For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:56-57
When I was 7 years old, I was playing in my grandpa’s barn in Idaho with my sister. It was a hot summer day, and we were swinging on the rope and landing in a soft pile of loose hay. My dad had pointed out a bail of hay on one side of the barn that contained a yellow jackets’ nest. He assured us the bees wouldn’t bother us as long as we didn’t bother them. He was right. They stayed in their space and we stayed in ours. But after awhile, I got tired and needed to sit down. So of course, I forgot Dad’s warning, forgot all about the bees that weren’t bothering us, and sat down on THAT bail of hay! I will never forget the pain, the screams coming out of me, or my dad who heard my screaming from the house, scooping me up and running me to the house, while slapping bees away from his baby girl. I got stung 27 times that day! So yeah, I know a thing or two about the searing pain of stings.
The sting of our sin often feels similar. Whether our sin is obvious to others, or well-hidden, sin stings always hurt. First there’s the initial sting, but like bee stings, it is always followed by a throbbing ache that sticks around and hurts us for much longer. But Jesus absorbed every sting for each one of our sins almost two thousand years before any of us were even born. His death and resurrection took away the sting of death, and now we have eternal life with Him. And there is nothing that can separate us from His love once we decide to give Him our hearts.
Holding tight to your sin, stubbornly refusing to hand it over to Him, is like leaving all those stingers embedded in your skin. But when you surrender any sin to Him, you can walk in the freedom He gives: freedom from guilt, shame, and darkness. Jesus conquered death on that cross so you wouldn’t have to be punished for your mistakes. Your Loving Father has already scooped you up and is running with you in His arms, slapping away the temptations and the sin that threaten to sting you. Your response should be confession, surrender, and a heart overflowing with gratitude. Jesus did the hardest thing imaginable for you! What will you do for Him? You are loved!