Years ago at my job, one young man got up and announced to all within listening distance, how much he was looking forward to Friday. He said he was excited and was anticipating it because after work he intended to go out to a club or two, meet a few people, and get drunk out of his mind, in so many words. On Monday, with the weekend behind us, we all gathered at the job, minus one: the excited, anticipating young man. He did show up, late, wearing the same clothes he had worn on Friday, a little wrinkled but no worse for the wear. As he told it, he did go out as he said, but the rest of the weekend was a blur. He had awaken early Monday morning in the back seat of his car. He never made it home. The amazing thing was, he was bragging about his weekend and excitedly looking forward to another one. There was another individual I recall, several years later, who was looking forward to the annual Christmas party (which I never attended). The day came, and everyone was more dressed than usual. At the day’s close all who were going, left to go to the party which was at another location. When Monday came I was told that this individual basically nodded out in a corner and had to be helped home. This person too, bragged about his ability to ‘hold his liquor’, and proclaimed what a good time he had had. This is all very sad. I call it the ‘saddening blissfulness of sinfulness.’
What this condition amounts to is spiritual blindness. Sin has taken some so far, that they are absolutely unaware of their condition. They simply don’t recognize their need for Him. I know all the unsaved are in this condition in one form or another, but I’m speaking of an accelerated state. All men and women without Christ are lost, but these folks bask in the sinfulness of their sin; feeling no remorse and no regret, only a sense pride and accomplishment.
This ‘pseudo-joy’ is short lived. The duration of ‘short’ may vary, but eventually sin will take its toll on a life. The examples used above focus on alcohol and drunkenness, but sin of any color or stripe will rip at the fabric of the soul, leaving one lost, disillusioned and in all cases, in bondage to one degree or another. Whether it’s such socially ‘acceptable’ sins like self-righteousness, impatience, irritability, etc. (and the list can go on), the accumulation of it all takes its toll.
The cure for all of this and for whatever nags and ails the soul is found in the Word of God. While scripture is full of verses that will bring comfort and deliverance, I gravitate to Luke 4:18, because it is so all-encompassing. It touches and addresses the human condition like no other. In it Jesus prophetically lays out His mission statement to His people. He says: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. We’ve all been to these places both emotionally and spiritually at one time or in one form or another, and it hurts.
The world offers its own solutions to these types of problems. For one, therapy is not the answer. Psychology promises freedom, but delivers little more than a very small bandage. Anyone who believes that psychology will alleviate what troubles them, and bring them any kind of lasting peace, is deceived. Here’s what scripture says: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Col.2:8) Psychology is a mere stop-gap solution, if that. The world also offers other stop-gap solutions to life’s problems and addictions such as: patches, e-cigarettes, Methadone, and several variations of A.A. There are self-help books galore, claiming to tell you how to be the best you, or to live your best life now, with none of them holding any water and leaving those who seek their help dry. The world simply does what it knows. What they offer are simply ways around the truth, which is Jesus.
Jesus is and will continue to be the remedy for sin. That’s why we must not stop preaching the chain-breaking message of the cross of Jesus Christ. It’s for the blind, the bruised, the bound and the broken.
Jesus is the answer
For the world today
Above Him there’s no other
Jesus is the way!
That’s the Word! Take it with you. God bless you.
Comments