Devotionals

Sin A Dangerous Heart Guest

by Cheryl Weber
08/14/19
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Many of us have hosted house guests. Ideally, these are pleasant experiences that nurture relationships. But what if your houseguest takes over, kicks you out of your master suite, begins to abuse you? You are taken captive.

Allowing repetitive sin into our lives is like that mutinous guest. He seemed harmless at first but as we keep letting him have his way, we become entrapped. In Genesis 4:7, God urged Cain to master his jealous anger against his brother, speaking of it as though it were  a devouring monster crouching at Cain’s door, eager to control him. Sadly, Cain ignored God’s warning and murdered his brother. He paid the price for the rest of his life.

Have you allowed sin into your heart, focused on it, made excuses for it? Maybe it’s anger or gossip, lying, lust, or bitterness. What about self-pity, over-eating, or an addiction? Addictions to drugs or pornography can change areas of our brains such as our frontal cortex or the basal ganglia making the bondage even greater. 

The psalmist asks God in Psalms 19:13 to, “Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin” (NLT). Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:16 says we are slaves to the one we obey. 

Our only master should be Jesus, the one who alone died to break us free from sin. When we trust in his atoning sacrifice and his unconditional love, our hearts and minds are transformed and we have the power to choose what is right. We can evict our dangerous heart guest and experience God’s promised peace and joy.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you that through the cross, I can be set free from bondage to sin. I turn to you in repentance and trust in your power to help me live for you. Amen