Temptation and Sin Part 1

We just completed a church-wide survey of everyone who attended Frontline this past Sunday. We do this about once every five years to get a clearer picture of who we are as a community of faith and how we can better impact our generation in Washington D.C. (and around the world) with the message of Jesus. I’ve only been involved in this kind of broad study a few times before. I’ve learned though that you will invariably miss some huge area of interest by not including some vitally important question in the survey. This time was no different.

So, although what we’re about to do together with this blog may not be “statistically sound” I’d like to ask my loyal readers some questions over the next few posts. This first one is a big one so I’m going to give you a few options on how to respond. The question is this:

What are the top three temptations/sins in your life or in the lives of your co-workers or friends...and, how do these temptations/sins manifest themselves? (Notice how I’ve given everybody an “out” for everyone who would never put their dirty laundry in print).

It’s often said that most sin is some distortion of God’s plan for money, sex, and power. I’d like to get more practical answers than these. For example, one of my greatest sins is anger but only in certain environments. It manifests itself to the greatest degree when I’m driving. This may seem silly to some but driving is a daily struggle for me and, although God has done a great deal to lessen my frustration on the road, I still pray every day for His strength to honor those on the road with me and keep us all safe. I believe this issue in my life is a struggle for power in its purest sense. So, it does fit one of the “money, sex, power categories, but it manifests itself primarily in one particular activity.

I’m fully aware that some of you are thinking, “Woe, Todd….how brave and open can you get! You really opened yourself up there with your driving problems. I thought we were getting down to the big, hairy stuff in our lives that no one likes to talk about and you offered up driving?!” Please remember a sin or temptation that seems trivial to one person can be debilitating to another. I’ll go more into how God has used the issue of my anger and impatience on the road to mold me and refine me, but for now let’s get the ball rolling on the question itself. So, what are they? What are those temptations/sins in your life or the lives of your friends and how do they manifest themselves?
If you aren’t comfortable writing about your own issues or even about issues that other anonymous people in your life deal with via the blog then please message me directly here on my space. But, please consider leaving a post on this blog so we can create some dialogue about the subjects. Remember – “No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13a) God reminds us here that none of us have invented a terrible new sin. Sin has been with us since the fall and those around you wherever you are reading this right now all struggle with sin – maybe even the same ones you struggle with. But God encourages us when he says, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13b)
We’ll get to God’s faithfulness and provision as we work through this subject of sin together but let’s start with looking at our lives and the lives of those around us and identifying the struggles that are common to all men.

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net