The Slow Burn of Sin

Nobody just jumps straight into cheating on their spouse. Nobody snaps and murders someone without something building underneath. That kind of sin doesn’t explode out of nowhere. It starts way earlier, way smaller, and usually in ways we shrug off. A flirt here. A joke there. An outfit that’s just a little too revealing. A party we probably shouldn’t be at. A quiet grudge we keep feeding. It all builds.

Jesus talked about this in Matthew 5. He said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder’… But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:21–22, ESV). Then, just a few lines later: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27–28).

He’s not raising the bar. He’s showing where sin starts. In the heart. In the quiet. In the small things no one else sees. And that’s where we either starve it or feed it.

Paul talks about this as well. In Galatians 5:19–21, he lists off some obvious sins, and he starts with “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality” (that word “sensuality” is aselgeia: shameless behavior, no boundaries). That’s where the path begins. It’s not full-on adultery yet. It’s stuff that feels normal in our culture. The Instagram post with the crop top and bedroom eyes. The party scene where everyone’s buzzed and dancing up on each other. The prom night vibe that’s all about being wanted and being seen. Most people wouldn’t call that sin. But Scripture does.

Romans 13:13–14 says, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality… But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires”. That phrase, make no provision, means don’t set yourself up to fail. Don’t prep the environment where sin can thrive. Don’t give it room. Cut it off early.

The same goes with anger. 1 John 3:15 says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” That’s heavy. But it makes sense. If you let bitterness stay in your heart, it changes how you talk, act, and see people. You might not physically kill them, but you’ll kill the friendship, kill their influence, or kill their reputation. And in God’s eyes, that’s not nothing.

James puts the whole cycle out there plain: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14–15). It’s a process. Not an accident.

So yeah, what you wear matters, as does what you say, where you hang out, the shows you binge, the songs you blast in your headphones, and the TikToks you double-tap. Not because God is petty or strict but because He sees where all that leads. He’s trying to save us before the fall.

It’s not about being weird or stuck in the past. It’s about being awake. Being honest. Ask yourself, “What am I getting comfortable with?” Modesty isn’t some throwback church rule. It’s wisdom. It’s love. It’s care for your heart and for others. The line doesn’t start at adultery. It begins with what we tolerate.

~PW 🌮🛶