Sin Fascinates And Then Assassinates

A sign at a nearby church read, “Sin fascinates. Then it assassinates.”

     As I look back over the events in the lives of the people in the Bible and the choices I have made in my own life I realize that when we know what is right but choose to do the opposite in our lives we pay the price. 

     I imagine when Adam and Eve looked at the fruit of the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden they saw a ripe, mouth-watering fruit; one that, if eaten, would be so much better than all those other selections which had been given to them.  They were told not to eat of it, but they chose it anyway.  When they took of that fruit, they allowed “sin to fascinate.” In the end, "it assassinated."  The Garden of Eden was not only closed to them forever, but henceforth, man was required to labor.
    When David feasted upon Bathsheba and desired to have her for his own, he had her husband killed.  David knew his lust for another man’s wife was wrong, but he devised a plan to have her anyway.  Because of this, God was angry with David, and their first child died.   “Sin fascinated.  Then it assassinated.” 
     Judas, one of Jesus’ own disciples, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of gold.  That money enticed Judas; it worked on his self-greed.  He must have thought it would buy him wealth.  In the end he could not live with his guilt, and he went out and hanged himself.  “Sin fascinated.  Then it assassinated.”     
      How many times in our lives have we looked at what appears to be “greener pastures” and made choices that did not follow along with what we knew to be the right thing to do?  How many times have we taken the easy route rather than work on the right thing to do?  How many times have we let instant gratification overcome the fear of the certainty we knew could result?  In the end, did we find that “sin fascinated, and then it assassinated?”   What price have we paid for our decisions? 
     The price could be anything: The loss of a family, the loss of respect, the burden of unnecessary  bills, addictions, job loss, physical injury, guilt, loss of financial success; just to name a few, all because we failed to weigh the outcome. 
     Yet God gives us hope.  For those of us who have "paid the price" because we chose sin, and it caused a great loss in our lives, we may have to live with the results, but we can persevere, although it does not come easy.  To make a correction we can no longer take the easy road.  We must learn from our experience, and not allow sin to continue to assassinate our lives. 
     I am so glad I have a God who loves me enough to allow "assassination" to happen in my life in order to keep me on the right track.  I am so glad I have a God who was willing to pay the price for my human weakness; a God who will forgive me even when others won't; One who will give me hope; One who will help me overcome  my failures; One who chose to pay the price for my salvation. 

Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.