It would have been unthinkable for Allied leaders to let Adolf Hitler surrender and then reinstate him as dictator of his country. But that’s exactly what King Ahab did to Ben Hadad, an unspeakably cruel king who started two wars against God’s people. Eventually, just as God’s prophet predicted, Ahab was killed on orders from the very man he had spared (1 Ki. 22).

This is not a lesson in how to treat enemies. Rather, Ahab’s fatal example illustrates the danger of taking halfway measures in dealing with sin.

I know a man who has spent much of his life in prison because of violent crimes he did while drunk. When released, he starts out well because he avoids alcohol. But then he thinks he can drink in moderation. Soon he’s in trouble again.

Don’t take halfway measures with dishonesty, lack of self-control, or sexual impurity. Instead, deal radically with your sinful tendencies. (Read what Jesus said in Matthew 5:29-30 about the eye or hand that causes you to sin.) And “put to death” your sinful inclinations (Col. 3:5).

Don’t put yourself in situations where you are likely to be tempted. Ask God to help you take a wholehearted approach to tackling sin. Halfway measures are doomed to fail.

  — Herbert Vander Lugt