…continued from last week’s post on October 6, 2024. Please review the October 6 post for context before proceeding to this post.
THE DECEPTION
Genesis 3:1, 4-5… “hath God said….”
Satan’s mode of operation to tempt in Genesis 3 is still used today! “Has God said that?” Was Eve clear on what God had said? The answer is YES. Eve even repeats what God had said in Genesis 3:2-3. Yet, Satan continues to cause questions in Eve’s mind – even about what she knew was true.
Sarah questioned God in Genesis 18 because of impossibilities…believing she was too old to conceive a child.
Elijah questioned God in I Kings 19 because of fear…rehearsing a woman’s threat instead of trusting God’s guidance.
Peter questioned Jesus in John 13:36-38 because of immaturity… not understanding the sins that every human being is truly capable of.
Many of us have been in church since we were a child. We have accumulated a lot of Bible knowledge. We have memorized Bible verses. We have sat through 100’s, if not 1000’s, of sermons. Yet, you and I are still not exempt from temptation…and Satan often questions God’s Word to tempt us to sin. Questioning God and His Word can sound similar to:
o Does anyone really love me? (Jer. 31:3; Rom. 5:8; I Jn. 4:19)
o Does anyone really care about my situation? (I Pet. 5:7)
o God understands if I lose my temper. (Ps. 37:8; Eph. 4:31; Jas. 1:19-20)
o Do I really have to follow God in every area of my life? (Prov. 3:5-8)
o Is immorality that big of a deal? (Eph. 5:3; I Cor. 6:18)
God’s Word is what is true. Return to, read, rehearse, and choose what is true!
THE DISTRACTION
Genesis 3:6
The temptation is “reinforced by the attractive appearance of the fruit.” The longer Eve considers the temptation, instead of dismissing it, the more likely it is she will succumb. Think about this verse in regard to the temptation. The fruit was probably tasty, it was good to look at, supposedly it contained the secret to wisdom, and desire is stimulated! (source: Cambridge Bible for School and Colleges)
James 1:14-15, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
When we struggle with the same issue repeatedly, it can be helpful to get familiar with the “Awareness Scale.” The “Awareness Scale” helps us to be aware of when we are beginning to get off track and move towards temptations. This scale uses the acronym FASTER.
F – forgetting priorities and getting out of my rhythm (Matt. 6:33). Biblical priorities are things like: Bible reading, prayer, church & worship, my God given role in the home, loving God & others, purity, and the gospel mission.
A – anxiety (Phil. 4:6-8). What if I don’t have enough money to pay my bills? What if my family is not safe? What am I going to do 3 months from now or a year from now? This anxious spirit creates panic and presses you to speed up!
S – speeding up to catch up. I don’t have time! I don’t have a choice, but to rush and do this! If I don’t do this, no one will (Mk. 6:31)! Even Jesus took time to rest…enough said.
T – ticked off. This is pure and simple anger. This phase of the scale is the overflow of the first three phases (Prov. 15:1; 29:11; Jas. 1:19-20).
E – exhausted, tired. Exhaustion or fatigue is often the outcome of mental or physical exertion or illness. The mental and physical exertion can lead to illness. Some of David’s men in I Sam. 30:4-10, 21-24 were overcome emotionally (their families were taken captive) and physically (they pursued the enemy to rescue the women and children) which brought many to pure exhaustion and the inability to continue the mission. Esau made a huge mistake in making a life altering decision when he was mentally and physically exhausted (i.e.- selling his birthright for a bowl of soup in Gen. 25:29). One more example is Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus worked for the cause of Christ to the point of exhaustion, and he became very ill (Phil. 2:25-30). Sometimes, when even doing “spiritual things” for the cause of Christ, we will refuse to withdrawal for rest thinking rest to be selfish or believing we are the only one who will do the needed work. In this context, each of us must remember that the work we do, is not our own. It is God’s work (I Cor. 3:7)! (Source: What does the Bible say about fatigue? | GotQuestions.org)
We are at our greatest propensity to be tempted when we are sick, tired, and hungry. Too much rest can make us lazy and not enough rest will result in sickness. A proper balance between work and rest is vital.
R – relapse. I have chosen sin once again and the cycle starts over.
The FASTER awareness scale can be used to help us identify when we are heading down the path of relapse and make the necessary changes. Do you need to make some important adjustments to your daily living?
A young lady was driving down the highway and a dash cam attached to the back of a commercial vehicle saw the young lady texting on her phone as she slammed into the back of the truck.
Distractions can be deadly! When temptations distract you from the truth of God’s Word, you are in a danger zone – no matter how small the distraction seems to be! But look at the matchless grace of God! Look how good…how merciful…how forgiving the Lord is towards us all!! It is by grace we are saved through faith and that not of ourselves (Eph. 2:8-9) and it is by the grace of God that we are drawn once again to Him, find forgiveness, and continue serving Him. The Lord declares His grace is sufficient and because of His grace, His strength will be made perfect in my weakness (II Cor. 12:9)! Come to Jesus and live!