The Narrow Path
Chanok
(#257 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.torahlife.org
Everyone who commits [practices] sin is guilty of lawlessness [violating Yahweh’s law by transgression or neglect; being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will]; for sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4) Sin, quite literally, is transgression of the law. It always starts in the mind and most often manifests in physical action. It is NOT, as most people think, a built-in biological certainty. Simply put, sin is a voluntary decision. The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. (Romans 7:12) You can either choose to obey it or not to obey it! But don’t be mistaken; it is your choice.
Here’s a question you have not likely been asked before. Do you sin because Adam (Adam #1) sinned, or because you would have made the same choice, and still do? The world loves to purport that biology is the inevitable cause of transgression (sin), if in fact they are of the secular camp that even admits transgression is possible. And certainly by mere self-identification as “non-believers,” the world would never categorize their failures as transgressions against Yahweh. As believers, we know otherwise; it is against Yahweh alone that we sin (Psalm 51:4).
Even more inviting to the world are terms like: innocent victim; unfortunate disease; hereditary disposition; or alternative lifestyle, as more palatable substitutes for the atrocious idea that they might be transgressing the law of some higher being, or even of nature itself. Sins such as addictive behaviors, immoral standards, gluttony, promiscuous behavior and clothing, aberrant sexual activity, or gender “re-identification,” are ignored or excused; and in recent years, simply accepted as the “new normal.” Why? “Because people are just born that way.” And the distinction between right and wrong is just culturally relative, or even more precariously, personally relative. As scripture says, futile thinking is where the downfall begins. (Romans 1:21)
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20) Now consider that this was not written to the world; it was to Yahweh’s chosen people. Have you also adopted the world’s excuses? Do you actually believe Yahweh created man to be evil and sinful on purpose? Does it comfort you in some way to believe the lie? “It is hereditary; I’m a victim; it’s not my fault.” Are these your acceptable excuses? Will you continue to reject the truth that committing transgression is a choice? Is your current belief system based on Romans 7:14-23? (Read it!) “Woe is me; I’m a victim of my flesh; I keep doing what I do not want to do and don’t do what I am supposed to do.” Or is your reality Romans 7:24-25? (Read it!) “Who will deliver me from this body of death? Praise Yahweh, Yahshua the Messiah DID!” For the law of the Spirit of life in the Messiah Yahshua has made me free from the law of sin and death. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of the Almighty dwells in you. (Romans 8:2, 9)
Chanok (pronounced khan-oke’), you know him better as Enoch. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because the Almighty had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased the Almighty. (Hebrews 11:5) His very name means “dedicated, experienced, and trained.” He lived three hundred and sixty five years of a dedicated life, pleasing to Yahweh. He was the seventh (perfection) generation from Adam (Jude 1:14). He walked the narrow road and was taken from the earth without experiencing physical death. He became an example to all who would believe. Was his obedience hereditary as some believe about sinfulness? Or was it a choice?
It is in this time together that we remove scales and introduce the true reality; Enoch made the only choice that mattered. It was the choice to obey alone, and not attempt to add or take away from what Yahweh ordained to bring life and death. Not one jot or tittle could be changed, and he submitted to it (resisted the temptation of Adam #1).
His dedication to the narrow path was a choice; his carnal mind gave him every option to fail, but he chose otherwise. He chose to be pleasing to Yahweh. Yes, this was Enoch and he made no excuses.