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Dec 05, 2023 18:00pm

Cut Off The Dead Ends

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Last week, I went to get a haircut. I decided I wanted a cut that would make things feel new and fresh without sacrificing the length I’d been acquiring over the past seven months.

My hairdresser clarified with me that the cut I in fact wanted was a trim–a classic haircut that was just enough of a snip to cut off the dead ends.

As she held less than half an inch of hair in her fingertips, I thought to myself, “surely taking off so little hair won’t make much of a difference.”

I was wrong. I walked out feeling refreshed, feeling lighter than I had in months.

I’m reminded of how sin can be unnoticeable at first too. The truth is, sin always starts with a small act; an act that is likely invisible to others, just like the dead ends of my hair, until one day it is obvious.

Biblically speaking, the wages and or result of sin is always and will always be death.

It all started in the garden with Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When reading the account in Genesis we see God pronouncing the curse of sin immediately following their disobedience.

Today, we are well aware of the curse of sin and the death associated with it. We see it all around us on the daily. I can imagine that you, like myself, wish you could knock that piece of fruit right out of their hands as I shout, “No! Don’t do it!”

It’s sad to think that the act of not eating the fruit would have saved us from the current mess we are in; seems like a small request doesn’t it?

Similar to how my hair has a weight that only I feel and notice, and then others notice the breakage,sin often begins with a small, even invisible act, but it doesn’t take long before there is a noticeable weight that accompanies it.

This is how sin is. A small act that is not confessed and repented of turns into a weight that turns into breakage–mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and relationally, relational breakage with others and more importantly relational breakage with God.

Hebrews 12 reminds us that in the Christian life we must lay aside every weight and sin that clings closely to us so we may run the race that is set before us and keep our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.

Proceeding this command, there are accounts of Christians who did this to accomplish the plan and purpose God had for them. Important to note, none of these individuals did this perfectly, but one thing they did do was lay aside the weight of sin and press on for Him.

Sin is a heavy weight.

If you’ve been a Chrisitan for some time, you know that sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between condemnation from sin and conviction of sin.

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians that godly sorrow brings about repentance and leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Godly sorrow is conviction; true conviction driven by the person of the Holy Spirit leads to repentance (i.e., a change of heart, mind, and behavior to line up with God’s word.) I find on the other side of true repentance there is life. Life in my relationship with God and others.

I find, after responding appropriately to conviction, that I feel lighter, just as I did after my haircut the other day.

On the other hand, worldly grief (i.e., condemnation) produces death. Scripture tells us there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Satan is the author of condemnation and shame.
I’ve always found in my life that condemnation leads to isolation from people, and even worse, from God. Both types of isolation take me further into sin leading me to the point of breakage.

No matter what camp you find yourself in today (i.e., condemnation from sin or conviction of sin) I encourage you to lay aside every weight and focus on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of your faith.

You may be surprised how much lighter you feel. After all, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

By His grace, we can cut off the dead places of our lives and live in His new life day by day.