"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed."
James 1:14 -15 NKJV
Temptation is not a sin unless, it is conceived and gives birth. The devil cannot make you sin, however, he studies your profile and knows your distinctive weaknesses and tendencies. He knows how to press your buttons and appeal to your evil desires, so that you will be drawn away to sin. Sin leads to spiritual death and separation. In other words, we break fellowship with God.
When a person is drawn away by their own desires and enticed, that person is hooked and unless they activate the Word of God right there and then, they fall to it. The desire is conceived and it gives birth to sin; it is then usually too late to prevent it happening.
A desire is an unsatisfied longing, rather like Eve in the garden. She looked at the fruit (Genesis 3) and the desire to eat it was very strong. Basically, the serpent tempted her, encouraging her to keep looking at it. The more she did, the more she wanted it. Do you know this feeling? The serpent whispers in our ear and he plays his trump card, just like he did to Eve, she was hooked. 'Go on, it will be ok, no one will know and even if they do, it doesn't matter.' These are the words satan uses to tempt us to sin and he can be very convincing. Be careful.
We all have certain desires and the more we focus on these unsatisfied longings, the more we can lust for fruition. The root can be anything - anything that causes us to take a step over the line into risky territory. In today's society, values are much different than our Christian ones. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). He never changes and neither do Christian values. Some try to change things by claiming that the bible is outdated and needs renewing to today's values. 'Oh yes?' What they are saying is what the serpent told Eve all those years ago, 'It's ok'. It is not OK and anyone who disagrees with this, is on shaky ground. God says no to adultery, homosexuality, abortion, drunkeness and all the host of things that are not of a Christian value.
The root may be within you - the unsatisfied longing; it is it worth it? Count the cost and understand what you can lose. Surely the risk is too great. Jesus Christ took all the sin of the world - things such as this, and he paid the price that all who accept Him as Lord, confess their sin and live for Him, may have eternal life.
Give that root, that unsatisfied longing, to Jesus; discuss it with Him and allow Him to set you free.
Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard
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