On July 4th, 1776, America would sign the Declaration of Independence, marking the end of the Revolutionary War and the start of the United States as we know it. Fast forward a couple of centuries and to this very day we still celebrate this accomplishment. This coming Thursday is Independence Day and countless groups of family and friends will join together in celebration. While each social gathering may differ slightly from another, I can almost guarantee they will have one thing in common: fireworks. Fireworks have become a staple of nearly every July 4th event. These explosives usually go off with a bang and leave everyone in wonder and amazement. However, one could go as far to say that sin could be likened to a firework.
The pleasures of sin are often short lived and not worth the cost
Though fireworks are enjoyable to watch, the truth of the matter is that they don’t last very long. On average, a decent show lasts for only 10 minutes. When it comes to sin, that enjoyment may only last for a few seconds to mere minutes. Paul hints at this idea in Hebrews 11:25 when he describes the pleasures of sin as “fleeting”. The fulfillment we may get from sin is only temporary and is no comparison to the fulfillment Christ can give us (Psalm 16:11).
Fireworks are also very expensive in relation to their product life. In 2012 at the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, the company spent $6 million on the explosives. This show, while gaining Macy’s a large amount of publicity, only lasted for 25 minutes. This may beg the question “Is this exorbitant cost really worth it?” I think we should ask ourselves the same thing when sin is involved. In Romans 6:23, we are told that “the wages of sin is death”. Truly, there is no sin worth the cost of an eternal death.
Sin is often kept in the dark
All fireworks shows have another thing in common: they take place at night. Fireworks aren’t near as appealing in the daytime as they are when it is dark out. Likewise, I would dare say very few of us would wear a sign around our neck in broad daylight listing the sins we fall prey to. We usually do the opposite, meaning that we hide our sins from one another, often because we are ashamed. While I may not know what you struggle with, it cannot be hidden from God- just ask Adam and Eve. If we continue to hide our sins, we are only separating ourselves from God and his many blessings (Proverbs 28:13).
-Chase
