How can we "repay her double" in our personal fight against sin? Setting the Scene • Revelation 18 pictures the final judgment on Babylon—the world system that seduces people away from God. • Verse 6 issues a heavenly order: “Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion from her own cup” (Revelation 18:6). • While the verse speaks of God’s retribution on an evil empire, its principle can shape our personal battle against sin: treat sin with a holy severity that more than matches its assault on our souls. Translating the Principle to Daily Life Repaying Babylon “double” in our own hearts means applying twice the intensity, urgency, and thoroughness in fighting sin that the world applies in tempting us. Think of it as a “double response” strategy: 1. Double separation from sin’s lure. 2. Double devotion to righteousness. Why Such Aggressive Measures? • Sin never fights fair; it always pushes farther than we expect (James 1:14-15). • Scripture calls for decisive action: “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). • A doubled response demonstrates that we love holiness more than the world loves wickedness. Practical Ways to Repay Sin Double Separate Twice as Far • Remove not only the obvious stumbling block but also its subtle backup plans. Example: Delete the app and block the site. • “Come out from among them and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Confess Twice as Fast • Immediate confession to God (1 John 1:9). • Swift accountability with a trusted believer: “Two are better than one… if either of them falls, the other can lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Guard Twice as Hard • Input filter: what enters your mind (Philippians 4:8). • Idle-time filter: where your thoughts drift when nothing demands attention (2 Corinthians 10:5). Invest Twice the Energy in Good • Replace the hour given to temptation with two focused on service, Scripture, or worship (Ephesians 5:15-16). • “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Hate Twice as Deeply, Love Twice as Fiercely • “Hate evil, you who love the LORD” (Psalm 97:10). • “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). Expose and Expel • “Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). • Bring hidden patterns into the light; secrecy feeds sin, exposure starves it. Scriptures Echoing the Double-Payback Mind-set • Matthew 5:29-30 — radical amputation of stumbling parts. • Colossians 3:5 — “Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature.” • Galatians 6:7-8 — sow to the Spirit for a greater harvest than the flesh offers. • James 4:4 — friendship with the world equals enmity with God; break ties decisively. • 1 John 2:15-17 — refuse the world’s cravings because they are passing away. Living the Double Response Daily Determine daily to outpace sin’s aggression with greater zeal for Christ. When temptation shows up with one measure of passion, answer with two measures of holiness. That is how we “repay her double” until the day God finishes the job in final judgment. |
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