Crossing the Threshold

A series that has become very popular, especially among young people, is being shown on television; it is called "The Vampire Diaries," and among the characteristics of its vampiric characters there is one that has caught my attention:

No vampire can cross the threshold of a house’s front door unless the owner gives permission. This is significant if we bear in mind that vampires have always been demonic creatures, although now they are trying to create “good vampires,” which is merely yet another monstrosity spawned by the human mind, as imperfect as vampires themselves.

We are the temple of the Living God. We are the temple of His Holy Spirit. We were Sanctified by the precious blood of His beloved Son. Every temple has a door, and we are the ones who allow or deny entry.

Sin is like the vampires in the story: it tries to enter our temple, and it is up to us whether or not to allow it in. Sometimes sins come with pretty faces, things that appeal to the flesh; nevertheless, we must keep firmly in mind that we are not living in the flesh, but in the spirit, and that this spirit, who guides us into all truth, is constantly dealing with us and convicts us when we commit any transgression.

To console ourselves, we try to convince ourselves that sins can be big or small. That is not so; in the end, they are all of the same measure, and they all have consequences for our lives. The enemy wants us to think that “little sins” exist, but when it comes to our Holiness, only capital letters exist, because we are trying to imitate a Holy God, not a “vampire,” and that must be very clear in our minds and in our hearts.

Let us carefully guard the door of our temple, for when a “vamp-sin” settles in, it is more than difficult to drive it out, because it begins to grow powerful and diminish our will until it consumes it. We thank God that He gave us free will, but be careful: this freedom to decide is a risk when it is not used properly, so we need to ask God for great wisdom in order to handle it.

Let us not be deceived; appearances can be deceiving. Let us learn to uncover the stone beneath the appearance of a diamond.