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I’m allergic to coconut milk, coconut cream, and other similar coconut derivatives. But sometimes a good curry is just too enticing. A little bit can’t kill me, right?
I think we often have a similar approach to dealing with sin. Yeah okay, I know it’s a big stretch, curry and sin... but hear me out. Sometimes when the negative effects aren’t so obvious or immediate, we think we can take a little bite of sin (or curry) and get away without too much damage. Only after we take that bite, we begin to regret our actions.
Obviously, the consequences of sin are much more serious.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
We are all spiritually allergic to sin. The effects aren’t always physical or particularly obvious, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there and they aren’t serious.
Dr Max prescribes two remedies:
1. Know your opponent…
Reading the Bible helps us to discern what is right and wrong according to God’s standards. You can’t avoid sin if you don’t even know what it is.
2. …and then run for your life!
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” (Ephesians 5:3)
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11)
The Bible doesn’t tell us to reduce our intake of sin. It doesn’t tell us just to abstain from sin. It tells us to FLEE from sin, which means to run in the total opposite direction and pursue what is good and pleasing in God’s eyes.
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