Temptation and Sin

Today on a morning walk I saw a German Shepherd at high alert from across the street, staring off into the distance with ears perked up.  He growled as he pulled on the lead that was stretched taut, firmly grasped by his owner.  There was no audible communication from the master who was being dragged along.  The dog's effort to pull on the lead left him breathless and muffled his barking.  It was as if the owner did not exist, so strong was the dog's impulse to follow his natural instincts.

As I looked both ways before crossing the street I saw the reason for the German Shepherd's agitation.  In complete contrast, an owner stood on the corner opposite the other pair and his dog--which looked to be part Husky--lay on the ground with his head elevated as he stoically stared straight ahead.  The lead hung limp between owner and dog which was very attentive to every movement and commands of his owner who stood beside him.  There was no growling, barking or pulling on the lead.  The Husky showed self-control because he had obviously been well-trained and prepared for such encounters.

Seeing the difference of behaviour between the dogs reminded me of a conversation I had recently concerning temptation and sin.  In Christian circles we often speak of temptation being something outside of us when in reality it springs from desires within us.  The dogs had two things in common:  they were both dogs, and they both unexpectedly came across another dog during a walk.  The reaction of each dog was different due to their owner and their preparation and training--or lack thereof.  The stimuli was the same, yet one dog was conscious of his owner who held the lead whilst the other was behaving as dogs naturally do.

We can imagine our sinfulness can be blamed on an abundance of temptation or sinful people around us when the problem resides in each of our own hearts.  There is no temptation without desire.  If I despise  and am disgusted by beetroot, I will be tempted to eat it.  James 1:13-14 says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed."  If the German Shepherd was a person, he could not have blamed his behaviour on the Husky across the street.  Likewise, we cannot blame our lack of self-control on peer-pressure, the internet or because someone called us a name.  The desire to do and say as we want without godly boundaries is the problem inside us circumstances of life brings to light.  The devil tempted Eve and Jesus, but only Eve was enticed because there was desire in her heart she was willing to disobey God to satisfy.

Having been born again by faith in Jesus, Christians have received the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live in the way that pleases God:  repenting for sin, ceasing from sinful habits and obeying God's word.  God also provides the way of escape from temptation as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13:  "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."  For much of our lives (even as believers) we lived like the German Shepherd with no thought of God or the lead we strained against to follow our natural impulses which left us unsatisfied, and as the Husky we can learn to acknowledge, listen to and seek to please our Saviour.  When we encounter something that makes us strain against godly boundaries God has set, let us confess our illicit desires and turn to God in humble obedience.