the insidious nature of sin

I think one of the key reasons that we are called to hold each other accountable (as mentioned in the previous post) is because of the insidious nature of sin.  While sometimes it comes at us in an overt manner, more often than not I think it is much more subtle, insidious.

One of my favorite movies is The Devil's Advocate.  Not because Keanu Reaves is so brilliant in it (is he in anything?), or because Al Pacino turns in one of his most fantastic performances (the last 5 minutes are simply stunning), but rather because it illustrates so well how subtle sin can be.  If you look at where Kevin Lomax is at the beginning of the movie and where he ends up at the end, they are vastly different places.  But throughout the movie, Kevin makes a thousand little decisions, each of them seemingly innocent, that result in his ending up where he does.  It all begins with one simple decision at the beginning.  Kevin, and the viewer, almost don't even realize what is going on until it is nearly too late.

That is simply the reality of how sin works.  Most of the time, we don't even realize where it is taking us... or that it is even taking us anywhere.  And that is why we need our brothers and sisters to help us along the way.  

Is it hard to hold others accountable?  No doubt.  Is it hard to receive such accountability?  No doubt.  But if we don't help each other along the way, how will we ever know if we have lost our way until it is nearly too late?

Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
- 1 Peter 5:8-9