Flee For Your Life!

The idea of someone “fleeing the scene,” most of the time, indicates to us that perhaps a crime has been committed. Or, perhaps someone is doing the cowardly thing by fleeing. It is not necessarily a sign of cowardice to flee. Webster defines “flee” as; “to run away from danger or evil.” Joseph, Jacob’s young son who was sold into slavery by his older brothers, is perhaps our greatest example of fleeing from the dangers which God warns us about. Genesis 39 records the incident of Potiphar’s wife when she attempts to seduce Joseph and play on his “youthful passions.” She persistently pursued Joseph; “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants were inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house” (Genesis 39:10-12). It is obvious that Jacob and Rachel had trained young Joseph well. He was only 17 years old when sold by his brothers. The apostle Paul spoke frequently on this subject. He encouraged young Timothy after warning him, in his letter, of false teachers and the love of money, 1 Timothy 6:11; “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” Again, in 2 Timothy 2:22; “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” The apostle also warned the Christians at Corinth to “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18); and to “...flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14). Paul was warning them to “run away from danger or evil” that they should be afraid of the danger! James, the brother of Jesus, wrote an encouraging way out of danger to all Christians, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you...” (James 4:7-8). The typical mindset today is that sin has no effect on us; most do not feel the burden of sin because they have either dismissed the thought of how it affects their life, or have failed to learn how it is affecting their life now and in the future.

[Ephesians 2:1-10] “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” An open-air preacher was telling the old story, when a thoughtless youth rapped out, “You tell us about the burden of sin – I feel none!” Then he flippantly added, “How much does sin weigh? Eighty pounds? Ten pounds?” The preacher answered, “Tell me, if I put a 400 pound weight on the chest of a dead man, would he feel it?” “No, because he is dead,” said the youth. The preacher responded, “And the man who feels no load of sin is dead spiritually.” The lad’s remarks only proved what he was. When we are made to understand the true nature of sin, “death’s sting” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) and the effect it has on our life, most of us are amazed at what we may learn about our spiritual condition. As already noted, the Scriptures call it, “...dead in your transgressions and sins...” (Ephesians 2:1). Do you feel the burden of your sins? We all have them you know. If you don’t feel weighed down by the guilt of sin in your life, you may well be in jeopardy of spiritual death. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9).