Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living
The world’s oldest profession isn’t prostitution. It’s adultery, and Ashley Madison has apparently cornered the market on how to do it without getting caught. Unfortunately for them, they have gotten caught.
Solomon’s ultimate wisdom, after having his own Ashley Madison experiences with his harem, was that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9). So why do we keep falling for the same old shtick? It’s because the king of liars is hard at work — and we are making it easy for him! Satan is tricking Christians and others into believing that this is something new – that it will bring fulfillment. But it won’t.
According to Gizmodo.com, Ashley Madison created thousands of “fembots” that drew millions of men into believing they were talking to real women when, in fact, they weren’t. They were chasing a fantasy – looking to meet women that didn’t even exist.
The temptations that Ashley Madison is offering are no different then what the serpent offered to Adam and Eve or that Satan himself offered to Christ in the desert. It is our choices that determine the outcome of temptation. Let’s take a look at these two stories and understand that as Christians, we always have a choice when confronted with sin, no matter what the sin is. One choice results in failure and death, and the other choice results in Satan fleeing.
In Genesis 2 we see a wonderful, beautiful garden emerge. God places everything in the garden for man to enjoy, and then He places man in it. God forms the garden with trees and plants that “were pleasing to the eye and good for food” (Gen 2:9). He provides everything that man needs.
In the garden, God also places two specific trees: the tree of life and the tree of knowledge (Gen 2:9). God then directly commands man not to eat from the tree of knowledge and tells him the consequence of doing so: “You will surely die” (Gen 2:17). Then God creates a mate for the man, not several mates, but one mate because he sees that it is not good for the man to be alone (Gen 2:18). Again, God has provided everything that the man needs.
Next, enter the serpent, which is Satan. Ashley Madison is using the same model that Satan has been using from the beginning. The company founder is directly challenging God’s commands for Christians: “Did God really say that you can be satisfied with one person?” “Did God really say not to commit adultery?” And instead of referring back to exactly what God has said to us, we are relying on our own knowledge, our own opinions. Christians are answering the doubt-provoking question just like Eve did. She saw that the tree was a “delight to the eyes” (Gen 3:6), not trusting what God had said.
Christians are falling for the lie because they are not standing up firm with the Word of God, and they are not putting on the full Armor of God when faced with temptation (Eph. 6:10-18). People are relying on their own knowledge and false promises from a website that promises to give them everything they have ever wanted.
Jesus faced this same temptation in the desert. Jesus was hot, hungry, tired, exhausted, weak and then after 40 days of weakness “the devil came to him” (Matt 4:1-3). The devil didn’t come to him when he was strong and surrounded by his disciples; he came when Jesus was at His weakest point mentally and physically. Jesus is then offered three temptations/promises by the devil. Each time Jesus is tempted, He doesn’t rely on his own diminished strength to make decisions. He quotes Scripture.
Instead of holding steadfast and clinging to the exact Word of God, Christians are giving in to the temptations of the devil and the lies promoted by Ashley Madison. “Life is short. Have an affair,” the slogan says.
Unfortunately, after the hacking scandal, they also are also learning about the consequences of their actions in a very public way.
There is forgiveness for those Christians and for others caught up in the lies of Ashley Madison if they are repentant of heart and turn from their sin. The sin they committed is ultimately against God, but it is against a God of faithfulness and forgiveness.
God and His Word give us hope in our temptation. Scripture reminds us that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:11). God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle and He always gives us a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Our God is faithful to stand with us in temptation, but only if we cling to Him, trust Him and obey Him.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the section below:
