Avoid the Unavoidable

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.(Genesis 3:1-7)

In Irwin Luetzer's book The Serpent of Paradise he begins one of his chapters with an interesting account. He says there was a construction company that had invited various contractors to submit bids for a major building complex. All things being equal, the contractor who submitted the lowest bid would get the job. Needless to say, the bids had to be submitted in secret.

On the last day the bids could be tendered, a contractor walked into the office of the president of the company with a bid application in his hand. To his surprise, the office of the president was empty. He stood alone, venturing a glance at the huge mahogany desk. Much to his surprise, he saw on the desk the bid of his major competitor lying there. The only problem was there was a can of pop sitting directly over the most important figure in the document, the final bid. If this contractor knew the amount that was written on that line, he could adjust his own bid to come in just beneath it and the multi-million dollar job would be his.

The contractor nervously paced the floor knowing full well what was at stake. He contemplated moving the can for just a second, reading the figure and then putting it back. At first he touched the can but then pulled back afraid that someone might see him. He glanced around the room one more time, now confident that no one was looking. He lifted the can quickly, intently glanced at the number and put the can back instantly. Much to his chagrin as he lifted the can from the desk, hundreds of BBs spilled onto the desk and rolled all over the floor. It was a setup. The president of the company knew that if a contractor was willing to cheat to get the contract he would most likely cheat in honoring the contract. Now the contractor was caught and there was no way to avoid the disgrace of his deceitfulness.

That contractor experienced the law of unavoidable consequences. He thought he could control the fallout of his dishonesty, but discovered that unavoidable consequences had been built into the temptation. One single act had repercussions he could not have anticipated, the can of soda was not what it appeared to be. His integrity had been put to the test and he failed.

The problem with temptation and sin of course is that consequences don’t always occur the first time you make the decision to compromise your integrity. While there are some repercussions that follow sin immediately, many times the unavoidable consequences of sin don’t reveal themselves until we have been lulled into thinking we can disobey God and not suffer a penalty. But sooner or later there comes that day when the proverbial BBs are bouncing on the floor. There always comes a day when the unavoidable consequences of sin become a reality for us. Numbers 32:23 says it this way, “You may be sure your sin will find you out.”

Temptation has a deceptive nature. It promises fulfillment and satisfaction. But it never ultimately delivers what it promises. Every temptation to violate God’s moral boundaries has built within it a deception that the consequence of violating God’s law can be avoided. That’s the scheme the serpent used against Eve in the garden. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” His question has a subtle insinuation built into it. “You mean to tell me He really said something like that?” Eve knew the correct answer. God had given Adam and Eve moral boundaries to live within. Along with those instructions God had revealed the unavoidable consequences, which would follow if Adam and Eve chose to disobey. “If you violate these moral boundaries, these consequences will follow – you will surely die.”
In reality the conversation should have stopped right there. God had spoken clearly and his message had been clearly understood. There really was nothing else to be said. But the serpent doesn’t give up quite so easily. He says, “You will not surely die.” In other words, “Go ahead – indulge yourself. You don’t have to worry about the consequences of your behavior. You can violate the Lord’s boundaries and not suffer a penalty.” Adam and Eve succumbed and set off a spiritual avalanche as a result of their sin.

Sometime during your day you might be faced with a similar situation. Temptation might stare you right in the face and the thought that’s likely to entice you is, “Go ahead – you can do this and avoid getting caught. You can do this and avoid facing any repercussions.” Remember that’s the lie of the serpent. The consequences of sin are unavoidable. Whether they happen immediately or later – you can be assured, they will happen. They only way to avoid the unavoidable is to remember the Word of the Lord and obey it. Before you step over the line from temptation to sin, picture in your mind that contractor lifting up the can of soda and the BBs spilling over the desk and floor. Picture the humiliation he must have faced as a result of his compromise. Picture in your mind what it will feel like when your sin is exposed. Count the cost of being held responsible and experiencing the consequences of your action before making a move. If at that moment of temptation, you will pray and ask God for the strength to stay pure before Him, He will give you the strength you need to establish and preserve your integrity.

Live the Victorious Life,
PT