I was tempted… No it was just me!

1 John 2: ¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

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Aw man! “Do I have to talk about lust today” I thought to myself. I mean I have a good excuse for my lusts so I’m quite justified in my actions right? Wrong! Yes as a child I stumbled onto pornography and in college women approached me and after college I made enough money to buy nice things and want more and when I was wrong I didn’t need to admit it because I’m always right! Whew!

It’s not my fault these things popped in front of me. You know who I blame, Satan. Yeah, he tempted me into looking at women and ogling over them. He was the one who put all these nice things in front of me so I would crave the best. He made me like power and control right? Uh, maybe it wasn’t him.

• I was born with the lust of the flesh which is a visual sexual lust.
• I was born with the lust of the eyes which is a material lust.
• I was born with the pride of life which is a power and control lust.

My sin is “my sin.” I can try to blame Satan for tempting me, but believe it or not, I always have a choice. I can try to blame my parents and I can try to blame society, but when it comes down to it, I have the choice to follow GOD’s ways or “my” ways.

The “world” offers many sensual pleasures that go against GOD.

• When I love what the world offers, I quickly forget GOD’s rules.
• When I love what the world offers, I try to ignore learning about GOD.
• When I love what the world offers, I don’t want to hear about consequences so I can continue in my lust.
• When I love what the world offers, I try to justify my sin and blame it on someone or something else.

Lust is a nasty sticky gooey gross sin that seems to permeate my soul. I know John wrote this passage, but Paul said it best. “When I want to do good, I sin and do the things I don’t want to do.” Who can save me from this sin? JESUS!

JESUS saved me from my lusts and gave me a purpose and a focus. Yes my lusts flare up now and then because I’m selfish, but now I know a center I can always return to and be forgiven.

• What are your lusts?
• Are you prideful with your words, in other words do your conversations have “me” and “my” in them most of the time?
• Do you desire the next gadget, better clothes, nicer car, bigger home or more money?
• Are your thoughts sexually pure or are you ogling over a person or pornography?