Sin's Self-Locking Mechanism

One of the debilitating effects of sin is self-delusion. In fact, it serves as a latch on its own gate, locking the sinner into cycles of self-defeating thoughts and beliefs. The principle self-delusion may be the belief that what we do matters, which seems to have been programmed in at Eden, where we turned His Grace into a means of self-righteousness.

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Genesis 3:16, 17 KJV)

In addition to the folly of trying to cover themselves after sin, they were unable to comprehend God's Grace, seeing his pronouncements to them (Eve's labor and Adam's work) as punishment or worse, a means to re-enter His favor. Their progeny, the children of Israel, after centuries of captivity and doubt-ridden desert experience, likewise failed to immerse themselves in God's deliverance. Rather, they promised to obey. Though God was there to renew His promises, those made to Abraham; their lack of trust compelled them to cast out Isaac instead of Ishmael and they made their pledge to God instead of receiving His to them.

Has anything changed? Though God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..., we still want to see proof, signs and evidence, looking for "fruit" instead of the experience of faith. Children, the fruit of the Spirit is not to be striven for, it is to be experienced. It is not a litmus test or even a sign post. Jesus himself twice said, a wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign (Matthew 16:4 and Matthew 12:39).

Yet, we are powerless to change this proclivity, this most debilitating sin that so easily besets us. However, Hallelujah, the keys Jesus claimed at Calvary unlock this self-locking mechanism too and indeed destroy it when we believe.


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