THE SUBTLENESS OF SIN

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” ~ Psalm 1:1

REFERENCE:

Psalm 1:1-6

It is often said, “If the devil came as a two-horned beast draped in a red cape with a pitchfork, many people would never be victims of satan’s shenanigans.” However, the devil is the master of subtlety and guise. He comes as a harmless thought, a handsome young man, an innocent proposal to get wealth, etc. It takes proper discernment to not fall for satan or sin.

Sin is very subtle. To be subtle is to use clever and indirect methods to achieve a goal. Sin quietly creeps in on men, blindsiding them until they are neck-deep in things they would not willfully do. We see the progressive influence of sin on an unsuspecting man in our main text. There is a process to it; a wise man will learn and beware of the subtleness of sin:

1. Walks in the counsel – The first stage of the subtleness of sin to beware of is the desire to seek and follow the advice of sinful men. When you are desirous of their lifestyle, it becomes appealing to you to ‘do things’ their way. At this stage, the forbidden looks attractive, and the believer leaves the bible to get guidance from the ungodly around him.
2. Stand in the path – The second stage is bringing yourself into their company or vicinity where they can see you. It is like standing where somebody will pass through so they can take notice of you. You long to be in their clique. Standing with (compared to sitting with) shows a casualness in friendship, the early stage of a relationship, or the platonic level.
3. Sit in the seat – At this stage, the person is absorbed into the clique and subscribes to its beliefs or philosophy. The person is now an initiate, a member of the inner caucus, fully participating in everything the fraternity holds dear. This person now lives habitually a sinful lifestyle. His clique of friends now are sinful men. He has departed from God’s way.

It is how a man gradually becomes bound in a sinful lifestyle, and it begins with just seeking or loving the counsel of sinful men until the soul is damned. Be quick in discerning sin; perceive it from afar and do not excuse it even in its most harmless form. It will grow into a hydra-headed monster. Solomon warned a lad who was too naïve to know a woman was seducing him to sin: “Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,” ~ Proverbs 5:8

PHOTO QUOTE

ADDITIONAL TEXTS:

Proverbs 1:10, James 1:13-15, and Judges 16:15-20

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PRAYER:

+ Lord, I ask for the grace and discernment to identify sin’s subtleness and avoid it.

+ Where I have erred from Your way by listening to the counsel of the ungodly and sitting with the irreligious, I ask for mercy, O Lord. Forgive me.

+ In whatever way I have wandered from the path of truth, help me to retrace my steps to You.