Today’s Challenges: Ignoring warning gates

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This past week at my work place they were doing some work with a forklift, loading material about 16 feet-high on racks. Company policy is that you block the aisles on both sides of the place you are working. This way if there is an accident and something is knocked down, no one is in danger.

I was a spotter (someone assigned to watch and make sure no customers came into those areas). I had just put up the aisle blocking gates when two men walked up, pushed the gate aside (with large yellow warning signs on them, which said: “Warning! Do not enter!” and walked down the aisle. I called them back and they were somewhat indignant as I tried to explain, but they protested that they could not see anyone working in the aisle and didn’t see any danger.

It seems we are compelled to test limits, but not necessarily by “human nature”. In the book of Genesis we read of Adam and Eve being given one “Don’t” by God: “Don’t eat of that particular fruit!” With what appears to be only a small whispered suggestion by Satan they chose to eat the fruit anyway.

In the New Testament we are given moral and ethical directives, yet people proclaim, “You can’t tell me what to do!”; “I’ll live however I want;” “I can choose my life style.” Listen to what the Apostle Paul proclaims: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people; none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

I know that there are some who will read this and say that I am “Homophobic,” “A hater,” that my beliefs are not “Politically Correct.” But please notice; it’s not what I believe that is important, but what God’s Word says. When you remove the warning gates put up by God, you “exchange the truth about God for a lie, and worship and serve created things rather than the Creator,” (Romans 1:25).You may not be able to see the danger, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. You might be tempted to believe those who say, “The Bible is old and outdated and doesn’t apply to us anymore.” But ask yourself, “Does God’s word have an expiration date?” James tells us in James 1:17-18, “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.”

Maybe you don’t see the danger, but could it be that we or our world is listening to the whispers of Satan to just ignore the warning gates put in place by God for our care and safety? I would suggest that perhaps we and it does.

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By Russ Lawson

Russ Lawson is a volunteer citizen columnist, who serves The Daily Advocate readers weekly with his column Today’s Challenges. He is semi-retired and an elder at the Mid-County Church of Christ. He can be reached at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

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