Warning Lights

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” — Hebrews 3:13 (KJV)

Owen says some sins have “dangerous symptoms”, warning lights that show a habit has become especially serious. These are worth knowing, because if you see them, you need to act quickly and seriously, and probably get help.

The first warning light is that it has been going on a long time. If you have let a sin stay strong in your heart for a long season without really fighting it, Owen says the situation is dangerous.

The second is that you have made peace with it. You have found ways to stop feeling bad about it. Maybe you tell yourself, “Everyone does it,” or “God will forgive me anyway,” or “It’s not that bad.” Owen says using grace as an excuse to keep sinning is a very bad sign.

The third is that it keeps winning. If temptation comes and you give in most of the time, that sin has a lot of power.

The fourth is that you only fight it because of consequences. If the only reason you resist is fear of getting caught or punished, and not love for God, Owen says your heart is in a worrying place.

The fifth is that God has already dealt with you about it, through warnings, hard times, or your conscience, and you have kept going anyway.

If you see these warning lights, don’t panic, but don’t ignore them either. Owen says “extraordinary remedies” are needed. One of those remedies is not to fight alone. The verse at the top of this chapter says we should “exhort one another daily” so that we are not hardened by sin. God gives us other Christians for exactly this.

If a habit has got to the point where it feels out of control, for example pornography, alcohol, vaping, drugs or anything else, please talk to a trusted adult, a youth leader or a doctor. That is not weakness. It is wisdom, and it is one of the ways God helps people get free.

One thing to do this week: honestly check the sin you are fighting against Owen’s five warning lights. If one or more is flashing, choose one trusted, mature Christian or adult and tell them about it this week.