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The Unbearable
Lightness of Sin
Used
to, whenever I put on black or dark pants, my mostly white calico cat
would eye me intriguingly. She’d circle, coming closer and closer,
preparing to give me an affectionate rub. I, on the other hand, was not
interested in her affection since the result was her shedding on me. The
encounter, while sweetly intentioned, would leave the "mark" of her fur
that was embarrassing and unattractive. So, I would step aside when she
approached.
Satan likes to approach us the
same way. When we’re all dressed up in our Sunday best, he will come at us like
a purring kitten, just wanting to rub up against us gently. Just a light touch.
It seems so innocent. So well intentioned. But the mark he would leave on us
isn't pretty. Just like Midas, one touch means death.
But what about that roaring lion
image of Satan? The one where he is seeking to devour? Isn't that who he is? And
then there’s this other portrayal of him being a seducer -- an angel of light.
Which is he? Angel of light or the devourer who seeks to kill, steal, and
destroy?
The answer is not an either/or
proposition. Satan is all and more.
Satan will do whatever it takes --
seduction or fear -- enticement or abomination -- nibble to death or devour in
one bite -- it's all the same to him. He is the ne plus ultra of multiple
personalities. His only goal is your death. First he takes your soul, then he
takes the rest.
A Christian has recourse against
the wiles of the devil through the blood of Christ. For believers, those who
give their ultimate allegiance to Jesus Christ, sin is a wound but not a death
blow if repented of. Sin is in our skin and part of our struggle. Through the
substitutionary death of Christ, holiness is possible for those who hide in Him
and keep Him in their hearts.
For others, those who reject the
salvation of Christ, who deny their need of forgiveness, who believe in their
own goodness, who ignore the weight of sin as nothing more than negative vibes
or pointless shame, they are truly lost. "The one principle of hell," stated
George Macdonald. "is ‘I am my own.’"
Ask an unbeliever and they will
say they are not lost. Ask them, and they will say there are many roads to
heaven. Ask them, and they will proclaim that only a cruel God would condemn
anyone to hell. Ask them, and they will tell you how good they are and how many
good things they have done. Ask them, and they will deny that the hold of sin on
their lives is real. The unforgivable sin is sin that is never acknowledged so
that it can be forgiven.
As Billy Graham has said, "God
will never send anybody to hell. If man goes to hell, he goes by his own free
choice. Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for man. God never
meant that man should go there."
My cat died a few years ago, so I
no longer have to worry about her fur on my clothes. Satan, however, is alive
and well and still very much seeking my and your destruction. And his methods
can be as subtle as the purring of a cat -- right before it sinks its claws into
your hand!
Sin recognized is a heavy burden.
Ignored, it can seem light as a feather. But in the end, for those who embrace
it or deny it, it is nothing but death. The only way for sin to be bearable is
to acknowledge and eradicate it with the blood of Jesus every time it tries to
brush gently up against us. Otherwise, when the purring becomes a hungry roar,
it might be too late.
“Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).
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