Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. Genesis 6:11-12 (NIV)
The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Psalms 14:2-3 (NIV)
Holiness is not static. Neither is sin. We are either going in one direction or the other. Not to dissimilar to the description of laziness – as the Bible puts it in Proverbs 6:9-11 - “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” A little wink at sin, a little indulgence – here and there - with any sin - can rapidly turn into a full embrace, Amen? Don’t play with fire if you don’t want to get burned.
The Bible tells us to flee even the temptation to sin and for good reason. God even provides the door of escape. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” The promise is God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear and He also provides a way out of it. Look for the door of escape just as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife was passionately pursuing him. Having a resolute mindset on this will serve you well.
When we wallow in depravity we become polluted by our sin. Like Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth who could never get the blood spot off her hand, plagued with a nightmare about her part in the murder and the blood that was had shed. Sin never ends pretty. It always carries with it a death sentence. Death to something be it love, trust, friendship or whatever. And the Bible tells us it leads to corruption which is never what sin promises.
As believers in Jesus, we have been given a new heart and we are to walk in Jesus’ statues and ways through His power. This is to take hold of life that is truly life. Though sin may continue to dwell in us, it is to be an unwelcome guest and not one we want to invite in and sit for a while. Sin is to have no dominion over us as it is odious to God and an offense against His pure holiness.
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalms 119:9-11 (NIV)