-C.S. Lewis from _The Screwtape Letters_: “It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

– Solomon 2:15 Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”

How do little foxes equal bears? How do cards equal murder? The key is that the basic function of life is not as humans see it. In the human view, murder is obviously worse than cards or a lie. The real key to understand the seeming discrepancy is the connection to Jesus as a critical necessity, an eternal necessity. A lie can separate us from Jesus because it is a step out of heaven and away from Jesus. The lie is getting on the pathway to murder because it is choosing the path to death. “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:13-15 ESV https://www.bible.com/bible/59/jas.1.13-15.esv

Lying, in the human view of small sins, is the complete plant, including death, in seed form. It is the choice which kills because it comes from the heart and equal to the sin of murder which was within the seed when it was chosen. We know that we are growing corn when we plant a corn seed, an olive tree when we plant an olive seed. The physical is an image of the spiritual. The seed we choose/plant, is the one we will grow, physically or spiritually.

Choices toward the Lord or away from Him are complete seeds. They will bear fruit in our lives. That fruit will be good or evil according to the seed. A good plant will not bear bad fruit and vice versa. “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” James 3:10-12 ESV https://www.bible.com/bible/59/jas.3.10-12.esv

Marriages often die because of a cumulative effect of small choices, the little foxes. As Lewis says, “the safest road to Hell is the gradual one — the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” Marriages require an active work ethic, a constant effort to make it healthy and viable. Marriage is a concrete example of a living relationship with Jesus. “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” John 3:12 ESV https://www.bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.12.esv Marriage is an example to teach us about our heavenly relationship.

The above can sound pretty hopeless to anyone who is self aware and understands how many bad choices he or she makes on a regular basis. For me, the number of bad choices by the end of breakfast can be daunting/intimidating. We are growing good crops and bad crops at the same time. It may be impossible to measure the seeds we’ve sown or the amounts. However, we have been given the greatest gift of all, mercy from heaven and the gift of repentance. Any bad seed in our lives can become good through repentance and forgiveness in Christ. Just like we, destined for hell without the salvation of Christ, find that all our seed are the same. As we are redeemed, our seed can be redeemed. The joy of maintaining a healthy and viable relationship with Jesus is total redemption, our selves and our seed.

The greatest testimonies I’ve ever heard or shared were horrible people turned to heavenly emissaries and terrible choices turned to producing heavenly fruit. The true joy of salvation is that it operates every day in every way because Jesus never fails and His love is beyond measure.