The Razor's Edge

"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

—Jesus

When I was a kid, my dad used to impart fatherly wisdom to me by saying things like, "Do you have to walk off of a cliff to know that it's going to hurt when you hit bottom?"

Another favorite was, "Do you have to stick your hand in the fire to know that it's going to burn?"

These are no-brainers, right?

So, why do we—who have repeatedly heard Jesus' sayings—still choose to play with fire, thinking that somehow, we will not get burned?

Here is wisdom:

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, the will he also reap." (Galatians 6:7)

Here's some more:

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25).

That last one is written twice, once in Proverbs chapter 14, and again, word-for-word in chapter 16. God repeated it for a reason. It's because this is the most common folly of man. You know what you are doing is not right, but hey, it seems right to you, so you plunge right in, diving into the deep end of the sin pool.

What "way" have you chosen in your life that may seem right or feel right to you, but you know it is contrary to what God's Word says?

You know what it is.

And the two-fold promise of God's Word is that the end result of your choice is the way of death.

Could be physical death. Could be spiritual death. Could be the death of your marriage, or some other valuable relationship. Could be the death of your career, Or it could be the death of your peace, or your joy.

But make no mistake about it—it's consequential 'end' is the way of death.

And here's the tricky part—if you continue down this path, knowing that the way you have chosen is against God—eventually, He will deem you past the point of no return; "beyond repentance" and He will give you over to your sin.

And you're done.

There's no turning back.

Don't believe me?

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness; without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears." (Hebrews 12:14-17)

Esau was a profane man. He had this amazing inheritance coming from his father because of his birthright, but he gave it all up for a bowl of meaty stew. He sold his 'sonship' for a moment of pleasure.

And afterward, he painfully tried to take it back and repent. But it was too late for him. It was done.

How about you?

You know what is right, and what is wrong. And you know that the way you have chosen may feel right to you, but in your heart, you know God is against it.

You are walking on the razor's edge.

And the end of your chosen way is the way of death.

You are playing with fire.

Is it too late for you? Are you beyond repentance?

—That's up to you.

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.