Where Does Sin Begin?

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” Matthew 15:19

Sin is the act of disobeying God. Sin displeases God, and those who commit sin displease God. The Bible tells us that the penalty for sin is death, which is both a physical death and an eternal and spiritual death. We can have forgiveness of our sins through a relationship with Jesus Christ. However, until we are created anew in heaven we will still sin during our remaining days on earth, even as we live for Jesus. Anyone serious about living by faith in Jesus will be concerned about his own sin.

Where does sin begin? The Bible tells us in Matthew 15:19 that it begins in our hearts and minds. Before we commit an act of sin, we will think about it. All sin starts in the mind. Reflect on those ideas and thoughts that have occupied your mind already today. Are they Christ-centered? Are you consumed with spiritual growth and serving God? Are you fearful, angry, or depressed? Are your thoughts right now pleasing to God, and what thoughts are leading you away from God?

If you are filled with impure thoughts, they likely come from impure input. You probably had an influence in your life at a young age - a parent, teacher, pastor - who spoke of the dangers of certain kinds of music, or video games, or sex and violence on television. As a teenager, you thought, “Really? Rock music and TV shows can be bad for you?” This is so commonplace today that we don’t even mention it anymore. But the idea with any of these things was not the style or media itself being bad. Rather, it was that they are impure ideas being fed into your mind that will create impure thoughts, which lead toward sin. So your influencers really had your best interest at heart when they told you to avoid impure input.

The first step to avoiding a continuous cycle of sin in your life can be found in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” God has set His children apart from the world. In Christ, we are new creations, and this begins in our hearts and minds. As a Christ follower, your mind is being renewed, and you will want to fill it with the thoughts and things of God. So test your inputs against God’s standard, and as your thought life becomes more pure, sin will decrease, as Christ increases.

God, thank You for transforming my mind as a Christ-follower. Help me to have thoughts and desires that are focused on You. Convict me of input in my life—the media, my phone, friendships, and entertainment—anything that leads me to sin and therefore leads me away from You. Help me to test my thoughts against Your standard, and may You increase in every area of my mind, so that sin decreases. In Jesus’ name, amen.