Consequences of Hidden Sin and Beauty of Undeserved Grace

It's funny how temptations seem to come out of seemingly nowhere in my life and grab me by the throat. Have you ever felt the burning passion just to sin 'that one time' or 'one last time'? You say to yourself things like, 'no one will know except me..well..and maybe God..but come on..just this one last time.' Sometimes the thought process isn't as conscious, other times, it's a very conscious thought process. In times like this where my mind is so focused on sinning, how do I still find victory in Jesus? This passage says it all.

This chapter shows to me the consequences of sin, even if it is hidden to everyone but yourself. Here, Achan sinned by taking things under the ban. He hid them in the ground..how harmful could it be if no one knew? The crazy thing is that his sin had crazy repercussions. Not only was he stoned and burned to death, but so was his family. He caused consequences not only to himself, but also to those that were closest to him. Furthermore, he also was the reason Israel lost to Ai. His sin had gone as far as harming his nation.

Sin still affects us and the ones around us today. A simple example is probably some of the most tempting sins committed by all people, the sins of the heart that no one else can see. Seemingly harmless, especially since there is not even any action involved. But the truth is, these sinful turning of our hearts against God have great impact on the people around us, especially those closest to us.

Still, was Achan's death after his confession truly warranted? After all, our sins still have effects on those around us, but we don't get burned for sinning right? Why did he have to get burned? A little unruly...However, the more I read this chapter, the more I realized that it wasn't about why Achan had to be stoned and burned. The question should be, why don't I have to be stoned and burned? This chapter shows God's extreme hate and distaste for sin. We all have sin that cause us to be worthy of being stoned and burned in light of His holiness. And yet, the Word became flesh. God incarnated in lowly flesh that we might be washed clean of all our sin. He came to save us! He became flesh. He became weak. He died. He did all this, that we might live and not have to die as Achan died.

Sin cannot be conquered by trying to earn our own righteousness or by dodging the consequences of God. Sin can only be conquered through Jesus's death on the cross. By His death, we are able to also put to death sin and bury it...and resurrect with Him that we might truly live without being enslaved to the burning passions of our flesh.

So how do we conquer the 'flaming arrows' that theevil one throws our way? We still are tempted to do 'hidden sins' even as Christians. The practical solution that I find in this passage is to stop and think when temptations are strongest. The nature of temptations (at least for me) is to act now and to think later. In the midst of temptation, I need to stop and think of the consequences of my sin. How it will affect me and many people around me. I need to get out of the thought process of sinning and instead, think about what there is to actually gain from sinning--always something inconsequential in the grand scheme of eternity. The consequences of my sin, are therefore a real and constant reminder to me about why I should not sin. After being reminded of this, I must then bring my thoughts back onto the grace of God and not get stuck on avoiding the consequences. By following this thought progression, I find a practical way to get myself out of the vicious temptations of sin and into the victory of His undeserved death on the cross.

Created 8 months ago