Spiritual Kudzu

Appeasement didn’t work with Hitler. It won’t work as Ehud Olmert, new Israeli PM, hopes it will. Neither is it possible to appease our lusts into containment. It is a lie that they will at some point be satisfied. Any morsel offered in hopes of satisfaction only crescendos the original desire.

Whenever I hear the story of a person’s abject succumbing to a major sin, I wonder with deep disappointment, how could they let this happen? But what I tend to forget is that it didn’t happen suddenly. The sin crept up, entangling one’s toes slowly, imperceptibly, until it was too late and a deadly vine had wrapped itself around the legs and torso, immobilizing and toppling the person. They likely never intended it to go that far; they were overtaken by it and eventually became unable to fend it off.

Little slips, hidden lapses, private falters… that’s where it starts. Those “small” areas are the important ones in which to be vigilant—the ones so easily rationalized away as insignificant, the ones we think don’t matter very much, the ones on which wily Satan capitalizes. I can’t specify them for you; it’s probably a little different for each person, having unique weaknesses and propensities.

It is really sobering to realize that very little separates me from someone who has vastly fallen. I am capable of the worst sin, as much as I might think I’m “above” that. Little compromises have vast repercussions. And again, it never seems like it will end up like it does. We allow ourselves to be convinced that the pleasure we seek is worth disobeying for; our desires seem like indispensable needs, imperative for our well-being.

James, talented crafter of word-pictures, likens it conceiving and giving birth (which is a nine-month process in the literal case): But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. A little phrase my mom quotes from time to time seems applicable here: There, but for the grace of God, go I.

So, what’s the solution? How can you avoid derailment from the straight and narrow track? Close communion with, and emulation of, God, of course; much prayer, humility, and constant watchfulness. Our gracious God forgives sin, hallelujah! But that’s no excuse for laziness. We have a part to play, too: to mortify (kill, put to death, ‘put off’) our flesh, and gird ourselves.... to gird up the loins of our minds, preparing ourselves for action, being sober-minded; to gird ourselves with the powerful armor of God—breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, gospel-of-peace shoes, sword of the Spirit (the Word of God!)—to gird ourselves with the new man, with characteristics of kindness, tender-heartedness, forgiveness …

With an awareness of the latent potential in each of us for wickedness, we can choose to walk that much closer to our Savior’s side, the only remedy (or prevention) for such a descent.

Recovery is possible; we see that in David’s situation, so long ago. A truly repentant heart (the sacrifice of a ‘broken and contrite heart’) God will not despise. But that is not to say that the consequences are not meted out; suffering resulting from the sin still may occur, even with repentance.

And if we are somehow able to avoid a major fall, we must be extra careful not to become prideful about it! (True? Of course true!) We must remember God’s hand at work: His grace allowing us to stand, His strength perfecting our weakness, His power triumphing for us.

Do you want your life to count in the end? Do you want to make it through the tests coming your way? Do you want to stay strong, despite the worst temptations? Do you want to look back and see faithful, dogged devotion to the only One whose opinion truly matters?

Die to self. Cling to Christ.