Sin Can Make Us Do Stupid Things
By W. Frank Walton

"The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it." (Proverbs 6:32)

Besides being wrong before God, the Proverb writer warns us that sin, like adultery, is a stupid, self-destructive thing (Proverbs 13:15).

Recently, the governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, mysteriously disappeared for five days. No one on his staff, or even his wife, knew where he was or how to contact him. He tried to excuse his absence by saying he "needed to get away to clear his mind after the legislative session." He said he had simply gone backpacking in the remote mountains of the Appalachian Trail.

This cover story (i.e., lie) quickly evaporated as the truth came out--he had flown to Argentina to rendezvous with his Argentinean mistress.

His exposure forced him to make a public apology for his sin to his family and to the citizens of South Carolina. He also resigned as the Chair of the Republican Governors' Association.

As a Congressman, Mr. Sanford had voted to impeach President Bill Clinton, whose lying under oath to cover up an illicit affair caused Mr. Clinton, according to the then Congressman, "to lose moral legitimacy." Sanford was a rising star in the Republican Party, whose hopes for a 2012 Presidential bid now seem dashed. How sad.

Besides the obvious sin of adultery (Exodus 20:14; Proverbs 2:17; Romans 13:9), we observe how ridiculously reckless and foolish the Governor's actions were. As the state's chief executive, he is expected to be available at all times, in case of a state emergency. Did he really think he could continue dropping out of sight for five-day periods and keep it a secret? The Proverbs writer said that adultery is "lacking sense," meaning it is really stupid. The governor's gross moral lapse has led to near destruction of his good career as a talented civil servant.

This incident warns us about the slippery slope that leads to self-destructive behavior. Moral wisdom will "keep you far from her [an adultress] and do not go near the door of her house" (Proverbs 5:8). It is better to shun the bait than to struggle in the snare. The lips of the adulteress "drip honey and her mouth is smoother than oil" (Proverbs 5:3).

The media released excerpts of romantic emails between the two illicit lovers. Again, the governor is embarrassed because he never dreamed their lewdness would be exposed. Seductive talk fools you into ignoring moral reason and then rationalizing sin. The governor had met and befriended this Argentinean woman during a state business trip about seven years ago. The relationship slowly evolved, via email, into a romantic liaison duing the past year.

See the subtle, downward path of temptation! Their friendship gradually turned into an immoral sexual relationship. We see Satan building an enticingly baited trap that exploits our weaknesses and desires (James 1:14-15).

Joseph presented an excellent example of one who fought temptation like a man when he ran away from Potiphar's wife's sexual advances (read Genesis 39:7-12). Even if no one discovered the affair, Joseph knew that it would be sinning against the husband, Potiphar, who appointed him to the position of house steward. More importantly, Joseph's faith caused him to know, in his conscience, that such secret sin would be "against God," to whom we are accountable and who sees all things we do in secret (Proverbs 15:3). Love for God, and faith in His word, gives us spiritual x-ray vision to see through Satan's traps baited with temptation.

Sin makes us do stupid things, unless we allow God to help us resist. Clearly, as Christians, we feel sorry for the governor, his humiliated wife, and shamed family. Other politicians have also been caught in sexual turpitude. The former Democratic governor of New York, Elliot Spitzer, resigned from office after being exposed for hiring a prostitute, in part, with state funds.

We should feel compassion for sinners, knowing we are all failed sinners. Yet, like God, we should hate the sin but love the sinner. We must resolve to hate sin and to not allow it to cause us to do stupid things that have hard, long-term consequences.

Sadly, these types of situations don't just happen to people in public positions in state and federal governments. They also occur among God's own people. In the past few years, I've known four gospel preachers who have fallen prey to this sin. One of them is no longer preaching. Another was divorced by his spouse; and the others, while they were able to save their marriages, have been removed from the jobs they previously held. What lessons can we learn from these situations?

Nobody is above being tempted by this sin. It doesn't matter how long a man has preached, or how strong he may have been in the past, it doesn't protect him from this sin. Gospel preachers and elders must always guard against the danger involved in placing themselves in compromising positions.

Be very careful about assisting brethren who are having marriage difficulties. While marriage counseling is not part of an evangelist's work, it is sometimes necessary. I've learned through experience that it's better if the husband does not discuss certain problems with the preacher-but with his wife. All the marriage counseling I've done during the past few years has occurred while both parties were present. Even if I need to speak with the wife privately, her husband is always nearby.

Remember, in every marriage there are two parts to the story. A one-sided counseling session accomplishes nothing. Get both parties together. May God help us use His wisdom. (KMG)


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