Moral Vulnerability

Thoughts from my reading in Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp.

The following post is one that I would encourage you to spend some time thinking about. If you don’t have time now then bookmark it and come back later. It’s a very good description of the road to sin, sorrow, destruction and redemption.

If you are honest you will recognize the well worn path. It’s one that most of us travel fairly often. If you are among the overconfident and deceived, it will make you think of someone else.

Don’t just read it once; meditate on it and let God speak to you. Get familiar with it while you look at it from a distance. Perhaps next time you hear the tempting call to get back on the path you will recognize what is going on in a different way than you have before. Maybe you will catch yourself before it’s too late. Or maybe you will find yourself traveling the path right now.

Following is the complete meditation. I couldn’t find anything I could cut for this post without diminishing the whole.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Beauty compelling
Tugging, seducing
Wanting and craving
Weakened resolve;
Lingering, staring
Moral transgression
Look of desire
Selfish rebellion
Act of betrayal
Weakened resolve.
Long consideration
Dreams of possessing
Evil hoping
Enemy lurking
Heart now racing
Battle raging
Nervous thinking
Flesh growing weaker
Drawn to the darkness
Weakened resolve.
Wrong seen as righteous
Plausible lies
Twisted pretenses
Self swindling
Guilty logic
Deluded perspectives
Weakened resolve.
Deciding and choosing
Date and location
Concrete plans
Words of acceptance
Verbal contract
Shared deception
Anticipation
Tracks covered over
Weakened resolve.
Deed now accomplished
Fleeing the scene
Dark of night
Trembling hands
Afraid of discovery
Made up stories
Weakened resolve.
Morning remorse
Hard to imagine
Fear of discovery
Rehearsed denials
Lust unweakening
Purity lost
No undoing
Weakened resolve.
Protecting secrets
Telling lies
Acting the part
Believable excuses
Internal battles
Hunger for more
Weakened resolve.
Haunted by guilt
Crushed by conviction
No more delusion
Power of truth
Weakened resolve.
Stain of iniquity
Remorse of transgression
Cries for forgiveness
Hope for mercy
Cast on compassion
Admission of guilt
Weakened resolve.
Bitter harvest
Sweet forgiveness
The grace of cleansing
Joy in acceptance
Rescuing Savior
Loving Redeemer
Patient Father
Acting in power
Sin's bondage broken
No more compulsion
Freedom is given
Weakened resolve.
Confession of weakness
Tell of His mercy
Worship and service
Willing obedience
Resisting temptation
Steps of protection
Weakened resolve.
Seeking assistance
Sacrifice gladly
Witness to battle
Praise and thanksgiving
Long perseverance
Gone is deception
Weakened resolve.

Here are two questions from the meditation:

Try to identify evidence of moral vulnerability in your life. Where are you tempted to see as beautiful what God says is ugly? Where are you tempted to believe plausible lies? Where are you tempted to hide or cover your tracks?

Where do you need the help of God's grace so you can confess, seek help, stand and fight, refuse to listen, and speak the truth?

Here are my final thoughts:

Sin will take you places where you don't want to go.
Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.
Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay.

Philip


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