Suggested by: RLC
One of my favorite sayings in the past was, :"I can resist anything but temptation?" I steer away from such statements now because I attempt to take temptation very seriously. Unfortunately, though, I have heard many statements made in the Christian community implying that temptation is a necessary part of being human; and we shouldn't be overly concerned when we are tempted as long as we do not act on it. Is this really a good and healthy way to view temptation?
What is it that makes any thing or situation a temptation? First we must believe that it is wrong based on what we are taught or may have read in Scripture (an intellectual understanding--masculine aspect). Secondly, a life in us views the thing we recognize to be wrong as desirable (a feminine aspect). Thirdly, we intellectually recognize the conflict between what we know intellectually to be wrong and what we desire. If we actually fulfill the third factor in temptation, then temptation is really an opportunity to grow spiritually.
Growing spiritually is the process of bringing the masculine and feminine aspects of our being into harmony. Essentially, the life in us does not desire anything that we intellectually recognize as harmful or wrong. With this state of being, there is no temptation. Please realize that the masculine aspect of our being cannot be tempted because it is without feeling. It only interprets and grows in understanding of the laws of the manifestation reality. Something works or doesn't work as expected. If it doesn't work, why? If it does work, why? Once all the factors involved in why something does or does not work is properly interpreted, the laws of the manifestation reality that make it work or not work are understood. Where the temptation lies should, therefore, be obvious.
Just not acting on the temptation does not change the life in us. The temptation is actually a mental picturing of the results we desire and the satisfaction we will have when we obtain what we desire. Therefore, this mental picturing can "feed" the incorrect life in us until it is strong enough to make us act on it and manifest what we desire--commit what we see as sin. The only way to change the life in us to be so committed to the correct purpose that we find anything that doesn't support that purpose as worthless and place high value on anything that does support it. If anything is worthless to us, we will not dwell on it in anyway. We will only recognize it for what it is intellectually.
Consider what a drug addict may go through. To feed their habit, they may lie, steal, cheat on a spouse, and do many other things that they intellectually recognize as wrong or harmful. Therefore, their masculine and feminine aspects are continuously in a state of disharmony. There will not be change in the life in them, though, until their situation becomes so undesirable that the feminine aspect begins desiring change. Their full recovery will depend entirely on the level of the desire to change. If it is only a weak desire, then they are likely to return to the old ways as soon as things improve enough that they feel they can control the habit without succumbing to it. As the desire to be drug-free increases, the desire to use drugs will decrease accordingly.
We could go on cataloging many such human flaws, but they all occur because at some point in time something wrong was experienced by mental picturing or physical acts either innocently or on purpose to create a life in us that then desires that situation or thing. For recovery it is necessary for that life to die and be replaced with a life that only desires what is good and correct in various living situations.
We do see in our world today several activist groups that prefer changing the law of the land to support the practice of life styles that are really weakening factors in the unity of Mankind. Anytime any life style replaces a life style that is necessary to the strength of any society, that life style is completely wrong--not just partially wrong. When you consider that there is always one best way in all possible areas making a society as strong as it can be, then anything but the best way is unacceptable except as a temporary step on the path toward the best way. If even one person decides to practice a life style that is not the best, then that society is weakened accordingly. When we legitimize wrongness, we are only condemning those practicing such life styles to more and more suffering--or even the eventual loss of their souls. Legitimization is one way to by-pass the opportunity to change because the consciousness of error (resulting in temptation) may be eliminated in the manifestation reality. Legitimizing anything as right in the manifestation reality when it is wrong in the spiritual reality is very dangerous indeed. The manifestation reality is destined to be in harmony with the spiritual reality--i.e. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" If we desire to be a part of that harmony, then neither should we quietly sit by while the legitimizing process is occurring. We are not necessarily safe just because we are not practicing the life style ourselves. Is there anything we can do to make even a little difference? Most likely there was and is; and it may mean voting against a politician who would help us financially. Moral issues are permanent while financial issues are temporary.
Observe how those who want to legitimize improper life styles focus on getting judges elected who support their view. This is all part of the legitimizing process, but it also means that we should take every opportunity to do our part to prevent the electing of such judges. Unfortunately, politics does play a part in the morals of any society. If the laws of society say an evil is okay, many of the children in our future are more likely to accept that life style as okay. Slowly over many years what is evil becomes the way it is and normal. Compare movies of several years ago with those produced today to see one illustration of this fact.
To become sensitive to what is happening in our society that works against the "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" we must first be sensitive to our thoughts and any temptations that occur. As we grow spiritually, so will we become more capable of discerning the finer points of good and evil and what can be done to correct it.
If you have a question you would like to offer, please e-mail us at admin@bibleseek.com. We will give you credit in the following manner if you provide the information: First Initial, Last Initial, City, and State. Once e-mailed to us, we have the right to use it as we please as long as we give you credit as shown.
Return to Other Resources Page
| Reality Learning Center admin@bibleseek.com |