Sin and Decision-Making: How Subtle Sins Obscure Our Clarity

Jesus compares sin to specks and logs in our eyes (Matthew 7:3-5). His words paint a picture of sin’s ability to distort, confuse, and blind us. We want to make decisions in line with the Spirit and God’s will, but the subtle sins we allow in our lives impair our vision.

The snares of gossip, arrogance, foul language, laziness, pride, and impure thoughts (to name a few) can largely go undetected in American culture. We read that “the wages of sin is death,” but then we utter a curse word or think of someone in an unkind way (Romans 6:23). If the sky doesn’t fall and no immediate consequence manifests, we consider it less a sin and more a simple mistake or something normal to accept. In this way, the trap is laid to tempt us down the hazy path of subtle sin.

James 4:17 tells us that to know what is right and not do it, is sin. Murder is sin, and so is greed. Stealing is sin, and so is pride. The human consequences are vastly different, but if we only avoid sin to keep ourselves out of trouble, we’re missing some essential truth. To make light of any sin is to make light of the suffering and agonizing death of our King.

The rest of this post will attempt to answer these two questions:

How do Christians wage war against sin that seems harmless?
What does sin have to do with clarity and decision-making?

Waging War

Growing up, my understanding of what it meant to follow Christ was summed up with the statement, “don’t do bad things.” When I stepped into sin, the Holy Spirit let me know, loud and clear, and as I understood it, it was then my job to cut out the sin by sheer willpower and a bit of prayer.

For sure, we are to treat sin with all seriousness, and do whatever we can to root it out of our hearts and lives (Matthew 5:29-30). But I’ve learned that to wage war against sin, I need something more powerful than my own effort and determination.

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Matthew 12:43-45 [emphasis mine]

We learn from Jesus’s parable that only ridding ourselves of what is impure and wrong is not sufficient. That approach rarely yields lasting results that keep us from repeating old habits of subtle sin. The empty void left when our sin is cut out must be replaced with the treasure of Christ.

Lasting repentance comes through the conviction of our hearts to believe in the wrongness of sin and the loveliness of Jesus.

Because God is never glorified by our sinful actions, we daily choose between his glory and our own. If we don’t see his beauty, if our hearts don’t sing at the thought of almighty God reigning and ruling, if knowing him has not become the central motivating factor of our lives, then we need to seek him in his word and pray that he would open our eyes to see him this way.

When he isn’t lifted high in our hearts and minds, the choice between glorifying him and glorifying ourselves becomes more of a toss up and the lure of subtle sin becomes stronger.

The best way we can wage war against our sin is to throw our energy and passion into praying for greater love and affection for Christ. The more our minds grasp glimpses of his goodness and love, the more abhorrent our sin becomes to us.

Nothing in this world will bring more delight. Nothing in this world will fulfill the purpose for which we live and breathe like knowing him.

Lasting repentance comes through the conviction of our hearts to believe in the wrongness of sin *and* the loveliness of Jesus. #jesusisbetter #wagesofsin #repentance Click To Tweet

Jesus is Better

When I stand on the cusp of temptation—perhaps facing down thoughts about others that can prevent me from loving as Jesus does—I have learned to silently pray, “You are better.”

It’s in the times of peace, when I’m not battling a sin, that I’ve chosen God’s path as the better path. In moments of temptation, it can be hard to recall the importance of God’s truth. Praying a simple phrase like “Jesus is better” can help us remember what we already know—that Jesus is better than whatever temporary, hollow happiness or comfort we can derive from sin.

I think of the song Jesus is Better by Austin Stone Worship. A portion of the lyrics declare this truth:

In all my sorrows, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
In every victory, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
Than any comfort, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
More than all riches, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
And our souls declaring, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
And our song eternal, Jesus is better, make my heart believe

The songwriter declares Jesus is better, while also asking God to grant belief. Belief isn’t a “one and done” action. We declare belief, we ask for belief, and we find our capacity to believe expanding. As our faith, love, and devotion increase, so does our understanding of sin and the need to repent.

Sin and Decisions

So what does this have to do with clarity and making decisions? Sin entraps and entangles us, not just with physical consequences in our external world but with internal confusion and the lure of false hope. It removes God from the center of life and replaces it with you. It’s not how we’re meant to live.

I’ve tried to live the dual life—seeking to honor Jesus while pursuing my own glory. Maybe you’re also trying to live in obedience to Christ while allowing indulgence in one particular area of sin. That one little area of deception can fool us into thinking our lives are primarily about us and what we think best instead of being about God and his kingdom.

Living in light of eternity means we bask in the glory of God, allowing His truth to light up every dark corner of the heart and illuminate the path we walk on.

Clarity comes when we live in the center of God’s will for our lives. And it is God’s will that we should not make peace with our sin. When glorifying God becomes our central motivation, issues that may seem unrelated to faith—where to live, what career path to follow, how to spend our time or money—become clearer.

I want to be careful to say that if you are struggling with a decision, your struggle may have absolutely nothing to do with sin. Repentant Christians come up against hard choices all the time. But if we do entertain subtle sin, I know that our decisions and thoughts will grow increasingly muddled and confusing as we try to straddle the fence between two worlds.

Turning it Over to God

Father God,

I want to be in the center of your will. Open my eyes to the sin I allow into my life, and give me strength to turn from it. Increase my affection and adoration of Jesus so that I want nothing to do with the sin that crucified him. Give me more faith so that I may glorify you in all that I do, and grant me clarity when I make decisions so that in all things you may be lifted high.

In Jesus’s name,
Amen.

So what do you think? Was this post helpful in addressing how we wage war against sin and how to find greater clarity in our decision-making? I’d love to know in the comments! If you found this post helpful, please share it with someone you know using the social media icons below. Thank you!

*Photo by daniel plan on Unsplash