The canary in the coal mine

Michael Wittmer recently made an observation, asked a question, and drew an application about sexual sin:

There is something about sexual sin that ruins the minds of previously healthy people.…

Why is sexual sin a gateway to this smorgasbord of lethal debauchery?…

Sexual sin is the canary in the coal mine, the first sign that something has gone haywire in our walk with Christ. Don’t laugh at lust. Repent before you do something really dumb. [“the canary;” HT:  Tim Challies]

I would rather say that the one who sins sexually gives evidence of a mind that has already been ruined by idolatrous desires, rather than sexual sin is the cause of the ruined mind.  That being said, once any sin is willfully and intentionally engaged, the conscience is seared (1 Tim. 4:1-3) resulting in the same sin being more easily rationalized and indulged.  And then that original sinful act might be expanded into additional and greater sins without impunity from the conscience.  Sexual sin tends towards repeated acts and tends towards more kinds of sin because the act of sexual sin (and the idolatrous desires that lead to it) is dependent upon the killing of the conscience and the intentional ignoring of Scripture.  Once the conscience and the Spirit of God are suppressed, there is no limit to the end of man’s sinful acts.

So Wittmer’s application is to be heeded not only in regard to sexual sin, but for any intentional disregard of God’s Word.

Read the entire post — it’s short and worthwhile for your reflection.