The other day I heard about a brain eating ameoba called Naegleria Fowleri. This ameoba travels in dirty water and will invade a host, or human, through an opening such as your nose, mouth or an open wound. This amoeba will then travel through the body to begin eating away at the brain. At first, you will never know it is there. It is silent and unnoticed. There will begin to be symptoms that can be thought to be caused by other things. There may headaches. There may be twitching muscles. But often, by the time doctors determine the amoeba is there, it is too late. The amoeba has eaten so much of the brain tissue that death is imminent for the host person. A seemingly healthy person will be destroyed from the inside by this tiny amoeba.
Why do I tell you this? Well, I have realized that seemingly healthy christians can be eaten from the inside but what seems like a small thing. A small sin can sneak in. A small thing can find an opening in the armor and work its way to our soul. It will begin to eat away at our soul. There may not be any signs at first. When symptoms begin to show, it can be put off as something else. When in reality, if left unchecked, a small sin can slowly destroy a christian life from the inside.
What do I mean? Take bitterness for example. A small amount of hurt can become bitterness. Bitterness can grow into hatred. Before you know it, relationships are destroyed and a person's soul is at stake.
Hebrews 12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
Several years ago, there was a man attending our church. I will call him RH. Now RH was a good church going person who loved to sing about Jesus. Unfortunately, RH had a terrible root of bitterness. He had had a disagreement with some of his family members years earlier and he would never let it go. He would not forgive them. He hated them for what they had done. He would not move past it. When RH became elderly and sickly, he had no family to help him. He was taken care of by people sent by senior care. Some of these people took advantage of this situation. He was not well cared for and became a victim of neglect. His care provider basically moved herself and her family into his home, left him in his hospital bed and trashed his house. When he became very ill, he was taken to the hospital where he died. My father, who was his pastor at the time, tried hard to help him, but he was a stubborn old man. When he died, his family would not attend his funeral. He had no friends to come and no one but the pastor's family to attend his funeral. His unforgiving heart, had become so full of bitterness and hate that he had destroyed about every relationship he ever had. Mostly, he had allowed one hurt to destroy his life. He died alone and miserable.
There are many sins that can sneak in and seem harmless, but if left unchecked, can become the seed of destruction for a christian life.
Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Romans 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Paul described, in his letter to the church in Rome, many of these sins that can bring destruction to a soul. He was concerned about the little things that were becoming big things. He described how God gave such men over to the uncleanness and lust in their hearts. Lord, have mercy on us. I hope I never get myself into the position that God gives me over to my sinfulness.
In Joel 2:2 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
God wants all of our heart to be cleansed and be His. He wants to be the master of our heart. He warned against allowing sin to creep back in to keep us clean and pure.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
1 Peter 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
We need to be obedient to the word of God and heed the warnings of God. We need to be made pure and clean. I want to see God and I want to stand blameless before him. He is calling his children to be pure and blameless. He is seeking us to allow Him to fully deliver us from our sinful nature. We need to keep that sinful nature in check and keep it obedient to the Word of God. He wants to preserve us and keep us from harm and destruction.
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
God's plan for us is so much better than what we choose on our own. When we choose to allow hurts, disobedience strife, lust, etc to gain a foothold, or eat away at us, we are choosing destruction. God does not warn us away from such things to make our lives miserable or boring. He is trying to protect us, keep us and provide joy, peace and safety. Just like a good parent warns their children away from danger, he warns us. God is a good God and he wants only the best for his children. We need to heed the warnings he has given in his word. Do not allow an amoeba of sin to take hold and eat away our soul. Stay in touch with the Savior and he will give us the warnings we need so we can be a strong and healthy soul growing in safety from sin and destruction. God bless and please pray that God reach into our hearts and remove any root or hidden part that is holding out for our destruction. May we all be purified completely in His time.
