“It was I who kept you from sinning…”
How boundless is the mercy and loving kindness of our God! His love reaches out to us in more ways than we are able to discern. Countless too are the many instances when God has stood in our way to stop us from sinning.
Abraham was a great man of God; however, at times he was afraid and sometimes he failed. Twice he lied about Sarah’s true identity, and twice God averted a disgrace through direct intervention. Abraham could have lost his wife or life…or both.
God stopped Pharaoh and Abimelech from touching Sarah. As Christians, we are “free” to sin if we persist in an Epicurean pursuit of happiness, but we can be assured that God will do at least three things: (1) Place many obstacles in our way (Balaam and the donkey); (2) Sound an alarm through the Holy Spirit; (3) Provide a way (or door) to escape (I Cor. 10:13).
Let us not afflict our souls to death with feelings of guilt and remorse. Let us not grow apart from God because of our sins. Instead, we can choose to listen to God’s voice when we are surrounded by temptation. He says to us,
“STOP!” “Do not sin.” “Return to me.”
Are you a good “spiritual driver?” Do you stop at the intersection called “sin” and make a U-turn? Do you accelerate through “Gospel Avenue”? Do you always look at the Light?
A. G.
