“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14)
Traffic rules are not suggestions. The failure to obey a stop sign or red light has serious consequences. Where the Word of God tells us to “cease” from something we do well to take heed.
“CEASE ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Isaiah 2:22)
“CEASE, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 19:27)
“Labour not to be rich: CEASE from thine own wisdom.” (Proverbs 23:4)
“It is an honour for a man to CEASE from strife: but every fool will be meddling.” (Proverbs 20:3)
“CEASE from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” (Psalm 37:8)
“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; CEASE to do evil” (Isaiah 1:16)
Disobedience is costly. There was a day and a time when we were all disobedient children, disregarding our Father’s command to stop doing what was evil in His sight. We reaped the consequences of our hard heart. Because of the great salvation that is in Christ, God has ordained that the day a man gets saved is the day when his disobedience ends. He becomes God’s “yes man.” His Lord says, “Go, and sin no more.”
How many horrific tragedies could be avoided if people would simply obey the rules of the road? Likewise, the most unnecessary tragedies occurs when a fully equipped saint of God returns to the vomit of their former sin. Let us not tempt the Lord our God with continued violations of His Word. When God says, “Stop,” it is not a suggestion – it is a command. Proceed at your own risk.