The sin of the ‘Mighty’

Song:

Come go with me
For the road is rough and narrow
Come go with me
I cannot go alone
For the road is tough and there are many dangers
Come go with me that you may see me through

How the mighty have fallen!

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!”

(1 Corinthians 10:12). In conclusion he descends to the Corinthians themselves, warning them that they do not please themselves, but rather that they prevent the wiles of Satan.

"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23).

Sin is a tragic happening to everyone who has lived past the age of accountability. It drifts in like the fog and surrounds everything it touches. Sin destroys and cripples lives to the point of uselessness. Look at the alcoholic, the wife beater, or the adulterer; and you will see the true face of sin. If you desire more graphic evidence of sin, just look at Calvary. Crucifixion is what sin did to our Lord: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Even though Jesus was sinless, He took our sins upon Him.

In the beginning sin has soft features and an alluring enchantment, but in the end it hurts families, individuals, friends, and God. Sin has no favourites. It probably is the most unbiased thing in the world except for God's perfect love. Sin has touched the lives of God's children beginning in the Garden of Eden and will not cease until Jesus returns.

If sin cripples and destroys, how do we warn others of this nemesis? How can we explain how sin entices? The Bible focuses on one word to warn God's people of approaching danger. That word is REMEMBER. The Hebrew writer calls on those who have forgotten God, who have become sluggards in their Christianity to remember their former days: “Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.” (Hebrews 10:32). In 1 Corinthians 10:11 (“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come.”), after Paul has reiterated Israel's love affair with sin, he exhorts Christians. He explains that all these things happened unto them (Israel) for examples; and they are written for our admonition. The Old Testament was written not only to teach us the right way, but to help us not make the same mistakes as they did. The Old Testament will take us to "school," if we only allow it to.

The sin of Abraham

Abraham was truly the friend of God (James 2:23, And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.) but he was not sinless. We are told that he was untruthful when he had Sarah tell the Pharaoh that she was his sister (Genesis 12:13, “Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."). This he did lest Pharaoh kill him and take her for a wife.

Abraham's sin was that he was not trusting God. He had believed the promises of God, yet he seemed to have not trusted God enough in the everyday affairs of life. And this is what some of the present ‘mighty (pastors, priests, evangelists etc) do when they think they have now become wise and can now rationalise things themselves. He (Abraham) thought he was acting wisely. It appears he did not even take into account what God had promised him. Part of God promise was to bless them that bless Abraham and curse them that cursed him. God had unconditionally promised to protect him.

The important thing to see in this event is that God does not need perfect men to use for his purposes. Abraham was a mortal man just like us. He had his weaknesses and sometimes failed to do the right thing (Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”). In spite of his weakness and sin, God still used him and he can use us as well. But God demands a repentant heart and a prompt realisation of our weaknesses and turn away from them. You will note that God makes a point to tell us of the shortcomings of all the great Bible heroes. Only Jesus was without sin.

Abraham then journeyed south, with Sarah and Lot, and all the herds and flocks of cattle with those that tended them. Taking Lot with him seems to have been an act of disobedience. God had said he was to leave his family. It was a mistake and caused Abraham great difficulty, nevertheless, in time, God separated Abraham from Lot.

At various times in Abraham's life he sinned and did not live trusting in God's promises. It should be noted that in the New Testament, there is no reference to Abraham's sin. He is presented as an example of faith to be followed. We are not to follow in Abraham's failures, but should pattern our lives after his faith. God forgave him, and greatly used him, however no one should see this as a license to sin. Abraham's conduct was disgraceful as all sin is. The Apostle Paul addressed this issue in writing to the Romans. He said, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1-2).

According to the Bible, Sarah (Abraham's wife) was childless, yet desired a son. She offers her maidservant Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate. Here again we see Abraham’s impatience and succumbing to pressures from Sarah forgetting that God promised that his descendants would be like the sand in the sea.

God preserved Abraham even when he sinned. This is a picture of God's protection of all believers. God has promised to preserve all believers and we call this the doctrine of "eternal security". When God promised to save all that believe and trust Him as their saviour, it was an unconditional promise. He did not base our salvation on us doing something that would merit us His favour. No, in fact He offers salvation free, when we by faith receive it. He saves us and keeps us saved!

The sin of King David

Do not be deceived Sin, in any form, cannot be covered or kept secret, no matter how hard we may try to conceal it. We might fool our wife, our husband, our family, the preacher, the whole community, but remember: the wheels of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine. Time will uncover that which we do.

God is no respecter of persons. He has no favourites or contracts or seniority. Sin is Sin, no matter who commits it--even a preacher--a person whose conduct and influence should be above reproach. If we deliberately disobey God's Word, we have sinned. It is not a "shortcoming" or a "fault" or a "character flaw": it is SIN! We cannot trifle with the Word of God and still have His approval upon our life. Any who might think they can are badly deceived!

The devil knows he cannot make a saint of God go into open sin, so he works slowly and cunningly to accomplish his purpose. He is always waiting to tempt us and draw us away from the things of God everyday that we must live. We need to keep in mind that he is ever on our trail, and he is not about to let up!

At one time, David loved and feared God above all else. God had used him in many ways. He was a man after God's own heart. Yet there came a time in his life when he set aside all righteous principles and let a spirit of lust take hold of him. That act caused his reputation, his influence and his character to become disgraced.

In 2 Samuel 11:1, we find: And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. This is where the problem began: David sent Joab to do that which David should have been doing--David stayed behind. That's like so many of us today--we want to relegate and delegate, but we don't want to move our lazy selves to action! Our members are out there evangelising and living righteously but you a pastor, priest, bishop, evangelist etc is cuddling and caressing a lady in the choir or worst still a lady that came for genuine counselling and prayers. When you invite the opposite sex into your inner room, quiet and isolated place, “Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?” (Proverbs 6:28).

Now it seems "innocent" enough-- 2 Samuel 11:2 tells us, And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house... Well, what's wrong with that? Nothing, but see how David's sending another man to do the job he was appointed and anointed by God to do will begin to compound against him. Let's finish 2 Samuel 11:2 : ...and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Well, that's quite unfortunate for the shepherd boy who God had elevated to the highest position in the land:

(1) Pride of life: too proud and full of himself and his own accomplishments, and

(2) Lust of the eyes. There's nothing wrong with a woman being beautiful (or a man being handsome). David, like so many of us, could have turned away after he saw a woman washing herself, but he didn't. He stayed until ‘and the woman was very beautiful to look upon’. Lust had him in its grip! That initial glimpse and recognition of beauty had extended into a gaze, and that gaze quickly transform into something else. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? (2 Samuel 11:3).

How many places for a U-TURN have you already counted for King David?

(1) Should have readied (prepared) himself and joined his troops;

(2) Should have immediately turned away when he saw the woman bathing;

(3) Gone no further when he found out she was the wife of another man.

Remember, first David felt pride of life, then lust of the eyes and finally lust of the flesh. David just kept digging his own pit: “And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:4,5). David passed up that fourth opportunity for a U-Turn, didn’t he?

See, out of that scripture we so eagerly mis-quote, "God won't put more on us than we can bear" we find the true meaning: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God always makes a way for us to escape temptation, but do we take it? No! If ever we are faithful to stay our course, it's when we are being tempted--we plunge headlong into it! Just like King David. And just King David, we keep on compounding the error: --Uriah the Hittite was away in battle under Joab--his wife was now pregnant. What do I do? David came up with the "perfect plan"--conniving just like we are: "I'll bring him home, let him spend a day or two with his wife and then who will know?" How quickly we still forget: For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth... (2 Chronicles 16:9). David sent for Uriah, and inquired of him, "How are you managing? And the people, they are well? And the war--everything is fine on the front, too?" Then he sent Uriah, along with a gift of meat, home to "rest" and spend time with his wife. Except it didn't go that way. Uriah was a man of honour. He wasn't of a mind to be all comfortable with his wife while his men were at war, eating army rations, sleeping out in the weather. So instead of spending the night with his wife, Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. (2 Samuel 11:9).

Well, of course David wanted to know why Uriah didn't go spend the night with his lovely wife, Bathsheba. You do understand, don't you, that the only reason David wanted Uriah with Bathsheba was so David's sin would not be found out! For two more days, Uriah stayed in the king's court. For two days, David had time to make a U-Turn. But he didn't. Not only did he send Uriah back to the battle, he made sure that Uriah was placed in the front line so he would be killed.

Have you displeased the Lord? Joab obeyed King David's orders. He ...assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

(2 Samuel 11:16,17). So Joab sent a messenger back to King David, and told him, "If the King is displeased with the way we fought, be sure to say to him, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also." (2 Samuel 11:23,24). Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. (2 Samuel 11:25).

Did you see David's deceitfulness in Verse 25: ...for the sword devoureth one as well as another...? David knew all the time that he was going to get word of Uriah's death. That was his full intention, yet he was trying to pass it off to Joab as, "Well, it could have been anybody who got killed." And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. (2 Samuel 11:26,27).

Of course, you and I can see that David should have known that God knew what he had done. We don't have to wonder where God was when David was sinning. But let's turn that same light upon ourselves, now! Where do we think God is when we are sinning? Just as God knew what David was doing, He also knows what we are doing! There is not one thing we can do that is hidden from God! There is no place on earth nor in the galaxies above us that we can go to escape the all-seeing eyes of God! He is omnipotent (ALL powerful), omnipresent (present EVERYWHERE), and omnisicient (ALL knowing). He sees and knows the very intents of our heart, before we even form them into thoughts or deeds, right now! Has He asked you to clean up some dirty tricks that you have done? Do you hear that "small, still voice" dealing with you now? Hearken to it. Make a U-Turn. Repent!

And the Lord sent Nathan unto David... 2 Samuel 12:1 . David thought he had nothing to worry about: "nobody" knew what he had done--at least nobody who was going to "tell on him". He didn't have to worry about Uriah showing up and accusing him of stealing his wife. But GOD knew it: And the Lord sent Nathan unto David.

"Well hello there, Brother Nathan. Come right on in--make yourself at home. Can I get you something to eat? How 'bout a coke or here, have some of my lunch. What brings you into this neighbourhood?" Nathan wasn't there to exchange pleasantries. He was there to tell the king about a man who had done a great wrong:

There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. ( 2 Samuel 12:1-4 ).

David was incensed! Who would do such a thing in his entire kingdom? He told Nathan, " As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." You see it coming, don't you? David didn't:

And Nathan said to David, THOU ART THE MAN. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. HOWBEIT, BECAUSE BY THIS DEED THOU HAS GIVEN GREAT OCCASION TO THE ENEMIES OF THE LORD TO BLASPHEME, THE CHILD ALSO THAT IS BORN UNTO THEE SHALL SURELY DIE. ( 2 Samuel 12:7-14 ).

Two things here:

(1) "But God wouldn't punish an innocent child!" To go to heaven is not punishment for anyone! We refuse to get a grip on the fact that there is a much better place than this old earth. We are so caught up in greed and lasciviousness, we can't see beyond life here on this earth. That child wasn't punished--he was taken to heaven.

And (2) you see, time had passed between David having committed the sin and Nathan's visit to him. There wasn't any of those sudden bolts of lightning that so many of us try to equate with sin: "Well, if God doesn't strike me dead while I'm sinning, it's not sin." Get over it. Get rid of that way of thinking. God is everywhere: He sees it all, He knows it all. There will come a pay day. Be sure your sin will find you out. "But we live under Grace--Grace--Grace," you'd better remember this: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ( Romans 6:1-2 ). That KILLS the "we have permission to sin” doctrine!

There are things in which any of us can get involved that we will never forget. There are many pleasures in sin, maybe of only a few moments perhaps, but they will forever be fresh in our memories! That's a part of the "sowing and reaping process"! There are many false preachers who would have you believe that once you shake their hand, your memory banks are wiped clean. Wrong! Much of the reaping that we do for the wrongs we have done goes on in our minds--otherwise known as "regrets": Why did I do that? The honest way to deal with them is to allow them to be Valued Lessons: "I'm not going there (doing that) any more!”

We need to be vigilant to guard our experience with God. There is no pleasure in this entire world worth setting aside God and His Word for. Understand perfectly: the moment we start to engage in sin, we do not have the assurance that God is going to help us. He provided all kinds of moments for David to stop committing his sin, but David refused to make those U – Turns.

We're like the 8-year old who wanted some biscuits, but his mother told him to not eat any before he had supper, which was almost ready. She went back to finish cleaning the living room. Just as she turned the vacuum cleaner off, she heard a noise in the kitchen. She went in and turned on the light. It startled the 8-year old, who promptly dropped the pitcher of milk, which made the cookie jar fall off the counter top. Both containers broke, sending milk and cookies over the floor and counters. He yelled, "Look what YOU made me do!" sound like any of us?

Parents: Watch How YOU Live!

Through the prophet Nathan, God asked David, "Wasn't it enough that I made you a king, that I preserved your life (how many times??), that I set you up in place of Saul--that I would have continued to pour out my blessings upon you? What could have been of such worth for you to have transgressed this way against me?

Then he pronounced the penalty for David's transgression: "Therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before ALL Israel, and before the sun." And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. ( 2 Samuel 12:12-14 ). See, David thought he had "covered his tracks", but God was going to punish him openly; God was going to expose him before the whole nation (and through the written record of the Bible, throughout history). The thirteenth chapter of 2 Samuel reveals the "sword"--the evil that come upon David's household.

One deceitful act will call for another to cover it, then another to cover that one, and so forth. David was trapped in his sin--he knew it. He had to do something, but it was going to tell on him, so he had Uriah killed. Know this: non of us are any stronger than whatever it is that can take us down. Read that again--it's vital for each of us to remember: none of us are any stronger than whatever it is that can take us down. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Remember how "innocently" this all started with David? He stayed home from the war and took a walk upon his roof. Had he obeyed God and been where God wanted him to be, this series of events would have never taken place.

Never underestimate the power of the devil, nor of old SELF, either! The blinding, binding power of sin can take you down. Oh we don't like the message that we are to abstain from all appearance of evil, do we? We strive and connive to justify that which we do: "Well, I'm not responsible for what other people think." That's not what it says. Again, it's plain and simple: Abstain from ALL appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Understand this: just one occasion of sin can spoil the entire life of a saint of God in the eyes of others. It does not take a dozen—only one. You do not even have to be actually doing anything wrong for your influence to be ruined, if the appearance of it is wrong! Seriously, just one careless move, one wrong attitude, one harsh cutting statement can undo the work of a lifetime. We've all seen it happen--there cannot be many of us who could not name someone we used to have a lot of confidence in, but they went the way of the world and we lost our confidence in their walk with God. There will be enough people to run you down and hurt your influence when you do live right. If you throw open the door for them to talk about you, the influence (witness of your life) you had can be completely ruined. Of course, in this day and age, we all have the mind of Cain: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Remember what God said to David: "By this deed thou has given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.”

The Sins We "Try" to hide

When you are under certain pressures, do you lie? Is exaggeration a "normal" part of your daily conversations?

Do you steal? Many steal from their employers, justifying it with, "They won't miss it. They can afford it." Are you honest on your tax return? Don't regard what someone else does and gets away with as the right thing to do--that's not your measuring stick! Are you unforgiving? Is there hatred and malice in your heart toward someone? No person can "see" any of these things because they can all be covered with a fake smile and the slap of a handshake.

Is there bitterness or resentment in your heart towards someone, perhaps an "old grudge"? Some people can remember, with great detail, something that someone did to them 20 years ago. Stubbornness, the refusal to submit one's own will to God's Will is another "hidden" sin. But these things are only "hidden" from man, never from God. Refusal to obey the Will of God can quickly set up a spirit of rebellion in one's heart.

Fornication is an illicit relationship between single people, and it is sin. It doesn't matter who is doing it, it is SIN! Sin is sin, and sin separates from God. Adultery is SIN--the Word of God says we are to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

Hypocrisy is another sin which people try to hide. Are you one person at home, another around your friends, another at work, and still another on vacation a thousand miles from home? Do you gossip? Is there slander in your mouth against another? These are all things that can ruin a person's influence, that can taint their witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unfaithfulness, envy, jealousy are right in there with lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, the pride of life. Any of these things can set up in a person's heart and cause them to begin to fall away from God. And any of these things can kill a person's influence (witness) to others!

Sin Is No Secret To God.

Are you living a deceitful life? Proverbs 28:13 tells us, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Are you prospering spiritually? If not, why? It is the Will of God that we prosper (do well) in both soul and body. David did not get by. Ananias and Sapphira did not get by. Saul did not get by. Samson did not get by. Mark it down, if there is sin in your life, no matter how well hidden you might think it is, you will not get by. I leave with you the words of this old song, long ago abandoned by the "modern" church:

There's a God who's standing at Heaven's door,
He's looking this universe o'er.
And He sees each mortal with a searching eye--
You can't do wrong and get by.
Out into the darkness you alone may go
And seeds for the wicked one sow;
There's an eye that's watching from the throne on high:
You can't do wrong and get by.
Yes, He knows your secrets, every thing that you do.
He knows that your life is untrue;
You can ne'er deceive Him, there's no use to try.
You can't do wrong and get by.

The sin of King Solomon

Behind this story is the fact that, no matter how strong our faith might be, we can, like Solomon, let it slip by not paying sufficient attention to God’s word daily. A wholehearted devotion to God is necessary, and we cannot divide our loyalties between God and other things.

O ne of the saddest stories in the Bible is the fall of Solomon. He did so well at first, yet he ended up so shamefully -as two sweeping chapters describe (1Kings 10 and 11).

The story of Solomon begins very well. He began to reign with humility and dedication. In Gibeon, God appeared to him in a dream, and invited Solomon to ask for anything he wanted. Solomon pleased God with his reply: "Give me wisdom to rule your people well." God gave him great wisdom, as well as many blessings he had not asked: "riches and honour, so there will not be any among the kings like you all your days, if you walk in my ways, keeping my commandments and laws" (1Kings 3:3-15). God later appeared to Solomon a second time.

Toward the end of his reign however, Solomon’s lovely relationship with God had become sadly reversed: "Now the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice." We find God saying to Solomon, "I will tear the kingdom away from you" (1Kings 11:9-11). In consequence, the kingdom became divided into two kingdoms, Solomon’s house retaining the small one.

You’ll notice his (Solomon) excess, his disobedience, his neglect, and his several faults.

Solomon’s Excess

(1) Gold and silver

Solomon accumulated enormous quantities of gold, and his kingdom had so much silver that it was counted as common as stones (1Kings 10:14-21,27).

(2) Thousands of horses

Solomon’s stock and trade in horses from Egypt was huge

(1Kings 10:26,28-29).

(3) A thousand wives

Solomon had 700 wives. These were daughters of foreign kings. He also had 300 concubines (1Kings 11:1-3).

Solomon’s Disobedience

To link the curious facts above with Solomon’s downfall, we must go back in history before any king reigned in Israel (except the LORD). In fact we must go back even before the Israelites had entered their Promised Land, right back to the wilderness where God gave the law to Moses. In that law, God anticipated the future desire of the nation to have a king. This law was to apply to every king, including Solomon. You will find it in

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 .

Solomon’s Neglect

It’s not hard to see what went wrong. A clause in this law required the king to write his own copy of it, keep it near at hand, and read it every day. Somehow Solomon neglected this requirement, and he began to do exactly what the law said he should not. In these last days we too "must pay closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away" (Hebrews 2:1-3).

Solomon’s Mistakes

Among the things which made God angry about Solomon, are those listed below from 1st Kings chapter 11.

1. Misplaced love: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;” (Matthew 10:37). Love is good only when its objects are good.

2. Evil companions: Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Close ties should not be made with those who follow evil.

3. Seeking status and prestige : “ But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30).
What we acquire in excess of need, is but for folly and pride.

4. Compromise: "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30).
If only halfway devoted to God, we are at enmity with him.

5. Idolatry: “ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5). Where idolatry is the practice, covetousness is the principle.

6. Rebellion: “ Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” (Philippians 3:16-17).
The example of good parents and mentors is not to be scorned.

7. Entanglement in sin : 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." (2 Peter 2:20-22).
A sin wilfully repeated becomes a snare without escape.

8. Serving many masters : "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24).
The one who serves God can serve no other master.

9. Ingratitude: “ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Once blessed, give thanks; twice blessed, give your all.

The sin of Samson

In the book of Judges you will notice that Samson's life is a stark portrayal of the effects of sin. Sin took Samson on a journey to destruction. The sin in Samson's life came in three tragic phases. Let us see Samson's plight in the Bible.

1. Sin Took Him Farther Than He Wanted To Go

Sin took Samson farther than he wanted to go. Sin is like that. Many think that they can just sin once and be able to stop. The example of Lot's life bears record of this. Lot pitched his "tent" toward sin, and before long he was in the "city." In Judges 16:1 the Bible tells us that: “One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.” He probably thought like many in today's society. One fling — what harm will that do? I hear the same kind of thinking even among "professing" Christians. One beer — how in the world can that hurt? After all, it was just a "social" drink – no problem. But that is how every alcoholic started out — with just one. Just one cigarette. Just one joint. I'll only commit adultery just this once. This thinking has left a trail of broken bodies, homes, and lives throughout the history of mankind. In this twisted wreckage are the "FRUITS" of sin. Just like those of today, Samson was enticed by sin. He, like others who litter the graveyard of history, couldn't quit. The Bible says he left one sinful situation for another. In Judges 16:4: “Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.” Te word of God says that after he committed fornication with the harlot, he loved a woman named Delilah. This was to be Samson's Waterloo.

2. Sin Kept Him Longer Than He Wanted To Stay

Samson thought he could get out of any problem that might befall him at any time. He reflects the "deep thinkers" of the 90's. I can stop drinking anytime. If I want to stop smoking, I can do it tomorrow. Samson thought to himself that he could leave his situation at any time. He, like others, played right into the devil's hand. Sin deceives. Just think of all those who will be deceived by sin when Jesus comes back. Think of those who thought they had tomorrow to repent. Think of those who said to themselves, "Next week I'll become a Christian. Next week I will start serving God. Next week I will make a change in my life." Even though Delilah plotted against Samson, he thought that he would always be able to escape. If sin has any redeeming value, it is persistence. Sin is always knocking at the door. Sin cries peace and safety when only danger exists. The Bible says to flee from fornication, but neither sin nor Delilah would give up. She made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!" And he awoke out of his sleep and said, "I will go out as other times before, and shake myself." And he knew not that the Lord had departed from him (Judges 16:19-20). Sin kept him longer than he wanted to stay. Like Samson, those in sin don't know that God has already left them. They, like Samson, believe that they can escape at a moment's notice. They don't realise that sin has a death grip upon their lives, and their only escape is Jesus Christ. Those who forsake the assembly and miss the Lord's Supper tell me that they haven't left the Lord. That may be true in their minds, but God has already left them. There is no "once saved always saved." If you are in sin, get out, else the example of Samson will become a reality in your life.

3. Sin Cost Him More Than He Wanted To Pay

Not only did the Philistines capture Samson, but they put out his eyes. They used him like a mule to grind in the prison. His sin caused spiteful words to be spoken of God. The Philistines worshipped their god, Dagon, and proclaimed, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands" (Judges 16:23). Judges 16:25 proclaims that while they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson so he might entertain us." Samson was brought out to be made sport of. As he was led through the crowd he asked the servant to let him stand between two pillars so he could brace himself. Then Samson asked God if he could die with the Philistines. Samson pushed with all his strength and the roof caved in killing not only Samson, but all the Philistines as well.

Let us examine what sin did to Samson. Sin cost him more than he wanted to pay. It cost him his eyes, his freedom, his pride, his life, and his God. What a terrible price to pay for sin. But the greatest price mankind can pay for un-repented sin is ETERNITY in HELL. The rich man in Luke sixteen understands this. I pray that Samson, in his death, has finally made you realise the cost of sin. You see, THESE THINGS WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION.

Conclusion:

The Apostle Paul, that great man of God, realised he could backslide, too, if he was not ever vigilant before the Lord. He said, But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. ( 1 Corinthians 9:27 ). Great men (and women) of God in the past (and in the present) have faithfully stood before people and preached the Word of God, but somewhere in their lives, they fell by the wayside. That should be a warning to the rest of us!

The point to remember is that our God is a God of grace. Grace allows Him to forgive us even though we certainly do not earn or deserve such forgiveness (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we walk in the light the blood of Jesus, his son keeps on cleansing us of our sins (1 John 1:7). Therefore as forgiven sinners we serve our gracious God and he uses us to his honour and glory just as he did Abraham.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
(1 John 1:7)

"Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.” (2 Samuel 1:19-20).

God bless you

Evang. Oseh John B.