May 23
“For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:8)
As I pointed out in the Overcoming Temptation booklet, every time temptation rears its ugly head we are being presented a choice of either pain or blessings, of negative consequences or opportunity for good. Whether we choose to do evil or choose to please the Lord and gain blessings from Him we are making a choice, and we are saying “yes” to one and “no” to the other.
If you laid things out logically and said, “If you commit adultery with this woman you will face negative consequences of broken relationships in your own family, you will get divorced, you will ruin the other woman’s relationships with her husband and children and cause her grief and loss the rest of her life, your name will be dishonored and even despised among your wife and your own children and the woman you commit adultery with, you will be disrespected and discounted by your closest friends and family, you will suffer emotional anxieties and develop dysfunctional mental issues, you will perform more poorly in your work which will result in less pay and even a loss of employment, any possible ministry to other people your may have will be ruined and forfeited, people will be relieved when you die and your memory will be quickly forgotten, your children and grandchildren and great grandchildren will face hardship and loss and lack of blessings during their lifetimes because of your failure and unfaithfulness and rotten example, you will endure a lifetime of shame followed by an eternity of knowing that you received far fewer rewards in heaven and made others stumble because of your sin (assuming you are a Christian, and if you are not a Christian, you will receive a greater eternal punishment for your sin).
“On the other hand, if you resist the temptation to flirt with this woman, have inappropriate contact with her, and commit adultery with her, if you flee this temptation and refuse to have anything to do with her that in anyway hints of impropriety, then the Lord will bless you and your household, He will establish your memory among your family and friends, you will enjoy long and close relationships with your wife and children, your children and grandchildren and great grandchildren will be blessed and will be a blessing to others, and you will have a significant impact on the kingdom of God for which God will bless you, honor you, and reward you for all eternity. Now, which course of action do you choose?”
If we were to see the consequences for sin and the blessings of victory all laid out before us in this way, I am convinced that far fewer of us would choose sin. Some may still choose sin due to unbelief, but many of us would say, “Wow! I had no idea my sin would cost so much, and I had no clue how much my obedience was really worth!” Many of us would be shocked at the real cost of our sin.
That is our goal. We must become aware of the actual cost of sin, both in terms of negative consequences and lost rewards. Both can be very, very significant and would decidedly influence our behavior for good if we were more aware of them.