Why Do We Sin If the Righteous are Glad?

“Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad” Proverbs 29:6.

This passage is taken from Proverbs chapter 29. Many of the Proverbs are stand-alone pithy sayings that don’t require context. But if you’d like to read the whole chapter anyway, click here.

Interestingly, it’s not the one who yields to temptation and gives in to sin that “shouts for joy and is glad”. Rather, according to this proverb, it’s the righteous. In other words, the one who resists temptation and says no to sin.

We Yield to Temptation to Meet Our Need

This is not what you’d think at first glance since the reason people yield to temptation is to get their needs met, get what they want and be happy. And sin does do these things for a short while. But it doesn’t take long before we start to need more sin to meet that same need and provide that same level of happiness.

This eventually causes us to be enslaved by and snared by our sin. And anyone who is a slave to sin, or anything else longs to be set free of what is holding them captive against their will.

Promises Joy but Delivers Misery

Sin deceives us. It promises shouts of joy and gladness but ultimately delivers bondage and misery. However, it’s important to remember that the righteous who resist temptation aren’t shouting for joy or glad when they’re resisting. That is hard work. It’s not only difficult, but often painful as well.

But once the temptation subsides, they have the joy of knowing that sin doesn’t control them. And they can wait with expectancy for the fulfillment of God’s promises in their lives. Not the least of which is the gratification of that need they are trusting God to meet.

To read a similar post, click here Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Green Apple.

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