God does not predict the future. He has already experienced it. (This truth was applied on the TV show "Fringe" to "The Observers," on the episode "Forced Perspective?")
I thought about this. The usual thoughts. Free will. God's sovereignty. Etc.
Conclusions?
Yes.
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He "predicted" the Apostle Peter's denial, and told Peter the prediction: that before a rooster crowed, Peter would deny Jesus three times. Peter denied the Lord's prediction of his denial. Was Peter destined to fulfill the prediction? I don't believe so.
I am free right now to type or stop typing. God has already experienced this. But I find no contradiction in God's experience because of the perfect intimacy in which God knows me. I see it like this.
God sees me, or "perceives my thoughts from afar," as David says in Psalms 139. Again, David says,
"You have searched me and known me. You know my going out and coming in....Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely."
To experience what I will say or think in the future is to experience the totality of what I am saying right now, and thus of what I said yesterday. In other words, who I am now expresses who I was and who I will be. If I am fixed in my intention, then you, the reader, are experiencing my future, right now, as I write. Yet God's experience of me is perfect, infinite, and eternal. What seems a prediction for you and me, being of time and space, is really perfect intimacy for God.
Of course I'm not saying I've got God all figured out, and that there is no mystery for me as far as the Deity goes. I'm saying I can "feel God" on the future thing, to a certain extent, though I can't explain it.
Let's go back to Peter. If Peter's wife, for example, heard Peter's conversation with the Lord that night, assuming she had an intimate knowledge of her husband, she could have said something like this,
"Peter, I feel like you have very good intentions, but I also get the feeling that you are not as resolved to die for Jesus as you think. In fact I get the feeling that if it came down to it, you might actually deny Jesus emphatically!"
Now Peter may have very well become angry with his wife's intuition, denying what she sensed with intensity.
Now apply this the Lord's perfect and intimate connection to Peter. I don't see it as Jesus "reading Peter's mind." I don't see this "looking into the future" thing that we do. I see Jesus knowing Peter perfectly, AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE ROOSTER THAT WOULD CROW THREE TIMES!
Intimate knowledge. Perfectly all knowing intimacy. Not this kind of scientific informational "fortune telling." God's omniscience encompasses the all knowingness of "predicting the future" with 100% accuracy, but I believe it is in the context of intimacy, not mere information.
What are you thinking?
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Why arguing is stupid
Why is arguing stupid?
Some love arguing. Some think arguing is healthy and necessary for intimacy.
This is my definition of arguing:
Verbal combat. Two or more who seek to verbally conquer another by force of will, emotion, or reason, words being the weapon.
How is this healthy or necessary?
Disagreement and discussion can be healthy and necessary. But forcing someone to listen is never necessary, healthy, or even intelligent.
Arguing is stupid because those who argue get locked in.
You've experienced it. You've done it. I've experienced it. I've done it.
It's easy to notice when others do it, a little harder when we do it. (But we DO know when we are doing it.)
You're arguing. A button has been pushed on an issue you refuse to budge on. There comes a point in the argument when you feel it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to interrupt the one who is arguing with or against you. You talk over her, BUT SHE WON'T STOP TALKING. You YELL. But he won't stop speaking! On and on he goes! She says the same things over and over again! He makes the same points over and over again!
He is LOCKED IN.
She is LOCKED IN.
NEITHER HE NOR SHE IS LISTENING, EVEN TO HIMSELF OR HERSELF!
When someone is locked in, listening, as a whole, as a reality or possibility, ceases. Mental, emotional, and volitional autopilot has kicked in. Why?
Have you ever seen one of those war movies where someone is taken captive? The one taken prisoner is tied up and about to be questioned. If he does not answer the questions asked, or give up information, he will be tortured. So the prisoner keeps saying his name, rank, and military numbers OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
LOCKED IN!
War.
Verbal combat.
Arguing.
Is the man listening to the one who is about to torture him? Absolutely not! Why?
Because he perceives torturer as an enemy, hell bent on taking his freedom and identity.
This is the mindset of verbal combat, of arguing.
The parent, sibling, spouse, or coworker is viewed as an enemy of your identity, hell bent on taking it. And at this moment, this view or opinion or line of reason DEFINES EVERYTHING YOU ARE! SO HELP YOU GOD IF YOU GIVE IN!
SO YOU LOCK IN!
LOCK AND LOAD!!!
It's so stupid! I hate it! It NEVER gets anywhere! Ever! I've never "won" an argument from locking in, and no one has ever "won" an argument when they locked in with me. Ever!
I hate talking over people, and when people talk over me. I hate when a person talks louder and louder, over and over, and I hate doing that. At that moment, I feel weak, not strong. I feel like I'm out of control, not like I'm in control.
It's so stupid!
I can feel how bad it feels to act like that, but I lock in nonetheless!
Pride!
I won't back down! I can't! After all, my very identity is at stake, right!
STUPID!
How do we keep from doing this, ever again?
I read something online that I found to be bordering on genius! It used the analogy of what is necessary for fires, the "fire triangle." Air, something to burn, something to ignite. Take any one of those away, and no fire can happen! Period. It can't!
Now, three things are necessary for "verbal combat"
1. A subject to disagree upon (One considered the very essence of who you are!)
2. An "arguer" (One willing and able to do verbal combat with you on an issue that is your very life!)
3. An "arguee" (One willing to argue back, self-defense if you will.)
Remove one of these, and verbal combat cannot happen. There won't be a motivation to get locked in.
(I can't find the article on arguing to link it. It's one of those articles you read, enjoy, but don't save as a favorite. It was a parenting article. If the one who wrote the article reads this, know that I am indebted to you. Tell me who you are in the comments!)
"But what about discussions?" some one may ask. How can we have healthy disagreements and discussions without getting locked in?
You know when you are about to lock in, or when a topic comes up that triggers you getting locked in. You can tell when someone else is about to lock in. (Now there are times when you stumble unintentionally upon a subject that locks someone in, or when someone does that to you. Either way, what I'm about to say applies.)
The key is our identity. Who are we, really? Are we the point we are trying to make in the argument at the moment? Is that really who we are?
ARE WE OUR "OPINIONS?"
This is a crucial question, especially for us Americans. We consider our identity to be our "liberties."
Freedom of speech
Freedom of expression
Freedom of religion
Freedom of opinion
We can say whatever we want.
No, wait, even better.
We have a RIGHT to say what we want.
No. Better still.
We have a GOD GIVEN RIGHT to think, feel, believe, and say WHATEVER WE WANT. Any one who tries to take these rights is an enemy who must be resisted. Right?
These are "spiritual thoughts," which means I will come to a spiritual solution to getting locked in. It is written,
In the exercise of (God's) will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. James 1:18-20 NASB
There it is people! What do we want?
Some love arguing. Some think arguing is healthy and necessary for intimacy.
This is my definition of arguing:
Verbal combat. Two or more who seek to verbally conquer another by force of will, emotion, or reason, words being the weapon.
How is this healthy or necessary?
Disagreement and discussion can be healthy and necessary. But forcing someone to listen is never necessary, healthy, or even intelligent.
Arguing is stupid because those who argue get locked in.
You've experienced it. You've done it. I've experienced it. I've done it.
It's easy to notice when others do it, a little harder when we do it. (But we DO know when we are doing it.)
You're arguing. A button has been pushed on an issue you refuse to budge on. There comes a point in the argument when you feel it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to interrupt the one who is arguing with or against you. You talk over her, BUT SHE WON'T STOP TALKING. You YELL. But he won't stop speaking! On and on he goes! She says the same things over and over again! He makes the same points over and over again!
He is LOCKED IN.
She is LOCKED IN.
NEITHER HE NOR SHE IS LISTENING, EVEN TO HIMSELF OR HERSELF!
When someone is locked in, listening, as a whole, as a reality or possibility, ceases. Mental, emotional, and volitional autopilot has kicked in. Why?
Have you ever seen one of those war movies where someone is taken captive? The one taken prisoner is tied up and about to be questioned. If he does not answer the questions asked, or give up information, he will be tortured. So the prisoner keeps saying his name, rank, and military numbers OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
LOCKED IN!
War.
Verbal combat.
Arguing.
Is the man listening to the one who is about to torture him? Absolutely not! Why?
Because he perceives torturer as an enemy, hell bent on taking his freedom and identity.
This is the mindset of verbal combat, of arguing.
The parent, sibling, spouse, or coworker is viewed as an enemy of your identity, hell bent on taking it. And at this moment, this view or opinion or line of reason DEFINES EVERYTHING YOU ARE! SO HELP YOU GOD IF YOU GIVE IN!
SO YOU LOCK IN!
LOCK AND LOAD!!!
It's so stupid! I hate it! It NEVER gets anywhere! Ever! I've never "won" an argument from locking in, and no one has ever "won" an argument when they locked in with me. Ever!
I hate talking over people, and when people talk over me. I hate when a person talks louder and louder, over and over, and I hate doing that. At that moment, I feel weak, not strong. I feel like I'm out of control, not like I'm in control.
It's so stupid!
I can feel how bad it feels to act like that, but I lock in nonetheless!
Pride!
I won't back down! I can't! After all, my very identity is at stake, right!
STUPID!
How do we keep from doing this, ever again?
I read something online that I found to be bordering on genius! It used the analogy of what is necessary for fires, the "fire triangle." Air, something to burn, something to ignite. Take any one of those away, and no fire can happen! Period. It can't!
Now, three things are necessary for "verbal combat"
1. A subject to disagree upon (One considered the very essence of who you are!)
2. An "arguer" (One willing and able to do verbal combat with you on an issue that is your very life!)
3. An "arguee" (One willing to argue back, self-defense if you will.)
Remove one of these, and verbal combat cannot happen. There won't be a motivation to get locked in.
(I can't find the article on arguing to link it. It's one of those articles you read, enjoy, but don't save as a favorite. It was a parenting article. If the one who wrote the article reads this, know that I am indebted to you. Tell me who you are in the comments!)
"But what about discussions?" some one may ask. How can we have healthy disagreements and discussions without getting locked in?
You know when you are about to lock in, or when a topic comes up that triggers you getting locked in. You can tell when someone else is about to lock in. (Now there are times when you stumble unintentionally upon a subject that locks someone in, or when someone does that to you. Either way, what I'm about to say applies.)
The key is our identity. Who are we, really? Are we the point we are trying to make in the argument at the moment? Is that really who we are?
ARE WE OUR "OPINIONS?"
This is a crucial question, especially for us Americans. We consider our identity to be our "liberties."
Freedom of speech
Freedom of expression
Freedom of religion
Freedom of opinion
We can say whatever we want.
No, wait, even better.
We have a RIGHT to say what we want.
No. Better still.
We have a GOD GIVEN RIGHT to think, feel, believe, and say WHATEVER WE WANT. Any one who tries to take these rights is an enemy who must be resisted. Right?
These are "spiritual thoughts," which means I will come to a spiritual solution to getting locked in. It is written,
In the exercise of (God's) will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. James 1:18-20 NASB
There it is people! What do we want?
The anger of man (expressed in defending our opinions)
OR
The righteousness of God (whether that agrees or disagrees with our opinions?)
I mean really.
Really.
What do we want when we are arguing?
We can deceive ourselves and say we want "the righteousness of God." But both parties will claim that as they are yelling over each other and not listening to each other, which shows that NEITHER party wants this, because God has said through His word to be "quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." THIS is what achieves the righteousness of God, NOT "the anger of man," expressed in verbal combat, in which we are quick to speak, slow to hear (if we hear at all,) and very quick to anger.
The way to stop getting locked in is to stop focusing on ourselves, our opinions, our "rights." We must deny ourselves, according to the Lord Jesus Christ, take up our crosses (which means rejection, suffering, and death) and follow Him. We give up our "liberties" and our so called "identities."
Easier said then done? Why? It is the first thing we are supposed to do when we accept the call to follow Jesus. When His disciples heard the words, "Follow me," they left their families and lives and did exactly that. Along the way they had to let go of many misconceptions about their Messiah and His mission, and Christ made no apologies about that. He didn't make it easy at times. But those who would truly follow Christ had to give up their lives for Him, literally.
Apply this to your favorite political candidate, if you have one. Or apply this to your denomination, if you are a part of one. Take a fundamental political or denominational view that you not only hold, but hold to intensely. Why do you hold to it so vehemently? Is it for Christ? Does Christ need you to argue for him, and to get locked in when you argue? Does Christ need you to defend YOUR candidate or YOUR denomination, keywords being YOURS? Do we ever read, "And Jesus yelled over the Pharisees while the Pharisees yelled over Him, until the Pharisees backed down?" No. We do read that Jesus silenced his enemies, and that "no one dared ask Him any more questions." (Luke 40:39-40) But how did He silence them? Yelling? Being locked in? Not listening any more and saying the same thing, over and over again, louder and louder? NO! He silenced them with truth! Spirit filled, Spirit led truth! This is how He silenced those who challenged Him. We are to follow His example.
But the reason Christ could be filled with and led by the Spirit in silencing His adversaries is found here:
The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He
who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who
works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is
nothing false about him.
John 7:15-18 NIV
The Lord Jesus did not speak on His own authority, or seek His own glory. He wasn't expressing His "opinions," nor did He ever seek to do so. He only did what He saw His Father doing, and He only said what His Father wanted Him to say, for His Father's glory, and not His own glory.
When we engage in verbal combat, we speak from our own authority, and for our own glory. As Americans, we speak from the authority of our so called liberty, and for the glory of our "independent" identity. And what is worse, is that we claim that God Himself wants this!
Arguing is stupid because it is based on a false reality, a false identity--a reality and identity that assumes we are the center. We should focus on the true reality--God's kingdom and glory, and our true identity--those who express God's kingdom and glory. When we do this, we may discuss or disagree, but we won't get locked in and refuse to listen.
May we never argue again.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
How to resist sexual temptation right now! (Part 4)
The Lord Jesus said that it is better to enter into heaven with one eye and one hand than to enter into hell with both eyes and hands. He said this in the context of violently and finally removing causes of sin--temptations.
Life and death are on the line. Heaven and hell is on the line.
It is written, "The fear of the Lord is to hate sin."
It is also written, "The fear of the Lord keeps you from sin."
Is she worth hell?
Is he worth the lake of fire?
These questions keep me from sin.
NO sexual temptation, no matter how truly gratifying, no matter how prolonged or intense or real, is worth eternal damnation and judgment. Surely the memory of adultery will be loathsome in hell. Surely the adulteress and the adulterer will hate each other in hell.
But Satan hides this, though he of all beings knows this truth better than anyone.
He gets us to focus on the temporal and ignore the eternal, the visible instead of the invisible, the tangible instead of the intangible, the physical instead of the spiritual, the mortal instead of the immortal.
He makes sin look and feel so good that it seems insatiable and irresistible. As I mentioned in the first article, in the context of sexual sin and temptation, the tempter makes the adulterer and adulteress seem irresistibly alluring. There will be something about him or her that the tempted will not be able to put their finger on. Yes, it may encompass physical beauty or sexuality, BUT IT VERY WELL MAY NOT. There may be NOTHING physically attractive about the person normally, but in this demonic situation, the temptation is undeniable. That hidden power of temptation is of Satan. It must be resisted spiritually through prayer and decree, directly. The tempted one must command Satan and the demons behind the temptation to leave them alone. Many times the feeling of the temptation will immediately lessen. Sometimes it must be resisted firmly until it does lessen.
Now Satan and demons wait for opportunity. They wait until you are already in a weakened spiritual or physical state, which is why Paul says to "be strong in the Lord and the power of His might." The almighty God never weakens or gets tired. If you and I are one with the Lord, then His almighty strength is at our disposal.
Temptations that are sexual are also spiritual. In scripture, many times, idolatry is called adultery. There is a connection. Those who sin sexually do so with their bodies, the temples of God. The body is a place of ecstasy and spirituality as well as physicality and sensuality. It is to be offered as a living sacrifice, and each body part is to be offered to God as an instrument and weapon of righteousness, according to the Apostle Paul. The sex act in marriage is therefore a supreme act of devotion between husband and wife, and between the couple and God. Life itself started on earth after, God created Adam and Eve, through the sex act. The only other life that didn't start this way is the life of Christ Himself. Sex is sacred.
The adulterer worships the adulteress with his body, and she worships him with her body. Satan loves this, for in this way, he and demons receive the worship they so crave. But as it is written,"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies, which are his."
Life and death are on the line. Heaven and hell is on the line.
It is written, "The fear of the Lord is to hate sin."
It is also written, "The fear of the Lord keeps you from sin."
Is she worth hell?
Is he worth the lake of fire?
These questions keep me from sin.
NO sexual temptation, no matter how truly gratifying, no matter how prolonged or intense or real, is worth eternal damnation and judgment. Surely the memory of adultery will be loathsome in hell. Surely the adulteress and the adulterer will hate each other in hell.
But Satan hides this, though he of all beings knows this truth better than anyone.
He gets us to focus on the temporal and ignore the eternal, the visible instead of the invisible, the tangible instead of the intangible, the physical instead of the spiritual, the mortal instead of the immortal.
He makes sin look and feel so good that it seems insatiable and irresistible. As I mentioned in the first article, in the context of sexual sin and temptation, the tempter makes the adulterer and adulteress seem irresistibly alluring. There will be something about him or her that the tempted will not be able to put their finger on. Yes, it may encompass physical beauty or sexuality, BUT IT VERY WELL MAY NOT. There may be NOTHING physically attractive about the person normally, but in this demonic situation, the temptation is undeniable. That hidden power of temptation is of Satan. It must be resisted spiritually through prayer and decree, directly. The tempted one must command Satan and the demons behind the temptation to leave them alone. Many times the feeling of the temptation will immediately lessen. Sometimes it must be resisted firmly until it does lessen.
Now Satan and demons wait for opportunity. They wait until you are already in a weakened spiritual or physical state, which is why Paul says to "be strong in the Lord and the power of His might." The almighty God never weakens or gets tired. If you and I are one with the Lord, then His almighty strength is at our disposal.
Temptations that are sexual are also spiritual. In scripture, many times, idolatry is called adultery. There is a connection. Those who sin sexually do so with their bodies, the temples of God. The body is a place of ecstasy and spirituality as well as physicality and sensuality. It is to be offered as a living sacrifice, and each body part is to be offered to God as an instrument and weapon of righteousness, according to the Apostle Paul. The sex act in marriage is therefore a supreme act of devotion between husband and wife, and between the couple and God. Life itself started on earth after, God created Adam and Eve, through the sex act. The only other life that didn't start this way is the life of Christ Himself. Sex is sacred.
The adulterer worships the adulteress with his body, and she worships him with her body. Satan loves this, for in this way, he and demons receive the worship they so crave. But as it is written,"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies, which are his."
How to resist sexual tempation now! (Part 3)
Imagination is the realm of sexual temptation. Pornography is fueled by fantasy. In the imaginary is infinity, according to our enemy. In your mind you can do whatever you want, be with whomever you want, and have whatever you want. No man or woman can resist you or refuse you. You can do whatever you want to him or her, and he or she will do whatever ever you want him or her to do.
In your mind, you are God.
In your mind, your are Goddess.
Notice.
The mind is the realm that determines whether one is spiritual or fleshly. The mindset. As it is written, "Those who live in accordance with the flesh set their minds on what the flesh desires. Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires."
I've noticed that in times when I let my mind aimlessly drift, I am most easily tempted, sooner or later. But when I focus my mind on spiritual things, I have spiritual feelings and spiritual satisfaction, like I have now as I write. It is written,
"Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, think about these things."
Notice that Paul makes a list without specifying exactly which thing on the list should be focused on. In other words, as Paul also said, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
We are free to think about whatever spiritual thing we want, whatever interests us, whatever motivates us, whatever we like.
When I do this, I am free from the imaginations that result in sexual temptations. When I don't, I fall, sooner or later, into sinful imaginations. As it is written,
"Those who live in accordance with the flesh set their minds on what the flesh desires. Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires."
Mindset is a choice.
One of the best definitions of mindset I've ever read is on dictionary.com. It defines mindset as a fixed mental disposition that predetermines interpretations and responses to situations. Fixed. Predetermined. Interpretations. Responses. Situations.
So, the spiritual mindset focuses on, interprets, and responds to situations spiritually. Truth is a spiritual thing, for example. The mindset of truth focuses on truth. It's interpretation of situations is true. It's response to situations is true.
But if I am focused on what my flesh desires, living for the fulfillment of those desires, then my entire life will be directed by this passion. It is up to me.
It is up to you.
Your mind is indeed your mind. You can focus it, or refocus it, or refuse to focus it, on whatever you want. To resist the temptation you may be facing right now is to turn your mind from the object of imagination that is the source of temptation, and to turn your eyes and head and body away as well. In the grocery store, for example, I turn magazines over so that I can't see scantily clad women when I'm just trying to buy groceries. I often take a spiritual book with me s0 that I can read while I wait in line. If no scantily clad woman is before my eyes, I feel no passion being aroused. This is obvious. As said before, objects are the source of emotion or passion. Whatever is focused on with the will has a corresponding emotion. If I look at the scantily clad woman on the magazine, I will feel attracted. If I don't look at her and focus on a spiritual topic in a book I am reading, I will feel the feelings associated with the topic. Spiritual focus results in spiritual feelings. Physical focus results in physical feelings. The decision to have a spiritual mindset must be made before going to the grocery store, not at the store, or in the line. This is important. If I am unfocused and unaware, I am prey for the devil. As it is written, "Be self-controlled, be watchful, because your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing what you are experiencing." (My partial paraphrase.)
Another important point to make is this one: moment by moment spirituality is all that is necessary. In other words, as C.S. Lewis wisely states, God only promises grace for right now, the present moment, the daily bread. So don't focus on 21 days. Focus on now. Right now. The temptation you face right now. The mindset of resistance right now. Decide NOW what your mindset is, and thus you decide what your mindset will be when temptation comes.
Jesus said, in so many words, do whatever it takes to resist, no matter how painful or inconvenient. Cutting off a hand and plucking out an eye is as painful and inconvenient as it can get. Jesus said to do this if the right eye or right hand causes sin. He made this a matter of life and death, of heaven and hell. A matter of eternity. A matter of spirituality.
In your mind, you are God.
In your mind, your are Goddess.
Notice.
The mind is the realm that determines whether one is spiritual or fleshly. The mindset. As it is written, "Those who live in accordance with the flesh set their minds on what the flesh desires. Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires."
I've noticed that in times when I let my mind aimlessly drift, I am most easily tempted, sooner or later. But when I focus my mind on spiritual things, I have spiritual feelings and spiritual satisfaction, like I have now as I write. It is written,
"Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, think about these things."
Notice that Paul makes a list without specifying exactly which thing on the list should be focused on. In other words, as Paul also said, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
We are free to think about whatever spiritual thing we want, whatever interests us, whatever motivates us, whatever we like.
When I do this, I am free from the imaginations that result in sexual temptations. When I don't, I fall, sooner or later, into sinful imaginations. As it is written,
"Those who live in accordance with the flesh set their minds on what the flesh desires. Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires."
Mindset is a choice.
One of the best definitions of mindset I've ever read is on dictionary.com. It defines mindset as a fixed mental disposition that predetermines interpretations and responses to situations. Fixed. Predetermined. Interpretations. Responses. Situations.
So, the spiritual mindset focuses on, interprets, and responds to situations spiritually. Truth is a spiritual thing, for example. The mindset of truth focuses on truth. It's interpretation of situations is true. It's response to situations is true.
But if I am focused on what my flesh desires, living for the fulfillment of those desires, then my entire life will be directed by this passion. It is up to me.
It is up to you.
Your mind is indeed your mind. You can focus it, or refocus it, or refuse to focus it, on whatever you want. To resist the temptation you may be facing right now is to turn your mind from the object of imagination that is the source of temptation, and to turn your eyes and head and body away as well. In the grocery store, for example, I turn magazines over so that I can't see scantily clad women when I'm just trying to buy groceries. I often take a spiritual book with me s0 that I can read while I wait in line. If no scantily clad woman is before my eyes, I feel no passion being aroused. This is obvious. As said before, objects are the source of emotion or passion. Whatever is focused on with the will has a corresponding emotion. If I look at the scantily clad woman on the magazine, I will feel attracted. If I don't look at her and focus on a spiritual topic in a book I am reading, I will feel the feelings associated with the topic. Spiritual focus results in spiritual feelings. Physical focus results in physical feelings. The decision to have a spiritual mindset must be made before going to the grocery store, not at the store, or in the line. This is important. If I am unfocused and unaware, I am prey for the devil. As it is written, "Be self-controlled, be watchful, because your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing what you are experiencing." (My partial paraphrase.)
Another important point to make is this one: moment by moment spirituality is all that is necessary. In other words, as C.S. Lewis wisely states, God only promises grace for right now, the present moment, the daily bread. So don't focus on 21 days. Focus on now. Right now. The temptation you face right now. The mindset of resistance right now. Decide NOW what your mindset is, and thus you decide what your mindset will be when temptation comes.
Jesus said, in so many words, do whatever it takes to resist, no matter how painful or inconvenient. Cutting off a hand and plucking out an eye is as painful and inconvenient as it can get. Jesus said to do this if the right eye or right hand causes sin. He made this a matter of life and death, of heaven and hell. A matter of eternity. A matter of spirituality.
How to resist sexual temptation now! (Part 2)
I started with a brief solution to the problem of present tense sexual temptation--for those who are being tempted right now! I explored spirit, soul, and body as sources of temptation, in that order. I will now reverse the order: body , soul, and spirit.
After all, sex is about the body, though not only the body. It is physical. It is sensual.
Let's start where it starts: physical attraction.
The word of God is very practical in this way. The first example I know of in scripture dealing with the successful resistance of very real and present sexual temptation is in the story of Joseph. Joseph was a handsome and well built young man. Potiphar, an Egyptian ruler, had a wife who was very sexually attracted to Joseph. She made it plain. "Lie with me!" Her words can be put two other ways: "Sleep with me," or more directly, "Have sex with me!" The temptation can't get plainer than that. How did Joseph resist?
He refused.
Pay close attention to that.
There is nothing mysterious or "spiritual" about what he did. He said, and meant, "no!" Why? Because of the goodness of God in his life, and the vileness of the sin of dishonoring God's goodness.
The goodness of God.
The vileness of dishonoring God's goodness.
These two things fueled the Joseph's resistance.
Potiphar's wife tempted him over and over again. And over and over again, Joseph resisted her. He refused to have sex with her or even to be with her. He refused the act, and the opportunity for the act, based upon his honor of God's goodness to him.
Paul said that the Old Testament was written that we may learn from the examples given. Joseph was a man. Potiphar's wife was a woman. In the last temptation Joseph experienced, he ran! As it is written, "Flee sexual immorality." Potiphar's wife would not take "no" for an answer. But Joseph would not change "no" as his answer. She accused Joseph of attempted rape, and Joseph was sentenced to life in an Egyptian dungeon prison. God was with Joseph and rescued him, exalting him as ruler over Egypt, second to Pharaoh alone.
So, how do you resist temptation now?
Refuse.
Refuse to yield.
Refuse to commit the sinful sexual act, or to even allow an opportunity for the act to occur.
Refuse based upon the goodness of God in your life, and how evil it would be to sin in this way.
If you are married, look at God's goodness in giving you a wife or husband. So many are single and want exactly, and even literally, what you have. Some want your husband or your wife. If that doesn't motivate you to be faithful, not much will. How terrible is it to imagine your wife or husband committing adultery, and enjoying it? Isn't' that a nightmarishly horrifying thought? Would you want to bring about this nightmare for your wife or husband, the only one who committed to you, who said "I do" for all of this time? Even if you haven't been married long, you chose to marry this person for a reason. Honor that reason.
If you are unmarried, look at the goodness of God in giving marriage, and sex in marriage. He gives a guarantee of intimacy, physically and spiritually. Fornication and adultery come with no guarantee. Quite the opposite. Can you trust and adulterer or adulteress. By definition, it is certain that you cannot! And fornication, by definition, is no different. The essence of fornication is a lack of commitment. No strings attached. Friendship with "benefits."
But is there really a benefit in commitmentless sex? I mean really? On the surface, the pleasure without the drama of committed relationship seems enticing. But who doesn't want the guarantee of intimacy that comes with marriage? Do boyfriends and girlfriends and partners have this guarantee? Some would say they do. So be it. This is a commitment, and in essence a marriage. There is an assumed promise of faithfulness and exclusiveness. Thus boyfriends and girlfriends think of unfaithfulness as "cheating." (For those who may not know the difference between adultery and fornication, adultery is when a married person has sex outside of his or her marriage, while fornication is sex between two unmarried people.)
Whether married or unmarried, temptation, and situations of temptation, can be flatly refused. God's goodness motivates this, in marriage and outside of marriage. Let God's goodness motivate you to resist, and to enjoy the spouse he gave you, or wait for the spouse he will give you. While you wait, if you are waiting, God makes a way for you to bear your desires. We'll talk more about this later.
After all, sex is about the body, though not only the body. It is physical. It is sensual.
Let's start where it starts: physical attraction.
The word of God is very practical in this way. The first example I know of in scripture dealing with the successful resistance of very real and present sexual temptation is in the story of Joseph. Joseph was a handsome and well built young man. Potiphar, an Egyptian ruler, had a wife who was very sexually attracted to Joseph. She made it plain. "Lie with me!" Her words can be put two other ways: "Sleep with me," or more directly, "Have sex with me!" The temptation can't get plainer than that. How did Joseph resist?
He refused.
Pay close attention to that.
There is nothing mysterious or "spiritual" about what he did. He said, and meant, "no!" Why? Because of the goodness of God in his life, and the vileness of the sin of dishonoring God's goodness.
The goodness of God.
The vileness of dishonoring God's goodness.
These two things fueled the Joseph's resistance.
Potiphar's wife tempted him over and over again. And over and over again, Joseph resisted her. He refused to have sex with her or even to be with her. He refused the act, and the opportunity for the act, based upon his honor of God's goodness to him.
Paul said that the Old Testament was written that we may learn from the examples given. Joseph was a man. Potiphar's wife was a woman. In the last temptation Joseph experienced, he ran! As it is written, "Flee sexual immorality." Potiphar's wife would not take "no" for an answer. But Joseph would not change "no" as his answer. She accused Joseph of attempted rape, and Joseph was sentenced to life in an Egyptian dungeon prison. God was with Joseph and rescued him, exalting him as ruler over Egypt, second to Pharaoh alone.
So, how do you resist temptation now?
Refuse.
Refuse to yield.
Refuse to commit the sinful sexual act, or to even allow an opportunity for the act to occur.
Refuse based upon the goodness of God in your life, and how evil it would be to sin in this way.
If you are married, look at God's goodness in giving you a wife or husband. So many are single and want exactly, and even literally, what you have. Some want your husband or your wife. If that doesn't motivate you to be faithful, not much will. How terrible is it to imagine your wife or husband committing adultery, and enjoying it? Isn't' that a nightmarishly horrifying thought? Would you want to bring about this nightmare for your wife or husband, the only one who committed to you, who said "I do" for all of this time? Even if you haven't been married long, you chose to marry this person for a reason. Honor that reason.
If you are unmarried, look at the goodness of God in giving marriage, and sex in marriage. He gives a guarantee of intimacy, physically and spiritually. Fornication and adultery come with no guarantee. Quite the opposite. Can you trust and adulterer or adulteress. By definition, it is certain that you cannot! And fornication, by definition, is no different. The essence of fornication is a lack of commitment. No strings attached. Friendship with "benefits."
But is there really a benefit in commitmentless sex? I mean really? On the surface, the pleasure without the drama of committed relationship seems enticing. But who doesn't want the guarantee of intimacy that comes with marriage? Do boyfriends and girlfriends and partners have this guarantee? Some would say they do. So be it. This is a commitment, and in essence a marriage. There is an assumed promise of faithfulness and exclusiveness. Thus boyfriends and girlfriends think of unfaithfulness as "cheating." (For those who may not know the difference between adultery and fornication, adultery is when a married person has sex outside of his or her marriage, while fornication is sex between two unmarried people.)
Whether married or unmarried, temptation, and situations of temptation, can be flatly refused. God's goodness motivates this, in marriage and outside of marriage. Let God's goodness motivate you to resist, and to enjoy the spouse he gave you, or wait for the spouse he will give you. While you wait, if you are waiting, God makes a way for you to bear your desires. We'll talk more about this later.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
How to resist sexual temptation now!
How do we resist the sexual temptations that we are experiencing right now? I'll give a quick answer, then a detailed answer in other posts. After all, we need the answer NOW! Here are three scriptures that give the answers:
1. Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. (Resist spiritual temptation.)
2. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. Those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Resist mental and emotional temptation.)
3. Flee sexual immorality! (Resist physical temptation.)
That is the very quick answer. Now I'll give very brief elaboration on the quick answers.
Temptation is spiritual, soulical, and physical. The spirit is the part of us that experiences God and angels, Satan and demons, and the spirits of other humans. It's the realm of intuition, dreams, "vibes," gut feelings.
A spiritual sexual temptation is invisible, intangible, inaudible, and feels insatiable and irresistible. It will have such power that one feels like one CANNOT resist. One CANNOT STOP THINKING about the temptation, the tempter, or the temptress. You feel like you are going to explode with passion. But you can't quite put your finger on exactly why. Yes, the person or situation is arousing, but there is something about the strength of the arousal that eludes you. This is demonic. The essence of every temptation is the submission of or resistance of the will. So with the will, one submits to the Spirit of God, and resists the demonic spirits behind the sexual temptation.
The soul is the realm of mind/imagination, emotions/passion, and will/volitions. If we set our minds on sex, letting sexual desire fuel the purpose of our lives, then temptation will defeat us. If we live to gratify sexual desires (or any physical desires for that matter,) we won't be able to resist. This is why we must set our minds on spiritual things/objects/subjects. Objects create emotions/passions. If you focus on a pleasing physical object, you will feel a corresponding pleasing feelings. A sunset arouses emotions that correspond to seeing a sunset. But if you focus on something a person said that was disrespectful, then you feel angry. The disrespectful person is the object that arouses displeasing feelings.
This is true for spiritual things as well as physical things. If you focus on spiritual things, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness, you will feel corresponding spiritual feelings. We feel what we think about. We act upon what we focus upon.
Physically, it is as simple as not looking or touching or being in the same vicinity. This is what "flee sexual immorality" means. It means to remove yourself from a situation where sexual temptation is even possible, let alone the actual sexual act. If you are never in the same place as the tempter or temptress, then you cannot see them, smell them, feel them, or be tempted by them in the first place. Now of course there are situations where avoidance is difficult. BUT IT WON'T BE IMPOSSIBLE.
So again.
1. Resist spiritual temptation by prayer.
2. Resist mental/emotional temptation by spiritual focus of the mind by the will.
3. Resist physical temptation by staying completely out of and far away from sexual temptation.
More to come......
1. Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. (Resist spiritual temptation.)
2. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. Those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Resist mental and emotional temptation.)
3. Flee sexual immorality! (Resist physical temptation.)
That is the very quick answer. Now I'll give very brief elaboration on the quick answers.
Temptation is spiritual, soulical, and physical. The spirit is the part of us that experiences God and angels, Satan and demons, and the spirits of other humans. It's the realm of intuition, dreams, "vibes," gut feelings.
A spiritual sexual temptation is invisible, intangible, inaudible, and feels insatiable and irresistible. It will have such power that one feels like one CANNOT resist. One CANNOT STOP THINKING about the temptation, the tempter, or the temptress. You feel like you are going to explode with passion. But you can't quite put your finger on exactly why. Yes, the person or situation is arousing, but there is something about the strength of the arousal that eludes you. This is demonic. The essence of every temptation is the submission of or resistance of the will. So with the will, one submits to the Spirit of God, and resists the demonic spirits behind the sexual temptation.
The soul is the realm of mind/imagination, emotions/passion, and will/volitions. If we set our minds on sex, letting sexual desire fuel the purpose of our lives, then temptation will defeat us. If we live to gratify sexual desires (or any physical desires for that matter,) we won't be able to resist. This is why we must set our minds on spiritual things/objects/subjects. Objects create emotions/passions. If you focus on a pleasing physical object, you will feel a corresponding pleasing feelings. A sunset arouses emotions that correspond to seeing a sunset. But if you focus on something a person said that was disrespectful, then you feel angry. The disrespectful person is the object that arouses displeasing feelings.
This is true for spiritual things as well as physical things. If you focus on spiritual things, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness, you will feel corresponding spiritual feelings. We feel what we think about. We act upon what we focus upon.
Physically, it is as simple as not looking or touching or being in the same vicinity. This is what "flee sexual immorality" means. It means to remove yourself from a situation where sexual temptation is even possible, let alone the actual sexual act. If you are never in the same place as the tempter or temptress, then you cannot see them, smell them, feel them, or be tempted by them in the first place. Now of course there are situations where avoidance is difficult. BUT IT WON'T BE IMPOSSIBLE.
So again.
1. Resist spiritual temptation by prayer.
2. Resist mental/emotional temptation by spiritual focus of the mind by the will.
3. Resist physical temptation by staying completely out of and far away from sexual temptation.
More to come......
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