“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Gen. 3:6)
Temptation, day one, act one.
Nothing changes, only man’s perception of what he believes is admissible in the eyes of God. Not only churches that have the audacity to call themselves houses of worship that allow homosexuals into their congregations. “And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;” (2nd Peter 2:13) but many being led by avowed homosexuals as well.
“Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2nd Cor. 11:15) Being led straight to hell by our adversary who is well aware of how easy it is to lead brute beasts.
The lust of the eyes, how good that fruit looked, the lust of the flesh, delicious and filling, the pride of life, able to make one wise.
“Look at me,” she may have said to her husband, “God said we would die and yet I live.”
Adam may have been brilliant, but he was not very wise, at least not in that moment.
What our eyes see many times we want, and perhaps you are just as aware as I am, by proofs of those past experiences in my life, that if you keep looking at something long enough over time you can quite easily turn it into a supposed need. And then, if you obtain it, over time it will lose its luster, and will need to be replaced with that next new item that you could not, or would not, draw your eyes away from.
“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1st Cor. 9:27)
But not all the time, do we.
My father used to say to me on those rare occasions when we would go to a restaurant that my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and usually he was right, for there was food on my plate that I could no longer fit in that stomach of mine. The flesh doesn’t care, does it, “Everything, all the time.”
No man, saved lost or wicked can ever fulfill the desires of the flesh permanently, no man has ever said, “It is enough.”
“If you eat that, you will be as wise as God.”
Liar.
But that is what he does best, isn’t it?
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
But for what end, so that you will know what, just exactly what do you plan on doing with that wisdom? Glorifying God or vainglory, exhibit your new found intellectual prowess to all you meet so they can stand in awe of you, admire you, follow you?
It’s quite easy for us to accept willingly a gift from the Almighty and then in just a short period of time seek for honor and recognition for ourselves for that which we received. It happens all the time.
“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1st Cor. 4:7)
My friends, act one is still going on, there has never been an act two, the curtain opened, the lust of the flesh and of the eyes and the pride of life was offered, accepted and the stage has not changed one bit.
One little world, one life to live, one opportunity, that’s it. No second chances.
Our first parents died that day, the moment you made your first step into one of these three sins, you died, and sadly most who have been born have and will spend their entire lives as walking dead men.
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” (Eph. 2:1)
You are going to fall, you may get up, you may repent, but the arsenal of our adversary is never empty, he is far too subtle for any of us. But our Redeemer lives, our Intercessor, our High Priest understands this, but that does not give you the liberty to seek that which you know is not pleasing in His sight.
Keep your eyes on Christ, the longer you do, the dimmer the things of this world will become.
