Escaping the Corruption

2 Peter 1:4

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Corruption is to decay. In other words, corruption does not happen all at once, but it happens a little at a time. A house that decays or sees corruption happens slowly. A house that decays slowly breaks down until it is no longer habitable. We have all seen homes that have decayed to the point that they are unsafe to walk in because of the corruption or the decay that has been allowed to happen over the years.

Just like a house decays a little at a time, so the believer’s Christian walk decays a little at a time. Your life doesn't become worldly all at once, but it happens a little at a time. The decay of the Christian walk often happens while the believer is still doing right. The believer whose life has been corrupted by the world started when they allowed a little bit of corruption into their lives, and that corruption begins to decay their Christian walk until that believer is living a worldly life. The mind of the believer is corrupted by reading or looking at the wrong things a little at a time. The heart of the believer becomes corrupted with worldliness by allowing the corruption of the world into your life a little at a time. The spirit of the believer is corrupted by listening to the negative and the gossip a little at a time. You don't see corruption all at once, but it happens over time.

God says that we can escape the corruption of the world; we escape it by avoiding the lust of the world. What is the lust of the world? 1 John 2:16 tells us it is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. If you keep these things out of your life, you will keep yourself from the corruption of the world.

The problem with most believers is they try to avoid corruption by not doing not doing wrong, and they fail. The answer to avoiding the corruption of the world is found in 1 John 3:7 where it says, Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Notice, the person who lives the righteous life is the person that doeth righteousness. You don’t become righteous by doing nothing, but you become righteous by doing righteousness. Righteousness is not static, but it is an action. 2 Peter 1:5 shows us how to escape this corruption when it says, And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith…. You add to your faith by doing right, and by doing right, you avoid corruption.

My friend, you will never have a successful Christian walk by putting off, but you will have a successful Christian walk by DOING right. Many try to put off the bad things and wonder why they never find victory in the Christian walk. You don't stop doing wrong and find victory over the wrong, but you stop doing wrong by doing right. When you start adding to your faith by doing right, your life becomes righteous and avoids the corruption of the world.

You will continue to struggle with your besetting sin as long as you try avoiding it. Yes, you should avoid it, but you avoid it by doing what is right. The longer you do right, the more that right becomes a habit, and eventually the right pushes out the wrong. Romans 12:21 promises, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. If you will just do right, you will find victory over the corruption of sin.