Topic: John 2:1-2
Rationalization of sin is a most dangerous error and is one of the ways Satan turns a man’s pride into a weapon against himself. Rationalizing sin leads to the erosion of life.
One of the most prevalent and poisonous rationalizations of sin is that, “This isn’t hurting anyone. If it is hurting anyone, it’s only hurting me, so why should I worry about it?” Another popular misconception is, “I can handle this. If I sense that I’m losing control, I’ll just quit. I won’t let it get out of control.”
The problem with such thinking is that in sin’s erosive power, the heart of a person is dulled ever more by repeated sin. There doesn’t come a time, before it’s too late, that a person can stop himself or herself when they “sense” their lives beginning to spiral out of control. The enemy is too crafty for that. Instead, he keeps you preoccupied with the supposed “benefits” of your conduct until your heart is callused. A callused heart cannot sense the pain and increasing danger of the sin barraging it. Therefore, a person often lingers in sin or unwittingly increases the sin in frequency or severity.
There is a sobering old saying: Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a lifestyle; sow a lifestyle, reap a destiny.