Swimming with Gators

Houston we have a problem...

There is an unwelcomed visitor in the pond. Imagine the shock to find a live gator swimming in your pool in your back yard. He has made his way through the fence, past the dog, through your house and into your pool. All without you noticing. Now this deadly gator has taken up residence in your swimming pool.

Imagine that you decided to simply ignore the threat of being eaten alive and choose to go swim anyway. What would compel someone to go swim with the gator? I'd say that there are only a few things: 1 the person is either blind and cannot see the danger, is drunk too delusional or out of it to think straight, or is a Scientologist and has willed the gator out of existence. No matter their reasoning anyone would call them into questioning. There is a serious problem with swimming with gators.

I once heard a story of a man from Florida. Outside of his home he had a pond full of gators. For years he had swam in that pond and never been attacked. Many people had warned him not to swim in that pond he did not heed their warning. one day after drinking a little too much dove into the pond for a swim; however, that swim was his last. He played roulette with the gators and this time the gators devoured him.

As individuals we have a problem. Worse than swimming with gators that can destroy the body; our problem is sin. Unchecked sin in our Christian walk will lead to failure. Mankind is fallen and depraved. If we allow our desires and sin to go unchecked it well devour us like a gator.

 "The heart of man is wicked and deceitful above all things and who can know it?" (Jer 17:9). 

We as mankind fall victim to our self-righteousness, sin fullness, and deceive ourselves. We think of ourself as something great, standing proud in the presence of the almighty. Yet we are wrong. Simeon the sorcerer thought of himself as righteous. He professed the name of Jesus, walked the isle, said the prayer, got dunked, and even joined the small group. But his heart was far from God.

Simeon professed Christ; however, he did so under a false pretense. His "belief" was not rooted in sincere faith and repentance, rather in self preservation and glorification.

"Though thou professest to believe, and art baptized, yet thou art not sincere.' We are as our hearts are; if they be not right, we are wrong; and they are open in the sight of God, who knows them, judges them, and judges of us by them. Our hearts are that which they are in the sight of God, who cannot be deceived" (Matthew Henery). 

Peter proceeded to tell Simeon that he was in the "Gall of bitterness." Gall is used in the bible to refer to a deadly toxin, poison, or venom. Sin is abominable to God. It is like a deadly toxin.
James speaks of this in his Epistle. He warns believers to not be deceived by the intoxicating nature of sin.  

14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

Simeon was in a bad place. He was afflicted by his sin. He was swimming in a pool of self deception. He had bought his own lie. Simeon was like the man who talked himself into swimming in an alligator infested pond saying to himself.

"Safety is a mindset, if I tell myself I am safe than safe I am" 

What he failed to understand is that the alligators in the pond didn't have the same mindset. If your swimming with alligators it doesn't matter how safe you think you are or claim to be your not safe at all.

In our christian walk  many are treating their faith like the man swimming with alligators. We pretend as if  our sins are secret, like the alligators are not their. We deceive ourselves. Be careful of the predators you have allowed into your own pool. Don't let sin go unchecked in your walk. Don't be decieved by your lusts. Stand ground against the flesh and after you have done everything to stand in Christ.