"Temptation"
By Michael Browder Ph.D.
January 10, 2010

Here in January we are looking to have a good year in the year ahead, 2010. We want everything to go well. In fact, we want all the years ahead to go well.

Why would our future not go well? How might we get off track? True, there are things beyond our control that bring us trouble for no apparent reason. But the great majority of our problems, especially our spiritual problems, come from choices that we have made.

The Bible reminds us that all of us have sinned in the past, we will sin in the future, and we are susceptible to sin right now in the present. Does this mean we should despair and just let ourselves fall into sin? By no means! As Paul says, God forbid! That we should fall into sin.

God commands us not to sin. And the Lord gives us the strength and the tools to stay out of sin, if only we will trust him and take advantage of these resources.

It all starts with temptation. Temptation is the gateway to sin. If we can overcome temptation, we can stay out of sin. That’s why Christ tells us to pray the words: “Lead us not into temptation.” “Please Lord, keep us out of temptation, so that we can stay away from sin.”

This is easier said that done. What is it, January 10 already? And how many resolutions have already been broken? How many verifiable pounds have been lost since January 1? How many pounds have actually been gained? What is it the man said? “I can resist anything except temptation!”

Because we are human, and God is God, what the Lord wants for us is often different than what we want for ourselves.

We can see how it all works when we go back to the first temptation, and the first sin, found in our scripture today from Genesis 3. This story is one of the most unforgettable narratives of all time. Here Satan, in the form of a serpent, is tempting Eve.

In their dialogue, we see the classic tools which the tempter uses to pry us away from God. Tactic #1: Make the temptation available. You cannot succumb to temptation if it is not available to you. That’s why the Bible says: “Flee from Temptation.” Run! Get away from it. You cannot give in to temptation if it is not around.

We Christians are so stupid. We sit ourselves down right in the middle of temptation. We allow ourselves to be surrounded by it. And we wonder what happened later when we have to pay for our mistake. Which one of us would tell our children to fight temptation by sitting next to the cookie jar?

We allow temptation to come too close. We say, “This isn’t going to bother me.” “I can handle it.” “A little self-indulgence never hurt anyone.” “I can hold my liquor.” “It doesn’t hurt to get high once in a while at a party.” “This woman and I are just close friends.” “It’s only a little white lie.” “I’m so lonely, I just need someone to hold me.” “It’s not really gossip.” “The Government doesn’t need any more taxes from me.” “Things turn out so much better when we do them my way.” “I don’t like what you did, so I have every right to hurt you.”

My friend, if you can’t obey the Lord, then run!... Run for your life! Flee! Run from immorality. Get way away from it. Run from substance abuse. Run from gossip. Run from selfishness. Run from revenge! Run for your life! Run! Flee from temptation.

The second thing the serpent does to Eve, Tactic 2, is to raise a question: Did God really say that? Did God really tell you not to eat from that tree?

The answer is: Yes God did!

Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded… "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."

God blesses them with this wonderful life in the Garden of Eden. They are allowed to eat freely of every other tree. Just that one is forbidden. But you know us human beings. You know how we are. The minute God said, “You can’t have that one.” What happens to us? Suddenly that’s the one we’ve got to have. It’s that wonderful forbidden fruit. Not the same stuff we eat all the time.

God gave us all these trees. And he gave us the freedom to do what we want. Not eat one little tree? Could God have said such a thing? Satan is planting a seed of doubt.

Then Satan comes to Tactic Number 3: Denial. “God didn’t really say that.” We hear this temptation all the time. “The Bible is such a contra-dictory book.” “Those rules were for ancient peoples, modern society is so much smarter than that.” “What are you, some kind of prude?” “No loving God would let you hurt anyone’s feelings.”

And then the Tempter has softened you up for Tactic 4: “If God said that, then God is trying to keep you from the good things in life.” God does not have your best interest at heart. God is trying to keep you from being your best self. Any God who would say such a thing is trying to put people down.

How can you worship a God like that? How can you believe in a God like that? You know better. You know what is really right and wrong. You know how the universe should be. You know what God is supposed to be like. The true God can only be good and sweet in every way you can imagine. And if the God of the Bible doesn’t measure up to your values and your expectations, forget him!

At this point, temptation has left the door wide open. You can do whatever you want to do. You are God. You make the rules. You are not accountable to a higher power. You can do whatever you want to do.

The greatest temptation is for us to become God. To think that we need no strength beyond ourselves. But, ironically, Christ has shown us the way to true strength. It comes when we give up enough of ourselves to allow God to work in us and fill us with his strength.

Finally, comes Tactic #5: The temptation just looked so good. It was so irresistible. It was so beautiful. It was so attractive. It was so easy. How could I resist?

Eve stopped resisting. She went ahead and ate. And she gave some to Adam. And he ate too. People try to say that Eve is more guilty. “She ate first and lured Adam into it.” Some people have tried to say that Eve is more guilty. I can’t see that myself. At least she resisted temptation. That dope Adam jumped right in with no questions asked, and no resistance at all.

God said that there would be consequences and there were. And just look how they rationalized. When God confronted him, did Adam answer, “Yes, Lord, I sinned, I disobeyed, and I repent.” No, he didn’t!! He rationalized. He pointed the finger at Eve, “It was the woman! It was her fault! That woman that you gave me, she made me do it!”

And when God turned to the woman she said, “The serpent made me do it!” Same old tune. How did Flip Wilson put it? “The Devil made me do that!”

When will we ever learn? God told them up front there would be consequences. Sin always has consequences. True, there is forgiveness available through repentance and trust in Jesus Christ. But even after forgiveness, sin leaves scars.

I want to tell you the true story of my father. When I was a small child, my father was an alcoholic. He was an ex-marine and an ex-boxer. When he drank, he was mean and hostile. I once saw him hit his fist on a Formica table and crack a depression in it the size of a quarter. I remember our family hiding at my aunt and uncle’s house next door, waiting for him to pass out so that we could go home to bed. You could step over empty whiskey bottles in the yard the next morning.

If you have ever lived with an alcoholic, you probably have your own stories you could tell. If you have a problem with alcohol yourself, your heart stops just a little, and your blood runs a little cold, when you think about where this problem might lead you.

The reason I am telling you this story about a dreadful time in my life experience is because this is an example of where sin and temptation can lead you. Don’t play around with temptation. Take it seriously. Stay away from it. Avoid sin. Where it contaminates your life, give it up. And stay away from it.

God can give you the strength to do this. I want to tell you that my father did not stay an alcoholic for his whole life. God touched his heart and changed his life. He went on to become a Methodist preacher. Some of you knew him.

If you have got an addiction, it is not easy to change. Especially chemicals like drugs, alcohol, and even tobacco: These things can attach themselves to your body’s metabolism and become a disease. It is very hard to give them up when you are addicted. You need both mental help and physical help. I recommend a 12 Step program like AA, Alcoholics Anonymous. There are other good similar groups like NA. My father learned the value of AA, and he supported it until the day he died.

You may not have a substance addiction. But, let me tell you, there are other sins that you are addicted to. Here we are at the beginning of a new year. You are making a fresh new start. Why don’t you clean out your life right now? And make a new beginning. Right here in a fresh and clean New Year. This is the first step for the rest of your life. A new life with the Lord.

Let me tell you. There is power in God to turn your life around. There is power in Jesus Christ for you to change. I tell you, you cannot do it on your own. The worse your problem, the more this is true. You cannot do it on your own. But God is with you.

Christ died on the cross to wash away your sins. He takes away your burdens and your problems. And he rose again to give you strength to start over. I tell you there is more than enough strength in the Lord for you to make a fresh start. In Malachi, God says, “Put me to the test.” “Just try me. And you will find I can give you enough strength to turn your life around.” “Just try me,” says the Lord, “And see what is possible with my strength to help you.”

Let us pray. Lord, we are here today in a brand new year. And we are looking to make a fresh start. Each one of us is asking, “How can I clean out my life? How can I get rid of everything that is not right in my life? How can I make a fresh start?”

Show us the way, Lord. Show us that it is possible to turn it all over to you. Your arms are broad enough to take it all, if only we will let it go. And Lord, show us how much strength there is in you. Strength to start over. Strength for our life to be new. Strength to live as we have not lived before.