Because we are all made in the image of God, there is very little that is different about us from the heathen, the wicked, the lost. We live our lives in the fashion that we desire to, for the most part, each of us are bound by the laws of the nation that we live in, or are supposed to be, and each of us has the free will to think as we want to. What the born-again believer calls temptations, the world calls desires, and they see no fault or sin in pursuing those desires, they are after all, free will agents, and where two or more of them are consenting, they may do as they please.
The individual has the same freedom, lost or saved, you may do as you want, the hindrance is only the emotional context attached to the action after it is accomplished. Whether it be adultery, robbing banks, pornography, anger exhibited towards others, the deterrent lies only in the possibility of those possible repercussions if one is caught. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” (2 Chron. 16:9)
I believe that many who go by the name of “Christian” attempt to live that Christlike life only because of the possibility of punishment from Him, He will either take something from them, or He will allow some adverse condition to enter into their lives. We are all guilty of this, in part, because it is true. “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” (Gen. 4:7)
This is the part of us who have been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8) that love and detest at the same time, the world pulls at us while we attempt to be obedient to the will and Word of the Lord, it is a never-ending battle as long as we draw breath here. That battle exists for some of the lost as well, but for an entirely different reason, they are concerned with how others around them view them, the type of person that they will be perceived as. Here is where some of those who claim Christ as Lord are the same as the lost, they fear the thoughts that others have about them, their reputation, and cannot comprehend the depths of the words of David, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” (Psalm 51:4)
Whether these individuals will admit it or not, they fulfill John 12:43, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” If indeed we are representatives of the Lord, ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven, then we must remember the words of Christ, “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” (Psalm 69:9)
When we exhibit actions, when we speak words that do not honor the Most High, we give the heathen, the wicked, the opportunity to dishonor the name of the Most High, the same as David did. (2 Sam. 12:14) It is His name that is put to shame, not ours, it is Him whose name is besmirched. No one who loves another tries to dishonor that person, they do all that they can to stand with and for them, they rebuke those who rebuke them, they stand for that person in every area, not because of anything but love.
We call it temptation, they call it desires, we through the power of the Holy Spirit plead with the Most High for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ to be set free from these desires. They run after them. They are concerned with their reputation, we are concerned with the reputation of Jesus Christ, and as representatives of the Lord God, when they see us, they are to see Him. Here is the statement of the proof of how you are living your life for Christ, if you will answer yourself in all honesty, do you fear your day of accounting, (Romans 14:12) or do you look forward to it?