For a careful, prayerful read:
(1) For one thing, resolve at once, by God's help, to break off every known
sin, however small.
Look within, each one of you. Examine your own hearts. Do you see there any
habit or custom which you know is wrong in the sight of God? If you do, don't
delay for a moment in attacking it. Resolve at once to lay it aside. Nothing,
darkens the eyes of the mind so much, and deadens the conscience so surely, as
an allowed sin. It may be a little one, but it is not any less dangerous. A
small leak will sink a great ship, and a small spark will kindle a great fire,
and a little allowed sin in like manner will ruin an immortal soul. Take my
advice, and never spare a little sin. Israel was commanded to kill every
Canaanite, both great and small. Act on the same principle, and show no mercy
to little sins. Well says the book of the Song of Songs, "Catch for us the
foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards" (Song of Songs 2:15).
You can be sure that no wicked man ever meant to be so wicked at his first
beginnings. But he began with allowing himself some little sins, and that led
on to something greater, and that in time produced something greater still,
and thus he became the miserable being that he now is. When Hazael heard from
Elisha of the horrible acts that he would one day do, he said with
astonishment, "How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?" (2
Kings 8:13). But he allowed sin to take root in his heart, and in the end he
did them all.
Resist sin in its beginnings. They may look small and insignificant, but mind
what I say, resist them, make no compromise, let no sin lodge quietly and
undisturbed in your heart. There is nothing finer than the point of a needle,
but when it has made a hole, it draws all the thread after it. Remember the
Apostle's words, "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough" (1
Corinthians 5:6).
Many a person could tell you with sorrow and shame, that he traces the ruin of
all his worldly prospects to the point I speak of--to giving way to sin in its
beginnings. He began habits of deception and dishonesty in little things, and
they grew on him. Step by step, he has gone on from bad to worse, till he has
done things that at one time he would have thought impossible till at last he
has lost his standing, lost his character, lost his peace, and almost lost his
soul. He allowed a gap in the wall of his conscience, because it seemed a
little one, and once allowed, that gap grew larger every day, till in time the
whole wall seemed to come down.
Remember this especially in matters of truth and honesty. Be careful in even
the least syllable spoken. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also
be trusted with much" (Luke 16:10). Whatever the world may like to think,
there are no little sins. All great buildings are made up of little parts--the
first stone is as important as any other. All habits are formed by a
succession of little acts, and the first little act is of mighty consequence.
The axe in the fable only begged the trees to let him have one little piece of
wood to make a handle, and he would never trouble them any more. He got it,
and then he soon cut them all down. The devil only wants to get the wedge of a
little allowed sin into your heart, and you will soon be all his own. It is a
wise saying, "There is nothing small between us and God, for God is an
infinite God."
There are two ways of coming down from the top of a ladder; one is to jump
down, and the other is to come down by the steps: but both will lead you to
the bottom. So also there are two ways of going to hell; one is to walk into
it with your eyes open--few people do that; the other is to go down by the
steps of little sins--and that way, I fear, is only too common. Put up with a
few little sins, and you will soon want a few more. Even a heathen could say,
"Who was ever content with only one sin?" If you put up with little sins then
your path in life will be worse and worse every year. Jeremy Taylor very
clearly described the progress of sin in a man:
First it startles him, then it becomes pleasing, then easy, then delightful,
then frequent, then habitual, then a way of life! Then the man feels no guilt,
then obstinate, then resolves never to repent, and then he is damned.
If you don't want to come to this, remember the rule I give you this
day--resolve at once to break off every known sin.
(2) Resolve, by God's help, to shun everything which may prove an occasion of sin.
It is an excellent saying, "He that would be safe from the acts of evil, must
widely avoid the occasions." There is an old fable, that the butterfly once
asked the owl how she should deal with the fire, which had singed her wings;
and the owl counseled her, in reply, not to even look at its smoke. It is not
enough that we determine not to commit sin, we must carefully keep at a
distance from all approaches to it. By this test we ought to examine the ways
we spend our time--the books that we read, the friends that we visit, the part
of society which we interact with. We must not be content with saying, "There
is nothing wrong here;" we must go further, and say, "Is there anything here
which may cause me to sin?"
This is one great reason why idleness is to be avoided. It is not that doing
nothing is of itself so wicked; it is the opportunity it affords to evil and
empty thoughts; it is the wide door it opens for Satan to throw in the seeds
of bad things; it is this which is mainly to be feared. If David had not given
opportunity to the devil, by walking on his house-top in Jerusalem with
nothing to do, he probably never would have seen Bathsheba bathing, nor
murdered her husband Uriah.
This, too, is one good reason why worldly entertainments are so objectionable.
It may be difficult, in some instances, to show that they are, in themselves,
positively unscriptural and wrong. But there is little difficulty in showing
that the tendency of almost all of them is most injurious to the soul. They
sow the seeds of an earthly and sensual frame of mind. They war against the
life of faith. They promote an unhealthy and unnatural craving after
excitement. They minister to the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye,
and the pride of life. They dim the view of heaven and eternity, and give a
false color to the things of time. They take away time for private prayer, and
Scripture reading, and calm communion with God. The man who mingles in them is
like one who gives Satan an advantage. He has a battle to fight, and he gives
his enemy the help of sun, and wind, and hill. It would indeed be strange if
he did not find himself continually overcome.
Endeavor, as much as you can, to keep clear of everything which may prove
injurious to your soul. People may say you are too conscientious, too
particular, and ask where is the great harm of such and such things? But don't
listen to them. It is dangerous to play tricks with sharp tools: it is far
more dangerous to take liberties with your immortal soul. He that would be
safe must not come near the brink of danger. He must look on his heart as a
barrel of gunpowder, and be cautious not to handle one spark of temptation
more than he can help.
What is the use of your praying, "Lord keep me from temptation," unless you
are careful not to run into it and "keep me from evil," unless you show a
desire to keep out of its way? Take an example from Joseph--Not merely did he
refuse solicitation to sin from his master's wife, but he showed his prudence
in refusing to even be "with her" (Genesis 39:10). Take to heart the advice of
Solomon, not only to "Not set foot on the path of the wicked," but to "Avoid
it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go your way" (Proverbs 4:15); "Do
not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes
down smoothly!" (Proverbs 23:31). The man who took the vow of a Nazarite in
Israel, not only took no wine, but be even abstained from grapes in any shape
whatever. "Hate what is evil," says Paul to the Romans (Romans 12:9); not
merely not to do it; "Flee the evil desires of youth," he writes to Timothy;
get away from them as far as possible (2 Timothy 2:22). Oh, how needful are
such cautions! Dinah just had to go out among the wicked Shechemites, to see
their ways, and she lost her virginity. Lot just had pitched his tent near
sinful Sodom, and he lost everything but his life.
Be wise with your time. Do not always be trying to see how near you can allow
the enemy of souls to come, and yet escape him. Hold him at arm's length. Try
to keep clear of temptation as far as possible, and this will be one great
help to keep clear of sin.
(3) Resolve never to forget the eye of God.
The eye of God! Think of that. Everywhere, in every house, in every field, in
every room, in every company, alone or in a crowd, the eye of God is always on
you. "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the
good" (Proverbs 15:3), and they are eyes that read hearts as well as actions.
Endeavor, I beg you, to realize this fact. Remember that you have to deal with
an all-seeing God, a God who never sleeps, a God who understands your
thoughts, and with whom the night shines as the day. You may leave your
father's house, and go away, like the prodigal, into a far country, and think
that there is nobody to watch your conduct; but the eye and ear of God are
there before you. You may deceive your parents or employers, you may tell them
lies, and act one way before their faces, and another behind their backs, but
you cannot deceive God. He knows you through and through. He heard what you
said as you came here today. He knows what you are thinking of at this minute.
He has set your most secret sins in the light of His countenance, and they
will one day come out before the world to your shame, except you take heed.
How little is this really felt! How many things are done continually, which
men would never do if they thought they were seen! How many matters are
transacted in the rooms of imagination, which would never bear the light of
day! Yes; men entertain thoughts in private, and say words in private, and do
acts in private, which they would be ashamed and blush to have exposed before
the world. The sound of a footstep coming has stopped many a deed of
wickedness. A knock at the door has caused many an evil work to be hastily
suspended, and hurriedly laid aside. But oh, what miserable folly is all this!
There is an all-seeing Witness with us wherever we go. Lock the door, pull
down the blind, turn out the light; it doesn't matter, it makes no difference;
God is everywhere, you cannot shut Him out, or prevent His seeing. "Nothing in
all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare
before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13). Young
Joseph understood this well when his employer's wife tempted him. There was no
one in the house to see them, no human eye to witness against him; but Joseph
was one who lived as seeing Him that is invisible: "How could I do such a
wicked thing and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9)
I ask all of you to read Psalm 139. I advise all of you to learn it by heart.
Make it the test of all your dealings in this world's business: say to
yourself often, "Do I remember that God sees me?"
Live as in the sight of God. This is what Abraham did, he walked before Him.
This is what Enoch did, he walked with Him. This is what heaven itself will
be, the eternal presence of God. Do nothing that you would not like God to
see. Say nothing, you would not like God to hear. Write nothing, you would not
like God to read. Go no place where you would not like God to find you. Read
no book of which you would not like God to say, "Show it to Me." Never spend
your time in such a way that you would not like to have God say, "What are you
doing?"
Posted by: Christina1998 (Apostasy Watch Fellowship)
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