^{Taking the fear out of sin…}

Judges 21:25

In those days [when the judges governed] there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes

 

^{As we have pursued a true grace filled life, fully led of the Holy Spirit, we as a people discover, that we must keep a careful watch upon the words we speak each day, and our actions, being quick to ask Jesus forgiveness when we miss it.}

^{As we have purposed to follow Him fully, we discover the fear of the Lord: not just an awesome reverence for who He is, but an actual respect and fear, as we submit to His intimate correction and chastening.}

Hebrews 12:6

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Hebrews 12:7

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

It is only those God intimately loves that He corrects, and disciplines…

Yet, it has been said that Jesus bore all of our sins, past, present and future, and that we live a grace filled life, full of love, mercy, goodness, with no consequences for sin.

Let’s look at this for a minute.

If I was the devil, and I wanted to destroy you, but recognized that you were now born-again, powerful, walking in kingdom authority, part of the rule and reign of Jesus, I would not confront you head on.

James 2:19

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Satan knows the awesome power of God, and his judgment to come, and he and his demons tremble.

So, what does he do?

He seduces through deception, and small compromises, and gets you to think that small compromises are okay, God won’t mind, and since the consequences of these compromises are not always immediate – He takes the fear out of sin.

He did it with Eve, in the age old lie, ‘Did God really say?’

Now, he had to replace the fear of consequences, with faith in no consequences.

Let’s look at it.

3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

² And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

³ But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

⁴ And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

⁵ For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

⁷ And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons

Notice, if you will the beginning of the deception: ‘Hath God said?’v1

Satan knows exactly what God said, and He also knows that if you obey what God said, He has no power over you, you are unstoppable.

Notice the next verse, the woman said that we should not eat NOR touch the fruit of the tree.

Here we see her deception, because she had added to the specific commandment of God given to Adam.

^{Gen 2:17} But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die

Now, the devil lies with specific intent: He says, ‘You shall not surely die’ then he presents glorious rewards,

^{Gen 3:5} For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Here is the wonderful deception. ‘You shall be like gods’

1. They were already like gods. Adam was god of this world, with full authority and dominion to rule the earth, with God.
2. Knowing good and evil – Satan knew evil, Eve did not. The Bible said she was deceived. Yet, satan’s deception was very good: 1. Disobey the clear commandment of God 2. There will be no consequences for your disobedience 3. You will become greater than you are, like a god.

There is much that can be said here, but the point Holy Spirit has me to make is simple:

Satan works on us by taking the fear out of sin.

More specifically, he takes the fear of the consequences of sin from us.

So, he begins his work on us, just like he did Adam and Eve, because he is at least as smart as Balaam, and knows that if he can get us doing enough hardened sin, God Himself will destroy us.

This is wonderfully illustrated in the Christian movie, ‘TimeChanger’

As I read this passage of Scripture, I was reminded of this truth.

 

^{Ezekiel 21:}

²⁴ “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Again and again you remind me of your sin and your guilt. You don’t even try to hide it! In everything you do, your sins are obvious for all to see. So now the time of your punishment has come!

Isaiah 5:21

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever and shrewd in their own sight!

Just because consequences were not instant, does not mean they will not come.

More and more I feel like a voice crying out in the wilderness, with tears in my eyes, and heart full of love for God and His people, crying REPENT!

So few hear, so few apparently care…

Let’s pray:

‘Father, You are holy. Your Word is true. Search me, show me, and give me grace to live holy, pure, and sinless in Your sight, not just positionally through Jesus blood, but practically, in my daily thoughts, words and deeds. I ask you come as a refining fire and grant me purity of heart and motive. I ask, knowing I am heard and answered, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus.”