Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Genesis c. 20

Vs. 3-6, One night God appeared to him in a dream and said, "You are going to die, because you have taken this woman; she is already married." But Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, "Lord, I am innocent! Would you destroy me and my people?
Abraham himself said that she was his sister, and she said the same thing. I did this with a clear conscience, and I have done no wrong."

God replied in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did it with a clear conscience; so I kept you from sinning against me and did not let you touch her.

Abimilech must be very upset at Abraham because he lied to him and it almost cost Abimilech his life and his kingdom. But God kept him from sinning.

Temptation. This is the first thing that comes into my mind upon reading this story. Here was a Abraham with Sarah, a beautiful wife, offering her to Abimilech for good favor. It’s sexual trading, may I say. Abraham is tempting Abimilech to sin.

I tend to think that anything or anyone who (I think) tempts me is to be faulted. If I see a beautiful lady with a cleavage, and my eyes were tempted, my first instinct is to tell that lady to, “Hey, you’re a temptation! Get thee behind me Satan!” or I may pray “God keep that lady away from me”.

I sometimes forget what Christ said “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.” Mar 9:47

It is I that sins because I entertained temptation, not the object of my temptation. Sometimes I forget that. I can’t go around telling ladies prescribing what type of underwear to wear, what kind of shirt to wear so that I will not be tempted, so that others will not be tempted. Sin starts in the mind and grows in heart.

Can I blame some women for being beautiful and sexy? Surely not, their beauty and sexiness is God given and to treat God given attributes, like a beautiful face and a beautiful body, is wrong. I can only appreciate beauty, I hope, without sinning. Difficult!

Vithel, one me of my classmates asked me why “men are like that.” Like what? I asked. “They look at us girls as if they want us.” I told Vithel, “I am a man. It’s an instinct. If I see beautiful or attractive women, I will look. I can’t help it.” “Then you are sinning?” She smiled at me. “Vithel, looking is not sinning. When analysis sets in, that’s sinning.” She laughed.


God grace is sufficient and God’s grace keeps me from sinning, I just need to do my part—resist it. I hope when temptations sets in God will find me like Abimilech. "Lord, I am innocent! I have done no wrong.”
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Pray for one of our hardworking pastors, Pastor Pete Caderon, the Pastor of Ahon Evangelical Christian Baptist Church. Pastor Pete needs to undergo medical operations and he needs money for the procedure. Pray for God’s provisions and healing.

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