Hate it.

If you know me personally, then you know or will know at some point in our relationship that I absolutely abhor bananas. I mean I HATE them with a passion! I can’t stand the smell of them and certainly don’t want to be around you when you’re eating one. I mean my stomach turns just walking into a smoothie shop!

I know that sounds dramatic, but isn’t that the response we typically (I probably need to see a therapist about bananas) have towards something we hate? If we hate it enough we have physiological effects, like my stomach does in a smoothie shop. Hate is absolutely a strong word, but I fear that we water down its meaning when we talk about sin.

We like to say or think that we hate sin, but really we don’t. Why else would we catch ourselves flirting with it at times, making excuses for the “little” ones? Let me correct myself here, don’t want to remove myself too much from this by writing in third person, and I certainly don’t want to project that onto you either…you probably don’t struggle with it like I do.

Last night I had a weird dream. Someone I knew walked into a room and my friend and I made some comment about what she was wearing… I was instantly disgusted by our response and would not allow us to continue the conversation. I woke up with the weird feeling that slowly but surely I had been allowing myself to sin in the form of gossip…how did I get here? I HATE gossip!

Ever use leaven for anything? Ever notice how you could use the smallest amount of it and it contaminates the whole batch, causing it to double or triple in size? Well that’s what sin does. If you make the smallest room for it in your life, you might as well swing wide open the door to your heart for Satan to come have a party in it.

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws… so speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. James 2:10, 12.

Sis, I don’t know what sins you’ve made room for in your life, whether that’s coveting someone else’s life or possessions, jealousy and often catch yourself throwing shade at others, maybe you tell a lie or “embellish” the truth, or perhaps you’re in a relationship you know you’re not supposed to be in, whatever that is for you, know this- we’ve been commanded to FLEE from sin!

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. Romans 13:14

Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Read 1 Cor. 10:13-11:1

You know how in action movies sometimes the good guy has to flee from the bad guy in order to better position him/herself to fight the enemy? They’ll usually find some obvious “hiding” spot, but that gives them just enough time to come up with a plan to take down the bad guy? Yeah, Like that. You can’t spend your entire walk being afraid to sin- because that puts you in more sin, but instead you gotta flee from it AND go to your obvious hiding spot, center yourself around the Word of God, and position yourself to overcome temptation.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

We see God have a VERY overt response to sin- He allowed his beloved son to become the very thing He hated, and then let us crucify Him so that we can be saved from the wages of sin! Why do we, why do I, think I can let some things fly, like some sins are less sinful than others? My savior took on the brutality of the cross so that I may no longer be separated from Him. He died and rose again so that I may live free of the defeat of sin.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

We CANNOT love God and entertain our sin. We simply cannot. We can’t afford to be lenient towards sin in our life; and just like we can’t be saved without the repentance of Sin, I believe, we can’t be freed from unrepented sin.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

May we be women of strong convictions, cheering each other on to living more authentically by confessing our sin to God and to one another.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:19

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