SLOW BURN

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Have you ever burned your finger on something hot? Possibly you inadvertently touched a wood stove, a hot curling iron or a burner on the stove in the kitchen. Your first response of course was to scream and jerk your hand away. You then quickly stuck your finger in your mouth, or under some cold running water or in the huge tub of butter sitting on the counter that had been meant for your pancakes.

 

Once the initial shock is over you begin to examine your poor traumatized finger. When you look closely you notice that many times the finger, while slightly red, appears rather normal. The pain tells you something is wrong, but often times these burns “at first” don’t portray the true damage which has already taken place.

 

Each tiny cell near the surface of your finger has just been exposed to a lethal temperature that has boiled its contents. The high temperature has caused cells to release body fluids into surrounding tissue and vital cell organelles which will help the underlying tissue to heal. Eventually these factors give you a blister and the process of death for those cells is complete. These minor burns are what might be called, “slow burns.” While the action of the heat was quick, the effects are slow to show themselves.

 

When we commit a sin it often has the same results, not on our finger, but on our heart and mind. Before a sin takes place there is usually a temptation that presents itself. When we fail to avoid the temptation we sin. When a sin is committed we are usually convicted by what we have done. We have burnt our heart and soul and there is spiritual pain involved. Hopefully we regret making our bad choice or sinful thought and seek solace in the scriptures, in prayer for forgiveness from God and/or in confession to another.

 

The problem is that just like a burn to a finger, there are consequences of our sin. It alters our relationship with our Lord and can impact other relationships as well. It also influences our perceptions of life and possibly our future behavior. Just like the “slow burn” of a finger, the effects of sin can slowly fester and cause further destruction beyond the initial sinful act. Just as quick action is needed when a burn occurs to a body part, the same impetus is necessary when dealing with sin in our lives.

 

The quicker first aid is given to a burn the quicker the healing and greater the prevention of damage to tissue. It works the same way with sin. When we sin, it is imperative we seek forgiveness from God as well as anyone we may have sinned against. Keeping short accounts with God and others is critical if we want to minimize the trauma to our souls, and the souls of others. Only by confessing our sins to our Lord can we reduce the effects of sin on our lives.

 

Psalms 32 tells us what happens when we fail to address sin in our lives. You almost get the picture of a soul burned by the searing heat of sin when you read the following verse.

 

Psalms 32:3

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

 

While burns to our body are usually never intentional, sins can be committed either accidentally or by choice. Whether we simply make a mistake and sin or whether we choose to commit a sin, we must remember that sin is never positive or neutral action. It always produces death and destruction. It can kill a relationship, quench the Spirit, and foster destructive behavior. It is a poison that spoils the heart, mind and soul. In some instances unfortunately our soul and spirit become calloused and we seek to sin once more. This dreadful action can do great damage to your heart, mind and SOUL!

 

We often brush aside “minor” sins and any necessary repentance that is needed with statements such as, “It wasn’t that bad.” or “I only did it once.” The problem is sin breeds sin, and sin that is not confessed breeds more sin. Just like an untreated burn is at risk for infection, sin in our lives can breed further damage to our soul. Infections in your body can eventually lead to gangrene and sin that is not recognized and confessed will eventually lead to “spiritual” gangrene of a person’s heart, mind and soul. Christians that are intimately led by the Holy Spirit are always greatly concerned by the effects of sin in their lives and others. While I share this perspective, I’m not implying we should focus so much on sins we commit that we can’t function normally as a Disciple of Christ. I knew a woman at a church I once attended that was always depressed because of her obsession with her sins. She worried about sins she had committed and had asked forgiveness for; but apparently she couldn’t trust God that He would forgive her. She was also worried about sins she “MIGHT” commit! Again, she worried that any sin she “might” commit would be unforgiveable! She was in the grip of the false perception God would not forgive any sin she had ever committed or ever would commit. That false perception would be something Satan would love for us to do. Remember Satan is known as the “Accuser.” He loves to torment us by seeking to remind us of our imperfections and failures. There is a balance we should have in our life to know that as Disciples of Christ we will sin at times, but that those sins are paid for because we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is always wise to confess sins we are convicted of and to trust God that we are forgiven. We must also understand that even though we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior we will still sin at times because we are in a process of becoming Holy and this is a life-long process. True perfection in our lives will not exist in our lives on the earth. It is only when we arrive in Heaven and have discarded our earthly bodies and God has given us heavenly ones that we no longer struggle with our sin nature.

 

Christians are blessed beyond measure. We have received forgiveness for our sins, past, present and future. We stand acceptable before our God because of the grace provided by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. The problem is that even though we have accepted Christ as our Savior and have been forgiven, we still continue to sin (1 John 1:8,10). While we have been forgiven from the penalty of sin, we are often not spared the consequences of sins that we commit while we walk on this earth.

 

The danger we face as Christians is taking sin in our lives for granted. Knowing we are forgiven for the penalty of sin, we often forget the consequences and effects of sins that can affect us. Numerous scripture passages warn believers of developing a hardened heart. A hard heart results when sin after sin sears our heart and we becoming callous to the prompting of God’s Spirit and the influence of other believers. In Ephesians 4:17 24 we are told as Christians to avoid acting like pagans who have stony hard hearts, unresponsive to the Lord. Hebrews 3 also gives us an example of the Jews who wandered in the wilderness for forty years due to the hardening of their hearts caused by their sins.

 

Just as you would seek medical aid for a burn, seeking spiritual aid for a sin committed is just as critical. 1 John 1:9 10 tells us “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Spiritual healing is readily available for any sin we commit. God is only a prayer away and is anxiously waiting to both forgive us and restore His relationship with us. I would implore you to keep short accounts and avoid hardening your heart to God, to His Spirit and to those around you. Remember God is just a prayer away!

 

Colossians 3:15 17

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”