Sin-Killing

Never have I boasted of being a good housekeeper. There’s never any doubt people live here; no one has ever thought about eating off my floors; my kitchen sink wails of loneliness when empty; and, dust bunnies are the only pets here.

God repeatedly gave His children this directive: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Lev 11:44-45, Lev 19:2, Lev 20:7, 1 Peter 1:16). When Mama told me to clean my room, my idea was shoving as much as possible under the bed. The visible results were great! Then Mama would ask the question, “Is there anything under your bed?” Busted! This is exactly what Christians do with our sin at times; shove it out-of-sight, sweep it under the rug, pave over it with new intentions. This didn’t work for Achan in Joshua 7, who took for himself what was God’s. His buried treasure, when exposed, cost him dearly. Sin cannot be buried; it’s sure path offers no detours. Don’t we remember the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and life comes only when we “put to death the deeds of the flesh.” (Romans 8:13). Un-confessed sin doesn’t just go away – like sweeping dirt under the carpet or shoving stuff under the bed. No, sin always resurfaces, shows its ugly self often more notorious than before. John Owen writes, “Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror; yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of God, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet.” (Mortification of Sin). Do not be deceived, sin is a serious matter! To be holy as God is holy, sin must die and the blood of Christ is the only worthy Adversary. There’s no sin too dark, too addictive, too terrible, too challenging for Jesus Christ. He’s in the sin-killing business. Let sin die today!