“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11
July 5, 2022
Have you experienced disappointment in someone you admired as a fellow Christian, but whose private sin spilled over into their public life. To discover someone had feet of clay can be the occasion for disillusionment. It might even be a stumbling block that leads us into sin. This is one of Satan’s devices to take us down. According to Thomas Brooks in Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices there are at lease three remedies. Remedy #1 – The Spirit of the Lord underscores their sin and their repentance. Peter fell dreadfully, but rises by repentance sweetly; a look of love from Jesus melts him into tears. He leapt into the waters to come to Christ (Jn. 21:7). Remedy #2 – The sins of faithful servants of God were not their way of life. There is a great difference between those who fall into a sin once or twice and those who wallow in sin day by day. Did Christ change your desires when you came to Him? Do you delight in your sin as a way of life? Remedy # 3 – The sins of God’s servants do not go unnoticed and undisciplined by God. There is a heavy price to pay for sin (Psa. 51:8). The book of Hebrews has five sobering warnings to believers who place themselves in the chastening hand of God. All this to say, we can always find someone who has fallen, someone with feet of clay, and use that as wheels for the satisfaction of our own lust. Dear friend, don’t stray into that spiritual quicksand. Satan loves to dangle a supposed loophole for sinning. But it only disguises a hole of misery and wasted opportunities to serve the Savior. H
A time to pray: O gracious and forgiving Lord, I confess that there are times when I have looked favorably upon the sins of others and have allowed that to soften me toward disobedience to you. Strengthen me to be resolute in my hatred of sin.”