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ON THIN ICE

Elder Mark Green

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." - I Corinthians 10:12.

Have you ever seen someone walk across a wet, slime-covered outcropping of rocks in a stream? How does he proceed? Does he gallop merrily across? No, not if he values life and limb. He walks carefully, gingerly - the Scriptures describe it as "circumspectly." I have heard the world and our flesh against which we struggle described as "the slippery slope of sin." That is an apt portrayal.

In these first five verses of this chapter, Paul recounts some of the things that happened to the Israelites in the Old Testament and then says, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted" (v. 6). He reminds us of how often they slid down that "slippery slope of sin," and warns us to carefully consider their case lest we do the same. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition" (v. 11).

When someone is doing something that is dangerous, we may describe his actions by saying that he is "skating on thin ice." We might also say that he is "playing with a loaded gun." Those are both dangerous practices. It is dangerous to toy with sin. Peter says of the man that would "love life, and see good days" that he should "eschew" evil. Eschew means to turn away from or to shun. We would eschew a skunk if we saw it in the road ahead. That is the attitude we are to have toward sin. Paul warns that Satan will get the advantage of us if we are ignorant of his devices or tricks. One of his devices is to lure God's people to get near to a sin while thinking that they would never get in that sin. We need to beware of the deceit and heed the warning of the Scriptures. We may think it would never happen to us, but if we think that,"we are thinking we will stand, and are just the people Paul was addressing in our text.

A fool ignores warnings and plunges ahead. A wise man listens carefully to his father and avoids the danger - and the hurt.