The Greatest Illusion- My Sin Isn't That Bad-Day 3

My husband took the kids in my new car to the movies one night. To save a little time and money, they grabbed supper and ate in the car on the way. All of a sudden that new car smell was long gone. 

When I got into my car the following morning, I could tell you exactly what everyone ordered, and wondered who got onions. Some foods are worse than others, (you can most certainly smell an onion from a mile away), but all food is going to leave a lingering smell, especially when the trash is just left laying around. 

I didn’t hate my car. The engine still ran beautifully, the seats were comfortable, and it had room for all my kids. But I did hate the smell of it. 

Hate is not commonly seen as a virtue, but in Romans 12:9, we are told to hate sin. Hate is the precursor to “hold fast to what is good”

Without the hating of evil and sin, we diminish our ability to love. Rather than comparing ourselves to other sin and saying that our sin is simply not that bad, we would hate it. We can’t beat the sin in our lives without Jesus, and his sacrifice, and we can’t ask for help if we are constantly diminishing it through comparison to others. We need to hate the sin in our hearts.

Our hearts and minds are in a battle with our sinful desires. God’s word indicates that dealing with sin is like a battle-something has to die.

So how can we do that? How do we put to death the sinful things?

Step 1 in getting rid of our sin is acknowledging that we have it.
Step 2 is hating the sin in our hearts, because ignoring it, or comparing it to others to minimize it, only allows it to grow.

Tomorrow we will look at Step 3!

God, I hate the sin that is filling my heart and mind. I hate the sin that I justify by comparing it to others. Lord, you know even more sin within me than I even know, but I also know that you can help me to get rid of this. I know that you are the only one who can help break the hold that it has on my heart, mind, and body. I know that it won’t be easy, but I also know it will be worth it.