A man was exposed to pornography in his pre-teen years. It became a part of his life damaging his perspective of life, marriage relationship and spiritual life. He was seriously warned to stop engaging in using it and received some counseling but not sufficient enough to completely separate him from the addiction. Eventually, it cost him far more than he intended to pay.
Pornography, although it is far from healthy, is not the point. This story could be applied to a multitude of addictive practices such as gossip, lying, an eating disorder, drug abuse and the list could go on and on. Interestingly, our sin or weight will not necessarily be like someone else’s. Not because that attitude or behavior is less sinful, but rather because each personality has its unique temptations and sins, and we are accountable for what is uniquely ours. The Holy Spirit used the writer of Hebrews to pen let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1b TLB).
Numbers 6 begins by explaining a person who made a vow unto the Lord’s active service was to separate himself from wine and strong drink or even vinegar of wine or strong drink. The point wasn’t that such drink was a sin but that it was not to be a part of the person’s life as long as he was active in God’s service. Interestingly, that level of separation became old fashioned as the Hebrew culture moved on, and it became culturally acceptable for the prophets and priests to consume alcohol while in their rotation of service unto the Lord. By Isaiah’s day the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by [addicted to] wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left (Isaiah 28:7b-8 (ESV). The Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to seriously warn them, but they mocked him – probably for his old-fashioned mindset.
By chapter 30, the Holy Spirit instructed Isaiah to write a very serious warning in a book that all through the ages yet to come would read of how sins would ultimately destroy a person or people. He gave us this word picture.
this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern (Isaiah 30:13-14, NIV).
When growing up and mom wasn’t sure I was telling the truth, she would quote to me be sure that your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23b, NIV). She never condemned me, but she certainly made that way of God very clear, and I’ve never forgotten those words! This genius of God still applies to each and everyone of us. When His Spirit convicts (not a human trying to be the Holy Spirit) anyone of something they are doing or should be doing, He is not wasting His Spirit’s convictive efforts. If we procrastinate in responding to His conviction, His voice may grow faint, but His consequence does not! We can justify our secret motivation or behavior, but we must remember it will become like the bulging wall at the end of the day. Because I know I’m prone to forget I need others around me to remind me from time to time of God’s perspective for such things. I want to minimize bulging walls in my life. How about you?
Thank you. A reminder we all need.
So true!
Good word! Thank you