“’If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.'” — Genesis 4:7
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My family and I recently went to Peggy’s Cove, a local tourist attraction here in Nova Scotia. It is a popular destination for people from all over the world due to its beautiful coastal scenery marked with giant granite boulders and a lighthouse. When you get to the lighthouse, there is a sign that reads as follows:
“Warning: Injury and death have rewarded careless sightseers here. The ocean and rocks are treacherous! Savor the sea from a distance.”
In the past 20 years, at least four people have died and countless others have needed rescue from the frigid waters of the North Atlantic simply because they didn’t heed the warnings that the signs and local authorities had cautioned them about.
As foolish as these people may seem (locally there are Facebook groups and Twitter hashtags labeled the “Idiots of Peggy’s Cove”), many of us carry the same arrogance towards sin. We know sin is wrong, yet we minimize it, justify it in our lives and ignore God’s warning about the earthly and eternal consequences of disobeying Him.
I’m reminded of God’s warning to Cain in Genesis 4:7: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’”
Unfortunately, just like some of the tourists at Peggy’s Cove, Cain didn’t heed this warning and was forced to deal with the consequences of his actions, including separation from God’s presence.
Although sin can seem appealing, and many times it can seem as though people get away with disobeying God with no consequence, let’s make sure we heed the warning signs. When we do, God is faithful to give us the strength to overcome temptation. Remember what James says in James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
If we do this, we can avoid getting swept away by sin’s destructive force and enjoy the safety and full presence of our Creator.
— Andrew Pepper, Halifax Mooseheads chaplain
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