Hebrews 12:1 “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

What does the “sin which so easily ensnares us” look like to you personally? Is it sitting there on the side of the road in the race of life, looking stinky, smelly, and disgusting? I mean sin really is gross. When I think about how completely revolting sin is in our lives as believers, I picture something from a very disgusting dump with flies buzzing all around it. It most certainly smells and looks terrible.

Yet, if sin appeared as detestable as it truly is, we’d all be able to avoid it completely. But sin ensnares us. That means it captures or entangles us as we’re caught unaware. And it happens easily. It must look a lot better than the aforementioned pile of filth. In fact, it must appear quite enticing.

I believe we need to ask God’s help to give us SUPER-vision, x-ray eyes, if you will, to see through the outer trappings of this ensnaring sin. As we run this race called life, we need the ability to see these obstacles for what they really are. While they may be quite lovely in appearance, as they draw us away from our focus (Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith), they’re deadly as a boa constrictor that wraps around us and squeezes out the life. But if we will diligently seek after the Lord in His word and in prayer, He will provide us with the SUPER-vision needed to see beyond the façade and discern the truth.

Sin is ugly. It’s abhorrent. Our enemy is well aware of this. That’s precisely why he adorns it in a way that would attract and allure us. But Jesus has already defeated Satan. We do not have to live in bondage to his tricks and deception. We need to move beyond the place of feeling that we’ll be trapped in this for the rest of our lives, deeming our flesh weak, and falling into hopelessness.

Yes, God left a thorn in the flesh with the Apostle Paul, though he prayed fervently for it to be removed. But nowhere in Scripture does the Lord say that we have to live with habitual sin. Nowhere does he say that we have to remain in bondage to it. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for my sin and yours. Throughout the New Testament, we are offered hope and freedom!

Romans 6:18 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Romans 6:22 “But now having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”