A Lesson on Our Sin from Basketball
This past weekend proved to be a historical event in the lives of our family. It was the final tournament of our basketball season! It has been a long season, and we were all happy to walk away with a trophy and a strong showing in the final game!
Like most tournaments, the refs took the blame for many of the mishaps and losses. They made some good calls and some bad ones.
Usually, when a bad call is made, the crowd of the penalized team will voice their displeasure. To counter that, one student section affirmed the call of the refs by cheering, “You Can’t Do That,” to the opposing team when they committed a foul.
My wife found it most annoying, and I thought it was fantastic! They were right. You can’t do that in most cases, or you will find yourself sitting on the bench with five fouls.
Fortunately, God does not keep track of our fouls. Could you imagine? We would all be watching from the sidelines. But God repeatedly tells us regarding sin, “You can’t do that.”
Much like players who commit fouls, we make excuses and blame others. God, who is not a referee but a righteous judge, will not and cannot allow His children to get away with fouls (sin).
But we must recognize that we are in a fallen world with a sinful nature, so this will continually be a battle. David says a righteous man will fall many times but get up again. We have many examples like:
- David
- Moses
- Peter
- Jonah
They did not stay down. They got up, learned from their mistakes, and continued for God, and so should we!
So why do we continue to sin? I am glad you asked! (Allow me to illustrate with the alliteration FOUL).
False sense of righteousness. We feel we know what is right and what is acceptable to God. Nadab and Abihu thought with their position and last name they had sacrifice and worship all figured out. They offered what they felt was right before the Lord, which ended badly for them (Lev. 10).
We cannot rely on our wisdom to determine if our actions are right or wrong. God has given us his standard, and we will do well to know what He asks of us. His standard is the Scripture.
Oppose opportunities to avoid sin. Every shot or drive on the court by an opposing player provides an opportunity for someone to foul. Sometimes, this opportunity to block a shot can come without the danger of a foul, but most of the time, it does not.
We think we can get away with it, and no one will know. Refs might miss a call or two on the court, but God misses nothing!
We don’t need to sin! God has promised a way to escape. The cost is too great. The consequences could put us out of the game. Every sinful act in life has a price.
Undervalue Accountability. When players commit a foul, they’re held accountable by referees and teammates. If a particular player gets into foul trouble, it could cost their team the game.
When we fall into sin, it affects us and others around us. Sin can wreak havoc on families, churches, and those close to us.
We are held accountable for our actions. There will be consequences for sin. Before you step up to potentially foul, think about the others you are responsible for.
Lessons were not learned. Committing a foul in basketball can be a learning opportunity, prompting players to refine their techniques and decision-making skills.
God is the God of second chances. A sinful act does not prevent us from serving Him. God allows us to learn from our mistakes. God can even use these failures to make us more excellent for His service.
Peters’ sin of denial gave him a renewed vision and passion that spurred the formation of the early church. Moses’ sin led him to the wilderness, where he learned to survive in the desert.
Failure and sin can be growth opportunities, leading to greater self-awareness, empathy, and moral development. Experiencing true forgiveness from God will also deepen our walk and relationship with him.
But we all need to continually remind ourselves, YOU CAN’T DO THAT!
Treg Spicer is pastor of Faith Baptist Church – Morgantown, WV. Follow his blog here. We republish his articles by permission.