Living in this world you are surrounded by sinners constantly and are sometimes the target of sin. People might swear at you, falsely accuse you, or mistreat you in many ways. What’s important about this is that you maintain your Christian lifestyle instead of being pulled in by the sin.
Being around sinners all the time, it is easy to start doing the same things as others around you like gossiping. It is also easy to become like the sinful world if we are not careful and before you know it you might be thinking life the world in some areas. You also might become desensitized to how horrible sin is by being exposed to it all the time – like foul language or people taking God’s Name in vain.
You need to be careful not to be influenced by the sin around you in any way.
Jesus was surrounded by sinners constantly and the target of sin regularly. A small example is how He was called a half-breed and possessed by a demon:
48 The Jews responded to Him, “Aren’t we right in saying that You’re a Samaritan and have a demon?” (Jn 8:48)
No matter how long He was exposed to sin or its target, He never got pulled into it. He never joined in, didn’t copy what He saw, and was never desensitized through exposure.
Who treated Jesus poorly
Like you may be, Jesus was mistreated and sinned against by many different types of people in life. Have you suffered at the hands of any of these groups of people?
- Religious leaders and Bible experts (Mt 26:59; Mt 26:59))
- Government officials (Lk 23:11)
- Law enforcement (Mk 14:65)
- Court officials (Mt 26:24-26)
- Friends and family (Mt 26:14-15; Mk 14:32-41; Mt 26:56; Mk 14:50-52; Jn 7:1-5; Mk 3:20-21)
- Soldiers and criminals (Mt 26:27-31; Mk 15:32)
- Regular people (Gentiles and Israelites) (Mk 15:29-30)
How have you handled being the target of these people?
Examples of what He went through
Like you may be, Jesus was mistreated and sinned against in many ways. Have you suffered in any of these ways?
- Betrayed by a close friend (Mt 26:14-15; Jn 13:21-30)
- Treated poorly by His siblings (Jn 7:1-5; Mk 3:20-21)
- Not supported or helped by His friends (Mk 14:32-41)
- Abandoned and denied by His friends (Mt 26:56; Mk 14:66-72; Mt 26:69-75)
- Treated poorly for doing good (Jn 5:1-16)
- Falsely accused and declared guilty for doing no wrong (Mt 26:59-60; Mt 26:47-50; Lk 23:1-2)
- Persecuted and mocked for being Godly (Mk 14:65; Mt 26:59-60)
- Lied about (Mt 26:59-60; Mk 14:56;)
- Called a liar when telling the truth (Mt 26:63-65)
- Rejected for somebody else (Mt 26:20-22)
- Beaten and mocked (Mt 26:27-31; Mt 26:38-44; (Mk 15:32)
- Abused by people in authority (Mk 14:64-65)
- Tortured (Mt 26:35)
- Punished by an unjust legal system (Mt 26:24-26; Jn 18:38, 19:1-4, 6-16)
How have do you react to these types of sins against you?
How to Deal With Sin All Around You
- Stay alert: Notice when you’re being influenced by others’ sin.
- Don’t retaliate: If someone treats you badly, don’t respond with more sin.
- Reflect: Think about how you handled being around sinful activity or being the target of sin in the past. What worked? What didn’t?
- Learn from Jesus: He faced sin in every way and still remained holy and sin free. Aim to follow His example.
- Ask yourself: What sinful influences are around you? How can you handle them better next time?
- Pause and process: When you’re exposed to sin (being around it or the target of it), take a moment to feel, reflect, and choose a better response.
Jesus was surrounded by sinners constantly, was the target of sinful behavior, and was in situations with sinners that could have caused Him to sin … just like you every day … and He handled it without sinning! Be like Him.
Think about it
Have you been the target of sinful behavior? By family, friends, religious leaders? What happened?
How did you react?
How did Jesus handle similar situations?
Are there sinful influences in your life (gossips, nasty people, tempters, etc) you need to watch out for when you’re around them? How can you keep your guard up?
What can you do differently next time?
BIBLE DEVOTIONS FOR LIVING 