You Don’t Want An Eternal Darwin Award!

By John Clardy

Proverbs 15:32   He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

Have you heard of the Darwin Awards?  It is a website that chronicles people’s stupidity.  In fact, they are very forthright about the purpose of the Darwin Awards: The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who accidentally kill themselves in really stupid ways.

The following story is just one of many Darwin Awards:

There's always someone who thinks instructions don’t apply to them. For example, if advised by a doctor that you are to be covered with a flammable material, and the one thing you must not do is go near a naked flame, most people would take this advice, and not strike a match until the flammable material had been taken off.

However, Phillip, 60, decided he knew better. He was in hospital for the treatment of a skin disease, which consisted of being covered with a paraffin-based cream. He was warned that the cream was flammable and that he definitely shouldn't smoke. But Phillip couldn't live without his cigarettes. Smoking was not permitted in the ward, but Phillip took this setback in stride, and sneaked out onto a fire escape. Once he was in his little hiding place, he lit up... ahh.

Everything went well as he got his nicotine fix; things went downhill only after he finished his cigarette, and ground out the butt with his heel. Unfortunately, the paraffin skin cream had been absorbed by his clothing. As he stamped out the butt, it lit the fumes coming off his pajamas. The resulting inferno left him with first-degree burns over 70% of his body. Despite excellent emergency treatment, he died in the intensive care unit.

You may say how foolish can a person be?  But before you criticize his stupidity, I want to ask you – Are you a candidate for an eternal Darwin Award? Are you aware that you were born into this world saturated in something that is extremely flammable?  It is called SIN! 

How often have you refused eternal instructions concerning sin?  Have you turned a deaf ear to a preacher when he was reproving or exhorting you about your sinful behavior? Have you heard the truth about sin and still think that you can get by, that God won’t notice your sin? 

Phillip thought he could hide and get by, maybe you think you can hide your sin and get by too.  But guess what?  If you try to stomp out sin on your own, it will flare up and consume everything that is good in this life, and eventually it will cause you to go up in flames eternally!

Rev 20:12-15

12            And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13            And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14            And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15            And whosoever wasnot found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

If you think you can handle sin without the Grace and Blood of Jesus Christ, you are a prime candidate to receive and eternal Darwin Award.  But believe me, it is not an award that you will appreciate. Don’t be stupid!  Don’t despise the value of your own soul! Don’t wait another moment!  Call on Jesus today!