When sin is a stalker

Today: Numbers 31-32

When my sisters and I were growing up, our parents always encouraged us to be honest and open with them by saying things like, "The truth always comes out." At moments while growing up, I thought it was a Christian parent's way of saying, "I have eyes in the back of my head."

But I think they were right: The truth always comes out...eventually. If it doesn't happen on this planet, God knows the truth and, for better or worse, it will come out in heaven.

In today's passage, Moses had an interesting discussion with a few tribal leaders who wanted to settle outside the Promised Land...but promised to fight and help the rest of God's people take possession of it. Here's what Moses said to them:

"If you do what you say,

take up arms before God for battle and together go across the Jordan ready,

before God, to fight until God has cleaned his enemies out of the land,

then when the land is secure

you will have fulfilled your duty to God and Israel.

Then this land will be yours to keep before God.
"But if you don't do what you say,

you will be sinning against God;

you can be sure that your sin will track you down.

So, go ahead. Build towns for your families and corrals for your livestock.

Do what you said you'd do."

Moses' words saying, "...your sin will track you down" are interesting. It's makes me think of sin as a stalker--a type of ninja detective on the hunt to capture people. Although through Christ's forgiveness, we can be free from the sin's eternal consequences (e.g. we can escape Hell), I think sin's ability to track people down does impact Christians.

One of the primary reasons is because there are natural consequences for sin. For example, if I lie to my parents, God still loves me and forgives me, but my parents may be hurt and have a hard time trusting me. If you had an addiction to drugs, God may still have a place for you in heaven, but you might have to overcome some challenges (rehab, relationship issues, physical effects) as a result of that addiction.

Another reason the stalker nature of sin impacts Christians? Guilt. I've met some people who carry guilt from sin they were involved in years ago. They asked God for forgiveness and He forgave them and forgot that sin even existed, but they continue to live in a guilty kind of fear, stalked by their past mistakes. I believe God would say to these people, "Shame off you!"

Lastly, sin can stalk our lives by throwing temptations at us. Luckily, we all have the power to say no to those temptations and/or we can try to avoid them entirely.

Although sin may be a stalker, it's important to know that for those who simply believe in Him and accept the gift of salvation, Jesus overcame the eternal consequences of our sin once and for all. And to top it off, He can help us to fight against sin and its power over our everyday lives--if we simply ask Him for help. God can help us walk in freedom and wisdom, doing our best to make decisions and live in a way that honors Him. We'll never be perfect, but at least we can try to knock out our stalker. I'm off to practice ninja moves... :)

Tomorrow: Numbers 33-34