24 Feb The Big Lie
Most the time when we think of sin we think of doing something really bad. We think of things like adultery, murder, stealing. We tend to focus more on the behavior, but that’s only part of what sin is. If you recall in our confession at the beginning of our service, we confess that we have sinned “in thought, word, and deed.” Sin is obviously more than just what we do. David reminds us in Psalm 51 that sin is ultimately a matter of the heart when he prays, “Create in me a pure heart.” Sin is a matter of the heart. It is turning our desires away from God and the truth of his word and embracing a lie.
What is that lie? Think back to the Garden of Eden. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to eat from the tree God had forbidden by questioning God’s love when, in Genesis 3:5, he said, “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil.” The serpent’s lie is God is holding you back. He isn’t allowing you to live up to your full potential. He’s keeping you in the dark and when you eat from this tree you will be like him, and he doesn’t want that because he doesn’t really love you. “God doesn’t really love you.” is the lie behind the first sin and it is ultimately the lie behind every sin.
Think about it. Every time we sin we are saying we know better than God what is best for us. The truth is we need God, but the lie at the root of every sin is that we don’t need him. In our sinful nature, we seek satisfaction in everything but God.
This month we begin the penitential season of Lent. In this season we examine our hearts and we are reminded that we have bought into Satan’s lie. This season takes us on a journey to the cross to see what Jesus did about our sin. And on that cross the lie is exposed. No one can look at the cross and come to the conclusion that God doesn’t love them. The cross completely destroys that lie. The cross proves that God loves us. The cross proves that God provides us with all we need.
Have you bought into the big lie? You aren’t alone. We all have. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In this coming season of Lent, take the time to think about how your sins have led you away from God’s will for you. Look at the cross and see sin for what it is –A big lie.