“Sin Stinks”
By
Jeannine Sawall
"For
we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and
those who are perishing."
2
Corinthians 2:15 (NIV)
Once as I was standing
by the kitchen sink, an overpowering stench filled the room. It was bitter and
smelled a bit like burning rubber… SKUNK!! I ran to the door to let the dogs in,
hoping they were neither the cause nor the victims of this tremendous odor. Too
late. Once Google did its job and gave us a recipe, it was off to the bath for
them both. While the formula we used helped quite a bit, it took several
washings of the dogs to remove the smell.
As I have continued to
deal with the “de-skunking” of my home and pets, I’ve thought that if we could
truly smell the sin in our lives - - like the odor of a skunk - - we would be
repulsed by it, as well. My dogs got into trouble because they didn’t heed the
skunk’s warning; they continued forward, and not only did they pay for it, it
affected everyone around them. When we continue down a path toward sin, the
Holy Spirit is always prompting us to turn the other way. He warns us that
trouble is ahead; however, if we insist on going down that path, we will
eventually get our own way and the stink of sin will cling to us. If only we
could see and smell sin like we do a skunk, we would not want to get anywhere
close to it.
The problem with sin is
that it lures you in with a sweet fragrance. Only once you’ve indulged, can you
smell it for what it really is. Fortunately, when we turn from trouble and
repent of our sins, the blood of Jesus washes us clean and makes us
sweet-smelling. Yes, sometimes we are left with consequences after poor
decisions, but there is no lingering odor of sin that clings to us. Jesus makes
us fresh and clean.
The next time sin comes
to tempt us with its sweet smell, let’s remember that’s only its disguise: Sin
stinks! It will take us further than we ever wanted to go, and cost us more
than we were willing to pay. It will affect those around us, even if we
don’t want it to. We need to heed the Holy Spirit’s warnings. When we allow
God’s grace to triumph over our human frailty, we experience the sweet
fragrance of God in our lives and become sweet-smelling to those around us.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where in your life
is the stink of sin clinging? Ask the Lord for forgiveness and experience His
sweet fragrance of forgiveness.
2. What type of odor
are you leaving in the lives of those around you? Ask the Lord help you
leave a refreshing fragrance everywhere you go.
FURTHER READING:
Jeannine
is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in the property management
business. Jeannine is actively involved in ministry to those walking through
grief.
