Lust is generally in scripture spoken of as an evil desire. This was the desire which led Eve to commit that treacherous sin which would bring about a curse on creation. Genesis 3:6 'So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate'. Here we see Eve lusting after that which was forbidden and because she did not put a lock on her desires it overwhelmed her and thus she was unable to resist and her only choice was to satisfy her cravings and after to tempt her husband by telling him of how sweet and delicious it is. Lust is by nature deceiving, it first appears to the mind to be sweet and innocent, it gives the soul a taste of satisfaction but its end is to ruin whoever eats at her table. God had clearly given Adam a warning which He passed on to His wife Eve that if you eat of this tree you shall surely die. Since God never lies it remains in the absolute certainty that if Adam and Eve should eat of the fruit of the tree then the curse would come to pass. Despite having this knowledge of the great disadvantage of eating of the fruit of the tree, yet in the hour when lust doeth her work she manages to raise a positive conclusion that eating of this tree would make Eve better off. Eve’s eyes are fixated upon the fruit of the tree and where she a wiser woman she would have heeded the command found in scripture ‘Flee from immorality’, because as long as her eyes are set upon the fruit of the tree she is more and more enslaved to it. Eve should have fled, first to Adam and both to God to tell God of how the serpent had tried to tempt them. If both had taken this course of action, how different would the story of humanity be my dear reader. But Eve lingered her gaze and with each passing minute lust had completed her work in her. She is no longer able to resist after being persuaded that eating of this fruit is entirely to her benefit for she now affirmed decisively in her heart that the tree was good for food, and able to make one wise. Lust had completed her work and as she ate it Lust delayed her poisonous effect until she had passed it on to Adam who foolishly committed the same crime. They both along with all of humanity reaped the consequences of their actions namely death. Lust is a general evil which is found in every heart, it entices and promotes false images of lasting satisfaction and all men except one has fallen for her traps. She is to be avoided and the chief way in avoiding her is to flee to Christ. Some have been foolish in thinking that if they just flee lust and rest in solitude far away from the besetting temptation that they are fine and free; but lust is wise and deceitful. She is already disguised in another form and those who flee from one lust are simply running to another unless they flee to Christ. Christ is the only remedy in destroying lust for the satisfaction he offers is not temporary but lasting – it is stronger and wilder and will quench all of the thirst of the human soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment