Subtle Danger

Good day

We continue with the first Epistle of John.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us,” (1 John 1:8-10).

What is sin? One thing we must be very weary of, and that is to underestimate the enemy of our souls - Satan. The Bible says he “transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), that he comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10), and that “he was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it”, (John 8:44).

 

What is it Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy? Is it not our abundant life that Jesus came to give? What abundant life is Jesus talking about? Is it lots of money, a smart car, a mansion for a house and materially successful children, or fullness in Christ on earth and a treasure in heaven? In Luke 12:16-21 Jesus told the parable of the rich man who extended his material riches and then concluded with these words: “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” In the same way Jesus speaks at various other places against riches.

Sin in essence is disobedience. Therefore, if Jesus speaks against something and we still do it, don’t we sin? This is where the subtlety of the lie comes in. These sins will not be confessed, for they are not seen as sin.

Why did the Lord not accept Cain’s sacrifice back in Genesis 4? “So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it,’” (Genesis 4:6-8). He simply did not do his best and it was considered to be sin. He was given opportunity to repent, but instead chose to take revenge.

We need to be wary of the subtlety of Satan’s lies. Many things, which we do not consider to be sin, we keep on doing, and in essence say that we do not sin. We are therefore lying and deceiving ourselves, as John put it above. For example those who disobey Jesus’ command on lusting in their thoughts after a woman, and therefore committing adultery with her, are quick to feel guilty and repent, but those who disobey His commands on living in riches for their own benefit, continue as if nothing is wrong and actually justify themselves with one single statement taken from the Bible – they say it is not money that is the root of evil, but the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). Yet Jesus was quite outspoken on how money should be treated when He addressed the rich young man in Mark 10:17-22, the rich man in Luke 12:16-21 and in Matthew 19:23-24: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’”

I simply used money, God’s greatest enemy (Matthew 6:24), as an example of the subtlety of sin and the enemy’s lies. Sins like stealing and swearing are easily identified and confessed, but there are many sins that we do not see as sin and therefore deny we are sinning.

Many say that all our sins are forgiven because Jesus died for them, in other words that it is an automating process, which is one of the biggest lies aimed at robbing us from our peace and joy and abundant life in Jesus. If this were the case, why would John then have stressed the necessity to confess our sins?

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him,” (John 14:21). This includes all of the commands and not only the ones we have selected for our convenience.

Lord, please show us the sin we ignore.