Warning against Enticement
Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
As a believer in Christ, we have a new identity, a new nature and a new association which distinct us from the forms and patterns of this world. This implies that we cannot do what the world is doing, and we cannot be yoked with the things of this world, our living is Christ centred and heavenly focused.
Seeing that we have been redeemed from the corruptible nature of this world, satan do bring enticement to us which is capable to draw us back to the World of sin and rob us off our place in God.
He does this by enticing us with the pleasures of this world, the pride of life and the lust of the flesh. Once any believer yield to this, he/she automatically becomes a slave to sin and a candidate of hell.
Eve was the first human to be enticed, satan cannot forcefully bring man into sin, but has the power to entice man to sin by bringing temptations which are contrary to the ordinances of God.
He brought her to the forbidden tree and engages her in a tempting conversation, he ensure her eyes is fed with the lust of it's fruit and made it's pleasure registered in her heart, thus, she fell into the trap of sin. The result is what the world is suffering from today. What you see sometimes is capable of killing you if you observe more than necessary.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Jesus christ was also also enticed with the beauty and the treasures of this world by the devil after the forty days and forty nights of intensive prayers... Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
If not for being God in man, any ordinary man would have accepted the offer of the devil and forsake the ministry God has committed into his hands.
Devil does the same today in the life of the believers, though you are not a sinner, but you have friends and associates who are sinner, they often entices you with sinful habits, first, not in a provoking manner, but later once you go deeper in allowing their lies take place in your heart, you find yourself in the same pit of sin they are.
Dinah the daughter of Leah went to observe the life of sinners, who's culture and traditions is entirely different to that of the God of Jacob her father, in other to have a clear glance of the pleasures of the sinners, she walk in the path that leads to destruction, the result of her action make her to be an object of defilement, she was defiled by an uncircumcised...
Genesis 34:1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 34:2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
Many are times we walk deliberately in the path of the ungodly and tread on the dangerous route of the wicked, we sometimes think we are so sure about our faith that we can never be compromised by the association of sinners, but we regrettably find ourselves becoming chief sinners.
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
The appeal of the sinner is first to one's desire to be part of the crowd. Our desire to be accepted by others often leads us to join with those who seek only evil. One of the first indications of a wise person is his confidence in himself to make judgment concerning right and wrong, before he considers joining with others in order to consider them his companions. One should never allow others to draw oneself away from the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Don't be too sure about your faith in God, don't be too confident in standing in God, temptations will come, enticing will come, be wise and be spiritually conscious. Many who are at sometime vibrant and waxing strong in the Lord are today slaves to sin while many are condemned to hell because it was too difficult for them to rise again before they die.
Those that will not eat the forbidden fruit should not play under the forbidden tree. Be watchful, be careful, be spiritually conscious.
God bless you.
Prayer key:
1. Lord, thank you for the blessing of today in Jesus Christ name
2. Lord, raise me up from the pit of sin I have fallen into due to the enticement of the devil in Jesus Christ name.
3. Lord, help me to be spiritually conscious in Jesus Christ name.
4. Thank you Lord for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name.