Are you suffering form Pharaoh’s syndrome?

Over the past several years I have belonged to a couple of online Christian discussion boards. Frequently I will jump from thread to thread without ever entering a reply to what has been posted. One thing that I have noticed in a number of different threads is that people often ask how they can overcome the sin in their lives. Often people talk of falling back into old habits they know are wrong and have become frustrated by their inability to stop.

Let me share something that may help explain and guide some of us in over coming this extremely dangerous and additive behavior. It is an outtake of a passage from Ray Comfort’s book titled “Way of the Master”, a subsection called “what was the Pharaoh’s problem?”

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“ Why did it take so long for Pharaoh to bow to the will of the God of the Israelites, who were his slaves in Egypt? One would think that one plague would have caused him to immediately let God’s people go. The answer is given to us in Exodus 9:27-28. After a number of terrible plagues, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said,

 “I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. Entreat the Lord, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 

Such talk would seem to show that finally he was repentant. However, Exodus 9:30 gives insight as to what was still lacking. Moses said,

“But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.” 

Pharaoh saw his sin as something he had done “this time,” and in his heart he didn’t yet fear God enough to obey Him. ”

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When I first read this it just clicked and I said to myself, wow - that just explains the struggle many of us face with sin so clearly. Here I have to agree again with Mr. Comfort, the modern gospel and it’s “feel good” message have convinced people that it is okay to go on sinning. You sinned again? Oh, it’s Okay.  Just ask Jesus to forgive you.

So what has happened is people, because the truth has never been explained to them, find themselves in this repeating cycle of sin and asking for forgiveness. Now let me explain – there is accidental sin and willful sinning. Accidental sin is where a person has no intent, but trips and falls into sin. A one time thing – not planned or thought about, it was an accidental happening. Where as willful sinning is a person who knows it is wrong, sees it, maybe has tried hard to avoid it, but ends up running to the sin. Eventually the person  feels guilty and asks Jesus for forgiveness, only to end up repeating the cycle again sometime later.

Someone show me in scripture where it says that Jesus is obligated to forgive you of your sins if you continually willfully run to and repeat the sin? This dilemma obviously begs the question as to whether such as person is actually saved. Not because of their inability to do good works, but because their heart desires sinful endeavors rather than walking in righteousness. I understand the struggle that can sometimes take place within a person still dealing with habits of the old nature, but there is a very fine line in those circumstances between falling into and running to sin.

            Ray Comfort continues his next paragraph with writing:

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“ There are many who profess faith in the Savior who are like the Pharaoh. A lack of knowledge of the Law has left them with a shallow understanding of the exceedingly sinful nature of sin. They admit that they have sinned “This Time.” They think that sin is something that they have done rather than something that saturates their very nature. They lack the fear of God, and like the Pharaoh, these “believers” entreat the Lord simply because they find themselves in the midst of thunderous trials. Then like the king of Egypt, when the plagues of life stop, they sin once again and harden their hearts to the will of God (Exodus 9:34).

 

What is it, then, that will break the will of a stubborn, rebellious sinner who gives mere lip service to God, but doesn’t fear Him? Not only does he need to be terrified by the plagues of God’s Law, but he must also see the death of the Firstborn. After the Law has done its terrifying work on the sinner, the gospel gives light regarding the cost of his redemption. His heart will tremble with fear when he realizes that his liberty from wrath came through the death of the firstborn Son of God. ”

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What spoke to me were the words, “THIS TIME” everybody always says “this time.” “Lord I’m sorry this time – I’ll never do it again.” This time and next time and the time after that when will it end?

It’s important to note that a true believer will fall at the foot of the cross with a truly repentant heart turning 180 degrees away from the sin in their life, whereas a false believer will be found constantly returning to the sin in their life and repeating the cycle. They have no real fear of God or the pending possibly long term consequences of their sin. The person who continually pursues sin does not, has not yet, come to view and look at sin the way God does. And God views those who continue to deny His Lordship in their lives as deserving the reward of death – separation from God both physically and spiritually for all eternity. 

True salvation can only be found when there is true repentance. And true repentance can only occur when a person has a solid knowledge of the severity of the penalty and their helplessness in their transgression against God. And true forgiveness will take root only when one comes to the understanding with heart felt gratitude for what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross. Thus freedom from the bondage of sin.  

1 John chapter 1 tells us of conditions for fellowship. That we are to walk in the light, that those who walk in darkness though they claim to be of us have no part in the light.

Verses 6 & 7: 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 2:3 & 4 “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;”

Do not be deceived – there is no middle ground, but there is great hope: 1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

“If you will not have death to sin, you shall have sin unto death. There is no alternative. If you do not die to sin, you will die for sin. If you do not slay sin, sin will slay you.”

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