Articles
The End And The Means To It
Perhaps one of the strongest temptations to do wrong is to justify it by a positive outcome. If Satan can point to some good result from sin, then it makes the sin look harmless. There is no better illustration of this than the Lance Armstrong scandal. By his own admission, Armstrong won seven Tours de Frances in a row by taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs, lying about it, bullying, defaming and suing those who told the truth about it. In so doing, he won titles, money and acclaim that rightfully should have gone to someone else.
If that was not enough, he started a cancer foundation built upon his fame (“Livestrong,” a name, one pundit noted, more accurate without the “v”). Livestrong has raised about $500 million. And here is the rub. There is no question that the foundation has heightened awareness of cancer and inspired many stricken with the disease, but shall Armstrong’s lying and cheating be excused because they helped build a benevolent empire?
One man says: “He cheated in a sporting event. In the big scheme of things, it’s not the end of the world. ... The good ... done for cancer research and cancer patients far outweighs anything he did in enhancing his performance” (Sports Illustrated, Jan. 28, 2013, p. 72). But this is a one-sided perspective.
The spiritual truth that needs reinforcement is that righteousness does not need evil’s help. And make no mistake, lying is evil (Prov. 6:17; Rom. 1:29, 31). Justifying any sin is itself deceitful, for sin always brings divine guilt, and it has a “dark side” that is often hidden. Just ask Lance’s family, friends, teammates, colleagues, sportswriters and millions of fans who have been deceived and disappointed by his behavior.
If we would invest our lives in godly endeavors with the same energy that Lance Armstrong put into his corrupt competition, the world would be a far better place.
