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- Genesis 39:10
Day after day, she begged Joseph to sleep with her (vs. 10). Joseph refused to entertain her request, until one day she caught him all alone. His response? He turned and ran, running so hard and so fast that his outerwear came off as she grasped it in her hand (vs. 12).
Joseph gives us a vivid picture of Paul's words to the Church at Corinth, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
The word flee is pheúgō, which means to "seek safety by flight." Joseph knew the waters were flooding in, so he had to get to high ground.
How many of us respond to sin in the same way? I do not know of a single scripture that tells me to ponder my sin, to take my sin to God in prayer, and ask him to supernaturally deliver me from it, trusting in faith that he will.
I hear men counsel other men all the time, men who are constantly defeated by a particular sin, they say, "I think your only hope is to take it to Christ and Christ will take it from you."
The apostle Paul says something else; Paul says, "run." Paul does not say, "go and pray to Christ to deliver you."
No, Paul says flee; Paul says to run the other way when sin presents itself, especially sexual sin.
Do you know the most practical, straightforward, obvious means of killing sin: "run from it."
Too many people think they must wait for an extraordinary experience, a miracle from heaven, or a sign from the Lord to defeat sin.
They believe some special divine intervention is necessary to free them from sinful actions and sinful thinking.
No, that is precisely the error Romans 6 refutes. You are dead to sin; now put to death the sin that remains. How? "Run from it." Get away from it. Stop doing it. Don’t even be in the same room with it.
Reckon yourself dead to sin, and don't do it anymore. Become an expert practitioner in resistance... "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
It is as simple as that.
Fight on,
Pastor Chris
Paper Sunday is blessed to collaborate with Chris Harper on today's devotional!
Chris Harper is a speaker, writer, and disciple-maker. Chris is President of 252Edu, a consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas. Chris serves schools, churches, and non-profits by helping them "grow in wisdom, favor and stature with God and man.”
When not taking ground for King Jesus, you can find Chris on the basketball court playing a pick-up game. Chris is a sneakerhead, an avid reader, and loves a good cheeseburger. You can follow him @252consulting on Instagram.
