Some people try to avoid sin. Others sin with impunity. Most try to steer clear of the biggie sins while indulging in so-called minor ones. Sin is messy business. But no matter the form or the attempt at dealing with or without sin, the bottom line is that we all sin because we like it. We might not like the consequences of sin, but it tastes good while doing it.
That is why we need a complete re-orienting of our hearts to hate every way that is contrary to God. The psalmist proclaimed: “I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.” If we sin because we like it, the way to avoid sin is to learn to hate it – to loathe it so badly that it is like a nasty stench in our nostrils. Hating sin comes from the acquired taste of loving God’s commandments. When we come around to cherish and desire God’s Word above everything else, then sin gradually becomes so odious to us that we want nothing to do with it.
The reason the psalmist could proclaim such an extended love song to the commands of God is that he tasted how good they were. And it caused him to forsake every false path to human enjoyment. The reason I constantly encourage myself and others to read Scripture every single day with a solid plan is that it really does have the power to change our taste buds. Sustained, consistent, daily eating of the psalms will teach us to want God and his ways while forsaking the dark path of insolence and oppression.
God Almighty, I pray that you will deal with me according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. I am your servant; give me understanding so that I might know and live by your commands and forsake the evil of the world. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 