If you open this door
You can leave anytime.
If you open this door
No one would know.
If you open this door
It would be just this once.
If you open this door
You won’t hurt anyone.
All lies we are told.
Today’s reading link: Exodus 2; Luke 5; Job 19; 1 Corinthians 6
God granted us free will so it is our choice to follow him, love him, obey him, and worship him. With free will we also experience the temptation to sin. Sin results in exchanging something good for something bad. Rick Jebb’s post on Spiritual Capital taught about the fruits of the spirit as our capital. In sin, we exchange these fruits (or capital) for something of less value. It’s a bad deal.
We exchange:
Godliness for ungodliness.
The true God for a false idol.
Joy for regret.
Freedom for slavery.
Life for death.
Generosity or kindness for selfishness.
True worship for false religion.
Truth for a lie.
Sexual sin exchanges purity for impurity, love for lust, and even health for disease. We have all been tempted. Fortunately, God always gives us a way out, and the best way out is to flee from sin, especially sexual immorality. It would be better to not go near the temptation in the first place but we need to flee (run away) from the place where we are tempted. Do not even open the door to invite the temptation in.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV)
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. (Ephesians 5:3 NIV)
Perhaps we’re feeling pretty good right now and cannot recall any sexually immoral acts, but Jesus convicts all of us through sins of the heart and mind.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)
We need to remain vigilant that there will be temptation in our future. We can and should be praying up front that we do not enter into temptation. We can prepare for life situations just like an athlete mentally prepares for a game, envisioning the plan and response to the opponent.
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
Jesus had a unique and ultimate exchange that proved his deity. He willfully gave his life, through brutal torture, and death on the cross in exchange for our salvation. An exchange none of us can repay, a free gift for all who choose it.
Father God, we have all sinned and fallen short, and through this sin we do not deserve your mercy, but you gave it anyway. Please cleanse our hearts and minds. Please keep us from sin. For the sake of our own lives and for our families, please show us a way out when we are tempted. Thank you for teaching us to flee from sin. We regret when we have opened the door to sin. Our spirits are willing but our flesh is weak. Thank you for the forgiveness through your son Jesus Christ, who washes our slate clean. Amen.