Jumping In with All Four Feet

Adam and Eve didn't hesitate a moment to jump right into sin. They saw the beautiful tree and its fruit. They listened to and believed Satan's lies. And they gave in to temptation without hesitation.

But what was their real sin? Did they sin when they looked at the tree? No. Did they sin when they listened to the serpent? No. Adam and Eve sinned when they made the choice to give in to the temptation set before them. The temptation itself wasn't the sin. The thought of giving into it wasn't the sin. It was the actual act of disobedience that was their sin.

Jesus was tempted, remember? He spent forty days and nights in the desert being tempted by the devil. Forty days and nights of having every temptation possible laid at His feet. He saw the temptation. He listened to what the devil had to say. and then He chose to be obedient.

My grandfather used to make a wonderful analogy about temptation. He told me that sinful thoughts were like a bird that lands on your head. You can't stop him from landing there. But you can stop him from building a nest. It's the same with temptation. You can't stop temptation from coming your way. It's all around you. It's a fact of life. But you can stop yourself from giving in to it. You can stop yourself from sinning.

How? By keeping your focus on Jesus. by studying His word. by making sure you know the difference between good and evil. by avoiding those situations where you know you will be tempted. by staying in constant contact with Jesus through prayer. by emulating Jesus and battling Satan's lies with the Word of God. by allowing the voice of the Holy Spirit to be stronger in you than the cacophony of the world around you. You can make sure that you always do what Jesus wants you to do by allowing Him to change your "want to's".

Used with Permission