TEXT: Proverbs 6:16-19

SUBJECT: Seven Deadly Sins #5: Feet Swift to Evil

Today brings us to the fifth sermon in our study of The Seven Deadly Sins. Long before the Medieval Church compiled its list, the Holy Spirit gave us this one. All sins are bad, but no sins are worse than these. God hates them all and recoils from them in horror and disgust.

We hate them too, of course. Everyone does. In other people. But the Lord wants us to hate them in ourselves. To honestly identify them. To sincerely renounce them. And to consistently put them to death by His grace.

Remember: It is not "hearers of the Law [who are] just in the sight of God, but doers of the Law".

Thus far, we've seen "the proud look, the lying tongue, the hands that shed innocent blood, and the heart that devises wicked plans". Now we come to the feet. They are "Swift in running to evil".

THE MEANING

What does this mean? If you look at the newer versions of the Bible, you'll find various words chosen to describe the feet. One says they "Rush"; another has them "Mak[ing] haste"; a third sees them moving "Rapidly". And so on.

The words differ, but the emphasis is the same: The feet are in a hurry to do wrong. They don't stumble into sin, but chase after it.

In his commentary on Proverbs, Duane A. Garret, says they

In other words, an eagerness to sin. We all sin out of ignorance and in moments of weakness, of course, but some people are enthusiastic about sinning.

You know these kind of people. They're looking for a fight; they're cruising for fornication; they can't wait to get stoned. Solomon describes one in Proverbs 24. He's a big drinker. His drinking has caused him nothing but "woe, sorrow, complaints, and wounds". Yet, he doesn't regret his ways at all. Passed out on the floor, he dreams only of this:

Millions of people live this way. And they're not all drinkers. Some years ago, I met a man who said something I'll never forget. He wasn't a wino or a crackhead; he had a good job and a nice family. Yet he told me,

"You know, Mike: I'm really into sin".

He wasn't joking. He wasn't trying to shock or offend me. He was "telling it like it is". He worked all week to pay for his sin on the weekend. That was his life.

His "feet were swift in running to evil".

THE HATEFULNESS

There's nothing the Lord hates more than an eagerness to sin. Under the Old Covenant, these sins were unpardonable. In Numbers 15, for example, you have a sacrifice to atone for the sins of weakness. But in vv.30-31, God says:

A few chapters later, Numbers 25, we have an example of an eager sin and its shocking punishment. Here's the story:

To us, this sounds rash and bloodthirsty. But God didn't think so. He said,

God abhors eager sins and often punishes them with great severity. That's why David prayed,

You ought to pray for the same thing. That God would give you a discerning mind, a tender heart, and an enthusiasm for nothing but Himself.

SOME CHRISTIAN FORMS

Can a true believer be enthusiastic for sin? I wish I could say No, but in fact, he can be. Our sins are not usually the gross ones like idolatry, murder, theft, and adultery. Good men have committed these sins, of course, but they don't practice them.

But these are not the only sins, are they? "Sin--John says--"is the transgression of the law". Believers, I fear, break many laws with eagerness.

Think of covetousness. How many of you are "turned on" by material things? Clothes, cars, sporting equipment, furniture, and so on? Kids are very susceptible to this. Witness the wild runs on Beanie Babies a few months ago; or Pokemon Cards today. It's all they think about; it's all they talk about; it's all they live for, it seems to me.

Teenagers and young adults are often this way too. Have you heard the word, "Mallrats"? It describes people--mostly 15-21--who basically live at the Mall. They shop, not for need, but for recreation!

Older people, thankfully, are entirely free from this sin. If only! We're as bad as the kids are with our gadgets and hobbies and more.

Pastors (like me) are notorious for collecting books. Not reading them, but collecting them! I have many unread books which, at one time, I couldn't live without!

Is covetousness a sin? God forbids it; He calls it idolatry; He sends people to hell for it. It must be a sin--and a very bad one at that.

Yet how many of us confess this sin? And weep over it? I suspect not many of us do. Until it gets us into debt. We bewail the effects of our sin. But not the sin itself.

Another sin is Gossip. Have you ever found out a bad thing about someone--and just couldn't wait to tell others? And when you did, you felt good about it. And hoped you'd find out more. That is enthusiasm for sin. Your "Feet [have] rushed to evil".

A third sin is Having your way. We don't normally think of this as a sin. But God does. He says,

"Having your way" is the opposite of this. Nagging your husband till he gives in is not "esteeming him better than yourself". Neither is intimidating your wife till she complies. Neither is fighting with your brothers and sisters. Neither is demanding your way at church.

Willfulness, stubbornness, conniving to have your way are sins. Which many believers are way too eager to commit.

Have I described you? Are you a shopper deluxe? Are you a happy gossip? Are you hell-bent on having your way? If so, you're eager to sin. Your "feet are swift in running to evil".

Maybe others don't notice; maybe they don't care. But God does. He doesn't hate you, but He hates this sin with a passion.

WHAT TO DO

If that's true, you ought to do something about it. It is neither right nor safe to displease God.

Where do you start? You start with honesty. Are you eager to sin in any way, shape, or form? If so, you've got to admit it to yourself. And to God. Change is impossible without honesty--Proverbs 28:13.

From there, you start thinking about the true nature of sin. The reason you're eager for sin is because you see some good or pleasure in it. There's no good in it at all. As for the pleasure? It is shallow, short-lived, and hurtful in the end. Solomon knew this. He had every pleasure in the world, but said they're all "Vanity of vanities". Empty. Worthless in the long-run.

Remember what true happiness is and where it comes from--Psalm 16:11. C.S. Lewis said "Man's problem is not being too hard to satisfy, but too easy". If we but knew the exquisite joy of God Himself, we'd see the emptiness of all other pleasures. Then, our feet would become even swifter. In running to God.

CLOSE

Are you eager to sin? If so, just remember the faster you run to sin, the sooner you reach the misery it must cause.

Some have run so far they cannot return. But you're not one of them. You're still alive. Why don't you turn around? Right now? Your friends may laugh, but the Lord won't. He's a Loving Father who receives runaway children with open arms.

If you love the Lord, but feel other enthusiasms pushing him aside, think hard about what you're doing. These things cannot bring happiness. What bubbles today goes flat tomorrow. What turns you on this year, will bore you to tears next year. Why not go back to the One Who's real and lasting? You knew His joys at one time, now come back and find them again.

May God give you a speedy return. For Christ's sake. Amen.