Most of you reading this blog have a pretty good idea of what right and wrong is, correct? God has given every human being a conscience to warn of danger ahead to help avoid both temporal and eternal consequences. Our conscience is evidence of God's mercy to everyone of us. It is when we exchange the truth of God for a lie that we all get into deep trouble (Romans 1:25). If you continue to suppress or ignore your conscience where it no longer warns you of right and wrong, you are in grave danger of eternal damnation. If God finally gives you over to the lusts of your flesh and you prefer to gratify your own sinful inclinations, you are on a fast track to hell whenever God decides to end your life here on earth (Romans 1:28). How many of us ever contemplate the eternal consequences of hell for thinking, saying or doing some of the stupid things that we do? We all know the public and secret sins we lug around everyday that we should not be doing, right? Next time you are tempted to do something you know is wrong, why don't you think about the consequences of hell for a moment? This may help you think twice about doing a particular sin you know full well is wrong. God said in His word that through the terror of the Lord we can persuade men to do that which is right (II Corinthians 5:11). If your conscience is still working, you have hope that God may grant you eternal mercy and pluck you out of the fiery inferno of hell. I challenge all of us to seriously meditate on some of the dumb and sinful things we have done in the past and present, as this may ignite a sense of humility which is a precursor to a contrite spirit of whom the Lord approves (Matthew 5:3).
For example, studies show that over 75% of Americans are overweight or obese. Most all of our family gatherings, sports parties (Super Bowl party) and celebrations revolve around unhealthy “junk” food and drink which makes this problem even more difficult to overcome. Furthermore, if we are truly honest with ourself we will admit that we could do better with regard to our weight in our own life, right? However, we generally like to make excuses or justify our poor eating habits, or just outright deny we have a problem with our weight. Either way, if we ignore the reality of our weight being a problem, as we grow older we begin to experience more health problems and doctoring. Ultimately, our quality of life declines as we begin to experience a slow form of suicide because we can't deny the god of our belly and our sensual appetite for food and drink. In short, we are gluttons. We tend to accept being overweight as a normal part of life because we see everyone around us dealing with similar weight and health issues. Everyone “talks” about diet and exercise programs but few ever diligently do anything. Most would rather take a drug or some type of quick fix to correct their physical and mental problems that are directly connected with being overweight. The thought of denying ourself the unhealthy food dainties of this life that we love so much is too difficult, so we default to an easier path that leads to destruction both bodily and spiritually (Matthew 7:13, Philippians 3:19).
Being overweight is a serious sin that many of us deal with. If your conscience is still warning you of the dangers of being overweight then there is hope for you. The next time you are tempted to indulge yourself when you know full well it is not in your best interest to do so, think about the consequences to both your physical and mental condition. More importantly, think about the consequences of burning in hell because you ignored the clear warnings of overindulging and gluttony in the areas of food and drink.
It is only when you and I are truly burdened and weary of dealing with the sin of the god of our belly, and all other sins, that we may hope for a better life here on earth, and in heaven if God decrees it to be so. The reason you do not want to fight this sin is because you love yourself too much to deny yourself the temporal pleasures of this life. You will ultimately realize the truth of this when it is too late and you are in torment and agony in hell for all of eternity.
Comments