Eve deceived: The heart of the matter, is the heart

Believers who think they can't be deceived, already are! I mean why would the Bible tell us not to be deceived if it were not possible (Galatians 6:7)? Actually, deception and unbelief are connected, and are both matters of the heart. Hebrews 3:12, 13 reads “Make sure that you do not have an evil unbelieving heart, so that you will not be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” It startled me to learn that God regards unbelief as evil. But Eve's unbelieving heart (her mind and emotions) lead her into deception and disobedience (Genesis 3:1-6, 13; 2 Corinthians 11:3). Sin was thus introduced sin into humanity, and escalated exponentially from there (Genesis 4ff). “Sin’s deceitfulness” is about rationalization. I mean if we want to do something, we'll find a thousand reasons to do it. It's called self deception. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt!

And it is a heart matter! Jesus put is this way, evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander, all these originate in the heart (Matthew 15:19). Brian researcher Dr. Caroline Leaf, has shown that every thought has an emotion attached to it, and that persistent or obsessive thoughts carve out neural pathways in the brain. Positively neural pathways facilitate learning skills, such as reading, or playing a musical instrument. Negatively they form, and reinforce, addictions. Our thought life matters, for it is self evidently true that thoughts lead to actions, actions lead to habits, habits form character, and character reaps destiny. And the reason Jesus tells us that looking at a woman lustfully is the same as committing adultery (Matthew 5:28), is because adultery starts in the heart. Who would have known the Bible understood all these things thousands of years ago?

But who hasn't had lustful thoughts? Well this is where the disciplines of the normal Christian life come in. The normal Christian life is that which was lived by the first disciples who were willing to die for their faith, but I digress! Our thought life matters, and we need to deal radically with it, to cut these negative thoughts off at the source, nip them in the bud. In fact we are commanded to guard our hearts diligently, and as indicated above, it is because it is the place from which issues of life flow (Proverbs 4:23). Recognizing the problem, Paul talks about crucifying the sinful nature with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). We will not be spiritually mature if we do not learn to do this. It is a process, at least it is for me, and it involves setting our minds and hearts on the things above (Colossians 3:2).  It involves, with the help of the Spirt, putting to death the misdeeds of the body (Romans 8:13). And it involves bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). If all this seems too much, consider that if He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all!

 Father, Your Word is living and powerful, and sharper than any double edged sword. It discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). So let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight oh Lord (Psalm 19:14). Please  help us to hide Your Word in our hearts, so that we might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11). Truly the heart of the matter is the heart. With Your help Lord, we commit to keep it with all diligence, in Jesus Name Amen

“You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4): Tempting lies

This lie was a direct contradiction of God (Genesis 2:17). We tell ourselves lies too, or we believe the Serpent's lies, because we want to do, what we want to do. As an unbeliever, I knew what I was doing was wrong. But I either didn't know, or didn't care (until I did), that bad choices have bad consequences. It's the law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7). But I kept bumping up against the reality that “sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15). It certainly felt like death!

In the end the choice is simple, we either choose life, or we choose death (Deuteronomy 30:19). But the Serpent is a deceiver, and he uses doubt and temptation as a kind of pincer movement on our senses (Genesis 3:4, 5). We can choose what we want, but we cannot choose the consequences of our choices. We might try, even denying the pain. In the end however, the pain is prolonged, and we end up suffering even more. But as with the prodigal son, the consequences are there to bring us out of the lies, into our right mind, and into the arms of the Father (Luke 15:17-20). Like the prodigal son, many of us we were not willing to change until we reached the place where the pain of the consequences became greater than the fear and pain of change.

James explains that we are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed (James 1:14). But drawn away from what? Well, sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). So then, first and foremost what we drawn away from, is relationship with Him, whom to know is life eternal (John 17:3). And the lies and the enticement also draw us away from both freedom and truth. This is because truth is suppressed in unrighteousness, and it is only the truth at sets us free (Romans 1:18; John 8:32). Finally, we are drawn away from the protection of obedience, and from the wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord (Galatians 6:7; Psalm 111:10).

Now there has to be something attractive about sin that entices us (entraps, catches us, as with fish bait), or we would not be tempted. Few of us are tempted to eat dirt! So let's not pretend there's no pleasure in sin. It is however fleeting, lasting only for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Since Jesus was tempted, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15), being tempted, in and of itself, is not sin. Unless checked however, it leads to the next stage, namely that “desire conceives and then gives birth to sin” (James 1:15).  How many of us flirt with the darkness? When we do so, emotions are aroused, as in our imagination we contemplate the delight of what it would be like. This is so dangerous! In terms of sexual fantasy, Jesus tells that we have already committed adultery in our hearts (Matthew 5:28). In fact, the best way to deal with temptation, is to immediately nip these thoughts in the bud, taking them captive, and replacing them with pure thoughts (2 Corinthian 10:5; Philippians 4:8).

Father, we thought that doing what we wanted was freedom. Only later to learn that the one who sins is addicted to sin. And true freedom is found in continuing in Your word, meditating on it and obeying it (John 8:31-34 AMPC). True freedom is being able to choose to not do what harms us. Thank You for these truths Lord, in Jesus Name Amen