The highway out of sin's dark power
Sinful acts always have their origin in some form of unbelief. Behind every sin is a lie. The root of all our behaviour and emotions is the heart—what it trusts and what it treasures. And people are given over to sinful desires because “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Rom. 1:24–25):
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (Eph. 4:17–19)
Humanity’s problem is futile thinking, darkened understanding, and ignorant hearts. We sin because we believe the lie that we are better off without God—that his rule is oppressive, we will be free without him, and sin offers more than God. This is true of every sin.
We can often identify specific lies behind specific sinful acts and emotions. I may envy, steal, or be anxious about money because I believe the lie that either consumer goods give meaning to my life or God doesn’t care for me. I may commit adultery or get depressed about my singleness because I believe the lie that intimacy with another person will give me more than God can give.
Of course, not many people think of themselves as believing lies! But every time we don’t trust God’s word, we’re believing something else—and that something else is always a lie. This is a radical view of sin. It means that some (though not all) of our negative emotions are sinful because they’re symptoms of unbelief, which is not only the greatest sin but also the root of sin. If we’re depressed or bitter, it may be because we believe that God isn’t being good to us, or he’s not in control.
Recognizing that behind every sin is a lie not only gives us a radical view of sin but also points us to the road out of sinful behaviour and emotions. That road is trust in God. Proverbs 4:18–23 says,
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs describes the road of trust in God as being like the first gleam of dawn. Maybe you feel like you’re in darkness, trapped in your behaviour, with negative emotions weighing heavily on you. Seeing them as symptoms of unbelief can be like the first ray of light in the darkness, a dawn. Hope begins with the realization that the answer is to be found by looking to God.
It’s a long road that takes a lifetime to travel, but with every step, the light of God’s goodness “shines brighter and brighter until full day” (4:18). We follow this road by paying attention to the word of God (4:20–21). God’s word is our road map. The gracious promises of God give true life and health (4:22). The truth will guard our hearts and therefore our lives (4:23).
