Blind To Sin
“For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.”
God has been speaking to me about the meaning of iniquity. I know, not the happy devotional you were looking for today, but it occurs to me that the deepest freedom does not come from a daily dose of positive thinking. It comes when we get released from bondage, fear, and lies.
When I look at Psalm 36:2, I see a description of the exact opposite of abiding daily. The psalmist describes what it looks like when a person does not fear the Lord. Later in this psalm, there are some beautiful and encouraging verses that are worth visiting. These challenging verses are just as common as the easy verses, so they carry as much meaning and potential to lead us into freedom.
Sin and iniquity are not the same things. Sin is missing the mark and taking action against what is good and true. Iniquity is an inner reality. It describes the condition of my inner world that allows me to take part in sin.
When we are honest, we are well aware of our iniquity. We probably talk too much about sin and not enough about iniquity. As a result, there are plenty of people doing their best (and possibly succeeding) to live a holy life, but their inner world is still torn up. Maybe this is good for politics, but for the life of freedom, we have to deal with sin and iniquity.
This verse shows me that one of the ways we tend to hide from our iniquity is to live in vanity, puffing ourselves up and playing pretend. In a world consumed with curating digital perfection, it is easy to get caught up in this activity. Focusing on ourselves and living in self-glorification is at its root a strategy to distract ourselves from the brokenness within—the brokenness we hate.
The journey to freedom passes through the act of identifying and rejecting our sin and iniquity. As much as we want to sidestep dealing with the wounds and mess hiding inside our hearts, we cannot ever experience true freedom until we can see our need for a healer and bring those things before God, who is our deliverer.
I think this prompt opens up a space for meditation and contemplation. I am praying this morning that God speaks to each of you personally and gives you the grace to identify areas where you are blind to sin because of self-distractions. I am praying that God draws you in with his love so that even in the pain of facing our mess, you feel his peace.
Amen.
If you need someone to talk with you or pray with you this morning reach out to our team.
-
Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
-
Our first devotional book is available for pre-order! Abiding Daily: Volume One is a devotional book including 120 prompts from the Daily Invitation. This book is designed to help believers connect with God through the word and discover more of what it means to abide in Christ. Click here to learn more.
