Proverbs
7:21-23 With
much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All
at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a [deer] is
caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver… he does not know that it will cost
him his life.
Christ has died and is
resurrected. Because of him, we can have a connection to the Eternal God. We
can be a member of the new community of forgiven. It is Christ Jesus who has made
it possible for us to enter into a community with him and to connect to each
other. This is wonderful but it does not happen often enough. Why?
Are we too ignorant to
comprehend the possibilities he offers? No, our problem is foolishness.
Foolishness is a by-product of deception. It is not that we are ignorant or
mentally deficient. Foolishness tells us that what is bad, is good for us; and
what is good, we become convinced is harmful.
This is moral stupidity, it is foolishness.
The Bible describes the
fruit of our sinful nature clearly. But when we reflect on our lives it never
looks so bad. Urges that are wrong seem to us to be quite innocent. Bad urges
seem reasonable, in-style, justified, necessary or even the best thing for us.
Give in to your perception
of life and you are trapped. Yield to the luster and you will be satisfied, for
a moment. You will negotiate, seek reasons for and given in to “the flesh” as a
slave. You learn to make life work on your terms and according to your
preconceived notions. You become satisfied with your results, the pleasure you
bring to your life.
Sin is independence from
God. It is rebelling against God’s authority because we do not believe that his
goodness is true. Sin depends on human resources and not God. Sin reduces our
lives to manageable steps and to-do lists, removing the mystery that surrounds
God’s providential care for us. Sin seeks to minimize risk in life to the
exclusion of God’s love and care for us. Sin elevates our physical and
emotional satisfaction above God’s plan for our lives. Sin is death to the
soul.
