A Man: The Sport
of Sin
Original Entry:
September 21, 2011
McMinnville, OR
Doing wicked is like sport to a fool and so is wisdom
to a man of understanding. Proverbs
10:23
I was struck with today’s
passage at how much my thoughts about sin have changed. Before I came to Christ I looked for
opportunities to brag about sin. Now I am ashamed of it, praying and building
guardrails to protect me from the sins I boasted about as a young man.
How does a man find
assurance in the deliverance from the sins of his youth (2 Timothy 2:22)?
The New American
Standard translation of Proverbs 10:23
is, “Doing wicked is like sport to a fool and so
is wisdom to a man of understanding.”
Sin is like a sport
to the fool. Recently a young man
inquired, “What’s your number Jim?”
Not understanding his
question I asked, “What, like a sleep number bed?”
“No,” he replied,
“How many women have you slept with?” Choose your words wisely Jim.
“ONE! Since I decided
to follow Christ I have been true to my wife. That is the only number that
matters.”
Sin was still a sport
to this young man.
Like so many other
boys, bedding women was a game to him.
Women were reduced to a notch in his belt. He was finding “pleasure in evil conduct.” Instead of keeping score with sin a man
should see the scoreboard before he chooses to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The wise man asks, “Is
this my best play? What will life look
like on the other side of this temptation? Where is God in this?”
Read the last page of
the book. Play the movie. See the final score before the game even
starts.
Play the game before
the game plays you.
Sin is not a number.
