Why do we sin when we know how destructive it can be in our lives? I mean, we’ve been given free will and can choose not to sin, right? Mankind wasn’t able to complete even one generation without sinning.
Adam and Eve, even while walking and talking with the Lord disobeyed God by eating of the only tree they were instructed not to. So how did they come to that decision? I believe the answer is temptation and justification. The serpent, which was Satan, caused Eve to question God’s authority, and then told her she would not die if she ate of the fruit. He undermined God’s authority by telling her partial truth; that if she ate of the fruit, her eyes would be opened and she’d be like God knowing good and evil. Essentially, what I believe was being said was that Eve would become aware of things that weren’t meant for her to take concern with, and that her innocence would be gone. Eve justified eating of the fruit in Genesis 3:6 by seeing it was good for food, was pleasant to the eyes, and could make one wise. She and her husband, who was there with her, ate. As a result, they were cursed.
Their sin became quite the generational curse. We are all born with a sin nature having come from Adam and Eve who were no longer innocent. Christ came to free us from the bondage of sin through attaining salvation through Him. Jesus can help us resist sin. This doesn’t mean we won’t continue to be tempted. Even Jesus who is perfect was tempted.
Sin is like a drug addiction. Those who taste a counterfeit goodness and high from using can become a slave to the drug. When the drug has worn off, many users are left feeling worse than before. Some go back to it hoping to achieve that same high again. Too often, the addict will seep deeper into their addiction by increasing their dosage, or using more often. In most cases, the drug will eventually seem to have more control over the person then the person has over the drug. We can get caught up in sin the same way. If sin wasn’t easy or didn’t feel good some of the time, why would people do it? The thing is, sin comes at a cost. It can take over any aspect of our life—especially our spiritual life. It’s sin that separates us from God.
Satan is full of rebellion, wanting to take us down with him. We can choose the path of sin which is typically easy and often welcoming, or we can choose God, which might not always be easy, but the joy is real and the rewards are eternal.
If there is sin you’re struggling with right now, I ask that you would pray and ask God to help you turn away from it. There is nothing that is eternally good that can be gained from sin itself. Satan’s will is to destroy you and sin is his bait.