There is an old joke (which is told in many forms), about a preacher who went fishing on a lake with one of the brothers. He said, “Brother, I am concerned that there is a rumour going around the church that you use dynamite to catch fish.” At which point the brother took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and gave it to the preacher and said, “Are you going to fish or talk?”
We all have gotten ourselves into situations that we should never have gone near in the first place. Admittedly, much of life is built on trial and error, but sometimes there are people, places, and events that have “Compromise” written all over them. It is one thing to stumble into a sinful situation, but quite another to knowingly seek it out.
Much of life is predictable. Where there is booze there is misery; where there are fast cars there are fines, accidents, and deaths; where there are useless sons there are useless husbands and absent fathers; and where there are empty pews there are Christians going about the devil’s business.
The fact that there have been smarter, wiser, and godlier souls than us who have done things that they were ashamed of, should serve as a warning of the subtle dangers of temptation.
Some of us think that we can stare-down sin and win over it. But it is not for nothing that Paul tells Timothy, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).
The devil knows that you are not likely to rush into sin. So, he dabbles in temptation and lets you do the rest:
“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).
So, avoid such things that kill.
John Staiger
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