Master or Master's Degree?
God warned Cain -- "...sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:3-8)
One thing we can all be assured of is that sin is "crouching at our doors". Sin is a deceptive and seductive creature. First of all, it's fun. That's right -- sin is fun. If it wasn't, none of us would sin, right? It's enticing to sin. Sin promises thrills and excitement, fulfills greed, amplifies power, satisfies lust. There are all sorts of sins. "Little" ones, like taking a few office supplies from our office to use at home. Or like "getting back at" someone who's wronged you. Or like gossiping about our neighbors. Sadly, among Christians, gossip is most often disguised as "sharing prayer concerns" -- in gory detail –- forgetting the fact that God lists gossip right up there next to the other sins He calls abominations, like adultery, homosexuality, and murder.
Cain achieved what might be called a "Master's Degree" in sin. Cain's sin started out pretty little. He made an offering to God that he knew ahead of time would not be acceptable. When God called him on the carpet about it, instead of admitting that he was wrong and correcting his wrongdoing, he became angry with God and jealous of his brother. His anger and jealousy soon turned to murderous rage that culminated in the murder of his brother. Rather than the wonderful life he might have had if he'd only done what God said, he ended up with a curse on his head and a Master's Degree in sin.
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Sin is like a sore that is not cared for which festers and grows and becomes infected. When we allow the "little" sins to remain un-mastered, the "big" sins are right there crouched at the door to our hearts, waiting for the moment that they can come in and become a part of us.
Rather than achieving a Master's Degree in sin, the sin in our lives must be mastered. Because sin is a fact of life - it is a fact of life all of our lives -- never going away. It is something that we must continually battle, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. It can be an exhausting battle, especially if we think we can master it through our own efforts. The truth is, we cannot master it alone. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to put sin under our heels and crush it. It is only through calling on the help of the Lord that we can have enough strength to fight this never-ending battle.
If trying to master sin is wearing you down, call on the Helper today. He will give you the strength you need to master the sin in your life.
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Ephesians 4:13
From Newsong Ministries
Used with Permission
