Shake the Deadly Snake

"We must not part with sin, as with a friend, with a purpose to see it again and to have the same familiarity with it as before or possibly greater ... We must shake our hands of it as Paul did shake the viper off his hand into the fire" Erwin Lutzer

This quote had my mind racing in multiple directions, with a couple of questions and some Bible story remembrances:

1. Has sin been my friend?

2. Do I part with it only to pick it up again and reengage?

3. The story of Paul on a beach on the island of Melita (Malta) after surviving a ship wreck, collecting kindling and being bitten, only to shake the deadly snake into the fire!

4. The natives thought Paul was a god, but alas, he was a messenger of the living God.

Let's take a closer look together

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand (Acts 28:1-4)

I always found this story exciting, but today I am astounded anew! For the purposes of time saving, I simply cannot recount how heroic, brave and wise Paul was on the ship prior to the wreck: you must go into Acts yourself to experience the wonder of his presence in the midst of chaos. Suffice it to say, that Paul had a peace that truly does surpass all understanding And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7) I will say this ... Paul was being transported for trial in Italy, and yet, he treated all with kindness, and a love that is worthy of aspiration. 

Going back to Acts 28:1-4

• They escaped ~ everyone on that ship survived because they finally listened to Paul
• They landed on Malta
• The people were barbarous according to the Romans. The islanders were far from barbaric, showing much kindness by kindling a fire, and receiving each of the men, sailors and prisoners alike, that had been on that ship
• The men were already wet, it was raining and cold. They had endured life threatening conditions for an extended period of time 

Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire ... dear reader, what kind of stuff is this man made of? Where is the limit to his energy, inclination, devotion and desire to serve? In this vignette, we see a man thinking of others, admiring others, appreciating the Maltese for welcoming strangers with grace. And yet, it is Paul that is hard to ignore. He is Christlike and I cannot help but hope, to be like Him too ...

... there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand ... slithery snakes hide in the most dangerous places, don't they? A fire was built and Paul was adding sticks to keep it aflame. Out of the heat, a viper fastens to his hand: fascinating!

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.  (Acts 28: 4-6)

• I am picturing the faces of the witnesses, seeing a venomous beast hanging by it's fangs, from Paul's hand!
• The islanders believed in the universal law of sowing and reaping. They assumed that while the man survived a shipwreck, clearly the snake bite and pending death by venom, was a natural consequence for being a murderer. You get what you give ... vengeance suffereth not to live
• One good shake and the deadly snake was returned from whence he had come. This has me thinking about my sin, and how important it is to know that when it tries to sink it's fangs into me and spread poison, I can shake it off and send it back to the hell fire from which it came 
• ... and felt no harm we cannot be injured by something that does not have a hold on us, dear one. Paul saw the snake for what it was, a harmless beast that had no power to persuade him to feel weak, subjected or swayed into swooning!

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he is a god (Acts 28:6)

This is just plain old fun to read and suss out, dear one! How very exciting and as I said above, astounding, to envision this scene. Imagine the facial expressions of the islanders, watching, waiting, anticipating what they had witnessed before! They knew the viper was venomous and they knew from previous experience, what to look for ... swelling, and falling down dead. When they did not see this after a great while, and saw no harm come to him ... they:

• changed their minds
• and said he is a god

Life shipwrecked

Paul went from probable murderer, to a perceived god in a very short time span. There is an interesting point in this that I nearly missed: people really do believe that God has power over life and death. People really do believe that their sins are damning, and that we must pay for them, even when we sometimes, and perhaps often, (think of a life shipwrecked many times over) get a free pass. Eventually, there is a comeuppance, where we must pay for our past. Paul is a wonderful example of not only surviving his wicked past, but being a messenger of the saving grace that God bestows on all, because let us face the facts; you and I ought to have died long ago from all those snake bites we somehow survived, which takes us to the rest of this story. 

Paul stays on the island for three months. Three days into his stay, he prays over the ailing, starting with the father of the chief, who lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux (Acts 28:8). He heals many more, but the point is, God had him begin with the most influential, those that should have been able to connect with their "gods" and be healed. This is important to note: there is only one God, and Paul demonstrated to the islanders that prayer to the living God, with faith in His healing power, is all they needed and, dear one, He is all we need too.

I am going to the top of this writing piece, to answer these questions, and I invite you to do the same:

1. Has sin been my friend?

2. Do I part with it only to pick it up again and reengage?

1. I do believe sin has been my friend in the past. There were things I knew weren't right in God's sight, but I disobediently did them anyway (because I liked them), only to suffer remorse with promises to Him that I would never do them again, and yet I did! When I look back on the things that appealed to me then, I am relieved to say that they no longer attract me. Now, when a venomous sin viper attempts to attach itself to my hand and fill me will poison, I shake him back into the hell fire more quickly than ever before! I'm not perfect, but I am progressing. 

2. Yes, the pattern of parting with sin and picking back up again was me, and sometimes still is, but less and less. The more time I spend with God, the less appealing sin becomes. 

The Maltese were exposed to a godly man. Godly people direct others to the Sovereign, not to themselves. I will end with this guiding principle, as a way for us to stay the course of living sin free, by resisting ungodly company and by delighting in the law of the LORD. 

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he mediate day and night (Psalm 1:1-2)