Today we are going to think through the three points I mentioned yesterday. I do not want to rush through this and some of this may sound unusually simple, but foundations make a huge difference when you have to ask yourself deep questions and know where the truth lies. One of the most basic principles we need to focus on is that we are sinful. We are flawed and need spiritual direction during every day of our lives. We can rationalize all we want and build a set of biases as deep as the ocean, but it does not change the fact that we are imperfect. That imperfection comes from three root causes that we are going to discuss today.

Sin began with Adam and Eve. As sons and daughters of Adam, it remains a part of our very nature per Romans 5:12. In Genesis we see that Satan appealed to three specific desires held by Eve to successfully tempt her:  

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh], and that it was a delight to the eyes [lust of the eyes], and that the tree was desirable to make one wise [pride—wanting to be like God, knowing of evil as well as good], she took from its fruit and ate. (Genesis 3:6)

Think about each of the Biblical phrases representing sin: “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes,” and “the boastful pride of life.”

• The lust of the flesh (i.e., I need that)—This appeals to the desires of our natural bodies. This urge is most prominent when one is young and exploratory. Examples include sexual addiction, overeating, and the abuse of drugs. While sex, food and medications are not immoral in and of themselves, they are frequently misused. Media, the instantaneous nature of the Internet, and the veneration of immoral celebrities promotes this approach.
• The lust of the eyes (i.e., I want that)—This appeals to our innate desire for objects we see. Things become a more prominent focus of our desire as we move into adulthood. We feel pressure to conform to a social class that makes our clothes, cars, homes and collectibles our “gods.”
• The boastful pride of life (i.e., I deserve that)—This appeals to our longing for worldly verification through praise, power, or fame. This compulsion is more pronounced as we reach an age of maturity, especially if we have experienced some level of success or recognition in our lives. The Biblical phrase, “the boastful pride of life,” might be understood these days to mean “an arrogant sense of entitlement to the things of the world.”

Christ’s brother, James, (1:14 – 15) tells us how these three sins progresses through three additional stages. “. . . each person is tempted when he is lured or enticed by his own desire [A]; then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin [B]; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death [C].” During “A,” it is possible for one to resist the temptation, but in “B” resistance becomes more difficult, in fact, practically impossible. Obviously, “C” is the result of sin.

Tomorrow we tackle deception and distraction which we have discussed before.

Love Dad