God will do whatever it takes to get our attention. Once He has it, He won’t mince words. Our God does not sugar-coat His thoughts and speaks frankly. He likes to get to the point. After all, He condensed His living Word, which encompasses everything we need to know, into just 770,430 words (NKJV Bible).

In God, there is no darkness or sin. When sin entered the Garden of Eden, God expelled Adam and Eve from paradise. God could not and will never tolerate sin. Our relationship with Him is hindered whenever we choose sin over obedience. Sin is pleasure-based and self-serving. It is rebellion in motion. Thankfully, God provided a perfect sacrificial Lamb. Jesus died for our sins and restored our relationship with Him. Through the righteousness of Jesus, we are white as snow.

“For whoever finds me (wisdom) finds life and obtains favor from the LORD; But he who sins against Me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate Me love death.” Proverbs 8:35-36 (NKJV)

Jesus is called the Light of the World and we are instructed to walk as children of light. We shouldn’t hide our light under a bowl or basket. Rather, we need to let the light within us shine so that others see it and desire it.

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.’” John 8:12 (NKJV)

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.” Luke 11:33 (NIV)

There are so many ways we can sin. When we act on the impulse, we can convince ourselves that it was a small sin, and nobody was hurt. That is a lie the father of lies would like you to believe. First of all, sin separates us from God and hinders our prayers. It has a ripple effect that eventually touches those around us. Thankfully, we can repent and turn from our wicked ways which immediately restores our relationship with God. However, the Bible makes it very clear that God does not tolerate sin. When we play with sin, there is always a cause (self-pleasure) and effect (God’s justice/consequence). Matthew 18:9 provides a vivid image of how serious we should take the sin in our life.

“And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matthew 18:9 (NIV)

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 (NIV)

In 1 Samuel 15, God instructs Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Every single man, woman, and child were to be killed. This seems very harsh but God had His reasons. He asked for the total extermination of this nation. Unfortunately, Saul didn’t follow God’s instructions. He spared King Agag and the best of the livestock. God sent Samuel to rebuke Saul for this sin. Saul was removed from power. His disobedience and sin had a consequence! He was no longer king of Israel. In chapter 16 Samuel anoints David as his successor.

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.’” 1 Samuel 15:23

The Amalekites represent sin. God commanded Saul to destroy the entire nation. Saul destroyed most of the Amalekites but spared King Agag. This King lived long enough to produce offspring. The proof is found in the book of Esther. The villain Haman was an Agagite. His plan was to eradicate the Jewish race. Thankfully, God used Esther to intervene and stop Haman. Saul’s sin had a ripple effect that is found in the book of Esther.

“After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.” Esther 3:1 (NIV)

Like God, the enemy does not play around. Haman’s declaration commanded that the extermination of all Jews take place in a single day (Esther 3:13). For a year he planned this act of revenge. The devil is patient. He looks for opportunities and is willing to pounce when the time is right. Humans dally with sin. They allow the devil a foothold and then cringe when God tells them to cut it out completely. It’s best to cut out sin before the roots get deep.

Do you have a King Agog under your bed? If so, ask God to help you remove him from your life.

“But Samuel said, ‘As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.’ ” 1 Samuel 15:33 (NKJV)