WHERE DOES SIN BEGIN?
“And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.” (Luke 15:12)
This morning’s devotional was written by our good friend, Dr. Roger Willmore:
The parable of the Prodigal Son is probably one of the best known portions of our Lord’s teaching. Down through the ages many have identified with this young rebel.
The question that always comes to my mind when I read the parable is, “Where did his sin begin?” When his rebellion surfaced and expressed itself, it seemed to come forth full grown. Surely what was articulated had its beginning somewhere else.
The answer to my inquiry is critical to our understanding of the nature of sin. It is equally critical to our defense against it. Solomon, in Proverbs 4:23 said, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Sin begins in the heart. Its seed is a thought and it’s fruit results from contemplation of that thought. Sin is committed in the heart, before it ever committed in deed. When you look into the heart of the prodigal the first thing you see is greed. His first words to his father were, “give me the portion of goods…” He was consumed with his own self interests. His primary drive at this point is his own personal desire for things.
His greed was followed by his pride. His greedy request of his father financed his rebellion. He quickly left home with his pockets filled with his father’s money. The prodigal’s desire was for a life of freedom from authority and a freedom to do as he pleased. Pride, the mother of all sin, told him to live his own life, there was no need to yield to the wishes of his father.
The prodigal’s greed and pride produced a life of carelessness. We are told that he wasted his possessions with prodigal living. With greed and pride at the helm of his life he threw morals and money to the wind. Would you take a moment to consider the devastating results of careless living?
Lastly, we find the prodigal feeding the swine and eating with them. He hit bottom and he was all alone. What began as dream has turned into a nightmare.
Deal with sin where it begins…in the heart. Dr. Roger Willmore
Compass Pointers: Let your condition be ever so extreme; human friendship disappointing you, earthly supplies failing you, human sympathy refused you, and dark despair enthroned grimly and coldly upon your heart; there yet is hope in God! Octavius Winslow
Anchored to the Rock: John Knox was a man famous for his power in prayer, so that Queen Mary of England used to say that she feared his prayer more than all the armies of Europe. – Charles Finney
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