Smells so Good…Tastes so Good…Feels so Good…Kills so Completely!

         Probing Proverbs: 5:3-4

For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword.

Most people I know my age have shared a common experience, that teaches a great lesson. Vanilla extract smells so delicious, and when added to cookies makes them taste incredible. However, at some point we give into that smell and decide to taste straight from the bottle. The taste contradicts the smell completely! How can something that smells sooooooo good…taste sooooooo repulsive?

The lesson I take away from that is what is expressed in this Proverb. What our perception is (the Smell) may not be what the reality is. (the Taste) Here we have a perfect description of SIN! Looks soooo good. Feels soooo good. Smells soooo good. Tastes soooo sweet. After the initial pleasure is over and it is time to digest…the poison sets in! Sometimes we will experience the affects of the poison immediately, other times we may not fully experience it until it is too late! No matter, do not be deceived, sin will bring separation (death) in many forms.

As I stated, sometimes it may appear that a person’s sin is not costing them anything…most times this actually is a testimony to a more dangerous situation. God chastises those that belong to Him, so when a person sins with no problems afterwards, it may expose a lack of relationship with their Maker. Many that refuse to enter into relationship with Him, He gives a free hand, enabling them to live their lives as they choose. 

This can be a life line from God. Our Lord knows by doing this He allows that individual the best opportunity to be brought to the point where they would be open to rethink their life and perhaps begin a relationship with Him. The emptiness temporal living brings to a person’s soul can open the door of their heart for God. We, though, must be careful not to fall into the mindset that those outside a life with God are fulfilled and really getting what they want in the end. The Psalmist wrestled with this:

Psalm 73: Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind…Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning…When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight, Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end.

This life is a mist and passes in a moment, what matters are eternal issues. If you were King of this world for 100 years, yet spend eternity separated from the Author of Life, what would that pittance of time you had matter 1 billion years later?

The Child of God needs to understand two very important issues concerning the poison of sin. First, the immediate outcome of sin may not be escaped. 

What the poison reaps you may have to experience. If your heart is hardened God may have to chastise you for your protection. Second, the final outcome is curable! Because of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed from any sin and enjoy deep fellowship with our Lord. This is great news, but if we are honest we need to understand at what cost this came. This will keep us from treating sin lightly. Jesus sacrificed everything to afford me the cure! The best cure…DON’T go there! No sin, No reaping!

The so what? Have you taken the time to understand how your personal sins attract you? What do you feel as sin calls to you? What do you feel after you have given in? Do you have people in your life that can help you discern how sin entices you? What would it take for you to allow individuals to be involved in your life? When was the last time you had a “heart to heart” with someone about your struggle with sin?