The Root of Recurring Sin
Abraham is at it again in Genesis 20. This time to King Abimalech in Gerar. He tells the king his wife is his sister and she is so very beautiful at the ripe old age of 90(!) that he takes her into his harem and plans to sleep with her.
Old habits die hard.
Once again God spares His friend and Abraham is strongly rebuked by the pagan king having more knowledge of God's Word here than Abraham himself!
But Abraham's reasoning in this episode is VERY revealing. Why do persisten sins keep happening in our lives? What is the root of the issue we struggle with?
Genesis 20:11–13 (ESV) Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
For the first time we realize that this whole "say you're my sister" deal was part of Abraham's plan from the beginning. He had worked out this scenario with his wife before they ever departed. What motivated him? Fear.
Abraham feared the lack of Godly fear in pagans MORE than God himself!
And that's a root of every sin. Fear that we are going to have to take matters into our own hands to fulfill God's purpose for our lives. Fear is the root of all of our bad choices. Fear that we are missing out. Fear that we won't make it. Fear that someone else is enjoying what should be ours. Fear that life is almost over and we haven't even done what we could have done. Fear that other people will take advantage of us or harm us. Fear is a horrible motivating force.
Underneath every disposition to sin is a fear that keeps making us act in foolish ways. And notice from Abraham's life, it's usually rooted in our decision making from long ago.
The good news is the fear we are led by doesn't have to have the final say.
1 John 4:18 (ESV) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Our fear of missing out and not getting what we think we should have is cast out by the fact that when God sees us He sees us robbed in His Son's perfect record! As he is so we are in this world! We are heirs of God and joint heirs with the Son. It is THIS promise that brings us out of fear and forward in faith.
Old habits die hard.
Once again God spares His friend and Abraham is strongly rebuked by the pagan king having more knowledge of God's Word here than Abraham himself!
But Abraham's reasoning in this episode is VERY revealing. Why do persisten sins keep happening in our lives? What is the root of the issue we struggle with?
Genesis 20:11–13 (ESV) Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
For the first time we realize that this whole "say you're my sister" deal was part of Abraham's plan from the beginning. He had worked out this scenario with his wife before they ever departed. What motivated him? Fear.
Abraham feared the lack of Godly fear in pagans MORE than God himself!
And that's a root of every sin. Fear that we are going to have to take matters into our own hands to fulfill God's purpose for our lives. Fear is the root of all of our bad choices. Fear that we are missing out. Fear that we won't make it. Fear that someone else is enjoying what should be ours. Fear that life is almost over and we haven't even done what we could have done. Fear that other people will take advantage of us or harm us. Fear is a horrible motivating force.
Underneath every disposition to sin is a fear that keeps making us act in foolish ways. And notice from Abraham's life, it's usually rooted in our decision making from long ago.
The good news is the fear we are led by doesn't have to have the final say.
1 John 4:18 (ESV) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
We have perfect love in God. But what has John just posited before this verse for what it means to be perfected in love?
1 John 4:17 (ESV) By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Our fear of missing out and not getting what we think we should have is cast out by the fact that when God sees us He sees us robbed in His Son's perfect record! As he is so we are in this world! We are heirs of God and joint heirs with the Son. It is THIS promise that brings us out of fear and forward in faith.
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