Resources/Articles
Slipping Right Into Sin (1)
How often do you use the words “Be careful”? Every day? Every time your child goes outside? Every time someone leaves home? Those same words are implied in the statement made in 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Wherefore he that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Therefore, we should never assume we are incapable of falling. At any moment, given the circumstances, ANY of us are capable of slipping into sin…
Have you ever watched someone fall and hurt themselves? You may have seen it coming and watched helplessly as the person fell. Would warning them have made any difference? God hopes it will for us spiritually.
To avoid slipping into sin, God wants you to know about the great con - Satan. The devil is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). He is a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He looks like “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). He wants every day to end in anger (Ephesians 4:27). He is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is our “adversary” (1 Peter 5:8), who leads us into darkness (John 3:19,20)…
God has exposed Satan’s traits. He has never told anyone to outsmart him, bargain with him, trick him, hide from him, embarrass him, or blame him. God tells us to resist, flee, expose, and defend ourselves from him (James 4:7; 1 Timothy 6:11; Ephesians 5:11; 6:10-12). Amazingly, in spite of the warnings, people let Satan do what he wants with their lives, and God watches them slip right into sin. When will we ever learn and listen to God? It is He who provides a way to escape (1 Corinthians 10:13)…
You may have watched people slip into sin. You probably noticed the signs of spiritual weakness. The process was slow. The more you heard them talk and watched their actions, you could tell they were losing the battle, and Satan was winning. How does a person slip right into sin? Read and meditate upon Mark 14:27-72 as we notice the following:
(1) Overconfidence. In spite of the repeated warnings of Jesus, Peter refused to believe he was a candidate for failure (vv. 27-31; 66-72). He thought, as so many do, “It’ll never happen to me.” Let us all understand deliverance from temptation and sin is not dependent upon human position, pride, and power. God is.
(2) Prayerlessness (vv. 32-38). There were a lot of temptations on the night of Jesus’ betrayal and trial. Watchfulness by prayer would be an integral part of overcoming those temptations. Peter, James, and John fell asleep. Jesus asked them to pray, but their prayerlessness put them one step closer to sin. What are your chances of slipping into sin with prayer versus without it? Think about 1 Peter 5:6-8. Cast your anxiety upon God (Pray). Why? The devil seeks to devour you.
(3) Distancing from God (vv. 50,53,54). Peter followed Jesus from “afar off”. For whatever reason, people stand at “arms length” away from Jesus. Maybe they are afraid they will catch something like love, hope, peace, and joy, but the greater our distance from God, the greater the chance we develop “friendship with the world” (James 4:4), which makes us an enemy with God. Distancing yourself from God will not make things better. Being away from God will increase guilt and regret. The longer you stay away, the harder it is to come to Him (Hebrews 6:4-6). The only way to be close to God is to draw near to Him (James 4:8).
(4) Fellowship with the wrong crowd (vv. 66-70). Peter was affected by the crowd where he sat observing what would be done with Jesus. Such fellowship with evildoers led to his denial of Jesus three times. To say the company you keep has no affect on you would be a lie. Pressure from the wrong crowd yields itself to a greater chance of sin. If you say you love the Lord, is your association more with those who love Him or deny Him? “Be not deceived. Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Next week, we will consider the recovery process from slipping right into sin. Until then, watch and pray...
