An expensive decision

In life, one has to make many important decisions, and some are more crucial than others. Occasionally, one is forced to make an expensive decision. There is no separation in marriage.

The contract is never to part, neither in sickness or in health, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor until death do you part! That is why in certain parts of Fulani land, Nigeria, before a man can marry a woman, he is first stripped to his waist and tied to a whipping post and caned severely. If he cannot go through such a process he is considered unfit for marriage and rejected by the family of the girl.

However, we are not dealing with the issue of marriage here, but with what the devil has succeeded to use as his major weapon for luring the human race into sin, and eventually into hell fire, namely, the sin of immorality. Evangelist T.L. Osborn has said, “The most powerful demon in operation in the world is the spirit of immorality.” The spirit of immorality is no respecter of persons. It does not single out the young or old, married or single, male or female, born again or sinner, ordained or lay ministry, the powerless or the spirit-filled. It is busy seeking for an entrance into one’s life.

The sin of immorality is the most powerful weapon the devil has used to derail and wreck down the people of God. Right from Bible times till today, even great men and mighty men like Sampson, David, Solomon became victims of this powerful enemy. And if such great men as these fell victim, are you the exclusive person that can overcome? Are you more powerful than Sampson? Are you wiser than Solomon? Are you more inclined after God’s own heart than David was that you should be able to escape from the clutches of the spirit of immorality? One could equally list the names of Christian celebrities of our present generation who have also been disgraced by this sin.

The sin of immorality has an effective consequence in a Christian’s life. It is like a bottle or can of fizzy drink. When you buy it new, it is sealed with a lid, and is filled with gaseous power. When you shake it too much that bottle will almost want to explode. That is how it is when you give your life to Christ. My Bible tells me that you have been sealed with the Spirit of God. But what happens when you remove the lid? Whoosh! A large degree of the gas escapes, and once that gas has gone out, it cannot be replaced. Even if you jam the lid back, the drink is not the same. It has lost something, the fizz and sparkle has gone out of it. It becomes flat and lifeless.

The moment a child of God begins to dabble in immorality, the seal of the Holy Spirit in our lives has been tampered with. He leaves us and goes His way. We may cover up and pretend that nothing has happened. Meanwhile, inside, we are not the same again, we become flat, uninspired and empty. The life and power of the Holy Ghost has left us.

The sin of immorality is like a man’s shadow. Wherever you go, it pursues you. It never goes on transfer. As long as you are in your body of flesh, it will be pursuing you, seeking to pull you down. You may think that the present location you are living in is too hot for you to maintain your integrity, therefore, you plan to run and go to the most distant island. But you will only discover when you land there, that the sin of immorality is waiting for you there too!

The sin of immorality is like a piece of bait on the hook of a fishing line. When the fish sees that tasty snack, he rejoices, wiggling his tail with glee. He opens his mouth wide to devour the prized catch. While enjoying the feast he discovers he has been hooked for life. Finally, he ends up being roasted in the fire for someone’s lunch. In real life, the fisherman is the devil, you are the fish, and the fire is hell.

The sin of immorality is like a car going on a long journey. You put in the petrol, the oil and the water. You pump up the tyres, start up the car and the vehicle puts up a good performance for many miles. But then all of a sudden, one of the tyres picks a nail. Poom! Automatically, the vehicle is brought sluggishly to a halt. The journey is abandoned until the tyre is vulcanised and the nail removed.

I have seen many vibrant Christians on their heavenly journey, bouncing in the Lord, active in His service, vibrant in the faith, and moving full steam ahead. Then suddenly, they were brought to a standstill. Their zeal for the Lord just cooled down and disappeared. What had happened? They had proverbially picked a nail! One man or boyfriend, or one woman or girlfriend had entered their lives. If you happen to be such a person, stop and allow God to vulcanise you today.

Rev. Theodore Effiong, Assemblies of God Church, Calabar or Prayer To All Nations (PTAN), Prayer City, Calabar. CRS
Email: theoeffiong@yahoo.com
Phone – +234 9030012007, +234 8062727997