FLEE

FLEE “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the

mountains or you will be swept away!” (Gen. 19:17)

Flee from Sodom! This is the first time the word “flee” is found in the Bible. It is an eloquent reminder of what the word literally means. It meant that if Lot and his family didn’t get out of Sodom they would die. It doesn’t matter how smart they were, or how strong, quick, and clever, they had only one option if they wanted to stay alive. FLEE!

Flee from Jerusalem! Jesus gave a similar warning regarding Jerusalem. He said: “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city” (Lk. 21:20-22). The same wisdom applies to Jerusalem as it did with Sodom. If these people wanted to survive then they had to “FLEE”!

OTHER USES OF THE WORD “FLEE”. Since none of us live in Sodom or Jerusalem, fleeing from those cities is only an academic

exercise. It really doesn’t matter! It doesn’t directly affect our lives in any way. So let us consider “fleeing” from other things that do directly impact our lives.

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body (1 Cor. 6:18). The late Carl Ketcherside once remarked that the way to avoid fornication is with your hat. You grab it and run! Those who disregard this wisdom too often discover too late that the lust of the flesh is more powerful than they realized. The best way to avoid sexual immorality is to obey the Bible and FLEE! “Flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say” (1 Cor. 10:14,15). Alexander Pope observed: “Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, that to be hated needs but to be seen. But seen too often, familiar with her face, we at first abhor, then pity, then embrace”! The Bible, of course is right. If you truly want to follow Christ, do not hang around with idolators and FLEE FROM IDOLATRY!

Flee from the love of money! “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this .. .” (1 Tim. 6:10,11). Judas Iscariot is well known for his diabolical betrayal of Jesus. While we may not know all of the ways the wicked one tempted him, we do know that he was tempted by the love of money. The Scriptures are clear, Judas kept the money bag for the apostles and Judas was a thief. He was stealing money that did not belong to him (Jn. 12:6). Making money the goal of your life is a great temptation, so if you want to truly be a follower of Jesus, then FLEE FROM THE LOVE OF MONEY! “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22). The Bible teaches that “folly is bound up in the heart of a child” (Prov. 22:15). Young people do foolish things! In the United States they have demonstrated their immaturity by indulging in a series of foolish fads. These fads include: swallowing goldfish, binge drinking, over stuffing cars and phone booths, bashing mail boxes, running naked through public squares, etc. Every sincere follower of Christ needs to join with Timothy and FLEE FROM THE EVIL DESIRES OF YOUTH! SOMETIMES THE BEST DEFENSE IS OFFENSE! Therefore: “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you” (Ja. 4:7,8). The devil, like other predators, prefers to attack the weak sheep who have wandered from the fold. Therefore stay close to Jesus. Put on the whole armor of God, and be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph. 6:10-20). WHEN YOU DO THIS, WHEN YOU SUBMIT TO GOD, AND RESIST THE DEVIL, THEN HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU!