Sin Nature--It's so Adorable

Our baby grandson loves to come to our house. He comes in smiling, we hug him and love him as he smiles at us, we put him on the floor and he smiles as he races on all fours to his favorite toys – the electric cords, the fire extinguisher, and the toilet. Of course, he wants to put his mouth on them, and, especially the electric cords, bite them with his two teeth. He already knows we do not want him to play with those things. We give him colorful, fun things that make noise and roll around and are fun to bite. But, no, he insists on going for those things we don’t want him to have.

People say the sin nature shows up early. But he’s so cute! We can’t be mad at him. And he’s so young! It can’t be too bad (yet).

Unfortunately, we may continue to have such a casual attitude toward our own sins, as adults. But it’s so ____________ (fun, harmless, fashionable – fill in the blank). And we’re so _____________ (innocent, not as bad as others, in special circumstances – fill in the blank).

How do our favorite sins, or even the ones that bother us but we keep them, fit in with the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience”? II Cor. 10:5,6.

Every thought? Thoughts can’t be that bad. But God’s Word says, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Luke 6:45

Every disobedience? Ouch.

My husband was once talking to a co-worker who told him, “Yes, I know it’s a sin, but I’m not going to give it up.” At least she was honest. But we don’t want to be that honest. We want to excuse ourselves, as we excuse our baby. (Our excusing does not necessarily apply to other people, unless they are harboring the same sins we enjoy.)

Let’s be honest – for our eternal good. God says, of sin, “for the end of those things is death.” Romans 6:21 That’s not adorable. It’s not fun. And it’s not for our good. It’s like biting the electric cords, just because it’s fun.

We try to protect our little children from the serious consequences of poor choices. So does God. He tells us what to avoid and He gives us all good things. Don’t be a baby.

--Lynda Shenefield