Life without the forbidden fruit

Human nature....it's always the one thing we can't have that we want. If I told you that you could never have a chartreuse polka dot book cover, eventually, despite knowing it would be really ugly and you'd probably hate it and never even wanted one until now.....your thoughts would soon be consumed with getting a chartreuse polka dot book cover. 

It was that way from the Garden of Eden.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  (Gen 2:16-17 ESV)

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  (Gen 3:6 ESV)

Thousands of years later, Paul wrote of the same struggle.

 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”  But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.  I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. (Rom 7:7-9 ESV)

The question now begs to be asked...what then do we do? HOW do we stop ourselves from eating the forbidden fruit?? Our strength is in Jesus Christ, and in Scripture He outlined some very practical steps we can take. Here are seven of them.

1. Sow to spirit

• Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

2. Do good and don't give up

• Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 
• Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. 
• 1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 

3 Rejoice and be thankful in what you DO have... all the "fruits" you CAN eat. Rejoice because of all the ways the Lord has blessed you.

•  1Th 5:16  Rejoice evermore. 
• 1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

4. Be in prayer

• 1Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing. 

5. Don't quench the spirit or His voice

• 1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit. 

6. Be discerning

• 1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 

7. Abstain from even the appearance of evil

• 1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.