What if I told you that you aren't crazy for wanting to sin? Is that the first time anyone has ever told you that? Sometimes in the church, we can overemphasise the tragedy and evil of sin to the detriment of making someone who struggles with it feel utterly alone and crazy.
The reality is that from the beginning of the time that man was on this earth- we found our way into sin. In fact, we might even be able to relate to Eve as we see her process of choosing sin. Let's take a look at Genesis 3:1-7.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."
Let's zero into verse six. Something switched in Eve's brain as her temptation grew stronger: she saw the object of sin as a delight to her eyes. The delight grew so strong that she began to desire it and the pleasurable effects of sin.
Dear Christian, if you are struggling with sin- remember that you are not alone, and you are not crazy. In our broken nature, we become allured and enticed by our own desires. Every single person, even those who are in Christ, still wrestles with sin. The next time a you feel crazy for struggling, be encouraged to remember that every Christian that ever came before you (even your seemingly perfect pastors) wrestle with their flesh.
Take time to pray to God and ask for his strength to resist temptation and the heart to remember that your identity in Christ is a saint no matter what; you are no longer defined as "sinner". All saints struggle with sin, but ultimately we know that what Christ accomplished for us on the cross changed our fate forever. When you came to faith in Christ, you were justified and immediately made a saint under Christ's salvific work. Rejoice! Sin will not overcome you, and you most certainly aren't crazy.
In Christ,
Taylor
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