The Descending Steps of Sin

Scripture:
"God gave them over to a depraved mind…" Romans 1:28

Observation:
Sin is seductive. It starts innocently and grows as long as I give it life. In verses 18-32 of Romans chapter 1, Paul issues a warning and outlines a process. The process reveals how my heart becomes hardened to sin. The warning is how God reacts.

Application:
I see for me today four steps that I can take which will lead to my heart becoming hardened and will allow sin to continue leading me down the descending steps of moral failure.

The first step I see which will start me on this downward journey is I can choose to suppress the truth. Just like Paul says in Romans 1:18-19, I recognize that God's still small voice is always there revealing to me something that I should or should not be doing. In His easy tone God speaks the truth. "Don’t go there. Don’t look. Don’t linger." I feel it more than I hear it. I have to chose to listen to it or suppress it. Listening stops the process and allows God to heal me and provide a way of escape. Suppressing it and continuing on leads to a reaction from God. His response is this; He gives me over to the lusts of my mind.

The second step that I take on the pathway to a hard heart is to choose another image over that of God. This is outlined in Romans 1:21-23. In essence, that is what sin is. I see something that I want but it is on a different path than the one God has for me. Or God asks me to do something but it will lead me in a direction that is opposite of where I want to go. I struggle because reality is I want both. In a moment of intense pressure and emotion I have to decide if I am going to exchange the glory of God for the thing my flesh craves. If I chose against God this time, His response intensifies and my lusts become degrading desires.

The third step in this continuing process is the acceptance of a lie. Early on in sin, I am fighting it. It brings high levels of remorse. I regret it and am broken. When I descend into the third level, I begin to rationalize what I am doing. I justify it. I kill the truth of God and replace it with a lie that fits my lifestyle. This is the phase of the process whereby I become deceived. As my choices get worse, so does God's reaction. At this point, degrading desires give way to a depraved mind.

The fourth step in this process is I lose my relationship with God. The lie takes over and I no longer acknowledge God in any part of my life. I come unraveled at the seams and my life spirals out of control. It is impossible for me to serve two masters. To love evil is to hate God. I can't acknowledge God and hate him at the same time. The depravity of my own mind becomes my worst enemy. This is the point of the process where I do things I would never dream of. This is the point where my life is consumed by my own evil desires.

Prayer:
This morning has reminded me of just how important it is to listen to Your voice. If I am honest with myself and with You, I have wrestled with this prayer. I do not want to pray it. I do not like this message as it brings an inconvenient truth to my life. This week, I saw a pastor at a well known church arrested for soliciting sex from a 13 year old girl. As much as it makes me sick at my stomach and causes anger to burn inside of me, it also reminds me that there is no end to sin. It leads people downward in a pit with no bottom. There is no way to control it. I have to change directions before I self-destruct. I am afraid. I need Your strength to become the man You desire for me to be. Reveal to me today the areas of my life where I am suppressing Your truth, choosing another over You, or accepting lies to rationalize my choices. I do not want to tolerate anything in my life that brings dishonor to Your name.