Greetings! Thank you for coming to my blog site to learn more of the Word of God and to understand the Father’s heart. When we can gain revelation of His Word, it is a life changer. Holy Spirit, I pray that our eyes and spirit will be open and sensitive to Your voice today. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen Eric

We began our look at deception which leads to immorality last week. (10-11-23). It would be good if you could read that post, if you have not been able to do so yet.

For a brief recap though, we shared James 1:13-15 (NLT). In quoting verse 14 again, we read that ,”Temptation comes from our own desires (lust, in the King James Version), which entice us and drag us away .” We found that ‘desires’ specifically means a desire for what is forbidden and the phrase ‘drag away’ is a metaphor meaning: so man by lust is allured from the safety of self-restraint to sin.

Often, in our world today, we have a problem with people not being accountable for their own choices and behaviors. We frequently hear phrases like: “He made me do it!” “I couldn’t help myself!” “You don’t know what he did to me!”(thereby justifying his own actions) As we look at verse 14, we need to honestly grasp what that verse is saying: “temptation comes from our own desires (lust) which entice us and drag us away.”

Adding to last week’s study…

It is important that we define the word ‘temptation’ or peirazo in the Greek which means: to try or test one’s faith, virtue, character by enticement to sin: hence, to solicit to sin, to tempt. Where does that temptation come from? James 1:14 reveals that it comes from our own desires or lust. ‘Our own,’ idios in the Greek means: what is one’s own as opposed to belonging to another and opposed to divine prompting.

Years ago there was a popular comedian who always used the phrase, “The devil made me do it.” Truth be told, the devil cannot make you do anything…you choose what you do.

In order to have a correct understanding of where our battles regarding righteousness stem from, we have to recognize the true enemies we face. One is our own desires.

Let’s look at Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon,”‘watch’ (gregoreuo) means: give strict attention to, be cautious; metaphorically - take heed lest through remissness and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake you.” This word ‘watch’ is a serious warning! This is not a light suggestion! Remissness means to be careless or negligent. Indolence means being habitually lazy or lethargic. You cannot adopt an attitude of carelessness or laziness in regard to recognizing and facing temptation!

The word ‘temptation’ in this verse comes from peirasomos meaning: trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, and constancy. It is an internal temptation or enticement to sin, Interestingly, in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, it adds that it is an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires (internal) or from outward circumstances.

It is also important to understand the scriptural meaning of the word; flesh’ or sarx in the Greek. Thayer’s states that ‘flesh’ used in this verse is: the sensuous nature of man, the animal nature with cravings which incite (persuade or seduce) to sin. I usually refer to the “flesh” as our sin nature. What does the scripture say about our flesh? It is weak, infirm, or feeble in so far as helping us stand against temptation.

So, let’s take a second to review. We have seen that our temptations are enticements that come from our own lusts, and desires (internal) or from an outward circumstance. Temptations are a trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, and constancy. It is temptation which comes to entice, persuade, seduce, to deceive, or allure you into sin.

Last week, we also looked at what the Word of God reveals concerning the deception of the devil which is used against mankind to turn them away from the precepts of God in order to steal, kill, and destroy them (John 10:10) Satan is the enemy of God and when you choose to love God, the devil, by default, becomes your enemy as well. We have been given this warning in 1 Peter 5: 8 and 9 (NLT), “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” We see that once again, we are given a warning. Stay alert and watch out for your enemy! Then we are told to stand firm and be strong in our faith.

Sin breaks our fellowship with God. Sexual desire (our flesh) has been one area the devil has used to bring about that separation. Sexual desires are God given, however, they are only a blessing when acted upon within the confines of marriage.

God created marriage for procreation (Genesis 1:28) and as a learning tool to teach us of the intimate relationship He desires to have with us. God designed sex to be enjoyed by a husband and his wife.

Looking at Matthew 29:4-6a, we read, “He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh.” In verse 5, the phrase ‘hold fast’, kollao in the Greek means: to glue, glue to, glue together, cement and fasten together. ‘Flesh’ means one body (of husband and wife). Take note: In John 17:21-23 we read these words of Jesus, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” We are to be one with God.

Sex is to take place between a husband and his wife. Anything else is perverse in the eyes of the Lord and is deemed immoral. Those who involve themselves in sexual immorality have given themselves over to satan so that he can accomplish his goal of stealing, killing, and destroying.

We have seen in Scripture that when two people have sex, they become one flesh. Joining in that act outside of marriage is totally in opposition to the will of God.

Remember, God never leaves not forsakes you and when you face seemingly irresistible and overwhelming temptations, He always provides the way of escape. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT), “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.”

Our body belongs to God and as believers, our bodies are the temple (habitat) of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 19, “ Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,” ‘Flee’, pheugo in the Greek means to shun or avoid by flight! We are to run from sexual immorality, not to be compromising in it!

Whatever you do, wherever you go, the Holy Spirit Who lives within you is there. He is there 24/7! Our desire then, should be to only do what glorifies Him.

It grieves the Lord’s heart and mine to see such a lack of morals in our world today. When we see the numbers of children who have been involved in casual sex, it staggers the mind. According to a report found at www.cdc.gov>healthy youth>sexual behavior>index.htm, “in 2020 20% of all new HIV diagnoses were among those aged 13 and 14. More than half of nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted diseases were among those 15 to 24 years of age. More than 145,000 infants were born to adolescent females in 2021.”

Men and women of God, it is time to rise up and learn what the Word of God teaches in these areas of life. Then, we are responsible to live in a way that pleases God and teach the Truth to our children. We must take seriously the warnings put forth in the scripture! Be aware of the deceptions of the enemy which would tell us that if we share the truth of the Word of God regarding sexual immorality and don’t join in the the progressive way of thinking that we don’t love and accept others. The truth is, if we do not share the Word of God with those who do not follow or love Him, we allow them to follow the deceiver to a path of death and destruction or worse fall into the hands of the Righteous Judge.

Values must be learned at home, not schools. Find a church that preaches the Truth, the Word of God, and not wokeism.

Parents, we have been given a directive from the Lord. Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The understood subject of that sentence is “You.”

Church leaders have a responsibility to teach the Word of God and give warning of the strategies of the devil and the ‘sin’ nature (flesh) in man.

In a report by Jeff Diamant (www.pewresearch.org>short-reads>2020>08731>half-of-u-s-christians-say-casual-sex), “Half of Christians say casual sex - defined in the survey as sex between consenting adults who are not in a committed romantic relationship is sometimes or always acceptable.”

“A majority of Christians (57%) say sex between unmarried adults in a committed relationship is sometimes or always acceptable. That includes 67% of mainline Protestants, 64% of Catholics, 57% of Protestants in the historically Black tradition, and 46% of evangelical Protestants.”

What a failing in our homes and churches! Pray and ask God if there are changes you need to make in your life - either to avoid an immoral lifestyle or help someone you know gain the knowledge they need to escape from the bondage to a lie that leads down a path of destruction.

The wonderful thing is, if you are caught up in a life of sin, the Lord is waiting to help you escape from it. He will meet you where you are and show you the way to escape. He will strengthen you and love you with His unconditional love.

Next week, we will conclude our series on deception leading to immorality.

Praying you will be protected, guided, and blessed by the Lord this week.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is taken from the English Standard Version.

NLT New Living Translation