"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today" so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13

Sin often looks good to the eye and feels good to the senses. Sin is a master of disguise. The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil looked good and was desirable to the first humans, yet in reality, it was deadly. When the enemy first tempted Eve she rejected him saying, -"The Lord has given us all the trees in the Garden but this one, for God says it will lead to death." The serpent lied to the woman saying -"You will not die but will come to know good and evil as God does."

Eve began to consider what the enemy said. She examined the fruit more carefully and saw that it appeared good and desirable. She began to question the veracity of God’s Word, perhaps asking herself, -"Did not God plant this tree in the Garden? Why would He deny me something that is so desirable?" Satan had planted deadly seeds in her mind and now she stood in the valley of decision. Who would she trust? What would she trust? Would Eve trust God’s Word, the word of the serpent, or her own feelings?

Often it is mis-stated from the pulpit that Satan’s original lie was that humans could become like God. But this was true in that the first humans came to know both good and evil as God does. God said, -"They have become like us, knowing good and evil." The real lie is the same lie that is most effective today; that you can disobey God and live. The Bible says that the wrath of God rests upon the children of disobedience.

Someone once said, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. And it will cost you more than you want to pay." David never planned to commit adultery with Bathsheba, it just began with a thought. He never planned to have her husband killed to cover his sin, this too began with a thought received from the enemy. Sin took David, a man after God’s own heart, farther than he wanted to go, kept him longer than he wanted to stay, and cost him more than he wanted to pay. God forgave David but he still suffered terrible consequences as a result of his sins. Bathsheba’s baby died, there was war throughout his reign, his own family rose up against him and one of his sons raped his wives in the presence of all Israel. These were God’s judgments against David even after He had forgiven him. In Christ we have liberty - let us always be careful with it.