November 1

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‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die”.’ Genesis 3:1-3

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🔊 Temptation comes firstly through speculation, to open the mind; secondly through enticement, to awaken desire; and thirdly through persuasion, to engage the will to act. Eve’s mind was opened to think about something she knew was wrong. Once her imagination had been stirred, she was vulnerable to begin to desire the forbidden fruit. Then, through the serpent’s lie, she was persuaded that no harm would come; her will was engaged, and she acted. This was a key moment, since Eve’s will was not a slave to lust, but was still in control. Eve discarded her liberty to act, and became a slave of sin. Now think about how God can reverse this process, to set us free from sin. We must firstly be open to receive correction of our thinking, and believe that God’s Word is true. We must then ask forgiveness for our sins – for living by the tyranny of desire. Then we must act, and give ourselves to God, and become servants of God, free from the tyranny of sin. The way down is the way up. How central is the Word of God! The temptation began when the devil distorted God’s Word and maligned God’s character. The victory comes when we submit to the Word of God, and honour it as the way of deliverance and power to all who believe its life-giving message.