Faith that Flees Sin

English Standard Version Chapter 11

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.

Introduction

If you talk to smokers about quitting you’re likely to get mixed responses. Many have a sincere desire to quite but find it difficult. They’ve tried numerous times and numerous methods and yet still find themselves with a cigarette in hand. They want to stop but trying just reminds them of their mountain of failures and drives them toward despair. Let’s call them defeated smokers. Other smokers hear the warnings and agree that quitting would be a good idea, but only give it a half-hearted attempt. They quit when other people are around but light up when no one is watching. Let’s call them closet smokers. Others simply find too much pleasure in it to quit and simply choose not even to try. Let’s call them defiant smokers. Quitting smoking is hard!

My aim isn’t to talk about smokers this morning, but sinners. Smoking happens to provide us with a great analogy. When it comes to quitting sinful patterns, many have a sincere desire but find it too difficult. They’ve tried numerous times and numerous methods and yet still find themselves falling to the same temptations. They want to stop but trying just reminds them of their mountain of failures and drives them toward despair. Let’s call them defeated sinners. Other sinners hear the warnings and agree that quitting would be a good idea, but only give it a half-hearted attempt. They quit when other people are around but give in when no one is watching. Let’s call them closet sinners. Others simply find too much pleasure in it to quit and simply choose not even to try. Let’s call them defiant sinners. Quitting sinful patterns is hard!

The writer of Hebrews, however, points us to a faith that gives hope for the defeated and closet sinners, and a warning for the defiant sinner. Quitting is possible. I don’t mean quitting from sin altogether. Heaven is the only remedy for that. But there is hope for stopping sinful patterns. Addictions to gossip, pornography, and greed – even chemical addictions can be stopped.

Let’s return to our smoking analogy for just a minute. Quitting is hard but not impossible. Both of my parents were smokers for years when I was growing up. I remember how both of them stopped. One woke up one day and simply quit altogether – cold turkey. That was it. The other, on the other hand, wrestled for a long time. It was a slow and painful process. Being around other smokers was like hearing the call of a siren to start up again. One let’s call a victorious quitter. The other let’s call a reluctant quitter.

In terms of our analogy, it is possible to break sinful patterns without God. People have done it. But breaking those patterns usually comes by replacing it with a new one. It would be like quitting smoking only to find yourself addicted to alcohol or snacking or a relationship with a therapist. That’s what I call a reluctant quitter. But it is God, and only God, that can make us victorious quitters. The writer of Hebrews not only wants to give us hope for quitting, but make us into victorious quitters.

He does this by directing us to the life of Moses. Moses shows us both a model for our faith and the means for our victory over sin.

I. Model for our Faith (v)

Let’s look at the life of Moses that the Hebrew writer holds out as a model for us.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

In these three verses we find the model for Moses’ faith outlined for us. It all begins with this monumental, life-changing decision that Moses makes. It is hard to put in full perspective what Moses did because these verses are so compact. But let’s take a stab at it. Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. That would be the equivalent today of disowning your father, if he were Bill Gates. Just let that sink in for a minute. Now, I can’t imagine doing that on a whim. I don’t think that was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants decision. And yet, that decision, as we will see, is the way the writer of Hebrews is depicting “quitting” sin.

Let’s look at how Moses makes this decision. The text uses two participles that explain the nature of Moses refusal. In other words, they show Moses’ thought process. The two participles are “choosing” and “considering” from verses 25 and 26. (Most of our translations show verse 26 as a new sentence but it’s part of the same sentence in the original, which is why I’m calling “considered” from verse 26 a participle. The translators turned it from a participle to a verb to simplify the reading.) They’re actually listed in the reverse order of their process (Moses’ refusal is the result of his thought process), so let’s look at them chronologically.

A. Considering

First, we read in verse 26 Moses “considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt.” This is a forceful verb. It isn’t something flippant but rather carries the idea of making a judgment after weighing all of the evidence. It’s used in 1 Timothy 1:12, where Paul is thanking Jesus because he judged him faithful. It’s also used in Philippians 3:7 when Paul says, “whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Moses is assessing the two options before him. One is to have the reproach of Christ. The other is to have the treasures of Egypt. Hmmm, the reproach of Christ or the treasures of Egypt. What’s remarkable is that when weighed together, the reproach of Christ wins.

The idea, of course, isn’t to dismiss or discount the treasures of Egypt. Rather, it is to show how great even the reproach of Christ really is. The reason that the reproach of Christ is greater is that it is connected to the reward of heaven. The writer explains that Moses made such a judgment because he was “looking” to the reward. That reward must always be in view. When it is in view, we cannot help but judge the reward of heaven greater than any treasure of this earth. There simply is no comparison. With sin, there may indeed be immediate pleasure, but it is fleeting. It is temporal. It isn’t just that it will one day pass away altogether in God’s judgment, but that it is fleeting here and now. Greed can never be satisfied. If your sin is greed the amount of money you have now will only satisfy you for a moment (if ever) before your habits will demand more. If your sin is lust then realize that magazine covers can only satisfy you momentarily. Soon, they will lose their luster and you will need more to excite you. Magazine covers become centerfolds. Centerfolds become explicit video. Explicit video becomes live performances. Live performances become… well, you get the idea. The pleasures of sin are immediate but fleeting.

On the other hand, the pleasures of heaven may not be immediate (the present form is “reproach”), but they are eternal. Psalm 16:11 reads,

English Standard Version Psalm 16

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

C.S. Lewis explained heaven in the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia as an eternally fantastic journey. When you arrive the joy is so great that it is hardly bearable – like eating a piece of cake so rich it is hard to eat more than just a bite. But as you begin to grow accustomed to it you hear a voice which tells you to go “further up and further in” and the same thing happens. The pleasures continue to grow rather than fade away.

Sin: present but fleeting pleasure, future and lasting reproach

God: present but fleeting reproach, future and lasting pleasure

B. Choosing

Having weighed carefully the options, Moses makes a choice. He chooses to associate with the despised over the distinguished. I find it interesting that the thought process isn’t just about him, the individual. It is about a people. It is about your community. All the wealth and privilege and popularity were to be found among the Egyptian elite. This was the class with all the attention and all the attendance. The people of God were the downcast of society. They were mistreated and abused. And yet, in Moses’ thought process, the path toward his reward went through association with God’s people.

How difficult is it sometimes to make this association? Christians are often marginalized and ridiculed by our culture. Would you rather associate with the captain of the football team and head cheerleader or the marginalized Christian? Association with the community of God’s people is of vital importance.

Let’s go back to our smoker analogy. The smoker who is trying to quit faces his greatest temptation when he hangs around other smokers who light up in front of him. The smell is overpowering. Rational thinking becomes overpowered by the siren call. But in the company of those that have broken the habit the power to resist and flee is multiplied, isn’t it?

Summary

The thought process is like this – consider the choice carefully. How do the pleasures and rewards compare? Choose to associate with God’s people. And after these mental exercises, then step into action. Moses “refused” to be called the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. “Refused” is the aorist tense, showing it to be a completed action. In other words, once he refused it was a done deal. There was no going back. It was a one way ticket. When Moses refused, verse 27 tells us that he was forced to flee from the fleeting treasures of Egypt. It means putting into motion things that can’t be undone. Confession is often a means of this. If you struggle with a particular sin, you may try and try to beat it and keep it a private matter but you are more than likely to fail every time. It’s as though you haven’t really let go of it. As long as nobody else knows, then slipping won’t cost you. But if you do confess it to someone, you have accountability. That doesn’t mean that you will never slip again, but when you do, you have someone to pick you back up.

Faith that flees the fleeting pleasure of sin is a faith that carefully considers the reward and the reproach, chooses to associate with God’s people, and refuses the benefits of the king’s court.

II. Means of our Faith (v)

That’s the model that Moses gives us by way of example. The big question is, how can you actually do this? We may successfully “quit” sinful patterns and sinful lifestyles through faith, but we cannot overcome sin itself by doing. Sin is in our nature. We inherited it from Adam when he ate of the forbidden fruit in the garden. (The kids are working on this, “What was the sin of our first parents? Eating the forbidden fruit!)” As such, the pleasure of sin is real. It beckons us to come. It not only beckons, it enslaves us. The victory we need is to be set free from the slavery to this sinful nature once and for all.

When Moses returned to Egypt 40 years later, he came to set Israel free from their slavery. Through Moses, God sends plagues upon Egypt. The last plague was a plague of death upon the firstborn. It was a judgment and the only way to survive the judgment was to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood on the doorposts of the house. Moses gave to Israel a substitute. The Egyptians had none. After Israel was set free, Pharaoh and the Egyptian army came after them and found them trapped on the edge of the Red Sea. There seemed to be no way out. But Moses raised his staff and God parted the sea. Israel crossed on dry land. When the Egyptians followed, the water came crashing down and they all drowned. Both are pictures of passing through the death and judgment of God. Israel is saved through Moses. In this way, Moses shows us not only a model for our faith, but the means for its success. Through Moses, the people are set free from slavery.

In other words, it is because Moses considered the reward and the reproach, chose to associate with the people of God, and refused the benefits of the king’s court that salvation came to the people. In this, Moses shows us the work of the true rescuer of God’s people. Moses rescued God’s people from their slavery in Egypt. Jesus rescues God’s people from their slavery to sin.

A. Considering

First, Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt. In similar manner, Jesus considered reproach greater than the comforts of heaven. Looking to his reward he counted and assessed the two. In the next chapter of Hebrews we read,

English Standard Version Chapter 12

for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Because he considered the joy set before him greater than the shame of the cross, he endured it. That was no small thing. The cross was a means of shame as much as a means of torture. One on a cross dies a slow death as he holds himself up until his strength gives out and he collapses. It is his collapse that cuts off his breathing and causes him to suffocate. Someone hanging on a cross could do so for hours, perhaps even days, depending on how much strength he has in him at the time of his hanging. Prisoners hanging on crosses were stripped naked and hung in public, visible places. They were exposed for all the world to see their shame. I remember being horrified in 3rd grade simply by a dream in which I arrived at school in just my underwear. The shame was too great and that was just a dream!

What was that joy set before him? The joy was the rescue of those with faith in Christ. This should show you the great value that Jesus considers you. You have been weighed and found to be God’s treasure – not based on your merit, but based on Jesus’ love.

B. Choosing

What would cause such shame? Identifying with God’s people. You’ll recall Moses’ story. Moses chose to be mistreated with the people of God because he was one of them. Jesus chose to associate himself also with God’s people. But his association does Moses one better. Moses chose to be mistreated with God’s people. Jesus chose to be mistreated for God’s people. It was on behalf of the people of God that Jesus is mistreated, that is, hung on the cross. Jesus dies on behalf of those who are his brothers and sisters by faith. The real reproach that Christ endured was not the reproach of the people that looked upon him. The magnitude of that only hints at the reproach that he endured from the heavenly Father. Just as Moses’ reproach was felt from the king’s count in Egypt, Jesus’ reproach was felt from the king’s court in heaven. That reproach occurred because he took upon himself the guilt of your sin on his shoulders.

What set all of this in motion was Jesus refusal of the King’s benefits. Once Jesus left heaven and was incarnate, born to a woman in a manger, there was no turning back. His bridge was burned. His death would come. But by his death the guilt of our sin – both from the times we fail and the guilt we inherit – are paid for. The sinful nature that holds us captive will be destroyed and the victory over sin will belong to us, by faith.

Christians, and only Christians, have the promise of this victory because only Christians have a solution to the problem of the sinful nature. The only way to be truly set free from the sinful nature is for it to be put to death. Let’s look at verses 28-29.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.

When Moses kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, he was looking to the Christ that would be sacrificed. He was looking to the only blood that when sprinkled would allow the destroyer to pass by. Like Moses, if Christ’s blood is sprinkled on us, we can follow Christ across the Red Sea of God’s judgment on dry land. Without his blood on you, you will follow Christ into the Red Sea only to be swept away in God’s judgment.

Conclusion

The faith that Moses models for us is the kind of faith that we must have. It is faith that causes us to think – to consider the reproach and the reward of the gospel; and to choose to associate with God’s people though it might mean ridicule. It is faith that flees the pleasures of sin. More importantly, it is a faith made powerful because it is rooted in Jesus’ own choice to be associated with us, counting our rescue to be his great reward and joy. It is a faith resting squarely in Jesus as the one who paid the debt that sets us free from the power of sin. Jesus gives hope to defeated and closet sinners, and victory to the reluctant quitter.