Finally, temptation won and she began to do what she should not do. In order to cover up her mistake, she became even more deceitful.
If we are not careful, we will cover up our sins with more sin and deception. And though we may get away with it while we’re here, we need to be careful, because, “our sins will find us out” (Numbers 32:23). Sin will chew us up and spit us out when it’s done with us, and too often, it doesn’t get finished with us until we are hopelessly lost. Friends, let’s not let that be any of us, because God has given us a great Savior who has overcome sin; His Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 4:4).
