More Snares…

Hi Ladies,

We’re considering the steps that must occur in the spirit and soul of a Single Christian Woman before she makes the decision to engage in premarital relations. It is a process, not a spur-of-the-moment action, even though it may seem so at the time.  With such decisions, our spiritual life is being weighed in the balance.  Let’s look into our thought processes, as the effects of evil in our life become less and less acknowledged.

SITUATIONAL ETHICS

According to Wikipedia, situational ethics is a “Christian ethical theory which basically states that sometimes moral principles can be set aside in certain situations if love is best served.”  In other words, you can decide what is the right or wrong course of action based upon the situation at the time.  But this is not Biblical Christianity.  It’s a philosophy of human wisdom in which there are no absolutes, no actual sin or evil…only a good or bad choice.

The word “Sin” has become unfashionable, and it’s “politically incorrect” to call any but the most heinous of behaviors a sin.  But the snares of the enemy must be recognized for what they truly are.  Our adversary understands the saying that “honey attracts more flies than vinegar”.  He’s made the lures of temptation far more attractive to us than repellent.

Sin draws our human nature, especially when we’re in a Body/Soul/Spirit mindset. Even though we know the dangers, if it’s an activity we’re attracted to, we’ll keep circling back to it.  James 1: 4 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires, and enticed.”   I Corinthians 6: 19 tells us to “flee from sin”, not to stand around inspecting it.

When we begin to peer closely at a particular activity, and examine in our own mind whether or not it is actually evil, we will start to question Scripture. Our physical self must seek justifications for its’ planned senses-based behaviors and it will search to find them, drawing us far off course from our life path.

QUESTIONING THE WORD OF GOD

Scripture is spiritually perceived.  Most of us couldn’t understand the Bible at all until we got saved, then suddenly it made sense.  That’s because our spirit became one with God, and we took on the mind of Christ through our inhabitation by the Holy Spirit.  We could then grasp the meaning and accept the truths presented in His Word.

So when we know what the Bible says about an activity, why question it? When we begin to do so, when we start to ponder if God really meant to say what He clearly said, we’re taking a big step toward committing the sin.  We become vulnerable to making a situational decision based upon our desires rather than on the Word of God.

VIOLATING OUR CONSCIENCE

Acts 24: 16 – “And herein do I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.”

Titus 1: 16 – “Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”

For a Christian, deciding to step off the edge of contemplation and into an actual immoral action involves a violation of conscience. Our conscience is our protection, and serves as a warning from our Spirit.  When we deliberately consider committing a transgression, it attempts to intervene.  But questioning the Bible undermines our convictions, and can persuade us to ignore God’s voice of caution.

Finally, we reach the point where we ready to commit the sin.  Subconsciously this decision is made long before the actual activity takes place.  If it involves an amorous encounter, even if it seems spontaneous, getting there has required a complicated traverse through the mind and heart of a Believer.  It has taken a route of justification and acquiescence to arrive at a moral surrender where, despite our Spirit’s objections, we go ahead and do the wrong.  The only encouragement here is that Our Father, in His Mercy, is still ready to forgive us if we ask.

Until next week – Joy and Shalom!