“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.”
(Psalm 5:4)
Though sin offers momentary pleasure (Heb. 11:25), it is a direct affront to God’s holiness, as Psalm 5:4 declares. His pure eyes cannot endure evil (Hab. 1:13), and every sin defaces His image in us because it violates the standard of His law (Col. 3:9-10). For believers, sin grants Satan a foothold to open the door for accusations and divine discipline (1 Cor. 10:22). It darkens God’s countenance, hinders His grace, and robs us of temporal and spiritual blessings. John Brinsley warned, “Sin brings distrust of God’s providence, and weakens our faith in all his promises by the same example of a lewd child continuing to be obstinate against the parents in any fault.”[1]
Sin also grieves the indwelling Spirit which severs our fellowship with Christ and hinders prayer and good works. Indeed, sin’s consequences are profound. For not only does it break our fellowship with the Father, it also wounds our conscience, breeds fear and despair, and aligns us with the world instead of with God’s kingdom.
The accounts of God’s judgment in Scripture, like when He cast down the angels that rebelled out of heaven, drove Adam and Eve from the Garden, and rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom, gives us a taste of His hatred of sin (2 Pet. 2:4; Gen. 3:24; Gen. 19). And yet His mercy calls us to repentance and restores us through the blood of the Lamb. For these reasons, we must be careful to guard our hearts and cleanse our walk in order to maintain communion with our holy God.
Sin’s allure is deceptive, because it promises satisfaction while actually separating us from God. It undermines our trust in His providence, as Brinsley noted, weakens our faith, and causes us to doubt or discount His promises.
The believer’s life should reflect God’s holiness, not the world’s ways. And if we will but consistently examine our hearts, His Spirit will then strengthen us to resist temptation and seek His favor, forgiveness, and fellowship. This is how we ensure we live as those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Contemplations:
- Wounding the conscience. Lord, I know that sin wounds the conscience, which is one of its most damaging effects, especially when disobedience continues. The conscience remembers our sin, though it sleeps until You awaken it and call it into account. Help me to repent swiftly so my conscience is cleared and my fellowship with You is restored. (Ps. 51:10).
- Hiding in guilt. The guilt of sin makes us want to hide from God as Adam did. It causes gripping fear, as in Belshazzar. It brings despair as in Cain, Saul, and Judas. Lord, my sin drives me to fear and isolation, robbing me of Your joy. I plead for grace to face my guilt, confessing it before You, that Your mercy may cleanse and restore me to Your presence (1 John 1:9).
- Severing fellowship. Harboring sin in my heart immediately severs my fellowship with You, Lord. It robs me of promised joy and peace. It creates turmoil in me that effects every corner of my life. And it will eventually destroy me if I do not soon repent and return to You. Help me guard my heart, turning from sin to maintain communion with You (Ps. 66:18).
- Facing Your judgment. The terrible majesty of a holy God executes vengeance against all sin, rebellion, disobedience, and wickedness, including examples like casting the angels that rebelled with Satan out of heaven to the earth, driving Adam and Eve from the garden, and raining fire from heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. His fearful and final judgment of all evil on the earth will occur when Christ returns with thousands upon thousands of glorious angels and saints in flaming fire to render vengeance to all who do not know God, to those who have trampled underfoot the blood of Christ. Lord, keep me mindful of Your justice that I stay humble and repentant before You (2 Thess. 1:7-8).
Prayer (Confession)
O holy and righteous God, You are the fountain of all purity, whose eyes, as Psalm 5:4 declares, cannot endure wickedness. Your holiness demands justice against sin, yet Your mercy offers forgiveness through Christ’s blood. I worship You for Your infinite righteousness and boundless grace that restores sinners to Your presence.
I confess that I have allowed sin’s pleasures, grieving Your Spirit and defacing Your image in me. My heart has held onto sin, wounding my conscience and severing my fellowship with You. My sins have not only provoked Your anger, they’ve also weakened my faith in Your promises. Forgive me for these offenses, for rebelling against Your holiness. Cleanse me through Jesus’ blood and renew my heart to seek Your favor and live in communion with You.
Lord, I plead for grace to hate sin as You do. Help me guard my heart so that my words and meditations are acceptable in Your sight. Restore my fellowship and fill me with Your Spirit, that I may be able to resist temptation and pursue holiness daily. Finally, sustain me with Your grace until I stand in Your eternal presence, fully restored by Christ’s redeeming work.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further References for Psalm 5:4:
Psalm 11:5; Deut. 25:16; Prov. 6:16ff; Luke 16:15.
[1] John Brinsley, The True Watch (London: G. Eld, 1606), 6.
