Who causes us to sin? How do we avoid?

[faithfulservant]

No, Donnie. It appears you don't have a fundamental handle on our Christian walk.

When Jesus said it's a sin to lust after another woman, He wasn't lying. The question is, are we going to be the immature sheep and simply accept the lust within our hearts? This is not God's will, as sin is deceitful and it gives ground to Satan to draw us away from the Lord. Can someone walk that line and still make it to heaven? Yes, I'm sure it's happened. Have many fallen along the way? Yes, I'm sure that's happened as well. So what should we teach Christians who are unsure about what our walk is all about? We should teach them what the Bible teaches: Jesus will deliver you from your sin (in more ways than one. i.e. through justification and sanctification). Who will deliver us from this body of death? Jesus will! Look at how our minds should be when it comes to sin:

Romans 7:21-25
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

When we serve the law of God with our mind, it means we recognize the sin inside of us. This is why Paul refers to himself as wretched. James also speaks of how our minds should be about the sin within us (emphasis mine):

James 4:8-10
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

I mean, it looks like you suggest that our mindset on sin should be that there's nothing to be done about it, so just accept it. That is not what the Bible teaches.

What is so glorious about a mind that recognizes its sin? It means when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, and we cry out to God to change us and take the sin and dispense with it, He does! And we come out the other side transformed more into the likeness of Jesus. This is "sanctification," and it's reveals the power and glory of our God in us. It's not our work, it's His work.

If there is any theme in the New Testament that's clear, it's the theme that we should abhor sin. Why? Surely it's not to torture followers, God's merciful and loving. But didn't He give the solution to sin in His Son Jesus? He did. Do we want to cry out to Him? Do we want to travail over the sins in our life? Or would we rather be complacent and accepting of sin in our life?

 

[faithfulservant]

This is all about our heart. We need to come to a crisis in our heart over our sins before we're really willing to let it go and cry out to God to dispense with it.

This is a process. It isn't always pretty to us, but God's ways are beautiful. And on the other side of that travailing and mourning we come out purer, like gold refined in fire.

One last caveat: Legalism and pride are slippery slopes. Yes, we're called to holiness, but our pursuit of God and this want of becoming more like Christ must be tempered with mercy and humility.

Mercy: We recognize and cling to the fact that our God is merciful and longsuffering towards us. This process of sanctification doesn't happen overnight. He is way more merciful and patient than we could ever conceive. We also must extend mercy to others, otherwise we begin to lose our humility.

Humility: This work in us is never because of what we did. It's all His work in us, we truly are wretched, we are powerless to change. But He will give us the power when we humble ourselves and cry out to Him for deliverance.

 

[El Hombre viejo]

It seems that Gdemoss is somewhat confused about some elementary biological imperatives.
One would like to assume that anyone who was even a little alert during school hours would know a thing or two about the production of hormones and the behavior they drive in not only human beings, but in everything else that slithers hops and runs across this pretty blue planet of ours.

Since I am a male I shan't speak for the gentler half of our species, but I will accuse all men over the age of 14 of taking liberties with the 9th commandment if they claim to possess the ability to turn off their sex drive at will.

To get back to the OP; if you consider the sex impulse a problem that need be solved, the only solution I can think of requires a sharp razor, an heroic resolve and at least 12 stitches.

Donnie

Donnie If you continue to read the Word you will find the answer to that problem too. Temptation comes and you ....
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (King James Version)


<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28976">4</sup>(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28977">5</sup>Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28978">6</sup>And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.


Hormones? You are in control! Take that control and use it.

 

[faithfulservant]

Donnie If you continue to read the Word you will find the answer to that problem too. Temptation comes and you ....
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (King James Version)


<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28976">4</sup>(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28977">5</sup>Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28978">6</sup>And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.


Hormones? You are in control! Take that control and use it.

Yes, it's a spiritual battle. And let's not forget that for every temptation we face, God always gives the way of escape:

1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Look, please understand, God doesn't want you to struggle, but we've all been there as Christians. The simple truth is, if we spend time in daily private prayer with our LORD, we study His word daily, and we pray to be filled with His Holy Spirit, and trust that His promises are true and will be fulfilled, the temptation to do things that are ungodly will be so weak it won't even be a fair fight. Satan hasn't got a chance against a surrendered child of God.

But, when we get spiritually lazy, we start to slip into our flesh. Then the battles are really tough. Then we have to really strive to get back into the Spirit. I've been a "ping-pong" Christian, I know what I'm talking about. What I'm saying is if we stay close to Him, this spiritual battle is Jesus' for the win!

What I'm saying is that God has laid out the plan for everyone, let's trust Him and follow those simple steps. You will be amazed at what He can do through us.