Sea of temptation
Too often, we find ourselves swimming in a sea of temptation. From our left to our right, there is something or somebody trying to grab out attention. So much of what the world parades as good is appetising to the eye, but destructive for the soul.
Having said this, a lot of what God has given to us in this world is to be enjoyed but only in a way that glorifies Him and doesn’t become before Him. But, so easily what God has made for joy, we can become tempted to abuse and use in the wrong way. For example, God created sex for marriage, yet we can be tempted to go about things in the wrong way by moving too quickly with our significant other.
We all experience temptation and that’s not wrong. We are fleshly beings who have strong appetites. However, we have to be on our guard as the sea is deep and the waves rough.
Rope of Rescue
Do you ever feel that when you’ve given in to temptation, there is still a thought in the back of your head that suggests you should stop what you are doing? It’s as if we have been thrown into the sea and we’re too busy trying to get ourselves to the shore that we don’t see our Captain has offered us a lifeline. It’s like we enjoy almost sinking.
We know what we are doing is wrong before the eyes of our Captain yet we continue to dive deeper into worldly pleasures. We are continuously neglecting our greatest hope, rescue and safety. And it comes down to our knowledge of Him.
We forsake knowing Him for dismal and temporary pleasures. We forsake growing deeper in faith and love for our Captain. We forsake understanding the one who made the ship, the sea and all the wonders we could enjoy rightly if we first enjoyed Him.
Safety of Christ
Christ is the reason we don’t fall into temptation as well as the means by which we don’t fall into temptation. Christ is our lifeline, our rope of rescue, our Captain with an alternate and much better plan. Christ is our shoreline in which we are safe upon.
Christ also knows the deep weight of temptation as He took it upon Himself when He was on the cross. And before this, He was even tempted by the devil, the tempter, himself. We have a friend who knows temptation like no one else, yet did not fall into it!
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin (Hebrews chapter 4, verse 11). We can come to Christ with our deepest temptations and know that He understands them because He faced them too.
And because we know that He did not sin, we can trust that we, with His help, are able NOT to sin either as we are in Christ. As it says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians chapter 4, verse 13). And in Hebrews, Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews chapter 2, verse 18).
Christ gives us strength to flee from temptation and not sin. So where do we run to? We run to Him. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us... We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. (Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1-2).
We can run with our eyes on Jesus. Therefore, whenever you face another one of those waves of temptation, whenever you feel yourself almost out of the boat into that rocking sea - know that Christ is all around you. Know His beauty and sovereign love that gets you out. I'm convinced the only way out of falling into temptation is by gazing at, knowing deeply and loving richly the great rescuer, the Christ.
Renee Jenner resides in Sydney, Australia and is a recently qualified social worker who has recently found a job! She is the first born of home-base missionary parents whose ministry has made a huge impression on her heart. She always writes from the soul to the soul, desiring to encourage readers to enjoy God, relax in His goodness and spread His love to the utmost parts of the earth. She loves a good cuppa with a deep, thoughtful conversation. You can find her other writings at renee.jenner.wordpress.com