Let go of Sin

This month's devotional comes from Mr. Chase Salatino from Heritage Baptist Church in Palmyra, N.Y.

“But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.” 

2 Kings 10:31

Jehu was the only “good” king of Israel during the split kingdoms, he was the king responsible for the death of Jezebel and the entire house of Ahab. He also was responsible for the slaying of the worshippers of Baal and the destruction of the images and house of Baal. These actions even led to the Lord rewarding him with five generations of kings. 

“And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 2 Kings 10:30

It appeared that Jehu was a good king, but in the very next verse the Bible tells us he wasn’t as good as he seemed to be.

“But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.” 2 Kings 10:30

Although Jehu obeyed the Lord by slaying the house of Ahab and the worshippers of Baal he held onto the sin of Jeroboam, the golden calves. 

What sin are you holding onto?

Some people may seem to be good Christians but have that one sin holding them down. Not everyone struggles with the same sin, we all have different problems. Whether it’s ungodly music that you listen to, or a TV show that you keep watching, or immodest clothing that you keep wearing. Maybe you’re not being diligent with school or at your job. Maybe you’re not spending your time wisely- the average teenager in America spends a whopping 9 HOURS a day looking at a screen! Maybe you’re a really good athlete and you’re putting sports above God. There are many more “little" sins I could mention (no sin is little, all sin is equally wicked to God). But regardless of what your sin might be, all of these sins are holding you back from serving God with your full potential. 

Who is your sin affecting?

“...which made Israel to sin." 

Jeroboam sinned by setting up the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, these idols would cause problems for Israel for hundreds of years. There were nineteen kings from Jeroboam to the Assyrian captivity, any of them could have cast away the golden calves, but all of them held onto the sin. Because they held onto the sin, Israel was taken into captivity. One man's decision to sin and the other’s to hold onto it affected an entire nation. The sin that you're holding onto isn't only affecting your life, it's affecting the lives of those around you as well. You may never know who it is affecting, it could be a child at church who looks up to you or it could be an unsaved family member that you've been praying for. One sin that you think isn't a big deal could end up ruining that child's life. One sin could keep that unsaved family member from coming to church. That one sin is making you a bad testimony to those around you. One sin can have a major effect on your life and the lives of others. 

What could be different?

Imagine if Jehu or any of the other kings would have just cast away the golden calves, maybe there would have been revival in Israel. Maybe they would have begun serving God solely and never been taken into captivity. Without that one sin the entire history of Israel could be much different. If you let go of that sin that you're holding onto, maybe that child whose life could have been ruined because of your testimony will instead become a great soul winner. Maybe that family member you've been praying for will finally notice a difference in your life and start coming to church.

Maybe you're refusing to let go because “It’s not that bad”. Well, it is “that bad". The Bible tells us to “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” The world’s music, television shows, dress, etc. are evil and displeasing to the Lord. You may think that sin isn't a big deal, it may not seem to be causing problems for you right now, but it will. The Bible tells us that there are “pleasures of sin for a season”, in the end that sin will harm you drastically.

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12

Your sin could be seriously affecting your life as well as the lives of others, letting go of whatever sin you're holding onto will be a great benefit. No sin is worth holding on to!