Sermonette: Sin loves the darkness

I’m sure many of us know John 3:16. As the most famous verse in the Bible, almost everyone who’s been in a church has it memorized, and many outside the church as well. However, the entire section is excellent. Including this little gem in John 3:19.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

John 3:19

This is a statement that I understood, but gained a deeper understanding of lately. Sin loves the dark. The dark conceals things, it removes clarity and understanding. City leaders have long known that increasing the number of streetlights reduces crime. It is simply a truth of humanity that we’re often willing to do things in the dark, that we’re unwilling to do in the light. In the dark, when we feel like no one is watching, our worst natures come out. This is true with physical light, and metaphoric light as well. Temptation has the most sway over us when we believe no one knows about our sin. When we believe we are in the dark. When we are confident we can ‘get away with it.’ It’s in those moments of solitude when sin has the most sway over us. Sin loves the dark.

Now this is where it gets tricky. See, sin is like a mushroom. It grows and multiplies best in the dark. However, when the sun comes out, mushrooms die. Sin is the same way. It wilts under the light and heat of the sun. What is ‘the sun’ to sin? Dragging it out of secrecy. If secrecy allows sin to grow, confessing our sin to others is the light of day. When we verbalize our sin to others, sin’s power weakens. Certainly, being open with others allows them to spot sin we didn’t see, but I’ve found simply sharing my struggles lays sin bare and vulnerable. They don’t have to point out my sin. Simply dragging it into the light is all I usually need to regain control. I often merely need to remove the absolute secrecy surrounding my sin. Perhaps this is why James wrote what he did.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16a

Some churches interpret this as a command to confess yours sins to a leader or in front of your church. Personally, I read it less formally. I believe James is simply saying “share your struggles. Allowing sin to remain a secret is giving it homefield advantage.” Take that advantage away. This is a true sign of courage. Be brave enough to share your struggles with someone. Fight your sin and temptation in the light and not in the darkness. Don’t give it more power than it already has.