The Subtle Hook in Temptation
June 15, 2010
On Sunday, we thought a little bit about the nature of sin, and how it is an invitation to slavery and death. Paul pointedly asked the believers in Galatia how they could go back to slavery when they had been set free in Christ. This past week as I was reading How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp, I came across a really helpful statement on this subject of slavery and sin. It reminded me of the character of sin – subtle, pervasive, deadly, and blinding. Lane and Tripp write,
“The subtle hook in temptation is not simply that I can have something I want, by that I can have it without any consequences. The temptation presents itself as the way to freedom and life; actually it is a path to slavery and death” (Tim Lane & Paul Tripp, How People Change, 201).
Remember the truth about temptation and sin – that it is an invitation to slavery and death. Don’t just remember that truth, remember also that Jesus is our true source of freedom and life. We turn from sin in order to turn to Jesus. And here’s the really remarkable think about our Savior: he knows who we are, he knows what we’re tempted toward, and he knows how we have sinned, yet he invites us to come to him. As we give him our sin-stained rags in repentance and faith, he gives us the garment of his righteousness that is whiter than snow. Turn from sin and turn to Christ, our loving, compassionate, sympathetic, gentle, and gracious Savior.
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