When we knowingly sin, it puts our bodies under stress. There’s actually no such thing as a ‘lie detector test’. The fact is, the test cannot determine if someone is lying. It simply measures how a person’s response to certain questions affects their nervous system. God designed our system to glorify Him (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So when we sin, it negatively impacts our bodies. Even if you’ve never taken a polygraph, or lie detector test, you’ll probably agree that at times when you’ve lied, you’ve also felt your heart rate increase. So when God tells us not to sin, He isn’t trying to spoil our fun and steal our joy, but preserve it. Sin deprives us of these three things: 1) Comfort. ‘“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord’ (Isaiah 48:22 NLT). If you know you’ve compromised your values, you become uneasy in your own skin. 2) Character. Your reputation is how others see you, but your character is what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror each day. Your thoughts determine your deeds, your deeds determine your habits, your habits determine your character, and your character determines your destiny. 3) Confidence. Nothing in life is more important than to be able to approach God with confidence. ‘If we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him’ (1 John 3:21-22 NLT). So the next time Satan tempts you to sin, stop and think about what you’ll end up losing in the long run. When you consider the end result, you’re better equipped to make the right choice every time.
