Lose an eye?

I heard a story the other day about a father who was taking his two sons to a ball game and had to go through a very seedy part of town. There were prostitutes on virtually every corner and they were so scantily clad that the father who was a Sunday School teacher was embarrassed to no end and worried about exposing his two boys to such evil. He told his two sons to quickly cover their eyes because the Lord would take away their sight if they viewed the evil in their midst. The boys quickly put their hands over their eyes. After a few moments, the younger brother peeked at his older brother and saw that he had uncovered one eye and was viewing everything he could with his uncovered eye. The younger brother whispered, “Aren’t you afraid you will lose your sight?” The older brother whispered back, “Yes but I thought I would take a chance on one eye.”

As we move through life we are constantly tempted. A common misconception that I have heard is that God tempts us to test what we will do in certain situations. The Bible tells us that temptation does not come from God, rather it comes from our own evil desires. It further states that God provides an escape route in which to resist the temptation. If we choose not to take it and succumb to it, sin is born.

Sin has all kinds of consequences including death. Whether we take the escape route or take the risk is all part of having a free will. Make no mistake about it, temptation comes at a price. The consequences of sin are severe. The HIV virus and other venereal diseases are one reward of those who fall to sex temptation. Alcohol consumption can lead to one’s arrest, a dysfunctional family life, loss of job, failed liver. There are consequences for every sin including lying, stealing, coveting, pride, you name it.

Yes we have a free will. God wants us to live a righteous life and He knows that if we will obey His commands and live a righteous life, we will have peace and joy in our lives. Satan wants us to do as he does and break God’s laws. He above all other of God’s creatures well knows the consequences. He was created as a “beautiful” angel of light, the most powerful of God’s creation. His pride resulted in a fall that is so radical it is beyond our comprehension. He will suffer mightily for eternity because of his disobedience of almighty God. Although we can never be perfect on this earth, the closer we can come to following God’s commands and when tempted, look hard for and take the escape route that God has provided for us, the happier we will be.

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James 1:13
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.