Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it -- he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25 (NIV)
We must learn to hate sin. It is not our friend. Indeed, every sin carries with it a death sentence – a death to something, be it trust or friendship or love or relationship or character or whatever else you want to put in there. Sin will always, always come with a price. It is good to know that before delving into it. God hates sin because it cost Him the life of His Son. And it costs His children dearly as well. We must learn to hate it rather than to wink at it. It is certainly our wisest and safest course to flee from it as Joseph did with Potipher’s wife. Even if it means leaving our cloaks behind. The Bible does not simply tells us these stories for our entertainment or fun of it. Rather, we are to learn from them and apply their Truth’s to our lives. Believers were never meant to remain the same rather we are to be more and more conformed into Christ’s image – in ever increasing measure. Indeed, James tells us in James 1:22 (NIV): “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Seneca once said: “If there were no God to punish, no devil to torment, no hell to burn, and no man to see him, yet he would not sin for the ugliness and filthiness of sin, and the grief of his own conscience.” Remember as well Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (NIV): “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Sin can quickly permeate our beings – as yeast through dough - and it is never a pretty sight. Remember, sadly, Adam’s one sin permeated all of mankind. And we can easily become unconscious slaves, not even aware that we are victims.
Let us not slack and become drowsy in the energy of our faith and conduct rather we are to be mindful of threatening dangers with a conscious earnestness and an alert mind. Scripture tells us to flee sin and pursue godliness for therein is great gain as we certainly do not want to pierce ourselves with many griefs.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:11-14 (NIV)