We’ve noted that most people fall into temptation because they don’t
start the fight soon enough. They give the Evil One too many early
victories – easy, uncontested wins – by playing with thoughts, keeping
deadly friendships, phone numbers, contacts, etc and
viewing/hearing/reading things that weaken them.
Suppose you are in a leaking boat. You are lounging on deck as the
water seeps in a few bucketfuls an hour. No problem. Any fool can bail
that out. Hour after hour you continue to snooze until you suddenly
find yourself plunging towards the ocean floor. You then bail
furiously but it’s too late. The disaster was not the product of some
momentary weakness or inexplicable lapse the last five seconds. It was
all so avoidable, if only the danger had been taken seriously.
That’s what it’s like with temptation. Act soon enough, and you’re
safe. Take no action as temptation begins to seep in; do nothing to
block the temptation, keep open doorways to sin, and the danger slowly
mounts until finally not even the strongest saint could survive the
onslaught.
It’s not what happens in a moment of weakness that is critical. What
matters is what you do right now to protect yourself from those
moments.
Almighty God dwells within you. If ever sin defeats you, it’s not
because you are weak. Plain stupidity, laziness and disobedience are
the most likely culprits.
Frequently, we have to start the fight against temptation by resisting
the urge to do things that seem so harmless and so far from our real
weakness that we are actually embarrassed to resist them. An
alcoholic, for example, might need to avoid every place that sells
alcohol. That’s not only inconvenient, it’s humiliating to think that
one is so weak. So instead of acting wisely, we are tempted to take
what initially seem like small risks just to prove to ourselves and to
others that we are not that weak. Satan will try to play with our ego
on this vital matter, but the real issue is whether we are so
determined to avoid temptation that we would rather suffer
inconveniences and embarrassment than take risks with sin.
*********
And in “Why we can’t be forgiven while refusing to let go of sin” ;
Grantley says this: http://net-burst.net/tough/repent.htm
“Christ’s sacrifice has provided a legal way whereby anyone, though
guilty, can go scot-free. But that does not make forgiveness
automatic.
Forgiveness requires a response on our part.
Suppose someone is proven guilty of dangerous driving. No matter how
much the judge likes the person, he must declare the law-breaker
guilty and fine him appropriately. It is quite legal, however, for the
judge to offer to pay the fine out of the judge’s own pocket. It is
then up to the offender whether he accepts the judge’s gift.
There is one more consideration, however. If the reckless driver
intended continuing the same offenses, he would be a danger to the
community. It would be wrong to pardon someone who plans to continue
flouting the law.
Likewise, the Perfect One is obligated to consider our attitude to sin
before releasing us from eternal condemnation. He does not insist that
we never fall; simply that we want never to fall. I am referring
neither to your actions nor to sinlessness, but to a mental attitude
of vital importance to God. The Bible calls it repentance (Scriptures)
– a change of heart regarding sin; a willingness for God to deliver us
from sin. It involves placing our trust in him, rather than in our own
ability to control our lives; giving more credence to his wise and
loving demands than to our own whims. We may find it virtually
impossible to even desire a sin-free life, but we must at least want
God to make us willing.
Suppose you are caught in a burning building. Just in time a fireman
hears your terrified screams, bursts through the flames and begins to
carry you to safety. But you fight him off. ‘No!’ you say, ‘I don’t
want to burn, but I want to stay here.’
‘You idiot!’ shouts the fireman, ‘This whole building is about to go
up. Either you leave this place immediately, or you’re dead!’
Likewise, we either let Jesus take us from our sin, or we will die in our sin.
The essence of sin is disobedience. So to be saved from sin is to be
delivered from disobedience. No matter what you pray, heaven knows you
cannot want the Savior to deliver you from disobedience if you want to
remain in disobedience.
It is sheer hypocrisy to ask God to take away the sins we hate, if we
plan to keep the sins we love. It is blissfully easy to make a sin
seem little. We can never fool God. Tragically, we often fool
ourselves. Adam’s sin, with its cataclysmic results, was not mass
murder, hideous perversion or demon worship. In God’s sight their sin
was so gross that Adam and Eve had to be forever banished from Eden,
and yet they had lived better lives than any saint.
The Almighty longs to give us holy desires and victory over sin, but
he never abuses his power by forcing this upon us against our will.
Many people, though they would never admit it, want to keep their
favorite sin more than they want forgiveness. Though it would grieve
God greatly, we will rot in any sin we deliberately choose to remain
in (Scriptures). This would result in our entire lives being cut off
from God.
Just as we cannot let a jet take us into the sky while keeping one toe
permanently on the tarmac, neither can we let Christ take us to heaven
if we stubbornly insist on keeping a part of us outside of his will.
Our own efforts will never get us off the ground, but we must agree to
Christ’s desire to lift every part of us away from the world. This has
nothing to do with our own moral struggles, but simply permitting
Christ to save us from the sins we love – giving him permission to
wrench our darling sins from us.
I reel at the thought of the hordes who have tragically missed this
point. Another analogy will confirm its centrality.
You are trapped in a sea of sin. Bottomless waters lap towering
cliffs. No one can tread water forever. The murky depths terrify you,
except for one spot. You’ve found a place where the deadly waters seem
beautiful and the sensual waves exquisite. How can anyone take
seriously your cries for help if you’re splashing around enjoying
yourself? And what’s the point of saving someone who is hell-bent on
plunging back after every rescue attempt? No one with a suicidal
commitment to a sin can be saved.
How can God take seriously your request to be removed from sin’s
penalty if you have no desire to be removed from sin’s ‘pleasure’? The
sin you love is as deadly as the sin you hate.
This doesn’t mean you must initiate a sinless life to enjoy
forgiveness. We’re in sin’s death grip. Only Jesus can break it. But
do you want him to? Do you want to be rid forever of your favorite
sin?
The Almighty gives us dignity by respecting our wishes. If we don’t
want him to be our God – ie in total control of our lives – it grieves
and appalls him, but in his gentleness he will permit us to go our own
way. No one has suffered the pain of rejected love like God.
The issue is not ‘works’ – our attempts to do right – but faith –
trusting God’s loving wisdom above our own so that we give up running
our own lives – trying to be our own god – let God be God of our
lives.
You can never be forced to love someone. Nor can you be forced to
genuinely want purity of heart. The Giver has done all he can. It’s
over to you.
By genuinely wanting to be removed from both the penalty and
‘pleasure’ of all sin and trusting the pardoning power of Jesus’
sacrifice, you give God free rein to do what he longs to do – pay your
debt to justice and credit to your account the moral perfection of
Christ. That makes you so pure in his eyes that you need no longer be
isolated from him. You can then commence an endless communion with the
most wonderful Person in the universe.”