COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM
Sin May Feel Like Pleasure Today—But Venom Doesn't Have to Hurt Immediately to Be Deadly
There is something about a rattlesnake that should get our attention.
The sound of the rattle is frightening. The fangs are frightening. The strike is frightening.
But ultimately, it isn't simply the bite that presents the greatest danger.
It is what the bite puts inside you.
The venom.
And that gives us a sobering picture of sin.
Sin doesn't always arrive looking deadly.
Sometimes it looks exciting.
Pleasurable.
Liberating.
Harmless.
Popular.
Normal.
Everybody else is doing it.
Nobody seems to be getting hurt.
And somewhere along the way we ask the question humanity has asked in a thousand different forms:
“WHAT'S WRONG WITH A LITTLE FUN?”
Sometimes, nothing.
God is not against joy.
God created laughter.
Friendship.
Marriage.
Celebration.
Food.
Music.
Beauty.
Rest.
Fellowship.
There is nothing inherently spiritual about being miserable.
But there is a tremendous difference between pleasure and sin disguised as pleasure.
And that difference can have eternal consequences.
Paul wrote:
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord...” — 2 Corinthians 6:17
Those words sound increasingly foreign to modern ears.
Come out.
Be separate.
Separate from what?
From anything that requires us to compromise our allegiance to God.
And perhaps that is exactly where our problem begins.
WE WANT JESUS—BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO COME OUT.
“WHAT'S WRONG WITH A LITTLE FUN?”
That question sounds innocent enough.
But perhaps we're asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking:
“What's wrong with it?”
Maybe Christians should begin asking:
“Where is this taking me?”
That's a very different question.
Because sin rarely shows us the destination when it introduces us to the journey.
It shows us the pleasure.
Not the consequences.
The excitement.
Not the bondage.
The moment.
Not the morning after.
The temptation.
Not the addiction.
The affair.
Not the broken family.
The money.
Not the prison cell.
The intoxication.
Not the destroyed body.
The popularity.
Not the compromised testimony.
The secret.
Not the day the secret becomes public.
Sin is a remarkably effective salesman.
It advertises the experience—
AND HIDES THE BILL.
THE VENOM DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK IMMEDIATELY
That is part of sin's deception.
A person disobeys God.
Nothing happens.
So they do it again.
Still nothing.
Then again.
No lightning bolt.
No immediate catastrophe.
And eventually the person concludes:
“See? Nothing is wrong with this.”
But delayed consequences are not evidence of absent consequences.
Venom may already be circulating before its victim understands the seriousness of the bite.
Sin can work similarly.
Something begins changing.
Our conscience becomes quieter.
Our appetite for Scripture weakens.
Prayer becomes uncomfortable.
Things that once convicted us become normal.
We begin defending what we once resisted.
Then celebrating what we once tolerated.
And eventually we may resent anyone who reminds us that God ever called it sin.
That's venom.
SIN IS PLEASURABLE—THE BIBLE ACTUALLY SAYS SO
Christians sometimes weaken our own message by pretending sin offers no pleasure.
Scripture is more candid.
Hebrews speaks of Moses choosing to suffer with God's people rather than:
“to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” — Hebrews 11:25
Did you catch that?
Pleasures.
The Bible doesn't deny them.
It puts an expiration date on them.
“FOR A SEASON.”
That's the part temptation conveniently leaves out.
Yes, sin may feel good.
Yes, it may produce excitement.
Yes, it may satisfy an appetite.
Yes, it may temporarily numb pain.
Yes, it may make you feel accepted.
Yes, it may even make you feel free.
But the question isn't merely:
“How does this feel tonight?”
The question is:
“WHAT WILL THIS PRODUCE TOMORROW—AND WHERE WILL IT LEAD ME ETERNALLY?”
WE HAVE EXCHANGED ETERNITY FOR RIGHT NOW
Perhaps one of the greatest spiritual tragedies of our generation is that we have become extraordinarily skilled at living for now.
What do I want now?
What feels good now?
What makes me happy now?
What do I desire now?
What gets me attention now?
What satisfies me now?
What does everybody approve of now?
Eternity barely enters the calculation.
Yet Jesus asked one of the most devastating questions ever spoken:
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” — Mark 8:36
Imagine gaining everything.
Money.
Pleasure.
Recognition.
Sexual gratification.
Influence.
Power.
Possessions.
Popularity.
Experiences.
The entire world.
And then discovering that you traded something infinitely more valuable for it:
YOUR SOUL.
That is a terrible exchange rate.
WE THINK LIKE PEOPLE WHO EXPECT TO LIVE FOREVER HERE
We know intellectually that we will die.
But we often live as though death applies primarily to other people.
We make plans ten, twenty, thirty years into the future.
Nothing wrong with that.
But how often do we make decisions with eternity in mind?
James describes life as:
“a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” — James 4:14
A vapor.
Here.
Then gone.
Sixty years.
Eighty.
Perhaps a hundred.
Against eternity?
A vapor.
And yet we sometimes exchange what is eternal for something that lasts fifteen minutes.
Think about that.
THE NATURAL MAN DOESN'T SEE THINGS GOD'S WAY
Paul explains part of the problem:
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him...” — 1 Corinthians 2:14
Without God, we naturally evaluate life through human appetites and human reasoning.
Does it feel good?
Do it.
Does it make me happy?
Pursue it.
Do I want it?
Take it.
Does society approve?
Normalize it.
Does God forbid it?
Redefine it.
That is what happens when humanity becomes its own ultimate moral authority.
Our desires become our compass.
But there is a serious problem:
DESIRE IS A TERRIBLE GOD.
What we want is not necessarily what is good.
A child wants to eat candy for dinner.
An addict wants another dose.
An angry person wants revenge.
A lustful person wants gratification.
A greedy person wants more.
Wanting something does not make it healthy.
And feeling something deeply does not automatically make it true.
THE FLESH AND GOD ARE NOT NATURAL ALLIES
Romans 8:7 says:
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God...”
That's stronger than saying we occasionally disagree with God.
Enmity.
Human nature, left to itself, does not naturally bend toward submission to God.
We want God's blessings while retaining our sovereignty.
We want Heaven without holiness.
Forgiveness without repentance.
Jesus as Savior without Jesus as Lord.
Grace without transformation.
Christianity without a cross.
But Jesus never offered that arrangement.
“COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM”
Now Paul's words become clearer.
God calls His people to be different.
Not weird for the sake of being weird.
Not arrogant.
Not self-righteous.
Not isolated from every unbeliever.
Jesus Himself ate with sinners.
If “separation” meant never being around unbelievers, Christians could never fulfill the Great Commission.
Biblical separation means:
WE CAN LOVE THE WORLD WITHOUT BECOMING LIKE THE WORLD.
We can sit beside someone without joining their sin.
Love them without approving everything they do.
Serve them without imitating them.
Witness to them without compromising with them.
Jesus prayed concerning His disciples:
“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” — John 17:15
There is the balance.
In the world.
But not owned by it.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WALK AWAY
This is where Christianity becomes practical.
There are environments you may need to leave.
Relationships you may need to reconsider.
Conversations you should stop participating in.
Websites you should stop visiting.
Apps you should delete.
Numbers you should remove.
Places you should stop going.
Subscriptions you should cancel.
Habits you should break.
Entertainment you should stop consuming.
Not because another Christian gave you a list.
But because you know:
THIS IS PULLING ME AWAY FROM GOD.
Sometimes spiritual maturity sounds less like:
“Lord, give me strength to keep standing here,”
and more like:
“Lord, give me courage to walk away.”
JOSEPH DIDN'T STAY AROUND TO DISCUSS TEMPTATION
When Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph, Scripture says:
“And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” — Genesis 39:12
Joseph ran.
He didn't stay to demonstrate spiritual strength.
He didn't say:
“I'll remain here and pray about it.”
He left.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is run.
There are battles you win not by standing there proving how strong you are—
but by getting out of striking distance.
STOP PETTING THE SNAKE
There is a strange way we sometimes approach temptation.
We want to know:
“How close can I get without sinning?”
How much can I drink?
How far can we go sexually?
How much questionable entertainment can I consume?
How long can I entertain this thought?
How much flirting is too much?
How much dishonesty still counts as basically honest?
How much compromise can I tolerate?
That is like asking:
“HOW LONG CAN I PET THE RATTLESNAKE BEFORE IT BITES ME?”
Why are you petting it?
If something is spiritually dangerous, the wise question isn't:
“How close can I get?”
It is:
“HOW FAR SHOULD I STAY AWAY?”
Paul told Timothy:
“Flee also youthful lusts...” — 2 Timothy 2:22
Not negotiate.
Not manage.
Not experiment.
Flee.
SIN NEVER STAYS WHERE YOU PUT IT
This is another deception.
We tell ourselves:
“I can control this.”
“I'll only do it once.”
“I know my limits.”
“I can quit anytime.”
“It won't affect my marriage.”
“Nobody will know.”
“This is private.”
But sin is rarely satisfied remaining inside the boundaries we assign it.
James describes the progression:
“Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” — James 1:14–15
Notice the movement.
Desire.
Enticement.
Sin.
Death.
Sin develops.
It grows.
It goes somewhere.
THE FIRST DRINK IS NOT THE CIRRHOSIS
The first bet isn't the bankruptcy.
The first flirtation isn't the divorce.
The first lie isn't the destroyed reputation.
The first look isn't the addiction.
The first compromise isn't the abandoned faith.
The first resentment isn't the hatred.
The first stolen dollar isn't the prison sentence.
Not every first step ends at the worst possible destination.
But every destructive road has a first step.
Wisdom recognizes the road before reaching the cliff.
“EVERYBODY DOES IT” WILL NOT MATTER IN ETERNITY
One of society's favorite moral arguments is:
“It's normal.”
But normal does not mean righteous.
A culture can normalize almost anything if enough people participate long enough.
History proves that.
The Christian standard is not:
“What does everybody else do?”
It is:
“WHAT HAS GOD SAID?”
Romans 12:2 tells believers:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...”
Christianity sometimes requires us to stand against the current.
And standing against a current requires strength.
DON'T MISTAKE GOD'S GRACE FOR HIS APPROVAL
Another dangerous thought says:
“God will forgive me.”
Yes.
God is extraordinarily merciful.
But grace was never intended to become permission to deliberately continue sinning.
Paul anticipated that argument:
“Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” — Romans 6:1–2
The Cross demonstrates how seriously God takes sin.
Grace isn't God saying:
“Sin doesn't matter.”
Grace is God saying:
“SIN MATTERED SO MUCH THAT CHRIST DIED TO SAVE YOU FROM IT.”
THE WORLD SAYS “FOLLOW YOUR HEART”
Scripture gives considerably more cautious advice.
Jeremiah 17:9 says:
“The heart is deceitful above all things...”
Your heart can desire something destructive.
So can mine.
Christians aren't commanded to worship our feelings.
We bring them under the lordship of Christ.
Sometimes following Jesus means telling yourself:
“No.”
No, I will not go there.
No, I will not watch that.
No, I will not sleep with that person.
No, I will not cheat.
No, I will not take that money.
No, I will not feed that bitterness.
No, I will not continue hiding this.
No, I will not allow appetite to become my master.
That isn't bondage.
Sometimes saying no is exactly how freedom begins.
HOLINESS IS NOT GOD TRYING TO RUIN YOUR LIFE
Some people imagine God sitting in Heaven looking for enjoyable things to prohibit.
That is a distorted picture of holiness.
God's boundaries aren't there because He hates us.
They're there because He knows what destroys us.
Parents understand this.
You tell a child:
“Don't touch the stove.”
Why?
Because you hate fun?
No.
Because you understand heat better than the child does.
God sees the entire road.
We see the next few feet.
Sometimes God's “No” is one of the greatest expressions of His love.
LOOK AT THE FRUIT
Jesus said:
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” — Matthew 7:20
Apply that principle to sin.
Look beyond advertising.
Look at fruit.
What does addiction produce?
What does adultery produce?
What does greed produce?
What does uncontrolled anger produce?
What does pornography produce?
What does dishonesty produce?
What does unforgiveness produce?
What does drunkenness produce?
What does pride produce?
Don't merely examine the moment of pleasure.
FOLLOW IT DOWN THE ROAD.
What kind of person is this making me?
What is it doing to my marriage?
My children?
My mind?
My conscience?
My relationship with God?
My testimony?
My eternity?
Fruit tells the story.
THE DEVIL DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE SIN LOOK EVIL
If temptation looked like destruction, fewer people would embrace it.
It has to look desirable.
Genesis tells us Eve saw that the forbidden tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desirable.
That's how temptation works.
It appeals.
It attracts.
It promises.
Then it bites.
And eventually the venom begins its work.
THE QUESTION ISN'T WHETHER YOU ARE HAVING FUN
The question is:
WHAT IS YOUR FUN DOING TO YOUR SOUL?
Some fun is innocent.
Enjoy it.
Laugh.
Celebrate.
Travel.
Eat good food.
Spend time with friends.
Enjoy your spouse.
Play with your children.
Watch something wholesome.
Take a vacation.
Life is a gift from God.
But never confuse God-given enjoyment with sinful pleasure simply because both feel good.
One refreshes life.
The other eventually consumes it.
ETERNITY CHANGES THE CALCULATION
If this life is all there is, then maximizing present pleasure might seem reasonable.
But if eternity is real—
everything changes.
Jesus repeatedly taught us to view present life through eternity.
This world is temporary.
Our bodies are temporary.
Possessions are temporary.
Popularity is temporary.
Pleasure is temporary.
Eternity isn't.
That means the Christian must sometimes say:
“I WILL NOT TRADE WHAT LASTS FOREVER FOR SOMETHING THAT FEELS GOOD FOR FIVE MINUTES.”
That is wisdom.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN BITTEN?
Maybe this message isn't warning you about temptation.
Maybe you're already in it.
The venom is already working.
You're addicted.
The affair already happened.
The lie has already been told.
The relationship is already broken.
You compromised.
You knew better.
And now shame whispers:
“It's too late.”
No.
Listen carefully.
JESUS CHRIST STILL SAVES.
The answer isn't pretending the bite never happened.
The answer is getting help.
Spiritually, that begins with repentance.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9
Bring it into the light.
Confess it.
Forsake it.
Seek appropriate help where needed.
Make restitution where possible.
Remove access to temptation.
Ask mature believers to stand with you.
And get back to God.
DON'T DIE FROM VENOM BECAUSE YOU'RE ASHAMED TO ADMIT YOU WERE BITTEN
Think about that.
Imagine someone bitten by a venomous snake refusing medical treatment because they are embarrassed.
“People will think I was foolish.”
Perhaps.
But embarrassment is better than death.
Spiritually, some people remain trapped because confession feels humiliating.
Pride says:
“Hide it.”
Grace says:
“Bring it to Jesus.”
The enemy wants secrecy.
God calls us into light.
COME OUT
Maybe this is your word today.
Not tomorrow.
Not next month.
Today.
Come out.
Out of the relationship.
Out of the habit.
Out of the compromise.
Out of the secret life.
Out of the environment.
Out of whatever you know is slowly poisoning your walk with God.
Paul's words still stand:
“Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord...” — 2 Corinthians 6:17
Not because God wants less for you.
BECAUSE HE WANTS BETTER FOR YOU.
CHOOSE THE ETERNAL
Someday the music will stop.
The party will end.
The money will belong to somebody else.
The body we spent so much time satisfying will return to dust.
The applause will fade.
The followers will move on.
The world will continue without us.
And we will stand before God.
At that moment, nobody will wish:
“I wish I had sinned a little more.”
Nobody will say:
“I wish I had compromised more often.”
“I wish I had spent less time with God.”
“I wish I had ignored my conscience more.”
Eternity has a way of clarifying what matters.
Perhaps we should allow eternity to clarify it now.
BEFORE YOU ASK, “WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT?”...
Ask something better.
Will this draw me closer to God or farther away?
Will this strengthen my marriage or weaken it?
Will this help my witness or compromise it?
Will I be comfortable doing this if Jesus were visibly sitting beside me?
Is this feeding my spirit or feeding my flesh?
Where will this road eventually take me?
And finally:
IS A FEW MOMENTS OF PLEASURE WORTH WHAT THIS COULD COST?
Sometimes those questions expose the venom before the fangs ever reach us.
SIN'S PLEASURE IS TEMPORARY. GOD'S JOY IS NOT.
God isn't calling you from pleasure into misery.
He is calling you from counterfeit pleasure into genuine life.
Jesus said:
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” — John 10:10
The world says:
“Live for now.”
Jesus says:
“Live forever.”
The flesh says:
“I want it.”
Jesus says:
“Trust Me.”
Temptation says:
“Nobody will know.”
God says:
“I see where this road ends.”
Sin says:
“Just one bite.”
Wisdom says:
REMEMBER THE VENOM.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT
The rattlesnake's warning is actually a mercy.
It rattles before it strikes.
Perhaps this message is somebody's rattle.
A warning.
Not condemnation.
Not self-righteousness.
Mercy.
God may be saying:
You're getting too close.
That relationship is pulling you away.
That habit is becoming stronger.
That secret is poisoning you.
That compromise isn't harmless anymore.
Come away.
If so, don't become angry at the warning.
Thank God you heard the rattle before the strike.
Then obey His Word:
“COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE.”
Walk away from the poison.
Walk toward Christ.
Choose holiness.
Choose obedience.
Choose life.
Choose what will still matter when this world is gone.
Because sin may be pleasurable for a season—
BUT NEVER FORGET THE VENOM.
Pilgrim Outreach Ministries International
Your Feet to the Nations
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