An Ocean of Sin

During the cold and sometimes rainy months of January and February, it is easy for people to feel down. We are content with cooler temperatures in the previous several months because they indicate that football, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are near. However, on January 1, we are left with frigid temperatures, overcast skies, and no major celebrations to make our discomfort seem worthwhile. Therefore, many people start dreaming about the warmth of May, June, July, and August when they will be outdoors frequently and able to more fully enjoy time with friends and family. Often, plans start to emerge for that all-important summer vacation. Anticipation builds toward experiencing a warmer climate with better scenery. When I was young, this meant a week in Panama City Beach with my family and several others. This was a tradition for us, and a highlight of the year.

As soon as we arrived, even before going to our room, we would walk directly to the beach, take off our shoes, and put our feet in the naturally heated Gulf of Mexico. During that entire week, we stayed there. We loved floating in the salt water and rolling with the waves as they neared shore. Because we were so focused on enjoying our time at the edge of the gulf, we rarely thought about how vast it is and how incredibly forceful it can be in when it shows its strength. Obviously, there are extreme examples of that power such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In a matter of hours, the sea thrust such destruction upon the land that 7 years later there are still homes in New Orleans that bear the scares of that night. However, that dominance can also be experience in more subtle ways. One year, several of us decided to float to a sand bar about 30 yards off shore. The water was calm, and once there we were able to stand easily with the water only reaching our knees. In a matter of minutes, the waves got higher and crashed onto us with more force. Before long, the waves overcame us. We would stand up only to be knocked down again. We clung to our plastic pool floats, hoping that somehow we would manage to escape the literal grip that the ocean had on us. We were helpless. Fortunately, an experienced local came to our rescue and muscled us back to the safety of the beach. The incident was a good reminder that beyond a certain point, it is easy to lose control and be trapped by a force that at first seemed so innocent.

James tells us that Satan operates in much the same way. He writes that “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14, ESV). We each have different things that tempt us. We each are enticed by things that we want personally. Satan lures us into situations in which it seems possible to have those things. Much like with the ocean, we believe that we can have a little fun at the edge without being trapped. Yet James further explains, “then desire, when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” It is a process. The process begins when we want things that we know we shouldn’t have. Then, we try to have as much of those things as we can while still remaining “safe.” However, the end result is that we go further than we wanted to go and become ensnared by sin and that eventually leads to our spiritual deaths.

It almost seems as if James is saying that there is a line between righteousness and sinfulness. Because we have sinful desires we try to get as close to the line as possible without actually crossing it. Satan though, being good at what he does, is able to drag us across the line before we even realize what has happened. He lures/leads us into a process that results in us being separated from God. That’s why the advice in James 4 is to run away from that line: “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, NET). It is much easier to be dragged across a line when you are standing right next to it. If you stay far away, though, it will be much more difficult for you to be enticed.

In 1 John 1, the apostle seems to indicate that there are two types of believers. There are those who accept a sinful lifestyle and there are those who believe they are immune to sin or that their sin does not matter when compared to their good works. The truth is that all Christians must realize that they decide every day how far to venture into the ocean of sin. They must decide how far they are willing to go, risking their own destruction. All sin is serious. All sin can separate us from God. Through Jesus, though, we are given the power to overcome sin, and be transformed into righteous people. We must make the decision to flee from sin and draw near to God, not see what sin we can get away with hoping that it won’t carry us too far from the shore.