Walk On the Wild Side

Romans 6:11-13, Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Have you ever thought how much fun it would be to wander around in a wilderness area? A place wild and free; a place where you can get up close and personal with nature and all that live there. It is exciting to travel to a wilderness area but if done alone it can be dangerous.
Every day we are tempted to travel into an area controlled by sin and lust. Every journey into sin takes its toll. When we travel there we sacrifice our closeness with God, forfeit His blessings and we lose our influence with others that comes from purity of mind and body. In 1 Timothy 4:12 we are told, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
We all have a wild side where we wander now and again. A wilderness area filled with sin lust and absence from God. These wild areas in us may never be tamed and secured for us to wander in safely. As with natural wilderness areas there needs to be perimeters that restrict access. Perimeters that keep us from wandering into areas we do not need to go.
We need to set perimeters that have posted signs, “Danger Do Not Enter”. One sign we should post is one that tells us to resist the temptation to yield to the lust of the flesh. Another one should read, “You will be held accountable.” Remember temptation only gets better the longer you look at it.
Sin is a wilderness area we need not wander into yet it has a lure the draws us like a magnet. It is a place where once we enter in we lose sight of God. When we wander away from God the places we go are cold and lifeless. The things we do there are not pleasing in His sight. Can we find our way out, most certainly? Just like a person who has been lost in the wilderness and is found by searchers we are wrapped in a warm blanket, cradled in the arms of a loving God and given life saving nourishment. Yes we may be a bit dirty and yes we may be a lot ashamed but God still cares and loves us just as we are.
Are there wilderness areas you wander into once in a while? What kind of warnings signs have you posted to warn of the danger ahead? Sin is a game devised by the devil to trap all who wander there. The end is trouble and death. It is a very dangerous wilderness area.