Temptation

Temptation – What is yours? Oh, we have the simple ones, the socially acceptable ones like chocolate. Most of us willingly give in to ones like that with little or no guilt.

I John 2:16 sums up all temptations in one simple verse. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. The world offers desire but no satisfaction. It offers pride but no accomplishment. That is a harsh taskmaster. Longing with no fulfillment.

The Lust of the Flesh – These are the desires that drive us, the inner longings that are not satisfied by accomplishment. We are hungry. We eat. We are hungry again. It is not that these desires are bad. No, it is more important that we realize that the fulfillment of them does not bring ultimate fulfillment, nor does it offer anything eternal.

The Lust of the Eyes – These are the desires we see. We see something and we want it. We scratch and claw until we get it, but soon the newness of the item has worn off and our eyes move on to something else.

Most of you have seen the movie A Christmas Story. You can relate to the Red Rider BB gun. You have had something in your life you wanted that badly. Life would not be complete if you could not capture the prize. If you were younger, you asked, you begged, you may have whined. If you were older, you scrimped and saved. You put off some purchases so you could make this other purchase. Finally, you had it. The ironic thing is that some of you had entirely forgotten about that longing from the past until you read these sentences. Certainly something that possessed us to such an extent could not be so easily forgotten, could it?

The Pride of Life – What is your legacy? What are you known for? Which of your accomplishments do you most want your grandchildren to know about? Yes, I know that most of you want to lay claim to good spouse, parent, Christian, etc. I don’t wish to diminish your desire to succeed in these areas at all. However, we all know that there are other things you are proud of and hold dear as well.

The Olympics continue this week. Some of those athletes will win the right to display their gold medal and tell the children and grandchildren about the hard work and determination it took to win it. However, someone else will probably take their spot on the top of that podium in four years. Someone will be faster, stronger, more perfect. Their physical achievements will be something they did in their younger days, way back when.

John finishes so well, but he who does the will of God abides forever! Now that’s a goal worth aiming for! Walking the path of life with Christ by our side!               

  Pastor Craig