[The following was delivered at St. James Reformed Church, Mt. Pleasant, NC, on Sunday, September 20, 2009.]
"I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.”
-- Romans 7:15; 18-20; 23-25a (CEV)
Too often I find that I want to do what I really don't want to do. So as it turns out, I don't really want to do what I want to do. Confused? So am I. And so was Paul, when he wrote to the Christians in Rome. "I don't understand why I act the way I do", he said. "I do the things I hate." Does that make sense, to do something we hate? And how could I possibly not want to do something I want to do?
Paul described this as something within every part of his very being fighting against his mind. His words paint a picture of constant conflict: his body in perpetual battle with his brain. He knows what he should do, in his thinking, but his body seems to have a life all its own, a non-thinking mind just trying to do what it wants to do. His body wants to do one thing, but his brain knows it would be better, would be right, to do another.
So while my body, and even my heart, may be screaming, shouting, begging, pleading for something it wants and desires, my head tells me no, that is not for you. What your body asks for is not what it really needs. Trying out those roller blades may look like a lot of fun to your inner child, but your older body will ache and cry tomorrow morning. Your taste buds and salivary glands may be going into overdrive at the sight and smell of that thick juicy steak, but your arteries are already narrowed and you don't really want them completely clogged. What your heart desires today could well lead you on a path leading to the lake of fire come the day of final judgment. And your brain knows that.
What is this affliction that can cause such confusion and ultimate harm? What brings about this combative division between heart and mind? Paul suffered from it, and I admit to being inflicted myself. Have you experienced this? It can be quite painful. What is it? In a word: temptation.
In Genesis we read of the first temptation, as the serpent whispers into Eve's ear. "Go ahead, Dear, eat this fruit. It is so delicious. Besides, the only reason God doesn't want you to eat it is because, if you do, then you will be just like Him, you will know everything He knows, and He couldn't stand to let that happen. Go ahead, take a bite. You'll see." And the serpent deceived Eve, and she ate. She fed some to Adam, and he ate. The knowledge they gained made them feel naked and ashamed. And the chasm between God and His creation opened.
Temptation. Eve and Adam yielded to temptation, and original sin resulted. If we yield, the consequences may not be quite so dire for the entire human race, but they certainly can be for us individually. Each time we give in to a temptation, no matter how small or innocent it may seem, we take a step off the straight and narrow path. The more often we yield, the more difficult it becomes to stay on that path. We make it just a little easier for Satan to tempt us again. We make the next temptation that much easier to rationalize and accept. The further we go, the easier it becomes for the devil to pull us in the direction he wants us to go. Like puppets dancing on the end of strings, he guides our lives further and further from what God would have for us. And somewhere along the line, if we have any free will left, we may realize that we are lost, maybe hopelessly so. We can be drawn so far afield, we may never find our way back.
You need a pen? Take one from work. The company can afford it. Everybody does it. Go ahead, it's just one little pen... mmmmm... Doesn't that huge slice of cake look good! So rich and sweet. You're only a few pounds over your optimal weight, your heart can handle that. Besides, you'll lose that much easily next week. Go ahead, take a bite... Why that so and so! How dare he talk about me like that! I'll just tell everyone how I saw him out drinking and carousing. It's the truth, kind of. They don't have to know I was out with him... I wonder what it would be like to ...
After a while, we can no longer hear the devil's voice in our ear, only our own thoughts posing possibilities and what ifs in our heads. What if I stuffed this sweater in my shopping bag and ran? Would I get caught? What if I kissed that person I have such a crush on, that I know really likes me too? Would my spouse ever know? What if I cheated a little on my taxes and claimed exemptions I don't really have? Would they catch it? What if I eventually turned my back on God? Will it really matter when I die?
Temptation. So easy to fall victim.
Is anyone safe? No, sadly, we are all subject to temptation. Jesus tells us, in Matthew chapter 18 verse 7, "What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting." (Matthew 18:7 (NLT)) In this one verse of scripture, Matthew at least offers a little comfort in that we are not alone. Temptation is inevitable; it cannot be escaped; everyone is subject to it. The world tempts people and the world will pay a price for doing so. Of course, in this regard, the world is ruled by the Evil One and he is the one that will pay. Paul confirms this when he tells the church at Corinth, "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience." (1 Corinthians 10:13a (NLT)) But Jesus goes on to sternly caution that any person who causes others to fall under temptation's spell will also pay a price in the end; and we can only assume the same cost will be exacted of them as of Satan, and his punishment is to be cast into the lake of fire for eternity. So just a word of warning: while you can expect to be tempted, you had better not be the one found guilty of tempting others!
Much of the temptation we face today is brought about by societal pressure. Our culture has gradually shifted more toward a self-centered attitude, with greater and greater demands upon and expectations of instant gratification. I want it bigger and better and I want it now! Rather than deferring a desire for a time when we can better afford it, and in that regard I don't just mean financially, we seek to receive the coveted prize immediately, whether we can afford it yet or deserve it yet or even if we shouldn't really have it at all. Our older generation knows the value of deferred gratification. It allows us to do things in their proper order, at their proper time. And it gives us the opportunity to stop and think about whether we truly should have what we so desperately want. An underlying attitude of entitled instant gratification provides a fertile ground in which to sew seeds of temptation.
Every Sunday we pray to our Father in heaven, "Lead us not into temptation". But God does not lead us astray. God does not tempt us. If our own common sense did not reassure us of this, the Bible does. In his first chapter, verses 12 through 14, James tells us, "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, 'God is tempting me.' God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away." (James 1:12-14 (NLT)) Did you notice the deferred gratification there, the reward? "Afterward", James says, after they have endured temptation, "they will receive the crown of life".
Many may remember Flip Wilson, a very funny and very popular comedian back in the 60's and 70's. One of Flip's most loved and most often used lines was "The devil made me do it!". Anything his character did wrong, the devil was to blame. It turns out this is closer to the truth than we may have thought. While Flip's comedic treatment of sin gave us something to laugh at, it can also serve as a warning to us still today.
Temptation comes from Satan, who wishes nothing more than to entice us and drag us away from God. Just as he tempted Eve and Adam and succeeded, he tried to tempt Jesus, but failed. "Turn these stones into bread. Throw Yourself from the heights so the angels will swoop down to save You. Prove you are the Son of God. Better yet, bow down and worship me and I will give You the world!" Such enticements, who could refuse the offer of the world? Jesus could, and did. Three times Satan tempted Jesus, and three times he failed. Matthew reports quite simply that after the third attempt, "Then the devil left Him." We can expect to be tempted far more than three times. Nor should we think the devil will ever leave us alone, not as long as we draw breath.
But there is hope, there is promise. Paul gave us the answer in the same breath as the diagnosis. Jesus is the answer! He will rescue us. The cross upon which He died became the bridge spanning the chasm that opened on that fateful day when Eve and Adam fell prey to temptation. Finishing verse 13 of chapter 10 in his first letter to the church at Corinth, begun above and repeated here, Paul assures us that, "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)) What is that way out? Jesus Himself told us, as recorded by Matthew: "'Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.'" (Matthew 26:41 (NLT))
When you hear Satan's voice, stop and pray. If you feel a temptation coming, ask God for strength to resist. God knows we will be tempted, every one of us. Jesus knows that even if our spirit is willing, our flesh is weak. Paul realized that while he knows in his mind what is right, his flesh screams for him to do what is wrong. We know for certain that there are, and that there always will be, times when we just don't want to do what we want to do. Prayer and trust in God will get us through those times.
Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue us.
Amen.
