February 3, 2009

The Deadly Deception

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’ ?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; "but of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 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 with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:1-8 NKJV)

Here is the oldest trick in the book. The serpent throws doubt upon God’s word by phrasing his question to exaggerate the prohibition. Surely, if he had pointed out that God had provided a plethora of good trees to eat from, Eve would have praised her Creator. Instead, the serpent questions God’s goodness.

Of course, Eve toys with that thought and eventually sins. Such is the way with all sin. First, there comes the temptation, and then the rationalization followed by realization. James says it this way. “. . . Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 NKJV)

It is important to ask yourself this question, Do I question whether God’s commands are fair? Here are a few related questions that might help you to answer the first one.

1. Do you believe that you can practice sin and not die?
2. Do you believe that a little sin is OK?
3. Do you say, “I am not perfect” when you sin as a way to justify your sin?
4. Do you say, “I am not as bad as others” when you sin to justify your sin?
5. If there was no consequence for your sin, would you continue to sin?

Here is the thing. Don’t question God’s goodness for when you do you ensnare yourself in the devil’s trap. He is a liar; he has been from the beginning, and will continue to be so. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV)