Whoever is Being Led Astray

Proverbs 20 (select verses)

1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,

    and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,

    but a faithful man who can find?

9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;

    I am clean from my sin”?

22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”;

    wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

People can be intoxicated to things other than just to alcoholic beverages. For to be intoxicated is to be under the influence and control of something else. And for the intoxicated person it means to be out of control and/or lacking greatly in self-control. It is a lot like being addicted. For the person who is addicted to something is under the control of whatever that is because he is enslaved to that habit or sin or substance to the point of physical, emotional, and/or psychological dependence on whatever it is.

Now the Bible talks about slavery to sin, and slavery is bondage and servitude to something or to someone. And it is the same as addiction, for “addiction is a form of self-imposed bondage that binds people as firmly as if they were held in chains” (1). And addiction is idolatry. And addiction to sin is the same as slavery to sin which Jesus died to set us all free from. So, for the believer in Jesus Christ, if his faith is genuine, there is no reason for him to be addicted to any particular sin, for Jesus provided the way out.

For when Jesus Christ died on that cross he who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God, not in status, but in practice. For he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. He shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our slavery to sin so we will now serve and honor him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands and in holy living, by the grace of God, and in his power and strength.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]

Now the Bible teaches that it is out of the human heart that comes either good or evil. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. And sometimes these stem from what is stored up in the heart in the way of hatred, resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness. For such things as this can lead to murder, adultery, idolatry, sexual immorality, lying, cheating, and stealing, and the like (Luke 6:45; Matthew 15:17-20).

And we are not speaking here just of people who have made no profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but of many who do profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are still living in slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin. And it is primarily because they want to hold on to that sin and they don’t want to let go of it. And so many are those who like the diluted gospel message which tells them that a profession of faith in Christ gets all their sins forgiven and now they are on their way to heaven guaranteed, regardless of how they live.

But you can’t just “name it and claim it.” We are not saved from our sin and on our way to heaven on the basis of lip service only. We can’t make up our own version of the gospel in order to fit our own lifestyles and claim that now heaven is secured for us even though we don’t meet the biblical requirements for salvation. For we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to now walk in holiness and in righteousness in obedience to our Lord, or we do not have eternal life with God.

Yet, there are many who are professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives and yet they are not serving and honoring him as Lord of their lives, but they are continuing in deliberate and habitual sin (in slavery to sin) because their hearts are not right with God. For they have not died to sin and so they are not living to righteousness. Sin is still their addiction, their habit, and what comes out in their behaviors stems from what is stored up in their hearts. So the heart has to change, then the behaviors can change.

But if they don’t want to change, they won’t change. They will keep on in their sinful practices until the day that they die or else they will eventually surrender their lives to the Lord. But that may take some tragedy or severe trial in their lives to finally bring them to their knees in humble surrender and submission to Christ as Lord of their lives, for it is often their pride which keeps them from surrendering to the will of God for their lives, because they like to be the ones in control, or thinking they are in control.

But if they continue in sin, heaven is not what awaits them when they die. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, then we will not inherit eternal life with God. But don’t be like them. Surrender your lives to Jesus Christ today and let him truly be Lord (Owner-Master) of your lives. And let him lead you in the direction he would have you to go, and then follow him in obedience, and leave your lives of sin behind you. You will be eternally thankful that you did.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

What a Savior

By Marvin P. Dalton

Once I was straying in sin's dark valley

No hope within could I see

God sent from heaven a loving Savior

To save a poor lost soul like me

He left the Father with all His riches

With calmness sweet and serene

Came down from heaven and gave His lifeblood

To make the vilest sinner clean

Death's chilly waters I'll soon be crossing

His hand will lead me safe o'er

I'll join the chorus in that great city

And sing up there forevermore

O what a Savior O hallelujah

His heart was broken on Calvary

His hands were nail-scarred

His side was riven

He gave His lifeblood for even me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRWCM-PFO8Y

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(1) Source: Counseling Today