Giving a W-I-D-E Berth to Sin

“We are not to enter the jungle in search of the lion.” – C.H. Spurgeon

Have you ever used MapQuest?

It is a wonderful tool, similar to Google Maps, that invites you to plug in your starting point and your final destination, after which it provides you with several different driving options. One is usually the quickest and most direct route, while another may avoid toll roads or heavily congested areas.

Now, let’s say that you are a recovering alcoholic. Wouldn’t it be nice if MapQuest could provide you with a path through life that “steered clear” of bars and liquor stores? How about a route that bypassed strip joints and adult bookstores for guys who battled lust… or bakeries and candy stores for those with diabetes or weight-related issues?

In the same way that husbands with wandering eyes should stay away from bikini-clad beaches, women who are shopaholics shouldn’t visit the mall unattended or have an Amazone Prime account that isn’t closely monitored. The bottom line is that we are all vulnerable to one type of temptation or another, and the best way to not fall into one of Satan’s traps is to maintain as wide a berth as possible.

Sadly, it is human nature to want to get as close to temptation as possible, thinking we are strong enough to resist its siren song while we gaze longingly over the edge. We are incredibly foolish to overestimate our strength… and to underestimate the devil’s. The truth of the matter is that the minute Eve gave the serpent her ear – and allowed herself to linger too long near the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – she had already lost the battle, and so do we when we cozy up to our “pet sins”, thinking that this time will be different.

Here is how Charles Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” put it…

“God had one Son without sin; but He has no son without temptation. The natural man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward, and just as certain the Christian man is born to temptation. We must be always on our watch against Satan because, like a thief, he gives no intimation of his approach.”

In other words, when temptation rears its ugly head, do what Joseph did and start running F-A-S-T!!!

“One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside. She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, ‘Sleep with me!’ But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.” Genesis 39:11-12 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President