Purify Your Mind Series (Part 3) by Joe KirbyNäide

Sin’s Price Tag

"Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life." (Proverbs 7:22–23)

When I used to work in a café, on the till, there was a button entitled “impulse buy.” It was cleverly named, because all the stock that fitted into that category was conveniently stacked right next to the cash register. After the customer had ordered what they wanted off the menu, their eyes saw a tempting rocky road brownie or a bag of chips, and they bought them without any thought, as they only had seconds to make the decision. Many people impulse-buy from the Devil, not realizing the cost on the price tag. They make a rash decision in the moment, without realizing the consequences. The Bible says that just like an ox unconsciously walks itself to its death, and like a bird hops into its doom, so the deluded person who rushes to sin will have a miserable fate.

Does this mean if I keep committing sexual sin, I’m going to hell? Well, I believe there is always abundant grace in Jesus to be found for any repentant sinner. But I also believe that the Bible warns there is a dreadful price to pay for those who die refusing to let go of their chosen sin. Charles Bridges, commenting on this passage, referred to it as “the short night of pleasure succeeded by the eternal night of infernal torment!"*

I guess what I’m trying to say is, how much longer will you continue to play this game? Your soul is not a game, eternity is not a game, and God is certainly not an opponent any of us should challenge. So be cleansed today by the blood of Jesus, and be sure tomorrow you don’t walk too close to the edge.

* C. Bridge, A. McGrath, and J.I. Packer, Proverbs (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001).