Recently a friend of mine called and wanted to know how to handle a Christian friend who is having a relationship with a married man. The woman has told her that she knows what she is doing is wrong and yet she keeps getting pulled back into it.

Well, duh? I have said it before and I will say it again…Satan never brings anything unattractive to tempt us with. But these things can be avoided if we are not going to the wrong places and doing the wrong thing when we get there.

Sin feels good, looks good and tastes good. As someone who constantly has to watch my overindulgence in sweets I can tell you that Satan never shows me a big plate of liver to tempt me with. He knows that doesn’t work, so it’s usually a nice piece of some kind of cake that smells good and looks good. If I sit there and look at it long enough I can convince myself that “a little bit of sugar won’t hurt me.” But, in my case it will.

My friend wanted a scripture verse that would convince the other woman that if she continued on in this affair she would surely lose her salvation. The following scripture is the one I found that seemed to fit the bill;

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Hebrews 10:26-27

Now remember God forgives any sin. Even at the last minute. The thief on the cross is a perfect example. I have known a lot of folks in my life who seem to think, “I can go on with this sin, and I will just confess it on my deathbed.” Well, that’s all fine and good but we don’t plan our deaths. Sometimes a car comes into our lane and hits us full force and we are killed instantly. No time for forgiveness, in this case, and we are on our way to hell.

When we play with sin, we play with fire. We have to walk away from it, as hard as it is and go in the direction God wants us to go in. When we go in that direction, God will evidentially make it all worthwhile for us.

If someone we know comes to us with a confession of some kind of sin that we know is against the will of God, it becomes our duty to tell the truth to them about how God feels about it. It’s not easy; because we worry about losing the friendship of someone we may care deeply about. It is still our responsibility to tell them what the Word says.

I then believe we cannot continue to listen to their “stories” of woe, if they are not willing to repent and turn away from the sin. We must tell them “I love you, but what you are doing is wrong. I will continue to pray for you, but I can’t stand by and watch you destroy your salvation, anymore.”

In His Unconditional Love,

Cathie Miller