Proverbs 5:14. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.
The sexual sin that we were warned about yesterday is truly the path of self-destruction, or utter ruin. Not just privately, but also publicly – in the assembled congregation. We are reminded of the story in John 8 of the woman caught in adultery whose life was almost publicly taken from her at the hands of the self-righteous mob.
John 8:3-5. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
Praise God, the forgiveness and grace of Christ was there to prevent her ruin.
John 8:7-11. 7And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Sin naturally will ruin us, it will destroy us, eventually it will steal everything from us. But in Christ such ruin is never God’s goal. Yes, God will allow natural consequences to play out in our lives, but this is the discipline of a loving father who is actually trying to get our attention to prevent our destruction. And yes, the discipline of the church, the assembled congregation, may be necessary at times, but again, ruin must never be the goal, but rather restoration.
2 Corinthians 2:6-8. 6For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.
My prayer for you is that you will not even tip toe near the brink of ruin. That you will recognize and confess your sin to Christ. That you will trust your position in Christ as one who is dead to sin and alive to God. That you would know that your body is the Spirit’s temple and that you are one spirit with Christ. That you will flee from youthful lusts. That you would see sooner rather than later the body of death that sin, especially sexual sin, sews to our flesh. And in its place that you would experience the transformation that comes from beholding the cross of love, and find the fullness of joy that comes from the living in the presence of Christ.
The good news today is that in Christ we don’t ever have to live on the brink of ruin. In him we can leave the pig sty and run back to the Father. Simply put, Christ has given us a new heart that loves and trusts him, and a new path that leads away from ruin and toward everlasting life.
You: Are you on a path toward ruin today? What about in regards to sexual sin?
You in Christ: Is there an area of your past or present life where you need to hear Christ saying, “Neither do I condemn you, and from now on sin no more.”
Christ in you: How does Christ in you help you to turn from sin and toward the loving presence of the Father?
Pray: Father, thank you for keeping me from utter ruin by your love and grace found in Christ. Amen.
To Live is Christ 