siDEVO: Sin Cycle Blueprint

James 1:13-15 – “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

When sin is all you know, it can be work separating yourself from that mentality. For some people, sin gives them a sense of comfort. A sense of instant gratification. That was me. I found myself trapped in jail cell I had built with my own hands. I didn’t grow up in the church, but when I started, I heard that Christ would take my sins away. I was puzzled when some of my sin struggles continued with me, even after I had accepted Christ. I really thought the battle was over with my addictions, secrets and desires. I remember the first time I sinfully fell flat on my face after becoming a Christian. I wasn’t really sure how I got back to that point, but I was convicted and broken.

In Genesis 3, we find the “Fall of Man”. We all pretty much know the story…Eve was deceived, grabbed some fruit from a tree that God said was off-limits. Then, Adam and Eve ate of it and became separated from God. The Bible goes deeper than that, describing step by step what Eve was thinking as she sinned. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Verse 6). Eve got caught up in what she was looking at…it was pleasing to the eye, it satisfied her hunger and would give her wisdom. Do you see a desire to please God anywhere in that last sentence? No. For Eve and all of us, the fall begins with our pleasing “own evil desire” and forsaking God.

Eve took some of the fruit and ate it. Her desire brought sin and the sin brought death. Verses 11b-13, “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Rather than taking responsibility for their sinfulness, they drop blame on everyone else to make it easier for them to accept their sinful actions. God gave us the sin cycle blueprint in James. This blueprint allows us to step back and be observant of our current mind state. If you find yourself being tempted by internet pornography, step back and get rid of the internet. If you cannot control your tongue, step back and close your mouth. If something continually triggers you to sin, step back and get rid of it. (Matthew 5:29-30)

Sin equals death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23). God wants to free you from your own jail cell. His will is not for you to live in the shadows of addiction or a lifestyle of shame. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; Jesus has come that you may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) Jesus has his arms opened wide, waiting for you to forsake yourself and cling to Him.

Check the blueprint of scripture and build with Christ…

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