It Does Not Just Happen
Have you ever been on a long water slide? I often think about one we would go on when we lived in the Bahamas. It was long and straight and it felt like you were going straight down. This particular one had the added experience of taking you into a real shark tank. Thankfully there were many layers of glass between you and the apex predators, but it gave a sensation of dropping right down into a pool of sharks. I admit that almost every time I rode the ride, about halfway down, I would think…Why am I doing this? This is dumb. This hurts…how can this possibly be fun? But that did not stop me from getting back in the line to do it again and again. I think sin works that way sometimes.
We say we want to avoid sin. We admit that it might even have consequences for us, but we continue to climb those stairs and put ourselves back into compromising situations, again and again and again. In pastoral ministry, I have known many individuals who made significant life-altering mistakes which they explained away saying, “It just happened. I am not even sure how I got there? It snuck up on me.” But after a little inquiry, it is pretty easy to see there was no accident. This was the result of a series of deliberate choices that led to the situation where sin could take place. This is particularly common when it comes to sexual immorality. I knew a man who often talked about avoiding lust in order to protect his marriage, only to find out that he regularly spent time at a strip club. It is one thing to say you want to avoid something, but it is altogether different to actually avoid something.
Paul puts it simply, “Flee from sexual immorality.” (1Cor 6:18 ESV) “Flee also youthful lusts…” (2Tim 2:22 NKJV). The Greek word for flee (pheugó) means to evacuate or escape from danger, threat, or undesirable situations. It conveys a sense of urgency and deliberate action to avoid harm or evil. In other words, Get outta there! Don’t flirt with it, peek at it, or allow yourself to be allured by it. Get going. There are plenty of things today which can tempt us and lust comes in a variety of ways, but it is inaccurate for the believer in Jesus to say, “It just happened.” Believers in Jesus are given a very special promise. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1Cor 10:13 ESV).
The way of escape requires planning ahead, choosing where you can and cannot go, and deciding that you are not going to flirt with disaster. Scripture is clear. Nothing just happens…we are given a way to obey. The question is…will we?
Expectantly,
Shawn
P.S. Please pray for Kathy Hershey in the passing of her mom. Also pray for the Yonkovski family as Adam’s dad passed away last Thursday morning; you can find his obituary here.
