Saved as we are, sin is still a horrible possibility in our human lives. The Bible warns of many ways in which we can be entangled in the web of sinful thoughts and behaviour. Like the seals that face the danger of entanglement every day as they follow the lines and nets of fishing boats for scraps, so we, surrounded by temptation, can easily fall prey to our old desires from which Jesus saved us.
Is it possible for us to “escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires”?
God has given us many solutions to the issue of temptation and sin.
First, how does sin catch us out?
James 1:13-15 NIV
[13] “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
God is never the author of temptation. He may allow us to be tempted for good reasons. We never win over temptation through our own will-power. If God left us to resist temptation, at some stage our will power would give way.
God has promised us the power to resist temptation only by His grace.
Romans 5:17 NIV
[17] “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”
Just as we rely on God’s grace to forgive our sin, so we must rely on His grace to say “No” to temptation.
The entire process of learning to live pure lives, then, depends on our participation in God’s grace to win the battle over the flesh
However, before we can ever move purposefully in the direction of holiness, awareness and attitudes must change.
Again, the Bible gives us the prescriptions that help us to change, in our thoughts and behaviour first.
Our attitude to holiness and sin, first, must be shaped, not by what we feel or what is convenient at the moment, but by what the Word says.
We are to fear the Lord in every detail of life, taking Him seriously and living by His instructions.
Habakkuk 1:13 NLT
[13] “But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil….”
Proverbs 8:13 NLT
[13] “All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”
If God is holy, that is…consistent with His own perfect and pure character, devoid of every perverse and corrupt thought and deed, …then everything that contradicts who He is, is evil.
He calls us to share His attitude to evil, to hate evil and to disassociate ourselves from every taint of evil.
We learn this process, unfortunately, mostly by trial and error. Sinful attitudes, thoughts, and actions produce inward pain. We lose our peace and face the consequence of a disturbed conscience. Only as we put right through confession, forgiveness, and restitution if necessary, can we return to the rest in Jesus that He provides.
Such experiences prompt us to avoid repeating what caused us pain…a lesson learned if we heed it. These experiences help us to move away from experimenting with sin and to reinforce the desire to live by God’s grace that enables us to tame our unruly hearts.
Paul advised young Timothy to deal with fleshly desires.
2 Timothy 2:22 NLT
[22] “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”
What wise and sound counsel! We canonly run from sinful desires by replacing them with holy desires. We can only change the way we behave by changing what we think and believe. To escape sinful desires, we must pursue what is pleasing to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is in us as our resident Helper. We call on Him for His power to say “no” when the desires of our flesh threaten to overwhelm us. Sometimes, we find ourselves faced with situations that corner us, arousing desires too big to overcome. Only grace can supply the strength to say a meaningful “No!”, and effectively shut the door to sin.
Romans 8:12-14 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if, through the power of the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
As sons of God, we have the right to call on the Lord and to anticipate His grace to keep us walking in obedience to His Word.
God has also given us a plethora of promises, each one suitable for each situation, to answer every need need, for one purpose…to live godly lives in the world.
2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
[3] “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. [4] And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
God’s passion is for us to share in His nature, free from corruption and fit for His holy presence. To achieve His goal, He has promised to meet us with His power at every turn. Whatever the situation, whatever the need, He is there to carry us across the chasm of our weakness. We have every opportunity and no excuse for not becoming overcomers in this “war of the spirit”.
There is a love we must kill and a love we must nurture. Jesus said that it is impossible to serve two masters. Whoever we love, we will serve. Love for the world and love for God can never function in one life. God will not share His temple with idols.
If we love the world and its trinkets, we will share its fate. Despite its apparent permanence, the world and its ways, standards, practices, and philosophies, is transient…here today and gone tomorrow. God alone is eternal, and all who are joined to Him by faith will survive the purging.
1 John 2:15-17 NLT
[15] “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17] And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
To follow Jesus is, to walk in the light.
John 8:12 NLT
[12]”Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
” Light” in Scripture often refers to God’s Word. David, for example recognised the importance of following the guidance of the portion of the Word he had in his possession to keep his life on track with God.
Psalms 119:105 NLT
[105] “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Since Jesus is the Word in the flesh, to follow His example and to obey His teachings is the safest way to walk in the light.
Walking in obedience to Jesus keeps us in fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit, and with God’s family.
1 John 1:7 NLT
[7] “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
Even for those times when we inadvertently follow the flesh, the Word enables us to chamge our behaviour to remain clean because of the blood of Jesus at work in us.
1 John 1:7 NIV
[7]”But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
The prophet Micah learned God’s simple prescription for a godly life. If we follow his directives, we leave no room for ungodly behaviour.
Micah 6:8 NLT
[8] “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Likewise Solomon, despite his own failure, provides another simple way to overcome sin in ourselves.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
[5]”Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Only by God’s grace, once again, can we follow the directives of His Word. Living life this way takes deliberate attention to what we think, what we believe, and what choices and decisions we make that help or hinder our progress towards the Father.
With this in mind, how imperative it is that we follow Solomon’s wise counsel. Whether we win or lose in this war against sin and its effects on our eternal destiny depends on one thing!
Proverbs 4:23 NLT
[23] “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
What we do in life… how we behave, how we deal with life’s tests and temptations, what we choose or renounce …depends on the condition of our hearts.
As David prayed, so should we, every moment of our day,
Psalms 139:23-24 NLT
[23]” Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. [24] Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
GUARD YOUR HEART
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.
What appears to be harmless glance
Can turn to romance
And homes are divided;
Feelings that should never have been
Awakened within
Tearing the heart in two,
Listen, I beg of you,
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart!
Don’t trade it for treasure;
Don’t give it away;
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart…
As a payment for pleasure
It’s high price to pay!
For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear,
Guard your Heart.
The human heart is easily swayed
And often betrayed at the hand of emotion.
You dare not leave the outcome to chance,
You must choose in advance
Or live with the agony…
Such needless tragedy…
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart.
Don’t trade it for treasure;
Don’t give it away.
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart,
As a payment for pleasure
It’s high price to pay.
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart!
Don’t trade it for treasure;
Don’t give it away;
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart!
As a payment for pleasure
It’s high price to pay…
For a soul that remains sincere, with conscience clear,
Guard your Heart!
For a soul that remains sincere, with conscience clear,
Guard your Heart!
Author: Steve Green
Source: LyricFind
Guard Your Heart lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing