Our Scripture reading this morning included some of Solomon’s counsel to his son —
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the fear of the LORD always.
Surely there is a future,
And your hope will not be cut off. (Prov. 23:17-18)
There is a relationship, this wise father advises, between an envy and desire for sin and a lack of fear of the Lord. If a young man (or an old man) finds joy in sin he will not live in fear of God. Or, said another way, one way to determine if someone has a fear of God is to test how desirous they are of sin. The more there is a yearning for sin, the less yearning there will be for God. You cannot love sin and God both (to paraphrase Christ’s words). Those loves are mutually exclusive.
And the tragedy of cultivating a passion for sin and an apathy toward God is that there is no future in that life. There is no hope. There is no (joyful) eternity. Which is also to say that there is only tragedy for that life.
The words of Jonathan Edwards are relevant in this discussion:
Be directed to sacrifice every thing to your soul’s eternal interest. Let seeking this be so much your bent, and what you are so resolved in, that you will make every thing give place to it. Let nothing stand before your resolution of seeking the kingdom of God. Whatever it be that you used to look upon as a convenience, or comfort, or ease, or thing desirable on any account, if it stands in the way of this great concern, let it be dismissed without hesitation; and if it be of that nature that it is likely always to be a hinderance, then wholly have done with it, and never entertain any expectation from it more.…Whatever it be that stands in the way of your most advantageously seeking salvation-whether it be some dear sinful pleasure, or strong carnal appetite, or credit and honour, or the good-will of some persons whose friendship you desire, and whose esteem and liking you have highly valued-and though there be danger, if you do as you ought, that you shall looked upon by them as odd and ridiculous, and become contemptible in their eyes-or if it be your ease and indolence and aversion to continual labour; or your outward convenience in any respect, whereby you might avoid difficulties of one kind or other-let all go; offer up all such things together, as it were, in one sacrifice, to the interest of your soul. Let nothing stand in competition with this, but make every thing to fall before it. If the flesh must be crossed, then cross it, spare it not, crucify it, and do not be afraid of being too cruel to it.
Words of Grace 