Psalm 36:1-2 There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.
God takes sin very seriously. So should we.
Throughout the Old Testament, God gave his people standards to live by. And consequences if they didn’t. Aaron’s sons, Abihu and Nadab, offered incense to the Lord, contrary to his command. And they died (Lev. 10). Achan stole plunder from the ruins of Jericho, disobeying God’s instruction. Not only did he die, but his whole family was stoned (Josh 7). Even eating the wrong food resulted in punishment. Steak and lamb chops were in, bacon and lobster were out. Yes to locusts; no to shrimp (Leviticus 11). God wanted to establish a clear distinction between the clean and unclean, the holy and unholy.
Jesus set a new standard. He taught it wasn’t what entered the mouth that defiled a person, but what came out of it. Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, lies and sexual immorality erupt from dirty hearts in need of cleansing (Matt 15:19). Let’s stop making excuses. We can’t brush it off when we detect unforgiveness, jealousy and impurity in ourselves.
Sadly, we live in an age where we seek to justify about every sin imaginable. The culture preaches tolerance, but the only thing it doesn’t tolerate is calling sin, sin. And with no sin comes no responsibility to repent, to change. The psalmist describes us well. We put ourselves in the place of God and have no fear of consequences. So we lose the ability to even detect our sin.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas once remarked how his grandparents taught him about the downward spiral of living “outside the guardrails.” He said, “if you lie, you will cheat; if you cheat, you will steal; if you steal, you will kill.” Of course, not all lies result in murder, but once we set up our own boundaries, our hearts can be deceived far more easily than we realize
I’m grateful for God’s grace, but let’s not take it for granted. An old hymn admonishes us to “lay [our] deadly doings down. Down at Jesus’ feet.” Are there areas in your life you need to lay at his feet? He stands ready to help you stop the death spiral and give you a life of true freedom..