Walking on Thin Ice

Arguably, the most practical use of science is its establishment of predictability. How awful would life be if every day the laws of physics changed? Thanks be to the Lord, “[The Son of God] upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3b). The more we discover about science, even for ourselves, the surer we are in our environment. For example, we don’t play with matches around open canisters of gasoline because most of us have seen or heard of tragic stories involving gasoline and burn victims. We often learn about laws of cause and effect through scientific discovery - the more we understand, the more assured we are of our relationship with our surroundings - do this and expect that, and so on. Our Creator has used science to teach us about some of His own precepts.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Experience tells us that it is unsafe to walk on thin ice. It tells us to walk slowly on ice, as well, lest static friction give out to its weaker relative, kinetic friction, and we begin to slip and slide, inducing a painful fall. Walking on ice is a great example of the dynamics of scientific cause and effect. Certain dangers await us if we’re ignorant of certain precepts, like those mentioned above. For a person who is completely unaware of the nature of ice, their first step onto an icy pond leads them towards peril. In the same way, a person who remains ignorant about the schemes of his or her enemies, is also heading for disaster. The Bible warns us of the inherent danger of walking where we shouldn’t.

Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
Proverbs 4:15 is like a big sign beside a pond that reads, “Danger, thin ice, stay away!” On this sign is a picture of a person that has plunged through the ice. The sign is there for our protection, just like the Holy Scripture above is there for our protection. We are given clear instruction to take God’s word for it and “not enter the path of the wicked” (v14). In fact, we get the same type of warning a good parent gives their children when they see danger signs regarding icy ponds. We are told to stay clear of it altogether (v15) - don’t even go near it, lest you be tempted to test the veracity of the sign. Why the distance? Because our Creator knows that our sin nature gets excited about an opportunity to disobey, especially when a new prohibition is made known to us. “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead” (Romans 7:8).

Have you ever noticed that since you were a child, temptation lives and breathes, even thrives excessively, in the presence of law? This law could range from a simple, “Don’t snack before supper,” to “Don’t break the speed limit in your car.” Whatever the case may be, we humans like to “test the waters,” don’t we??? You bet. In fact, we get a certain fleshly rush from disobedience. It isn’t until the inevitable consequences come (ala Galatians 6:7) that we take pause and learn our lesson. Even then, if the perceived punishment was tolerable, we often repeat our disobedience. Hence the Word’s caution altogether, “Avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on” (Proverbs 4:15). If you’re weak, say, sexually, avoid any type of situation that places you “on thin ice.” This is why I once wrote a blog titled, The Bible Says Run Away! Let me tell you, it was not popular because it shined light on the American dating scene. I felt like the poor guy that has to post the “No swimming” sign on a beach in Hawaii. If danger exists, then it exists - it’s that simple. It’s part of my job to post danger signs. For example, on the dating issue:

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Here’s an excerpt from the blog, The Bible Says Run Away!:

God’s not in the business of leading you away from godliness, of tempting you with youthful lusts, or of turning a blind eye to something that harms His children. He’s telling you to run away from youthful lusts, to quit being selfish, and to quit playing pretend. What most of you consider “dating” is actually an abomination and a direct attack on the purity and sanctity of human relationships, primarily marriage and secondarily, family.

The Bible tells us to avoid decisions that take us to places where we simply cannot be trusted. A perfect example is spending time alone with someone you are sexually attracted to, particularly in situations that are conducive to sexual sins (e.g., being intoxicated while alone or, even worse, planning the whole ordeal to include privacy). Another example is choosing to visit a local bar if you’re an alcoholic. The best approach for you is to avoid that side of the street altogether. Or suppose you’re a business person who deals with a lot of cash transactions and has a weakness for hiding your profits from the IRS. Maybe you ought to ask for checks or credit cards only as payment from your customers (I know that’s almost impossible in some situations, but you get my point).

Avoid taking the first step on the path of unrighteousness! Don’t even go near said pathway, for that is the way of the wicked. God has afforded us many illustrations of what happens to those who choose to walk on “thin ice”. He tells us that He uses morons for our edification, to show us what not to do. Why? Because He loves His children. It’s akin to a high school principal putting a wrecked vehicle out in front of the school the week before prom.

Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
If we are to avoid any situations that tempt us, what shall we do instead? Simple. We do as the Psalmist did, we stay on the righteous side of the road, or on the righteous path, where we remain close to God.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.
As believers, we walk in a world strewn with dangers. When we’re tired and we see our objective for the day just on the other side of the icy pond, maybe just a stone’s throw away, let us choose to go around, to not even put the warning sign on the shore to the test. It is there for our safety, after all. Let us do the right thing and walk around the pond, being led on this pathway by the “Light of men” (John 1:4). Sure, it may take a little longer, but isn’t that the whole point?

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
So what if it takes us a little longer, if it requires a little more patience, and if it demands a bit of endurance. Let our lives shine for all to see, to God’s glory! “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). We are God’s children. We have been prepared from eternity past for a purpose, and it isn’t to be seen as the idiot jumping up and down on thin ice. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Heed the warning signs, my friends. If you see them from a distance, thank God for your visual acuity and take the opportunity to walk around the temptation. Don’t give your sinful flesh even the minutest thing to play with. There’s no such thing as an innocuous sin. It’s that damned first step that leads to the next. Without it, you would never walk in the way of the wicked. Avoid that first step, for it is a lot bigger than it appears!

Love in Christ,

Ed Collins