The Shepherd Press Blog

Sin - Empty Promise, Bitter Fruit

      When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also  desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6
     So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. Ephesians 4:17-19

Dan raised an interesting question in his comment about the posts on lying. He asked, “How do we understand the "lies of sin," and how do we help our children see they have been lied to?” Dan, thank you for this insightful question. I want to take at least two posts to answer this.

We are all familiar with Adam and Eve and the Fall. What drove Eve to taste the fruit is the same temptation that drives your children to see sin as a good option. As Dan states, sin at its core is deceptive.

This deception takes at least two forms.

The first is that a particular sin will be satisfying and will do no harm. Sin, however, is never satisfying, as Ephesians 4 teaches. And as Eve painfully realized, sin does great harm.

The second form is that we believe that sin offers a shortcut to getting what we want. Translated, this means that we think we know better than God what is good for us.

Your child’s struggles with sin are tightly connected to these two points. And—as I am sure that many of you are also concluding—so are your own sins. Give this some thought. Think about the biblical narratives and find some examples of the deceptiveness of sin. We will delve more deeply into this topic in the next post. Dan, thanks again!

Olympic Thoughts

Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

The Olympics are winding down this weekend. There have been many successes and many disappointments. Michael Phelps grabbed the attention of the world by winning 8 gold medals and setting 7 world records. Usain Bolt was equally impressive, setting three world records by winning the 100 and 200 meter dashes and the 4x100 men’s relay. The U.S. Volleyball teams are playing for gold after a tragic start to the games. But there are heartaches as well. The images of those who lost are as haunting as those of the winners are jubilant. The U.S.4x100 relay team efforts were forever defined by the video footage of a dropped baton rolling aimlessly across the lanes of the track.

What to do about lying

Even from birth the wicked go astray;
  from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Psalm 58:3

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience —among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3

Don Fields’ comment and questions about lying have been on my heart during these posts on lying. Children’s lies are a harsh reminder of the nature of sin. To fully appreciate the immense power and value of the cross in our lives, we must have a profound sense of the ugliness of sin. This awareness must extend to your children as well. My children and your children come into this world as natural enemies of God. They would rather lie than tell the truth. They seek first and foremost to gratify their own passions and desires, even if it means that others will be harmed. They are by nature children of wrath. That is where you must start.

Lying to God

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." Acts 5:1-4

In one sense all lies are lies to God. However, as this passage in Acts shows, there is a particular type of lie that qualifies specifically as lying to God. I think of this as “lying on steroids.” Often, this lie is not about hiding things that are wicked, but about misrepresenting things that appear to be good, even righteous. This is where the greatest danger lies for children raised in Christian homes. That is why your parenting must go beyond addressing behavior.