“As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (vs11)

Only a fool goes back to sin. We have a short time on planet earth, and we’re to live wisely. The gospel is liberating, but the fool decides to leave the power of Christ for the polluted fountains of sin. Jeremiah said, “Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate,’ says the Lord. For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns – broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer 2:12-13). The fool desire the flesh, so he turns his back on Christ and the grace that He gives. Yet, our Lord told the man in John 5, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you”, and this “worse thing” is like a dog returning to his vomit or a pig to her wallowing in the mire.

The gospel is a lifelong pursuit and devotion! This isn’t something that we start, but do not finish. It is a life laid down for God, a faith that works by love, and a devotion that’s unto the end. There is no turning back. Christ is everything, and I must get GRACE to honor Him – “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Pet 2:20-21). It won’t do any good to say, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we” (Numb 13:31). We must have the spirit of Joshua and Caleb, which believes God in spite of the obstacles of sin. Therefore, rather than return to Egypt in our hearts or look BACK to Sodom like Lot’s wife, we press on in repentance and faith, continually. Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 13:32-33).

Life has hardships and heartbreaks, and I agonize with you. But, let nothing stop you from believing and let nothing harden your heart! Come to Him in your sin, so that you can be made righteous, and when sin and trouble are more than you can bear, remember your confidence in God – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). You are weak, but He is able to save. You need help, and He hears the cry of the poor. There is no reason to go back, and we must not. Grace is our hope, not returning to sin!

Secondly, the lazy man perishes, even though God gives him the bread of life (Prov 26:13-16). He says, “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed. The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly”. He refuses to take the water of life freely, even though EVERYONE who calls upon the Lord’s name will be saved, “for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him” (Rom 10:12). The lazy man won’t call upon God, because he considers sin too tasty, considers holiness too hard, and he blames God or somebody else, finding a reason in his sloth to stay in sin. He hits the “snooze button”, cherishes ungodliness, and he will not seek the Lord because he doesn’t WANT salvation.

I live in East Oakland, it is known for poverty, and many people do not want to work. If you came by offering jobs, they’d find a reason to sleep in the morning, but to be spiritually lazy is the worst thing. It means that God is calling you, and yet you won’t come. He’s brought salvation to you, even in your mouth and heart, but you won’t believe. He says, “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’, that is, the word of faith which we preach: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:8-9). The unbelieving are slothful, taking “no” from God and contenting themselves with unanswered prayer. We, however, are like Rachel who prayed, “Give me children or else I die”, or like Jacob who said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me” (Gen 30:1; Gen 32:26). We don’t take “no” for an answer. When God passes by with salvation, we take Him at His word, and then He produces salvation in us. Don’t be lazy about your soul. Get the grace that you need.