Can You See Your Sin?
5 minute read
I’m a bad news first kinda gal.
Is anyone not? I’d love to pick your brain as to why you’d like to be floating on good news first only to be leadened later, but no judgement.
Jk. I’m totally judging you.
And guess what? Judging others is on the list of the things God hates. Such a strong word. I don’t know about you, but when I hear what God hates, I’m all ears. Today we’re digging into the “bad news”, and here’s why:
In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul tells us: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Fear and trembling = humility. So with humble hearts and a promise to discuss allllll the good news next week… here we go!
The 7 Deadly Sins
Guess what? These were straight up created by man, and they’re not scriptural. They’re based on scripture, yes, but there’s nowhere in the Bible that says, “These are the 7 deadly sins...” Did you already know that? You probably did. I just learned that today though. Yay me.
So while there’s no list of 7 Deadly Sins, there is a list of 7 things God hates and detests.
Yowza.
Specifically, in the NIV version of Proverbs 6:16, it says, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him…”
Verses 17-19 lay out these 7 things, and as you’ve likely guessed, we’re going to take a tour of each.
1. The Lord hates Haughty Eyes
Yoosh. If you know me well… you know I can serve some seriously haughty looks. My face tells exactly what I’m feeling, and it’s a problem. And really, these eyes have had quite a tenure of haughtiness. I distinctly remember sitting in a booth at Chili’s in Amarillo across from my parents at probably 7 years old, and my dad said, “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady.”
I didn’t even know I’d done it. I didn’t even know what rolling my eyes was… and there I was, doing it like a pro.
Just this morning, I had some haughty eyes too guys. I pulled up next to a car with a bumper sticker I didn’t particularly care for, and I peered inside at this person feeling completely superior. Haughty. Proud. Better than. And I didn’t even know her!
Haughty eyes apply to anytime we judge someone. Ouchie.
2. The Lord detests a Lying Tongue.
If you do not believe in the Doctrine of Internal Sin, please, I beg you, come spend a day with a toddler.
They liars, y’all.
And while it’s teachable moment after teachable moment and honestly kind of funny how BOLDLY my daughter can lie about not climbing up the cabinet into the candy jar while she has chocolate on her shirt and face, it’s not so cute when it’s an adult.
When it’s me. When it’s you.
I find myself in this lying pickle when it’s something I don’t want to do. Why can’t I just say, “Thank you for inviting me, but I cannot make it!” vs. “Ahhhh that sounds SO fun! I’m going to do my best to make it, but ablaksdfalsd halerhealsdhf asldfjas lie lie lie lie lie lie ahdkfjahsdf ladhfklasdhfa!”
Blech. Shutup woman.
These are obviously silly examples, but lying can also be super sneaky and super destructive. Manipulation, leaving out information, falsifying documents, fudging numbers, secretive behavior. This can and will lead to destruction of relationships with people and with God.
3. The Lord hates Hands that Kill the Innocent.
When you hear the word innocent, what do you envision? I personally envision both Andy Dufresne of the Shawshank Redemption and a sweet, little newborn baby. Not in the same room hangin out per se, but rather as alternating visions of innocence.
Those babies are innocent. Andy was innocent. I firmly believe it’s our job as citizens of heaven to do whatever we can to stand up for and pray for the innocent: be it babies, children, widows, the needy, the wrongly accused, anyone caught in the crossfire of drug wars, sex trafficking, heck even medical malpractice... and the list goes on. I’m edging out of my intellectual league with the previous statement, so I’ll leave it at that and shift gears toward another kind of killing...
Did you know we can also murder people with our tongues? I’ve killed so many people with my sassy mouth I should be in Shawshank for life.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” What a crock. I’m murdering whoever wrote this jingle with my tongue (err fingers?) right now. Our words MATTER and they hurt!
4. The Lord detests a Heart that Plots Evil.
What is considered evil? Anything offensive to God is evil. He is only good. So anything that isn’t good… is evil. That’s like a lot of things y’all.
I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the most profound things I ever heard the Lord say to me was, “Their calculations are not your concern.”
Why people do what they do is between them and God. Why I do what I do is between me and God, and the same goes for you too. In the words of the hilarious John Crist, “Check your heart.”
If your motives have even an inkling of evil, manipulation, opportunistic behavior or passive aggression behind them, God already knows. Check yo’ heart!
5. The Lord hates Feet that Race to Do Wrong.
When I hear this, I immediately think of our days wrapping houses, running and “hitting the deck!” whenever a car drove by… ahh the good ol’ days!
While yes, wrapping houses was technically “wrong”, whatever, we were kids and man it was fun.
Nowadays though, feet racing to do wrong weighs a little heavier. Racing to indulge in that dark sin no one knows about (even if it’s technically not outwardly harming anyone) is deteriorating your soul. I have mentioned before struggling with a binge eating disorder coupled with over-exercising. The high I would get racing into the kitchen when something stressful or something I didn’t want to feel would quickly dissipate and turn to shame just moments after it came… and it sure as hell never did anything but harm me! The residual effect of running my poor little knees into the ground out of punishment for overeating never brought joy, only more heaviness.
BUT GOD!
If you feel stuck in a sin cycle you think is too awful for anyone to know about it - I’m here to tell you it isn’t. An affair. A pornography addiction. A drinking or drug problem. An eating disorder. All of these and more do us absolutely NO GOOD when they’re in the dark. The moment. THE MOMENT. You bring this into the light by telling someone (anyone in Christ!), the battle is already won. Yes, there will be work, but I can promise you one thing, it cannot heal or go away in the dark. It’s a fungus. Let the Lord of light shine into your dark and heavy. He can handle it, and He.
6. The Lord detests a False Witness Who Pours Out Lies.
Now I’m not sure if this means someone falsely accusing another person OR someone who gives out false doctrine, but neither one is good.
I find myself tiptoeing through the latter with this blog. I do not present myself as an expert or a theologian, and if there’s something you read you believe disagrees with scripture, pleaaaase call it to my attention.
And out in the world, the former can rear its ugly head especially when gals gather round to chat. One person says one thing about someone, and a match has been struck. Countless times I’ve been guilty by piping in either with my voice or in my silence. I need to do better!
7. The Lord hates a Person Who Sows Discord in a Family or in a Community.
Nobody likes a pot-stirrer, a busybody, a manipulator. Let’s all do our best to not be those people in our families and in our circles! For the record, saying “Bless her heart” before ripping her apart is not ok. (Guilty!!!)
Scriptural suggestions this week are to take something God hates each and day and do business with Him to dig out any unconfessed sin. After each time of confession, meditate on the suggested verses to start replacing the yuck while keeping a right view of the cross (aka the best news ever). And check back next week for a deep dive into a whole lotta good news, k? K.
Day 1: Confession of haughty eyes; Psalm 131
Day 2: Confession of a lying tongue; Proverbs 12:19
Day 3: Confession of killing the innocent; Psalm 139
Day 4: Confession of plotting evil; Hebrews 4:12
Day 5: Confession of feet racing to do wrong; 1 John 1:5
Day 6: Confession of False Witness; John 17:17
Day 7: Confession of sowing discord; James
Father God, we are sinners! For some of us, it’s hard to see our sin. We don’t want to sit in the muck. We want to be free! But really we know, the only true way to be free is through your Son and His work for our sins on the cross. Thank you Father! God this week, I pray for wisdom and discernment for the person reading this prayer and doing the work. God protect them from evil, only listening to the Holy Spirit’s gentle convictions and never Satan’s lies. God you are such a loving Father full of grace and mercy. Pour it out on us as we sit at your feet! In your perfect Son’s name I pray, Amen.