Dear Friends,
Several years ago, a medical mystery baffled the
positions at Palnomie Hospital in Free State, South Africa, when, for ten
consecutive weeks, whichever patient was in bed #4 of the intensive care unit
would be dead on Friday morning.
After double checking medical procedures, air
conditioning, vents, and room structure surrounding bed #4, It was discovered
that that. At 3:00 A.M. every Friday morning the cleaning lady would
unknowingly pull the plug of the life support system of bed #4 so that she
could plug her floor polisher into the vacant socket.
People look around our world and see
disaster, disease, and death. The see problems, pollution, and pain. They
scratch their heads and say, “How did the world get this way? Why are there
earthquakes and volcanoes and hurricanes and tornadoes? Why are there wars? Why
can’t people get along with each other? Why is there cancer?”
The answer is that someone pulled the plug of
our planet’s life support system. When Adam chose to rebel against God, the
whole world was plugged into sin. Nature was impacted. Earth’s ecology changed
radically. Disease and death entered in, and from that point on, man would be
born with the nature of depravity.
Why should we pay the price for Adam’s
failure?
Because if it was you or I in the garden, we
would have done worse.
If I said, “I will pay you one million to
come up here right now and go ten rounds with Mike Tyson. If you survive 10
rounds in a small ring with an angry, bitter Tyson, then one million is yours.
Or, if you would rather, you can have someone to represent you. You can have
Evander Holyfield stand in for you”- every one of you, with any sense,
would say, I’ll go with Evander Holyfield.”
Adam was Evander: Hot off the press,
freshly made by God, he was a champion. Thus, because even Adam bombed out, we
can be assured that if you or I were in the garden, we would have surely blown
it a whole lot sooner.
With eyes wide open, Adam chose to join Eve
in eating the forbidden fruit; and in so doing, chose creation over Creator.
It’s a tragedy repeated to this day, with the same inevitable results.
Whenever a man or woman says, “I don’t care
what the cost might be, I know this is wrong, but I’m going to leave her
anyway; I’m going to be with him no matter what”- a decision is made which will
ultimately bring about prolonged, permanent pain. Those who choose creation
over Creator say, “Oh, I know there will be repercussions. I know there will be
a price to pay, but I’ll suck it up and take it, because I love him, or I’ve
just got to have her. I know it’ll be tough for a while, but our love can endure.
My baby and I will sail through the seas of adversity together to a port of
tranquility and tropical beauty.”
They have it all figured out. But the price
they expect to pay is not what it will cost. That’s the trick. That’s the
catch. And that’s the truth.
Inevitably, invariably, eventually, their cry
will be, “I didn’t know this would be the result of my sin. God have mercy. I’m
a fool.” Jon Courson, Old Testament Life Application Commentary, pp.
11-12
These opening words of a message by pastor
Jon Courson provide a stark warning of the price we pay when we bite into
Satan’s lie.
Beware of sin, for it fall into one of these
three categories: the lust of the flesh- It tastes good; the lust of the eyes-
it’s nice to look at; the pride of life- it’ll make you wise. (1 John, 2:16).
Resting and relying in the power of Jesus, let
us resist Satan’s lie and choose carefully, as if our life depended upon it,
because it does!
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
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