Matthew 13:3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, ‘Behold, the sower went out to sow;
Matthew 13:7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.’
One of the downfalls to buying a foreclosure home is neglected landscaping. We purchased our home more than four years ago now, and I am still combating the effects of the landscaping having been neglected for so long before we moved. Some of the worst enemies are vines. Vines began to grow and were left unchecked for a number of years that it seems they can grow back in just a matter of weeks despite my cutting and uprooting on a regular basis.
Vines are quite intriguing. Not long ago I took special note of some trees along a highway that had fallen over dead and were covered in vines. This got me thinking. Vines desire to take over the host, often a tree or other type of plant. In the process, they choke the life out of their host. Eventually the host dies and collapses. Everything the vine tried to do in reaching for the sunlight has now collapsed in a heap of death, placing the vine right back on the ground where it started.
This does not really make sense to me. Why would a vine reach for the sunlight while at the same time kill the host that makes its ascent possible? What is the point?
The work of Satan and sin are not much different from vines. Sin is destructive, and Satan is the chief destroyer. But what is the purpose? We know from reading Scripture that Christ has conquered death and will one day permanently defeat Satan and evil. We also know that sin results in eternal separation from the Lord. So what’s the point?
The destructiveness of sin is a subject in one chapter in my new book, Jacob’s Testimony. I highlighted the destructiveness of sin in such a way to point out the absurdity of living in sin. Sin is destructive, and some sins are more destructive than others (drugs, alcohol, smoking, prostitution, etc.). Still, habits are hard to break, and sinful habits give us the illusion of being in control of our lives, while following the Lord requires giving up control to Him. Satan does not want the Lord to be in control, and he is constantly fighting and resisting against it. The unfortunate reality is that we are not in control while living in sin. Sin creates bondage, even though we cannot often see it. However, as long as we perceive we are in control of our own destiny, it is hard to break a habit and turn control over to someone else (the Lord).
The illusion of control is what keeps us from recognizing the destructiveness of sin. Surely something cannot destroy us if we are in control. This is the lie of sin, for we are not in control when we are in bondage to sin. A person caught in an addiction has little control over his or her next steps because he or she is constantly searching for the next trip, the next high, the next euphoria, and the next one must be bigger and better than the last one or they will be let down. Eventually the euphoria of the addiction blinds the person to the destruction that is being caused, until one day a trip to the hospital, a medical diagnosis, arrest and conviction on a criminal charge, or other catastrophic wake up call enters their lives, and then they can see how their lives have been destroyed. At that point, however, the destruction is already real and unavoidable.
For the vine, it is the illusion of climbing toward the sun and conquering its host that prevents it from recognizing the death it is causing in the process. Jesus said in Matthew 16:25, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” This seems so contrary to our human thinking, yet it illustrates the destructiveness of sin. That which we try to save and control will one day be lost. Yielding our lives to Christ (losing our lives) will save our lives and avoid the destructiveness of sin.
Like this post? Subscribe to stay up to date on new posts.