January 2004
There stands Billy in front of the candy counter. The store owner’s back is turned. Billy looks at the candy. On one shoulder sits an angel telling him to keep his hands in his pocket. On the other shoulder sits a bright red figure with a pitched fork and a contrary argument. If Billy does not touch the candy, who is the real winner in this battle?
Like 99% of the population, I decided last week to get rid of a few pounds. While I can still button up my clothes, they are tighter than they were a month ago. Too much turkey stuffing. Too many chocolates. Even with those safely out of sight, a second helping of anything was still a big temptation. However, I decided that if I say no to the extras, my tongue may lose a “taste sensation” but my body will come out a winner.
Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian, graphically described similar struggles with other kinds of temptation besides gluttony. He said, “Being a Christian is like having two dogs fighting inside me.”
The battle between what is the good and what is forbidden rages continually. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings uses an epic fantasy to depict it. Even in fiction, this Christian author refuses to minimize the power of darkness to lure persons into wicked thinking and behavior. He also brings out the struggle inside the hearts of his characters.
Yet not all of them struggle. The good guys battle evil, but those who are evil only fight good because it threatens their freedom to choose otherwise. As I read Tolkein’s stories and see the movies, I marvel how he depicts the inner battle of the two dogs. I also marvel that this battle would not be so evident to me had I read the books before I became a Christian.
Becoming a Christian changed the way I think about good and evil. Even though I was not heavy into evil, I was surprised when these changes came. Before, I used “doing good” to serve my own purposes. Before, I rejected temptation only if I could see negative consequences. After giving my life to Christ, suddenly I wanted to do good — without having any reason, yet was (and still am) amazed at how fiercely temptation opposes me.
The Bible makes it clear that when the Holy Spirit lives in a person, that person changes. We become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). It also describes a new conflict. “The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want.”
Every Christian experiences this battle. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” He goes on to say that his sinful nature is up to no good, but his inner being, where the Holy Spirit dwells, wages war against that nature. He thanks God that Jesus Christ enables him to win this war!
Watchman Nee would agree. Someone heard him describe his battle with sin and asked, “Which dog wins?” He responded, “The dog I feed the most.”
My experience this past week is almost a pun on Nee’s reply, As I turn away from fancy desserts, rich sauces, and other temptations, my desire for them becomes less intense. Not only is my body beginning to lose weight, but my appetite for overeating has diminished.
For those who fight a battle with temptation, be thankful; it’s one test that gives evidence that you are a Christian. To win the battle, ask the Lord to help you feed the good dog (in my case, it likes lots of veggies!) and starving the forbidden dog. You will see it will shrivel up — and leave you alone.
Showing posts with label resisting temptation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resisting temptation. Show all posts
Friday, July 27, 2018
Monday, August 24, 2015
Sin is like soil erosion ................ Parables 317
May 12, 1992
My mom’s favorite rhetorical question is: “How could anyone do such a thing?”
The recent riots in Los Angeles and other major cities have no doubt brought the same question to many minds. How could anyone beat an uninvolved bystander to death? Or shoot a child? Or break into a business and walk away with whatever they want?
About a week before the riots began, I heard someone talk about erosion, not in reference to the topsoil blowing around Saskatchewan but regarding the erosion of the human will. This concept answers the question: How can people be so illogically sinful?
Basically, the average person thinks twice about violating social and moral norms. Most of us are not interested in committing any kind of gross offense or act of violence, either in mob conditions or more private situations. We are constrained by moral or religious convictions, fear of consequences, love of others, any number of things.
However, the temptation to evil seldom comes at us in the beginning with something gross. It usually starts with something small, a tiny temptation, something that seems fairly harmless. We know it is not right but since there seems to be no immediate reason why not to do it, or it seems no one is looking or caring, we tend to compromise our convictions.
The first one, because it is so easy to slide into, is probably the most difficult to resist. The next temptation, the next opportunity to compromise, is easier to give in to, not because it seems even more appealing but because once we have yielded our wills, an erosion process has begun.
Our will is like the humus in prairie top soil. It serves as a protection. But when it is gone, it doesn’t take much wind to further deplete the land. Improved agricultural practices offered hope that the dust bowls of the Thirties would never be repeated, yet confidence this would not happen again tends to relax diligence.
It is the same with our will. When the surface resolve to say no to temptation is relaxed, the winds of compromise begin to deplete the soul. One capitulation after another soon leaves nothing to resist the final furious blast — and the person whose will has been eroded finds himself doing something that prior to his gradual slide he would never have consented to do.
But topsoil is not without hope. Once it is totally depleted it is in a stage called old age, but “such processes as erosion, flooding, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions expose or provide new, unweathered parent material to begin a new soil life cycle” (Grollier Electronic Publishing, Inc.)
Neither are souls without hope. Those who participated in the violence in Los Angeles, and others who have slid into gross sin, can acknowledge their depleted lives, ask God for forgiveness and begin anew — with His transforming help.
Better yet, both for soil and souls, is to avoid such erosion in the first place. A farmer needs to daily check the condition of his land. Leaders of major cities need to daily check the condition of their citizens. Each of us need to daily check the condition of our souls. Are we taking care of the little things? Or compromising here and there?
God promises, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The best way out is not at the end when so much damage has been done, or even in the middle when we are often too weak in our resolve to say no, but right at the beginning — while we can still stand against the winds of temptation.
My mom’s favorite rhetorical question is: “How could anyone do such a thing?”
The recent riots in Los Angeles and other major cities have no doubt brought the same question to many minds. How could anyone beat an uninvolved bystander to death? Or shoot a child? Or break into a business and walk away with whatever they want?
About a week before the riots began, I heard someone talk about erosion, not in reference to the topsoil blowing around Saskatchewan but regarding the erosion of the human will. This concept answers the question: How can people be so illogically sinful?
Basically, the average person thinks twice about violating social and moral norms. Most of us are not interested in committing any kind of gross offense or act of violence, either in mob conditions or more private situations. We are constrained by moral or religious convictions, fear of consequences, love of others, any number of things.
However, the temptation to evil seldom comes at us in the beginning with something gross. It usually starts with something small, a tiny temptation, something that seems fairly harmless. We know it is not right but since there seems to be no immediate reason why not to do it, or it seems no one is looking or caring, we tend to compromise our convictions.
The first one, because it is so easy to slide into, is probably the most difficult to resist. The next temptation, the next opportunity to compromise, is easier to give in to, not because it seems even more appealing but because once we have yielded our wills, an erosion process has begun.
Our will is like the humus in prairie top soil. It serves as a protection. But when it is gone, it doesn’t take much wind to further deplete the land. Improved agricultural practices offered hope that the dust bowls of the Thirties would never be repeated, yet confidence this would not happen again tends to relax diligence.
It is the same with our will. When the surface resolve to say no to temptation is relaxed, the winds of compromise begin to deplete the soul. One capitulation after another soon leaves nothing to resist the final furious blast — and the person whose will has been eroded finds himself doing something that prior to his gradual slide he would never have consented to do.
But topsoil is not without hope. Once it is totally depleted it is in a stage called old age, but “such processes as erosion, flooding, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions expose or provide new, unweathered parent material to begin a new soil life cycle” (Grollier Electronic Publishing, Inc.)
Neither are souls without hope. Those who participated in the violence in Los Angeles, and others who have slid into gross sin, can acknowledge their depleted lives, ask God for forgiveness and begin anew — with His transforming help.
Better yet, both for soil and souls, is to avoid such erosion in the first place. A farmer needs to daily check the condition of his land. Leaders of major cities need to daily check the condition of their citizens. Each of us need to daily check the condition of our souls. Are we taking care of the little things? Or compromising here and there?
God promises, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The best way out is not at the end when so much damage has been done, or even in the middle when we are often too weak in our resolve to say no, but right at the beginning — while we can still stand against the winds of temptation.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Sin lures to death, but sin has been dealt a death-blow ............... Parables 176
(August 2, 1989)
A snake-loving man couldn’t resist buying a boa constrictor, just a little one. He enjoyed the reptile so much, he played with it constantly. Soon he had it trained to wrap itself around his body. The performance of man and snake was so intriguing that people paid to watch. Soon the snake act became the man’s livelihood. The snake grew, as well-fed reptiles do, and one day, during a performance, the snake coiled itself as usual around the man. A terrible scream ended the show as the boa crushed the life out of his trainer.
A lie-loving boy couldn’t resist fooling his mother just a little lie, he reasoned. He enjoyed the deception so much. He played his game constantly. Soon he had trained himself so well that he believed his own lies. He lived in a world of make-believe, losing touch with reality. His mother never understood why her son had to be institutionalized, why he eventually died there, unable to function in the real world.
A pleasure-loving girl couldn’t resist physical gratification. She enjoyed rich food, luxuries, and sensuous delights. She sought worldly pleasures constantly. Soon she found a need for increasing quantities, more thrills. Normal was old hat, bizarre became normal. She would pay any price for some sweet enjoyment. Her bloated body was found at the bottom of a ravine.
James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, wrote,”... each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away, and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin; when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.”
God says sin is the reason people die. While not every death may be the direct result of the victim’s own sin, all death is the result of sin in general. All moral, social, psychological, and even environmental pollution is caused by sin as well. In fact, rebellion to the laws of God makes newspapers fat and life lean.
It’s not unusual for sin to seem “little” or harmless in the beginning. One little lie won’t hurt anyone. Even the second lie to cover the first one seems reasonable. After playing with little lies for a time, their growth is hardly noticed—and lying becomes a lifestyle. And lies crush, if nothing else, the credibility of the person so entangled.
Lies and all other forms of iniquity begin in a small way—with a thought. It saunters into our minds like a stray cat or dog or snake. It ought to be put out, but if we pet it and invite it to stay, it becomes sin. “Even the thought of foolishness is sin.”
This pet, visible only to God, thwarts answers to prayer. The psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”
But it does more than that. It begins a constricting coil, one that soon becomes as difficult to put down as a beloved pet. And this pet grows. Before long, it expresses itself in words and actions and becomes a lifestyle, one that leads to death, if not directly, indirectly, some day physically, right now spiritually.
Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. James says sin gives birth to death. Whatever metaphor is used, subtle deception and gradual changes occur before we know it, and when we do, we should tell ourselves to smarten up, but nobody does. Our “pet” has grown far too big. We can’t resist its big squeeze.
But there is good news. Because He loves us, our Creator sent His sinless Son to deal a mortal blow to sin and to that old serpent, Satan, the father of lies and the encourager of evil thoughts. Sin and Satan may be powerful but Jesus is far greater. He conquered both. He poured out His blood on the cross that sinners might be cleansed from the pollution in their souls. He died that our sins might be buried with Him. He rose from the dead to give victory over the coils of death. In defeating sin and death, He robbed both them and the serpent of their power.
A snake-loving man couldn’t resist buying a boa constrictor, just a little one. He enjoyed the reptile so much, he played with it constantly. Soon he had it trained to wrap itself around his body. The performance of man and snake was so intriguing that people paid to watch. Soon the snake act became the man’s livelihood. The snake grew, as well-fed reptiles do, and one day, during a performance, the snake coiled itself as usual around the man. A terrible scream ended the show as the boa crushed the life out of his trainer.
A lie-loving boy couldn’t resist fooling his mother just a little lie, he reasoned. He enjoyed the deception so much. He played his game constantly. Soon he had trained himself so well that he believed his own lies. He lived in a world of make-believe, losing touch with reality. His mother never understood why her son had to be institutionalized, why he eventually died there, unable to function in the real world.
A pleasure-loving girl couldn’t resist physical gratification. She enjoyed rich food, luxuries, and sensuous delights. She sought worldly pleasures constantly. Soon she found a need for increasing quantities, more thrills. Normal was old hat, bizarre became normal. She would pay any price for some sweet enjoyment. Her bloated body was found at the bottom of a ravine.
James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, wrote,”... each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away, and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin; when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.”
God says sin is the reason people die. While not every death may be the direct result of the victim’s own sin, all death is the result of sin in general. All moral, social, psychological, and even environmental pollution is caused by sin as well. In fact, rebellion to the laws of God makes newspapers fat and life lean.
It’s not unusual for sin to seem “little” or harmless in the beginning. One little lie won’t hurt anyone. Even the second lie to cover the first one seems reasonable. After playing with little lies for a time, their growth is hardly noticed—and lying becomes a lifestyle. And lies crush, if nothing else, the credibility of the person so entangled.
Lies and all other forms of iniquity begin in a small way—with a thought. It saunters into our minds like a stray cat or dog or snake. It ought to be put out, but if we pet it and invite it to stay, it becomes sin. “Even the thought of foolishness is sin.”
This pet, visible only to God, thwarts answers to prayer. The psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”
But it does more than that. It begins a constricting coil, one that soon becomes as difficult to put down as a beloved pet. And this pet grows. Before long, it expresses itself in words and actions and becomes a lifestyle, one that leads to death, if not directly, indirectly, some day physically, right now spiritually.
Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. James says sin gives birth to death. Whatever metaphor is used, subtle deception and gradual changes occur before we know it, and when we do, we should tell ourselves to smarten up, but nobody does. Our “pet” has grown far too big. We can’t resist its big squeeze.
But there is good news. Because He loves us, our Creator sent His sinless Son to deal a mortal blow to sin and to that old serpent, Satan, the father of lies and the encourager of evil thoughts. Sin and Satan may be powerful but Jesus is far greater. He conquered both. He poured out His blood on the cross that sinners might be cleansed from the pollution in their souls. He died that our sins might be buried with Him. He rose from the dead to give victory over the coils of death. In defeating sin and death, He robbed both them and the serpent of their power.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Resisting Temptation .................................. Parables 157
Refrigerator magnets, bumper stickers, lapel buttons, and some T-shirts fascinate me. I tailgate the car ahead or stop in mid-stride at store displays to read their short, often humorous, sayings. Granted, some are crude and tasteless, but many are amusing.
One of the latest to catch my attention was a lapel button adorning the jacket of fellow supermarket shopper. “Lead me not into temptation... I can find it all by myself!”
Isn’t it the truth! Temptation abounds. It coaxes out of every corner and just when we think we’ve avoided it, we run smack into it. Sad but true, temptation comes from within and without.
Retreating to a monastery, being deaf or blind, or even avoiding questionable activities does not guarantee freedom from temptation. It is as common as sand.
But is temptation wrong? Is it wrong if we think a mean thought, glance at a lewd poster, or are lured by the forbidden? What does the Bible say about temptation?
When Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested (Matthew 4) the Bible says,”... the tempter came to Him.”
When the Apostle Paul was concerned about some new Christians, he said, “I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you ...”
Obviously, there is one called the tempter. Scripture identifies him as the devil or Satan. Jesus said of him, “He is a liar and the father of lies.”
In other words, while we may stumble into dangerous territory, he gives the suggestions to act. His suggestions are always contrary to truth. He is skilled at making good look bad and evil look good.
Because of his skill, recognizing temptation is basic to resisting it. Not all temptation is presented as clearly as when I want to lose 10 pounds and find myself drooling in front of a bakery window.
Paul said that Christians have an understanding of how the temper works (2 Corinthians 2:11) and have the ultimate victory over him through Christ, but that does not stop his subtle enticement. Knowing God’s truth will help us recognize the tempter’s lies.
But we can’t blame everything on the tempter. Every person, although created in the image of God and capable of great good, is also in a sin-marred condition and capable of great evil.
James 1:14 is careful to point out that “every man is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” There is enough evil desire within us to drag us away into all kinds of activity forbidden by God. The lapel button is right: we can find it all by ourselves.
God does not condemn temptation. Jesus was tempted. In fact, Hebrews says He was tempted in every way we are — only He didn’t sin. So temptation itself is not a sin.
James 1:15 goes on to say, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
There is a difference between temptation and sin. A tempting thought flying through our minds is not a sin. Inviting it to stay, is. The real issue is not that we are tempted but what we do about it. Do we think an evil thought, recognize it for what it is and discard it? Or do we play with it for a while in our minds, consenting to it and eventually allowing it to control our words and actions?
The power to resist temptation depends on the motivating factors in our lives. If we have strong reasons for saying no, we may very well be able to do it without God’s help. Yet even the thought, to do it without God, is another temptation. It is a subtle rejection of His power and grace. Yes, temptation is very sneaky.
God promises we will never be tempted beyond our capacity. He will provide a way of escape or a way to resist any temptation. We can rely on His power to lead us out, even if we got into it — all by ourselves.
One of the latest to catch my attention was a lapel button adorning the jacket of fellow supermarket shopper. “Lead me not into temptation... I can find it all by myself!”
Isn’t it the truth! Temptation abounds. It coaxes out of every corner and just when we think we’ve avoided it, we run smack into it. Sad but true, temptation comes from within and without.
Retreating to a monastery, being deaf or blind, or even avoiding questionable activities does not guarantee freedom from temptation. It is as common as sand.
But is temptation wrong? Is it wrong if we think a mean thought, glance at a lewd poster, or are lured by the forbidden? What does the Bible say about temptation?
When Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested (Matthew 4) the Bible says,”... the tempter came to Him.”
When the Apostle Paul was concerned about some new Christians, he said, “I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you ...”
Obviously, there is one called the tempter. Scripture identifies him as the devil or Satan. Jesus said of him, “He is a liar and the father of lies.”
In other words, while we may stumble into dangerous territory, he gives the suggestions to act. His suggestions are always contrary to truth. He is skilled at making good look bad and evil look good.
Because of his skill, recognizing temptation is basic to resisting it. Not all temptation is presented as clearly as when I want to lose 10 pounds and find myself drooling in front of a bakery window.
Paul said that Christians have an understanding of how the temper works (2 Corinthians 2:11) and have the ultimate victory over him through Christ, but that does not stop his subtle enticement. Knowing God’s truth will help us recognize the tempter’s lies.
But we can’t blame everything on the tempter. Every person, although created in the image of God and capable of great good, is also in a sin-marred condition and capable of great evil.
James 1:14 is careful to point out that “every man is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” There is enough evil desire within us to drag us away into all kinds of activity forbidden by God. The lapel button is right: we can find it all by ourselves.
God does not condemn temptation. Jesus was tempted. In fact, Hebrews says He was tempted in every way we are — only He didn’t sin. So temptation itself is not a sin.
James 1:15 goes on to say, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
There is a difference between temptation and sin. A tempting thought flying through our minds is not a sin. Inviting it to stay, is. The real issue is not that we are tempted but what we do about it. Do we think an evil thought, recognize it for what it is and discard it? Or do we play with it for a while in our minds, consenting to it and eventually allowing it to control our words and actions?
The power to resist temptation depends on the motivating factors in our lives. If we have strong reasons for saying no, we may very well be able to do it without God’s help. Yet even the thought, to do it without God, is another temptation. It is a subtle rejection of His power and grace. Yes, temptation is very sneaky.
God promises we will never be tempted beyond our capacity. He will provide a way of escape or a way to resist any temptation. We can rely on His power to lead us out, even if we got into it — all by ourselves.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Self-control ........................... Parables 114
Have you ever caught a child with his hand in the cookie jar . . . when he has just been told “not before supper?” He knows he’s in trouble. He may even begin his defense before the accusation comes.
Cookie jars tempt kids. It is easy to let the desire for “just one” overrule the fact that a loving mom always has her reasons why she sometimes forbids cookies. But little appetites don’t always understand.
Mom knows it is too close to supper and empty calories would spoil appetites for something more nutritious. She knows how quickly “just one” becomes “just one more” and how badly junior needs to learn self-control. In spite of what junior may think, mom knows best.
I’ve noticed that many people live with the same response to God’s commands as the average child does to mom’s cookie jar rules. God says “no” and just like a child, they protest against His “thou shalt nots.” Or they plead ignorance; or they try to change the rules. Sometimes they would rather bear the consequences of indulgence than go without -- anything but yield to His wisdom. They have never looked beyond the no-no.
Why are some things forbidden by God? Could it be that He cares for us, that He has plans for our good behind His commands? Could it be that finite man is like a child, only thinking of what tastes good, what feels good -- not what is good for him? That being the case, God will seem like a kill-joy, quick to say “no” and quick to condemn. But that is not true.
The Lord affirms His motives in Jeremiah 29: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you . . . thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” He isn’t out to get us.
The problem is that many people are bent on going after things that He knows are not good for us. Yet He is not standing behind a bush with a big stick hoping to catch us so He can swat fingers or lay on a guilt trip. In fact, John 3:17 says that God did not send His Son to condemn the world but that the world could be saved through Him.
Like a child that eats sweets until they are sick, we would ruin our own eternal destiny, and probably our present life, without His intervention. Jesus came to save us from our tendency to disobey -- for our own good. We need His provision for our sinfulness and we need His commands to guide us.
Being warned of danger through His commands shows that we are loved and important to God. He is able to see the possible consequences. He would rather prevent the chaos we inflict on ourselves than have us learn by painful hindsight. So He warns us, yet we often misinterpret His intentions.
His commands also show that we are prone to disobey, to do things that are far more serious than eating a few too many cookies. Every one of us has broken at least one command. However, He didn’t give them and warn us about disobedience so He could punish and reject us -- but so we would see how badly we need His Son. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are set free from the condemnation we would otherwise bring on ourselves.
The temptation to sneak “just one more” may be ignorance of God’s goodness, or it may be rebellion against His wisdom. Whatever the real reasons and no matter the excuses, the forbidden can destroy the appetite for something better -- and further weaken self-control.
It’s just not worth it.
Cookie jars tempt kids. It is easy to let the desire for “just one” overrule the fact that a loving mom always has her reasons why she sometimes forbids cookies. But little appetites don’t always understand.
Mom knows it is too close to supper and empty calories would spoil appetites for something more nutritious. She knows how quickly “just one” becomes “just one more” and how badly junior needs to learn self-control. In spite of what junior may think, mom knows best.
I’ve noticed that many people live with the same response to God’s commands as the average child does to mom’s cookie jar rules. God says “no” and just like a child, they protest against His “thou shalt nots.” Or they plead ignorance; or they try to change the rules. Sometimes they would rather bear the consequences of indulgence than go without -- anything but yield to His wisdom. They have never looked beyond the no-no.
Why are some things forbidden by God? Could it be that He cares for us, that He has plans for our good behind His commands? Could it be that finite man is like a child, only thinking of what tastes good, what feels good -- not what is good for him? That being the case, God will seem like a kill-joy, quick to say “no” and quick to condemn. But that is not true.
The Lord affirms His motives in Jeremiah 29: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you . . . thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” He isn’t out to get us.
The problem is that many people are bent on going after things that He knows are not good for us. Yet He is not standing behind a bush with a big stick hoping to catch us so He can swat fingers or lay on a guilt trip. In fact, John 3:17 says that God did not send His Son to condemn the world but that the world could be saved through Him.
Like a child that eats sweets until they are sick, we would ruin our own eternal destiny, and probably our present life, without His intervention. Jesus came to save us from our tendency to disobey -- for our own good. We need His provision for our sinfulness and we need His commands to guide us.
Being warned of danger through His commands shows that we are loved and important to God. He is able to see the possible consequences. He would rather prevent the chaos we inflict on ourselves than have us learn by painful hindsight. So He warns us, yet we often misinterpret His intentions.
His commands also show that we are prone to disobey, to do things that are far more serious than eating a few too many cookies. Every one of us has broken at least one command. However, He didn’t give them and warn us about disobedience so He could punish and reject us -- but so we would see how badly we need His Son. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are set free from the condemnation we would otherwise bring on ourselves.
The temptation to sneak “just one more” may be ignorance of God’s goodness, or it may be rebellion against His wisdom. Whatever the real reasons and no matter the excuses, the forbidden can destroy the appetite for something better -- and further weaken self-control.
It’s just not worth it.
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