Daily Devotionals

Pressure Point Week 2: Wednesday

These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:15

Have you ever purchased a one-way ticket? Even if you haven't, you know that that ticket only goes in one direction. You cannot get on a flight to California and expect to end up in Florida or back to your starting destination. That is not the way one-way tickets work. They take you to one specific ending place. In the same way, but on a deeper level, Scripture teaches us that sin has one destination: death. That is why we need a Savior to rescue us.

James 1 tells us exactly where sin leads us when we give in to it. James wrote in this chapter that our own evil desires "give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death" (verse 15). All sin, great and small, leads to death. The apostle Paul said in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death." The price we pay for sin is death every single time. Paul does not leave it there. He continued the verse by saying, "the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." When we turn to God and away from sin, He leads us to life.

We get to choose which direction we want to go. When temptations come, we can choose whether to respond by giving in to that temptation and sinning or turning to God. We pick the destination. Sin has grave consequences. Christ offers freedom and eternal life in Him. The question is, where do we want to go? Let's turn to Him. He will lead us on the way to life.

Moving toward action

Temptation may make sin look captivating, but it fools us every time. Sin never takes us where we want to go. It leads us to death, instead. Today, when temptation comes your way, big or small, ask yourself, "Where do I want to end up? How will this sin derail me?" At the end of the day, take note of how these questions helped you in your battle against temptation.

Going Deeper

Romans 6:1-23

"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.

15 Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."