Playing with Fire

“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden? ‘Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,’ the woman replied. ‘It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat.’ God said, ‘You must not eat of it or even touch it; if you do, you will die. ‘You won’t die!’ the serpent replied to the woman…The woman was convinced.” –Genesis 3:1-4, 6

Men, what have you been doing in your life that God has clearly said in his Word or in your inner conscience not to do? Notice how God told Adam and Eve not to even touch the fruit! God knew that the temptation would be too great if they were that close to it. God tells us not to even toy with sin because he knows how easy it is to compromise our stand and fall into it. This could be your temptation to look at pornography, go hang out with the “easy-girl,” do drugs, drink alcohol in excess, cheat on a test at school, etc. Are you playing with fire and seeing how close you can get to the flame without getting burnt? God wants us to not even go near the flame. He knows sins power over us but the good news is he has already conquered sin so we can overcome it's grasp.

It’s so like the devil and his crafty, deceiving ways to tell us, “It’s no big deal! God is old fashioned! He just doesn’t want you to have a good time!” Don’t listen to him, guys! Notice how Satan twisted God’s words to Eve when he originally asked, “Did God really say not to eat ANY of the fruit of the garden?” Oh he’s crafty! Manipulation of words at it’s finest. Eve caught on but still entertained the thought which lead to mankind’s fall. God wants to save you from sin’s pain, anguish, and captivity.

This relates to the parent who tells their child not to touch the hot stove in the kitchen. Did they say that because they don’t like their child or because they don’t want them to have any fun? Not at all! They said it for the child's personal protection and that’s all God is doing for you when he tells you to stay away from sin and was doing for Adam and Eve in the garden. He wants to protect us from ourselves, sin's grasp, and our own sinful nature. He knows it’s powerful! Stay as far away from the edge and the fire as possible! You know exactly what comes to mind in your life that you should stay away from as you read this; run away from it! Take a step away from the edge towards God's way. This is the path to true manhood in obedience to God.

It's not how close you can get to the edge, it's how far can you can stay away from it.