What do you value?

What do you value?

Every test reveals what we value.

Every temptation to sin against God is a value judgment.

Temptations reveal what we really believe and value.  Being tested can demonstrate whether our values are convictions or preferences.  You can value worship on Sunday and stealing from your boss on Monday.  Crazy.  But true.

And we live in a social order with a rebellious and Satanic value system.  The roots of this value system are known as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

What do I mean? 

First, the lust of the flesh is the temptation to “feel good.”  We see this value in society as unrestrained passion and sexual immorality. 

The second temptation is the lust of eyes and this is about possession and salary in society.  This temptation comes at us to spend on what “looks good.”

Finally the pride of life is sold to us as a value for position and status.  This is all about “being” important and envied.

Jesus Christ faced all three of these temptations in the Wilderness. 

The lust of the flesh came at Jesus when he was hungry and tempted to turn rocks into bread.

Jesus was tempted by the lust of the eyes when the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world.

And Jesus was confronted with the pride of life at the highest point of the Temple. 

You face them everyday.  Think about it.  Almost every TV commercial is based on one or more of these three values.  The body wash for men commercial is all about the lust of the flesh (sex sells!) and the pride of life (the thought of being “the man!”).  Automobile commercials appeal to the lust of the eyes (this is nice!) and the pride of life (look at what I’m driving!).

The world and the devils know that sex sells.  They know that we want what looks good.  And most men, in their hearts, want to “be the man!” 

Feeling good isn’t the problem.  Sin is.  Having nice things isn’t a problem as long as those nice things don’t own our life.  Being important to others is good.  Believing we are better than others is a sin. 

In my next post I will discuss how Jesus responds to the Devil’s attempts to lure him through these three values (review Matthew chapter 4 yourself). 

Please share your thoughts below.

Your brother,

Minister Onorio