SIN TRIOLOGY

Part 3

Pastor Maselo Mosomane

“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” 1John 2:16

The above verse talks about three dimensions that guide the circle of sin. The devil uses these dimensions every time he attacks and they yield constant results. Here they follow;

The lust of the flesh. These are desires which spring from the appetites and obsessions of the human body. When the bible talks about flesh in this regard it refers to the sin nature that is in man; that rebellious self that is dominated by sin. Satan uses the evil world system to stimulate the flesh. Paul says “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” Romans 7:15 NLT. This is the flesh as it is presented in the bible. This is SIN NATURE.

The lust of the eye. This refers to the desires that are aroused by appeals made to our eyes. With the eyes we see the world around us. We see the world around us and select what appeals to us and allow into our lives. The eye is the entrance of the outside world into our lives. This little member of our bodies offers Satan a strategic avenue to provoke wrong desires. For example: Achan said; “when I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them” Joshua 7:21. Do you remember what happened to David, our main man in 2Samuel 11:2? He saw a naked woman bathing and; “the woman was very beautiful to behold.” You know the rest of the story. Grand Ma Eve also “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was ‘pleasant to the eyes’” Genesis 3:6

The pride of life. This refers to the vain glory of the world as paraded in its foolish display usually in arrogance over one’s circumstances; more often exaggerated and presented to impress other people. It is in most cases showcased in the form of sensuality, greed and pride though this is just the tip of the ice berg.

Let us follow the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden where it all started and see if there are no lessons for us to learn with regard to this deadly three-point war strategy of the enemy we are warned against.

First, Eve was found to be where she had no business being. She was found around a tree she knew she could not have. I think it will do us good to realize that if we cannot have the forbidden fruit, why hang around it? Why would she keep around the forbidden tree when she could be around the tree of life? Isn’t it true that this is the ground where many faith battles are lost?

It looks like it was not the first time she did that. I am beginning to think that that was her favourite afternoon joint. Am I perhaps reading too much into it? Was it a coincidence that the devil was found there in the same tree? I don’t think so. Another reason might be that the tree was a favourite afternoon rest place for Satan himself and the woman just happened to like hanging around there for a brief chat.

We start by hanging around there without any reason in particular. Circumstances present themselves while we are there and the eye is caught. We behold with our full senses and still thinking we are in control. As we sit there watching; interest is aroused. As we keep on watching, it develops further until we are duped and the rest of the steps follow spontaneously.

The story is recorded in Genesis 3:1-6. The serpent spoke to Eve from the forbidden tree; “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”The woman replied. “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The serpent made a follow-up.

This is the devil’s clincher and this is how he uses it; he disputes what God said and right there and then before you can apply your mind, he challenges God’s integrity. “You will not surely die.” Right there the woman paid attention and checked on the tree and its fruit. What happened there?

The woman saw that the tree was good for FOOD and that it was pleasant to the EYE and a tree desirable to make one WISE. Do see the pattern? The tree was good for food; THE LAST OF THE FLESH. It was pleasant to the eye; THE LAST OF THE EYE. And the tree was desirable to make one wise; THE PRIDE OF LIFE.

First she saw with her EYES, then her taste buds were triggered, juices started to flow, and she wanted to have a TASTE. Finally her desire for wisdom with the aim of improving herself was ignited. Is this not PRIDE? I think she must have been fascinated by Satan’s presentation and wanted that. Why? I mean she still had a task of convincing her husband. And; to do so, a good and well planned sales talk was necessary. She thought; this is what I really need to convince my husband and make him believe when I say we will not die, instead we will be wise and be like God. She teamed up with the devil against her husband’s authority and God’s commandment.

When the circle was completed, she stopped thinking and followed her lust for food and her desire to be wise; all incapsulated in the beauty that she saw.

Our down fall is always mapped in the same pattern and we don’t learn. I believe this is one of the reasons God, through His Spirit inspired John the Apostle to slot this important portion of scripture far towards the end of the bible. God had us in mind. God knew what this three stack presentation would do to us and he prepared this wonderful piece of verse for us.

First; the devil says, let him see. Let man see the merchandise of the world first. Here is where Satan invests his money. To appeal to your eye, he displays his merchandise in a way that your eye will not escape. For example; when you get into a department store you don’t find clothes packed in boxes, no! You find them hanged nicely on hangers; some dressed on dolls they seem so real. I tell you it’s hard to pass without feeding your eyes. This is what the devil does to attract our attention. He makes the stuff look good my man. What do you think is the reason why, when they advertize a motor vehicle they also include a three quarter naked woman in the ad? What has the performance of the vehicle has to do with a naked woman? Think about it.

Second; he encourages you to the fitting room. He encourages you to test-drive. This is where your flesh through the mind is going to sell the product to you. This time the devil is not doing a lot of talking. What you see arouses your interest. How you feel inside the product – it may be some clothes, it may be a new car or a new house, it does not matter – it turns you on.

Third and lastly; you begin to move away from yourself. You engage the world around you. You begin to visualize how people would think of you; one, WITHOUT THE PRODUCT, two, WITH THE PRODUCT. Thoughts run so fast in your mind they completely stop your rationality. One; as we said, you feel you cannot afford to be seen without the product. How will people think about you? What will lack of the product do to your dignity? Two; you feel how good it will be to have the product. How will people think about you as you pass by displaying the product in all its beauty? What will this do to your self-esteem? Is this not what we normally hear? That when your self-esteem is low, when you feel you are not assertive enough you should go out and buy some new clothes? Is this not what we always hear from our sales training rooms? That you should buy a new car to boost your image?

Like we said in our previous lesson; all these things are not wrong. They are not capable of being wrong or good on their own. What is wrong is you are acquiring them for a wrong reason – to raise your PRIDE level. You are buying good products for bad reasons. If this is the reason you are buying those products; know that you are buying them for the same reason Eve bought the fruit in the Garden – to be wise and be like God.

My friend, God created you in His own image and in His likeness. You are already like God. Why should you go for material things in order to look like God as though God is material? Why would you buy something new to feel important as though you are not important?

Hear what God says when He comes to Adam and Eve in the Garden; who told you that you are naked? Who told you that you are not important? Who told you that you are ugly? Who told you that you are not intelligent enough? Who told you that your image is low and you can’t get that promotion? Well if all of these were to be true, I would go on and ask this question. According to whose’ standard are you measured? If indeed you are ugly, I would continue with my questions. You say you are not beautiful? Says who?

The truth is you are SEEING what you are not supposed to be looking at. The garden had two distinguished trees and the rest of the other trees. Look at your strengths and not weaknesses. Why waste your time looking at what you cannot have? As a matter of fact, I can’t sing but I can teach and preach. Should I be wasting my time trying to reach certain notes? I would rather teach the word of God that sing. I would rather preach the word of God than assault my vocal cords.

You are LUSTING after what you shouldn’t be paying attention to. If you can’t have it, why figure out what it would look like if you could have it? Jesus said “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” Matthew 5:28. You see? In unpacking what Jesus was saying the meaning is this; don’t look and a woman and start undressing her and lust for what is not your. Why would you go to hell for the sin you did not enjoy? Why would you be punished for what someone else and not you enjoyed?

Is it right to be PROUD about what you don’t have? Who told you that you will feel important if you do this or that? Who told you that people will look down upon you without certain material products? Why do you “think of himself more highly than (you) ought to think?” Romans 12:3. You know what? This is pride.

Listen and hear what the Apostle is saying; “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

This is the circle of the devil. He encircles you following the three points; first, THE LUST OF THE FLESH, then THE LUST OF THE EYE, finally THE PRIDE OF LIFE; and the circle is completed. He makes sure you are in the middle of the triangle. As soon as you are there he looks into your eyes like a friend. What will he be doing that for? He will be sizing you my friend. As soon as that is done; in no time he squeezes you like a python and you can’t escape. He squeezes you so hard you will think a bus is running over you. This breaks all the bones of all resistance in you and he swallows you with ease.