Upon entering the little country store, the stranger noticed a sign saying "Danger! Beware of Dog!" posted on the glass door. Inside he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor beside the cash register.
He asked the store manager, "Is that the dog folks are supposed to Beware of?"
"Yep, that's him," he replied.
The stranger couldn't help but be amused. "That certainly doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?"
"Because," the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him."
Growing up a country boy, as I did, I became acquainted with dogs. There were hunting dogs and working dogs. There were pure breeds and mutts. I learned early to be wary of dogs or you just might get bit. So, after a while, you become a pretty good judge of dogs, especially when it comes to the biting kind.
It doesn't take long to learn to avoid the dogs that come running up to you all fuzzed-up and growling deep down in their throat. If you make any sudden moves, you will be bitten. Then there are those I call sneaky biters. They will come up to you slow and cowardly, but the minute your back is turned, they bite you. And then, there are lazy hounds like the one in our story. They may not bite, but they can hurt you, just the same.
Sin is like the dogs I have described. There are some sins which come at you with their intentions in full view. Then there are sins which sneak up on you. And then there are sins which lie there all calm and peaceful, waiting for you to stumble over them.
Sins like murdering the innocent, thievery imposed upon the helpless and sexual molestation of children are like the first dog. They present themselves as sin and all are in agreement that they will destroy you. We even put people in jail who commit these heinous crimes.
Other sins like adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lying, stealing, social drinking of alcoholic beverages, wearing clothing that exposes the body in a sensuous way, reveling, reviling and railing are sins which sneak up on you. I say this because there are those who have the appearance of piety who will tell you that adultery is not adultery if you have a divorce document from the powers that be. Likewise, they say that homosexuality is not a sin but an alternative life style. After all, God made them that way, didn't He? And what about a can of beer now and then or wearing modern swimsuits or partying down or giving those dumb drivers who cut you off a piece of your mind or engaging in a little harmless gossip, everybody does it don't they? Hell awaits those who will allow sin to sneak up on them.
By now, some of you are asking yourself, "What about the lazy dog? What is left for him?" How about the sins of ignorance, apathy and omission? They are always lying there in the Christian's path, waiting for us to trip over them. There is going to be some very disappointed Christians on the day of judgement because of these sins.
Remember, "the wages of sin is death; " (Romans 6:23), and that "each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is full-grown, bringeth forth death" (James 1:14-15).
Danger! Beware of the Dogs! Or, should it say, Danger! Beware of Sin! Either way, try not to get bitten!
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 3/21/99.