The DNA of Sin

Pride is at the root of our insanity! It fools us into believing that we are the centerpiece of existence; it is at the foundation of all sin. But you were not created for yourself; you were created to glorify God by loving him and being loved by him. One could argue that the DNA of sin is self-obsession. Consider your own sins. Each and every one of them can be traced back to self-absorption. To be completely honest, even your best deeds are tainted by selfish motivation. We often do good deeds so that others will notice us. We only love when it serves our interests.

John Calvin once referred to men’s hearts as “idol-making factories,” and we ourselves are the chief idols. We exalt ourselves, and we desperately search for anything that might serve our purposes. In their book Holding Hands and Holding Hearts, Richard and Sharon Phillips explain:

We are all worshipers, and whatever we worship we rely upon and serve. For many men, success is the god they worship and serve. For others, it is fame or pleasure. Women often worship beauty or falling in love. Whatever it is, we worship it because we think it will make our lives work. It will secure us against a hostile world, it will give us satisfaction — in short, it will be our Savior.

Scripture calls upon us to worship and serve the Lord with all of our heart, yet each of us is plagued by a desire to “worship and serve created things rather than our Creator” (Rom 1:25). We look for anything — other than God — to fill the gaping holes in our fallen lives. Ask yourself: “What petty aspects of your life receive more attention than does your God?” Sadly, if you are like most people, then you will have a lengthy list of “created things” that trump God.

Why are men so prone to idolatry? Quite simply, we will chase after anything and everything that might provide us a moment’s pleasure without requiring us to answer to an authority greater than ourselves. The Lord openly demands nothing less than our lives, but idolatry tricks us into believing that we can be the masters of our own existence. When a man is guilty of idolatry, the object of his pursuit inevitably becomes his master.

Idolatry leads us to fill our calendars, empty our wallets, and pour out our souls in search of the world’s empty affections, but such affections never fully satisfy us. Nevertheless, we continue to devote our hearts to any vice or promise that might exalt us or fill our heart for even a moment. Meanwhile, we have completely ignored the God who has promised us far greater than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph 3:20). At the end of an idolatrous life, man has not only offended God, but his self-imposed independence has left him empty, alone, and spiritually impoverished.

All men are guilty of such treason against God. The Lord has lavished man with love and goodness. In return, we remain openly rebellious. Surely God would be justified in pouring out His wrath upon us. In his book, The Supremacy of God, John Piper wrote, “In our proud love affair with ourselves we pour contempt…on the worth of God’s glory. As our pride pours contempt upon God’s glory, His righteousness obliges Him to pour wrath upon our pride.” 

The wise King Solomon warned his sons that “pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18).