The End of Sin

By Paul Chappell

"He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life."

Proverbs 7:22-23

Alcatraz only served as a Federal penitentiary for twenty-nine years, but it became one of the most famous prisons in the nation. Because of its isolated location and the powerful currents that ran through the cold waters separating the island from the mainland, Alcatraz was deemed a place from which it was impossible to escape. “The Rock” as it was known became home to more than three hundred of the worst prisoners in the entire country including high profile criminals and those who had caused trouble in other prisons. Among its best-known inhabitants were Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly.

Because the island prison was only a little over a mile from the city of San Francisco and because sound carries well over the water, the inmates at the prison could often hear sounds from major events in the city. Guards said that one of the hardest days of the year for the inmates was New Year’s Eve. They could hear the celebrations taking place, but because of what they had done, they were cut off from the happiness others were able to experience.

One of the main protections God has given us to help resist temptation is a careful awareness of the consequences of sin. Though we should do right because it is right, sometimes it is the fear of the Lord and the recognition of what we will lose that keeps us from yielding to temptation. Rather than looking at the allure of sin, we need to look at the end result. When we do, we will be motivated to walk in holiness.

Today’s Proverbs Precept:

Every sin carries the seeds of death and destruction, and if we do not repent and confess our sins, they will find us out.