Folly Of Sin

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, [am] against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.” (Eze 5:8 AV)

It always surprises me how much mankind will endure just to enjoy sin.  I am no different.  Born under the sin of Adam, I continue in it because the old man in me demands pleasure at the expense of God’s purpose and plan.  The sinful part of my soul that still struggles against righteousness rears its ugly head strikes at the new man.  It is a wonder the LORD puts up with me!  That which we are willing to endure to please our old nature is a testament to how much we still need to grow.  The LORD brings severe adverse consequences on his people.  The previous chapter prophesies that famine will be so extreme that the people of God will turn to cannibalism.  The fathers will eat their sons, and the sons will eat their fathers.  For what?  Just so they don’t have to go to temple and allow the land to rest once every seven years?  What is the big deal?  What turn from God to enjoy a temporary thrill?

Many years ago, I had a church member who had severe COPD.  He couldn’t breathe.  The humidity didn’t help.  For the last few years of his life, he had to cart around an oxygen tank.  Unable to walk very far or do much, he retired early and sat at home.  There he was, struggling to breathe, with his green tank going everywhere he went.  He couldn’t drive himself anywhere.  He couldn’t shop for himself.  He couldn’t cook for himself.  If he tried to stand without assistance, it was only for a very brief time.  I felt sorry for him.  But part of his struggle was self-inflicted.  He was a chain smoker.  One would exit the back door and out on his patio were several ashtrays filled to the brim.  Several!  It was not out of the ordinary for him to break from our visit so he could go out and have a smoke.  This habit was sapping the life from him.  He was losing the liberty to smoke by smoking.  He tried several times to quit.  Short-term success was attainable.  Stress from business and family drove him right back to it.  Only when he could no longer get himself outdoors to smoke, was he finally able quit.  But it was too late.  A bit over a year and he was gone.

We may look at a life like that and shake our heads.  We may wonder what would possess a man to live that way.  We are no different.  We have strongholds.  We have those besetting sins that exact a heavy price, yet still seem to pursue us.  This is the futility of humanity.  Only by the grace of God can we overcome.  It is only by the empowering of the Holy Spirit, reading His word, and praying at the time of temptation that victory can be ours.  There was a saying I heard but cannot find the origin.  You have to hate sin more than you love the pleasure.  Only and only then will we be able to overcome it.  Israel paid a heavy price.  They should have.  The tragedy was that repentance ever followed.  There was no forsaking.  There was no confessing.  They doubled down on their sin.  That just goes to show us how depraved we are.  Only but for the grace of God would we do the same.