In a very general way, we could accurately summarize things right now with that statement. But there are a few more things to say on the subject.
If you'll think about it for a moment, you'll see that sin of any sort complicates life. For example, when somebody gets involved in the sin of adultery, his or her life becomes imminently more complicated.
The lying, deception, and manipulation required to carry on the affair, not to mention the pain of broken relationships and broken homes, make the adulterer's life unbelievably complex and stressful.
Sin always complicates. It is much simpler to follow God's will and practice His Word.
But not everything that complicates our lives is a result of outright sin.
For example, when we study the seed principle found in God's Word, we'll find that sowing bad seed will produce bad fruit. If we were to sow seeds of laziness, for instance, we would end up reaping a pile of things that didn't get done.
On the other hand, if we want good fruit, we must sow good seed because good seed produces nothing but good fruit.
Let me point out a physical truth. When you initially come into a lighted room after being in darkness or a deep shadow, you don't see very well for a moment or two. You'll squint because you're not accustomed to the brightness. However, within minutes your vision will come into focus.
The same thing is true spiritually. Even after a revelation from God initially comes, we may not be able to see or understand it fully at first.
The light of revelation tends to obscure our spiritual eyesight momentarily because we're not accustomed to it. Therefore, God says to continue in His Word so that we can see it more fully (John 15:5).
Many of us who hear the Word experience the illumination of God's light in an area of our lives that was otherwise dark, and naturally we begin to squint.
For example, when some people first hear that God wants to prosper them, they may squint a little in disbelief.
Likewise, when some husbands first hear that they must love their wife as Christ loves the Church (Eph. 5:25), they squint a little bit and say, "What now?"
There is a little illumination on the subject, but it's still probably not enough for them to see clearly.
Therefore, when you read or hear something that you don't understand, continue prayerfully searching the scriptures, because God's truth will become clearer and more distinct as you continue in the Word.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Mac Hammond is the senior pastor of Living Word, a large and growing church in Brooklyn Park (a suburb of Minneapolis), Minnesota. He is the host of the Winner’s Minute, which is seen locally in the Minneapolis area on KMSP Channel 9 at 6:44 a.m. and 11:11 a.m. He is also the host of the Winner's Way broadcast and author of several internationally distributed books. Mac is broadly acclaimed for his ability to apply the principles of the Bible to practical situations and the challenges of daily living.
