The Path of Sin
The Path of Sin
A controversy once raged in the columns of a British newspaper as a result of an article by a well-known clergyman, who said that there are times when we have to choose a path of evil, that sometimes there is no right choice to be made. He gave several examples. "A close friend gives me a present for which I have no liking or use. Shall I wound his feelings by saying so, or shall I, if not by words at least by actions, deceive him? A trifling clash between the duty of truth-telling and the duty of love, but nonetheless a clash." Another example: A friend of the minister was in South Africa in the colonial days, and his house was attacked by members of the Matabele tribe. The man's wife stood behind him, loading the guns so that he could fire as fast as possible. "You won't let them get me?" she asks. "No," answers the husband. "I am saving two cartridges - one for you and one for me." There were three alternatives. He could kill as many human beings as possible; he could kill his wife and himself; or he could surrender, only to die by horrible torture while his wife would have been left to an even more awful death.
The third example is that of a woman who, in a moment of infatuation, has been false to her husband, and upon awakening from that brief madness knows that she still loves him and her children. What shall she do? Shall she break her husband's heart, disgrace her children, and break up a home by telling the truth, or shall she embark on a lifetime of lies and deceit? "Choose which alternative you please as the better one, or rather as the less evil. One thing you must not do. You must not talk of her acting rightly, for she has left herself no right course to choose."
We do not propose to go into the details of argument as to possible actions in the above cases. We wish instead to point out the Christian's course of action in all cases. First, it is impossible to live a long course of sin and then be in a position to act nobly. When desire has conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death (James 1:15). In other words, sin leads men into paths from which there is no escape. The choice is merely a choice of evils. But for the Christian, there is a way out. The dilemmas that are caused by sin, when confessed to the Lord, are covered by the blood of the Savior and put behind us. The past is past and need not be dragged out to plague us. The present is under His direction and need not bring us fear. Whatever circumstances may come, of peace or tragedy, we know that they have been sifted by our Lord, and we are content.
1. Why is it “impossible to live a long course of sin and then be in a position to act nobly?”
2. How does the sanctifying work of the Lord help us make a God glorifying decision in these situations?
