The Black Hole

Last year, headlines stated that scientists had finally gotten a head-on image of a black hole — a cosmic phenomenon veiled, quite literally, in darkness and mystery.

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Based on what we do know about them, black holes are defined by their powerful gravitational forces. They can “grab” space material that comes too close to them, typically taking it along a circular path before finally bringing it to a point (the “event horizon”) where the gravity is so strong that the material has no chance whatsoever of breaking away. (Light can’t travel out of the hole at this point either; thus a black hole appears “black” to the eye.) The material then “disappears,” most likely being ripped to shreds by the extreme gravity.¹

Scary? Yes. Deadly?? Oh, yeah…

Tempting???

There’s something about black holes that make them undeniably alluring to me.

They’re powerful. They’re cryptic. They lie just beyond my reach of complete understanding. (Humans aren’t able yet to travel to a black hole to see it up close and personal.) It’s that elusiveness that compels me to reach, dig, and claw toward black holes. It’s as if my mind can’t settle down until I can get a better grasp of them. (Which might take me a while…science was not my forte in school.)

The “Black Hole” of Sin

Sin can look appealing in that way, too. At times it can seem both attractively potent and enigmatic to our human minds and human senses. It can lure us in by forces that can feel satisfying and exhilarating — at first.

However, like the pull of a black hole, that same sin can take us to a region far, far away from the place that provides true spiritual safety and wholeness. 

In his second epistle, the apostle Peter addressed the spiritual condition and fate of people who had fallen into bad ways and were enticing believers in Christ to follow them. Peter warned that their seductive words were not an indicator of good things to come:

“For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity — for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2 Peter 2:18-19).

The things that may sound and feel great to us can be the very things that can suck us into sin’s swirling trap. And the more we willingly decide to be led by those forces rather than by God, the closer we can get to the ultimate event horizon: a life without God — a life without light.

“Blackest darkness is reserved for them,” said Peter of the false teachers of his day (2 Peter 2:17b). But it could very well also refer to all those who knowingly turn their backs on the true God and reject the presence of his Holy Spirit in them.

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” (Hebrews 10:26-27).

Escaping Sin’s Pull

Sin’s presence is real — and it is dangerous. But there is good news! There is another truth, a truth that can give us comfort and reassurance in the face of such evil.

Sin doesn’t have to pull us into a hellish hole we can’t return from. Unlike the grim reality of black holes — where if something comes too close, it is inevitably doomed — God “does not treat us as our sins deserve” (Psalm 103:10a).

When humanity committed its first sin against him in the garden of Eden, God did not condemn the human race to an eternity in physical and spiritual darkness. Instead, he promised a light that would shatter sin’s damning hold and bring everlasting life to all who would believe in him.

That light came to this world in the form of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled his Father’s will thousands of years ago through his perfect life, his innocent death on the cross, and his glorious resurrection from the grave.

All this time later, his victory over sin and his promise of eternal life through faith still stand. And he continues to remain with us, even though we cannot see him. He is with us through the faith he has given us, and his Word is with us through the Scriptures, which show us how we can live in his light here on Earth and not be seduced by the darkness.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Despite this glorious reality through Christ, can it still be hard for us humans to choose God’s way every day? Of course it can be! Take it from somebody who knows — there are so many times when I find myself lured in by the tempting forces of sin. And I am ashamed — ashamed that I have so often put my own desires before my loving God. 

God knows that we still battle with our sinful human nature — the nature that wants to avoid God’s way at all costs, the nature that still finds the black hole of sin so appealing.

But to the repentant heart that recognizes its weaknesses and asks for mercy in Jesus’ name, our patient God continues to freely offer his forgiveness and peace.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

Jesus is the light that has overcome sin’s black hole. Because of him and through faith in him, we can and will escape, too.

“And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place…” (2 Peter 1:19a)

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¹ Martin Rees, ed., Universe, Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition (New York: DK Publishing, 2017), 26 and 267 ; Joseph J. DiCerto, Star Voyage (New York: Julian Messner, 1981), 17-19.