[The Glory Unveiled]
But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [ James 1:14 ]
Quite often, the believer attributes temptations to God, saying God is tempting them. But James says that God cannot be tempted, neither does He tempt others with evil—James 1:13. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:16). James teaches that temptations come from desires and whatever entices us. Desires are like the bait on hooks. We don’t immediately see the hook (the evil that may be hidden behind our desires). So in order to avoid temptations, we must expose the hook behind the bait of our desires. The scripture goes on to say when desire hatches, it produces sin. Whenever a desire presents itself in our hearts, the first question to ask oneself is, “what will this desire conceive in the end?” Or is this desire a lust of the eye, pride of life or lust of the flesh? Because our desires, if they will lead to sin will be categorized into one of these. Once it is lust or pride, then sin is at our door. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it (Genesis 4:7). This is what God told Cain before he killed his brother. Sin was crouching at his door (heart) because he made room for negative desires (he did not do what was good). And then we see God giving Cain the solution to his problem—to rule over that desire; Love. The power to rule over negative desires and sin is LOVE. But Cain didn’t rule over his desire with love and then sin took over him. We may all have negative desires but as to whether they are conceived as sin or not will depend on us. Let Love lead.
Prayer_Bead: Loving Father, Ancient King, thank you for the knowledge you have made available to me through your word. I rule over every negative desires that crouches at the door of my heart. I live in love. Glory be to God.
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