“There are no excuses for an affair, but there are reasons.” (Willard Harley-‘His Needs; Her Needs’)

I shared that quote yesterday towards the close of my message. If you missed it, I’d encourage you to give it a read through first. We’ve been talking about the sin of idolatry, and how destructive idols, or ‘false gods’ can end up in our lives, which is why God addresses this topic so often in both the OT and NT. He simply wants us to have nothing to do with them and to avoid them at all costs.

Here’s a helpful truth we need to recognize: While there are some obvious and clear-cut sins and actions that we are to avoid and abstain from, there are other things that God will bless us with; but if we are not careful, those ‘things’ can become much more meaningful to us and actually take the place of God in our lives. And there is a spiritual component that is usually behind that misguided drifting. 

Perhaps that is why Peter admonished us to remain vigilant and sober minded (1 Pet. 5:8) and Paul admonished us to ‘give no place to the devil’ (Eph. 4:27). That battle and struggle is real (Eph. 6:12)

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but God can bless you with a spouse, children, a nice home, a good job, etc ….but any of those ‘God-given blessings/gifts’ can easily become an ‘idol’ in our life. And how might that happen? Simple…you have a spiritual enemy who has mastered the art of drawing our affections away from God and towards other things. He’s been doing it for a very long time.

Do you recall what transpired between the serpent and Eve back in the garden when it came to a particular tree that God made clear was ‘off limits’ to them? (Gen. 2:17). The serpent ‘beguiled’ her, getting Eve to question if that was really what God said or meant. And instead of ‘nipping the temptation in the bud’, or ‘bringing into captivity every thought’ (2 Cor. 10:5), she began to focus on that one forbidden tree. Keep in mind…God had blessed them with an abundance of trees for food …but it was ‘this tree’…that she began to gaze upon.

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise…she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband who was with her and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6)

Would you take a moment and look at 1 John 2:15-17. It reads that we are “not to love the world or the things in the world.” He then explains what it is in the world that we need to be cognizant of: “All that is in the world…the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…is not of the Father but of the world.”

Do you see the comparison here, as Eve saw that the fruit was ‘good for food’ (lust of the flesh)…it was ‘pleasant to the eyes’ (lust of the eyes) and it would ‘make her wise’ (pride of life). And who again…tempted her with all this?

Now, turn to Luke 4. This is the story where Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted/tested by the devil himself. And after fasting for 40 days…we are told that Jesus was tempted to turn a rock into bread (lust of the flesh). Then Jesus was ‘shown all the kingdoms of the world’ and offered to Him (lust of the eyes). His final temptation…was to bypass God’s plan to gain followers and offered an alternative way in which He could make quite a showing before the people (9-12) (pride of life- having a better way of doing something than God’s way).

I should point out here that that temptation that Satan was offering Jesus was that there was no need to ‘go to the cross and die’. But the cross was always part of God’s plan for redemption, and to suggest otherwise makes one an ‘enemy of the cross’ (Phil. 3:18). In fact, we read in Luke 4:13 that after Jesus had resisted the devil on all accounts…that the ‘devil departed’ from him ‘until an opportune time’. What is the promise found in James 4:7? Also…when Satan did resurface (he usually does in our walks of faith)…what was the same old message he tried to tempt Jesus with, but using Peter this time? “You don’t have to die!” (Matt. 16:21-23)

Do you see how Satan is always behind these thoughts and suggestions and temptations? He wants to draw our hearts and affections away from God. In fact, he can even do that with ‘man-made doctrines’, but I’ll come back to that later. Truth be told, if you haven’t yet turned to Jesus (with all your heart)…he already ‘has you’ (1 John 5:19; John 8:34; 2 Tim. 2:26; Acts 26:18).

So why wouldn’t God be ‘jealous’ when we turn from Him…after all He has done for us to offer us a full pardon for our sins…and then the promise of an abundant and fulfilling life; especially when we then turn to other ‘gods’…that are really ‘demons’ in disguise. Are we not told that Satan can ‘disguise himself as an angel of light’ (2 Cor. 11:14). You think it’s any harder for him to wrap himself up in the cloak of temporal pleasures…or power…or pride, or material goods? Then comes the allure that the ‘more’ he offers you…the better off you will be. And we don’t even see what it is we are chasing after; but God does…and it does provoke Him to jealousy (1 Cor. 10:22).

Have you ever watched a loved one, or close friend maybe…get ‘entangled’ with an affair…and would risk losing so much that God had blessed them with...simply to ‘enjoy the temporal pleasures of sin (Heb. 11:25)? You probably thought to yourself…”How blind can they be? What in the world are they thinking? Are they out of their ever-loving mind?”

Truth be told…they most likely were (out of their minds). And while this is no ‘excuse’…there are some probable reasons. Let’s finish up in Mark 5, the story of that tormented man who was demon possessed, and in a bad way at that (Mark 5:1-5). After his encounter with Jesus…what was the observation of the townspeople who came out to investigate what transpired with this man…there in vs. 15? “He was in his right mind.” Join me tomorrow?