I’ve been dwelling heavily on the concept of temptation this week. Temptation is nothing new to us. It was there from the very beginning when Adam and Eve first laid eyes on the fruit that was sitting amid the leaves of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. I find it interesting that the Tree was right smack dab in the middle of the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:2) and that it was not until the serpent showed up that Eve began to even think about eating the fruit. Prior to this, both Adam and Eve were living happily in the garden, content to leave this prominent tree in the middle of the garden alone because it was enough that God said not to touch it.
However, the serpent showed up and said, “Have you thought about eating that fruit over there?” Until he said this, Eve had not even entertained the possibility that there was even a choice outside of obeying God. As soon as the serpent painted a rosy picture of the fruit by saying that it would make them like God, Eve suddenly saw the fruit in a completely different light and she was tempted to eat it since it was “good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6). The temptation became too much for her so she gave into it, disregarded what God had said, and even dragged her husband into all of this by eating the fruit and then offering him some.
We’ve all faced temptation at one point and another countless times in our life. I don’t need to cite any examples because we’re all, unfortunately, experienced with what temptation feels like and the aftermath of when we give into it. But, in looking in this story in Genesis, I began to realize two things. The first is that temptation always comes from Satan whispering in our ears about things that are right in the middle of our lives. We don’t need to go out of our way to find temptation. For example, we might be at the store innocently browsing when we come across something that we want but cannot afford. For some people in that situation, it is enough that the law, God, and simple morality says not to steal so we move on. However, for others, that initial flash of desire begins to take root and plans begin to conjure themselves up from seemingly thin air. That flash is where Satan is, sitting on our shoulders, feeding us ideas and ways that we could get what we want and get away with it where no one will ever know. Sometimes it works, sometime it doesn’t. Usually, regardless of how it all works out, we discover that we’re naked, create coverings for ourselves out of regret, and hide from God in shame.
The second thing is that we’re very dangerous people. Satan knows this. He knows what early Christian writer St. Iranaeus knew when he wrote, “Gloria Dei vivens homo.” The glory of God is man fully alive. Can you imagine the kind of impact Christians would have on the world if we all followed God and Jesus, abhorred sin, and shunned temptation? If we all were faithful followers by reading and sharing the Word, readily confessing sins, and dismantling barriers that separate man from God? The world would go through a renaissance of peace, praise and glory all of which would be given due to God. Glory to God is the last thing Satan wants. He despises glory and he hates it even more when God gets it.
If you’re thinking Satan sounds like a petulant child throwing a fit by breaking everything around him, then you wouldn’t be far from the truth. This is precisely what he’s trying to do: tearing down the world that God joyfully created and dragging as many of us down with him. He doesn’t want us to know how dangerous we are to his plan of destruction so he tries drag everybody down by tempting them, by ensnaring them into a sticky web of lies, addiction, deceit, and evil. This ensures that we will never get up and realize our full potential as a treasured child of God.
Well, this topic grew to be longer than I’d anticipated, so I’ll finish this off next week. But for this week, let’s pray that God will free us from the clutches of Satan’s evil plan by being made aware of exactly what’s happening in our minds and how to avoid it by making the right, Godly choices.
– Matt
AdamawaredangerousEdenEveevilfaithfulGenesisgoodSatanserpentSt. IranaeustemptationTree of Knowledge
You Are Dangerous, Part I
June 11, 2009
Calvary
Comments Off on You Are Dangerous, Part I
Matt
I’ve been dwelling heavily on the concept of temptation this week. Temptation is nothing new to us. It was there from the very beginning when Adam and Eve first laid eyes on the fruit that was sitting amid the leaves of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. I find it interesting that the Tree was right smack dab in the middle of the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:2) and that it was not until the serpent showed up that Eve began to even think about eating the fruit. Prior to this, both Adam and Eve were living happily in the garden, content to leave this prominent tree in the middle of the garden alone because it was enough that God said not to touch it.
However, the serpent showed up and said, “Have you thought about eating that fruit over there?” Until he said this, Eve had not even entertained the possibility that there was even a choice outside of obeying God. As soon as the serpent painted a rosy picture of the fruit by saying that it would make them like God, Eve suddenly saw the fruit in a completely different light and she was tempted to eat it since it was “good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6). The temptation became too much for her so she gave into it, disregarded what God had said, and even dragged her husband into all of this by eating the fruit and then offering him some.
We’ve all faced temptation at one point and another countless times in our life. I don’t need to cite any examples because we’re all, unfortunately, experienced with what temptation feels like and the aftermath of when we give into it. But, in looking in this story in Genesis, I began to realize two things. The first is that temptation always comes from Satan whispering in our ears about things that are right in the middle of our lives. We don’t need to go out of our way to find temptation. For example, we might be at the store innocently browsing when we come across something that we want but cannot afford. For some people in that situation, it is enough that the law, God, and simple morality says not to steal so we move on. However, for others, that initial flash of desire begins to take root and plans begin to conjure themselves up from seemingly thin air. That flash is where Satan is, sitting on our shoulders, feeding us ideas and ways that we could get what we want and get away with it where no one will ever know. Sometimes it works, sometime it doesn’t. Usually, regardless of how it all works out, we discover that we’re naked, create coverings for ourselves out of regret, and hide from God in shame.
The second thing is that we’re very dangerous people. Satan knows this. He knows what early Christian writer St. Iranaeus knew when he wrote, “Gloria Dei vivens homo.” The glory of God is man fully alive. Can you imagine the kind of impact Christians would have on the world if we all followed God and Jesus, abhorred sin, and shunned temptation? If we all were faithful followers by reading and sharing the Word, readily confessing sins, and dismantling barriers that separate man from God? The world would go through a renaissance of peace, praise and glory all of which would be given due to God. Glory to God is the last thing Satan wants. He despises glory and he hates it even more when God gets it.
If you’re thinking Satan sounds like a petulant child throwing a fit by breaking everything around him, then you wouldn’t be far from the truth. This is precisely what he’s trying to do: tearing down the world that God joyfully created and dragging as many of us down with him. He doesn’t want us to know how dangerous we are to his plan of destruction so he tries drag everybody down by tempting them, by ensnaring them into a sticky web of lies, addiction, deceit, and evil. This ensures that we will never get up and realize our full potential as a treasured child of God.
Well, this topic grew to be longer than I’d anticipated, so I’ll finish this off next week. But for this week, let’s pray that God will free us from the clutches of Satan’s evil plan by being made aware of exactly what’s happening in our minds and how to avoid it by making the right, Godly choices.
– Matt
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AdamawaredangerousEdenEveevilfaithfulGenesisgoodSatanserpentSt. IranaeustemptationTree of Knowledge