The Holy
Spirit guides believers to make wise and godly decisions. But when Christians
fail to listen, they can instead make choices that appeal to the flesh.
After the serpent spoke to
Eve, she no doubt took a long look at the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil (Gen. 2:17; Gen. 3:3, Gen. 3:6). Whatever she
might have thought about the tree before, she now saw it with new eyes—
flesh-focused eyes. Genesis 3 tells us that the forbidden tree appealed to Eve
in three ways: It was good for food, delightful to look at, and desirable to
make one wise.
In other words, the tree
could fulfill three legitimate human appetites: the desire for tasty meals,
beauty, and wisdom. There is nothing wrong with these God-given yearnings. The
Lord created a variety of food and an earth filled with breathtaking sights so
that people could enjoy them. He also offers the Holy Spirit as a source of His
true wisdom and knowledge. In fact, it is the Spirit who teaches believers to keep
fleshly appetites under control and in balance.
Meanwhile, Satan works hard
to corrupt healthy desires. He abhors seeing people’s appetites satisfied. What
he wants is to watch a person lusting after a good thing until he or she is
controlled by the impulse to have it.
The devil is pleased when
people make themselves slaves to a desire that—in the proper context—the Lord
intended to be enjoyed freely. A believer walking in the Holy Spirit rejects
gluttony, preferring desires that are within God’s boundaries instead. That’s
how we get His very best.
Source:intouch.org
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