Hanging On

(Proverbs 5:5 KJV)  Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

I get frustrated with the desire to evangelize.  I don’t want anyone to go to Hell.  God does not want anyone to go to hell.  As I struggle with this I come across verses like this.  Notice the term “take hold” (8551).  This has the idea of reaching out and grabbing something and then holding on like it is necessary for survival.  We recently had the reminder of what it is like trying to give an infant a bath.  They are wiggly and squirmy and slippery.  You don’t want to drop them.  When they hand off to me expecting me to swaddle her in a big towel I need to make sure that I have a good grip.  People are that way with their sin and rebellion.

So?  You cannot talk anyone into salvation.  It is a gift offered by God and their hearts are responding to the Holy Spirit.  What we need to realize is that the response is usually, “No.”  It will become “a thousand times no” before God is finished with them.  By holding on to their sin they reject the God of salvation as well as the salvation of God.