Danger In Going To Far

     Everyone has seen the scene that is about to be described.  In a hotly contested basketball game, the coach jumps up from the bench and before he realizes it, he is a three or four steps out onto the court. The official is standing nearby and turns to look at the coach.  The official had heard of a previous game in which the coach was penalized a technical for each step it took to get back to the bench.  He says to the coach, "Coach, that will be a technical foul for coming onto the court and one for each step it takes to get back to the bench."
      The coach realized that his emotions had carried him to far, so he said to his team, "Boys, come get me!"  The players carried the coach to the bench, put him down facing the bench and when the coach took the two steps to get turned around was assessed two more technical fouls.
     Someone has so wisely said, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go; keep you longer than you want to stay; and cost you more than you want to pay."
     It would be a rare individual who has not gone to far in life, in some type of situation.  We, like the coach, did not intend to be in that situation.  And like the coach, we suddenly realize that we are going to need some help in getting out of the predictament.  The coach really did not gain much, if anything, since he used two steps to turn around.  His team, tried as hard as they could, but to no avail.
     In the area of obtaining a right relationship with God, we find ourselves identifying with the coach.  In the first place, the lost man's standing before God is one that he must first realize his lost conditiion.  "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23.  He is afar from God from the moment of realizing right from wrong.  There is a sin debt that must be paid.  All attempts a lost person makes to, "get back on the bench",  leaves him short.  You can turn over a new leaf, join the church, be baptised, do all manner of works and you will still be facing the bench.
     Only a faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, believing in his blood atonement and resurrection will square things with God.
     Even after we are saved the quote in the beginning is still true for us:  "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.'