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Trapped!
Monkey
trappers in North Africa have a clever method of
catching their prey. A number of gourds are filled
with nuts and firmly fastened to a branch of a tree.
Each gourd has a hole just large enough for the
unwary monkey to stick his forepaw into it. When the
hungry animal discovers the nuts, it quickly grasps a
handful, but the hole in the gourd is too small for
him to withdraw his clenched fist.
All the monkey has to do is open up its hand
and let go in order to escape, but it refuses!
So, it is easily taken captive.
Clinging
tenaciously to treasures also plaques unsuspecting
humans...
The Bible teaches that this is the way that SIN
“works.”
When
we take hold of Sin..... Sin takes hold of US!
“Let
no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by
God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He
Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted
when he is drawn away by his OWN desires and enticed. Then,
when desire
has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it
is full-grown, brings forth death” (James
1:13-15).
ALL
of us have “taken the bait.” “For
ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23). And, we are "trapped" in the penalty box of
sin (Romans 6:23), unless Someone can free us.
Because
of His great love for us, God sent His Son to deliver
us from the bondage of sin (John 3:16). Jesus died on the cross as full payment for our sins.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His
grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
In
order to be delivered from the bondage of sin, we must
“let go” of
the forbidden treasure and turn to Jesus... (the
Bible calls this repentance,
2 Corinthians 7:9-10), and then in trusting faith
(Acts 16:30-31), confess
that Jesus is the Son of God and the answer to our sin
problem (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of our
sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Once
delivered from the bondage of sin, we must continue to
follow Jesus faithfully lest we become entangled again
in Satan’s trap (1 John 1:7, 2 Peter 2:20-22).
With
his crafty devices, Satan continues to try to ensnare
us. He
appeals to the appetites of the flesh that can lead to
our spiritual downfall.
As long as we hold on to worldly bait, we
cannot escape from Satan's trap.
Won’t
YOU “let go”
of sin and cling to the Savior?
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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