Engraved Sins

By Paul Chappell


"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever."

Jeremiah 17:1-4

Diamonds are the hardest natural material known to man. In fact, our word for diamond comes from the Greek word meaning "unbreakable." Though we often associate them with jewelry, diamonds are commonly used for industrial purposes. Their hardness makes them valuable for cutting, etching, and grinding a number of surfaces.

When the Bible speaks of sins being written with diamonds, it is describing the lasting marks that sin leaves on our lives. Though God is merciful and forgiving, His forgiveness does not erase all of the consequences of sin that we experience. The scars of sin are deeply cut like an engraving made with a diamond.

When Satan tempts us to sin, he never shows us the full picture. We see the "pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25), but he attempts to hide the final and awful consequences that come from turning away from God. It is impossible for us to choose or limit the consequences of sin. Once we have chosen the wrong path, "the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 16:25). Resisting temptation protects you and those you love from the ravages of sin.

Today's Rooted Principle: 
Utterly reject any sin that tempts you today so that it will not carve pain and tragedy into your life.