23 January 2019
Crouching at the Door
Genesis 4:7 NLT
You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.
Romans 7:21-23 explains why sin is always “crouching” at the door of my heart.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. (NLT)
God spoke to Cain before he punished him. He warned Cain that his anger would lead to sin, and he was right. Cain chose not to listen to God. He chose a hard heart over a repentant one. God wouldn’t have given him the option to control his anger if it couldn’t be done. But all we have to go on is our own will-power, and that runs out fast. I don’t know how much time went by before Abel’s murder happened, but it seems like Cain didn’t exert much will-power at all.
Thankfully, Romans 7 goes on to say that Jesus frees us from the control sin has on me (v.25), so my limited amount of will power is not what I have to rely on for the practice of subduing sin. I have Jesus! Sin may be crouching at the door of my heart, but Jesus already came through the door! Regardless of the war being waged daily in my heart and mind, God desires to help me, and my desire is to let him.
Dear God,
Thank you for today, for your Word, and for your help. Thank you that I have real options and do not ever HAVE to give in to my sinful nature. Thank you that even though sin may be crouching at the door of my heart, Jesus is actually IN my heart making it good again. I love you and I love your Son, and I pray in his name, amen.
Crouching at the Door
Genesis 4:7 NLT
You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.
Romans 7:21-23 explains why sin is always “crouching” at the door of my heart.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. (NLT)
God spoke to Cain before he punished him. He warned Cain that his anger would lead to sin, and he was right. Cain chose not to listen to God. He chose a hard heart over a repentant one. God wouldn’t have given him the option to control his anger if it couldn’t be done. But all we have to go on is our own will-power, and that runs out fast. I don’t know how much time went by before Abel’s murder happened, but it seems like Cain didn’t exert much will-power at all.
Thankfully, Romans 7 goes on to say that Jesus frees us from the control sin has on me (v.25), so my limited amount of will power is not what I have to rely on for the practice of subduing sin. I have Jesus! Sin may be crouching at the door of my heart, but Jesus already came through the door! Regardless of the war being waged daily in my heart and mind, God desires to help me, and my desire is to let him.
Dear God,
Thank you for today, for your Word, and for your help. Thank you that I have real options and do not ever HAVE to give in to my sinful nature. Thank you that even though sin may be crouching at the door of my heart, Jesus is actually IN my heart making it good again. I love you and I love your Son, and I pray in his name, amen.
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