Articles
What We Become
Sin makes you become someone you aren’t. But God makes you into what He knows you can become with Him.
Sin is ugly. The person who practices sin becomes ugly, too. We become like the object of our worship (Psa. 135:15-18). While we would never be so bold and corrupt in mind to say, “I am going to serve Satan. I am going to be just like him,” that is exactly what we do when we practice a life of sin. We become like the object of our affection. We may never realize it or think about it, but it is true.
When we practice sin, we lie to ourselves. We must, or we would not tolerate the sin we are practicing. We deceive ourselves telling ourselves we can live in both worlds, a life of sin and a life pursuing righteousness. We walk in darkness, all the while professing to walk in the light (1 John 1:6,7). Sin, darkness, depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide begin to spread through our minds. We know what we are doing, and we know we shouldn’t, but we do it anyway. Drunk on lust, we continue to drink and become even more intoxicated. We begin to look like what we practice. If we walk with Satan, we will look like him. Our thoughts, intent of our heart, and our character will mimic him. It is a miserable way to live.
Good news! We don’t have to remain that way. The aim of Christ's coming was to provide forgiveness so that we can be conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29). His heart can be our heart. His mind can be our mind. His thoughts can be our thoughts. His will can be our will. The power of Christ is not simply to forgive, but to also break the power of sin over our lives so that we can be righteous as He is righteous. We can be pure as He is pure. We can be holy as He is holy. We can be like Him. Now that is a beautiful life. A clear conscience. A clean life. A heart free from the burden of sin and its hold on us.
When God created man, He created man in His image. Sadly, man sinned and became in the image of Satan. God was not giving up on man. He determined to provide a way to forgive man and, being forgiven, allow us to become more and more like Him. The whole story of Christ is forgiveness, which leads to transformation, which leads to looking like the Father. God can and will make us what He knows He created us to be.
C.S. Lewis said, “A gasoline engine was not made to run on water. If you try long enough it will burn-up.” Well, man was not created to live in sin, and if he lives that way long enough, he will burn-up. Burn-up not just in eternity but burn-up any and every desire to ever be like the Father.
We will look like somebody. We just as well should determine to look like the Father. It is a life that is much simpler. It is a life of greater peace and joy. It is a life free of a guilty conscience. It is a life free from shame. It is a life empty of self and filled with the fullness of God.
Rickie Jenkins
