While modern thought has determined that we can play with evil, and while the modern media loves to make a mockery of sin and to put it in sheep’s clothing, the inspired writers of the Bible knew that we had to keep as far from it as possible. While man today wants to play with sin, those great men of God wanted believers to keep even the root of sin from getting started.
By Nan Pamer
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Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide into the future. Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.
-Ulysses S. Grant
There is one more aspect in this discussion that must not be overlooked. The rules and restraints that the Bible sets forth have another magnificent purpose: to hold back the power of sin.
Sin. Where it dwells, it hungers for mastery. Once it gets a foothold, it will work night and day to bring a person under its dominion. Man must keep a constant vigil against sin. Human flesh loves the momentary thrill of sin, and in order to keep it free from sin, there must be barriers and fences and parameters put in place that keep man from getting too close to it. Sin blinds. Sin weakens resolve. Sin is a master at putting out temptations and seemingly innocent bait to pull unsuspecting humanity into its clutches.
The Bible gives the perfect analogy to describe sin: leprosy. It enters slowly and unseen, but in the end, it destroys everything that is good. The end is death. Leprosy is a disease that eats away every good and wholesome thing in the body. First it destroys the outer appendages: fingers, toes, nose, and ears. Then it works to destroy the entire body. One doesn’t see or detect it in the beginning, but slowly it distorts and destroys. Sin begins small, but the end is total destruction. Sin starts with just a little lie, a little theft, a little flirtation, but the end is destruction of all truth, all ownership, all relationship.
Because of the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrew 3:13), there must be rules of behavior in place in the lives of men and women to keep back the power of sin. No man ever dreams that the seemingly innocent flirtation with his secretary will lead to a broken-hearted wife, devastated children, unwanted pregnancies, and guilt that he carries for the rest of his life. When the innocent flirtation begins, it appears so innocent, and no one can see the end result. Thus, it is imperative that there be rules of behavior firmly in place. Yes, the respect for his wife and family and his allegiance to God are essential, but rules such as a man should never touch a woman (1 Corinthians 7:1) and rules of modest clothing (I Timothy 2:9) are necessary in helping to keep sin in its cage. The precepts and admonitions of the Word of God acts as barriers and walls to keep us from getting too close to sin’s power.
It is like the foolish people who find a tiger cub and bring it into their home. They think because they pet it, take care of it, and keep it confined that it will never dominate or try to destroy them or their children. But little by little, the fangs and the claws appear, and that destructive nature begins to manifest itself, and death is on its way. Thus is the way of sin.
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