A man sees his addiction to porn.  He knows that it is not right to look at this stuff and he has read in God’s Word that it is the same as adultery (Matthew5:28).  He does not want to be addicted anymore.  He sees his need to pray, so he cries out to God to deliver him.  Whenever the temptation comes up, he fights to capture his thoughts and turn them to something else (2^nd Cor. 10:5).  He struggles against the desire in himself.  Sometimes, he gives into the lust and watches porn, even though he knows he shouldn’t.  Other times, he flees the room (1stCor. 6:18) and sets his mind on heavenly things (Phil. 4:8).

Here we have an example of one train of thoughts.  The inward struggle of a man not wanting to sin.  And we can see his responsibility.  He is AWARE of the wrongness of these actions.  He has READ in God’s Word that it is sin.  He makes DECISIONS to pray and flee when the temptations arrive.  And, unfortunately, he also sometimes DECIDES to give into the temptation and follow through on the desire.  Therein is responsibility.  He knows what is right and is responsible to choose good rather than evil.  But lets go deeper.

How has this man come to see his addiction to porn in the first place?  Many people look at porn with no thought of “wrongness” or consequence.  Where did this awareness come from?  God GRANTED this awareness to him, for the Bible says EVERY good gift comes from the Father (James 1:17).

How does this man KNOW that it is wrong to look at porn?  Where did this moral compass of right and wrong come from?  Again, it is God who has given him this (Romans 2:15).  What about the understanding of God’s Word?  Jesus said the Word is spiritual and natural man cannot understand it (John 6:63 and 1^st Cor. 2:14).  The understanding had to be GIVEN to him by God (Matt 13:11). 

What about his desire to not want to be addicted any longer?  Where did that come from?  Why does he have this desire and someone else does not?  Again, the desire was GIVEN by God.  How about his awareness of his need to pray?  How did he come to that conclusion?  It once again must be GIVEN by God.  How about the desire, motive, and ability to FIGHT against his lusts and TRY to focus his thoughts elsewhere?  Where did that desire, motive and ability come from?  Why does he have it when others don’t?  God is once again the answer.  GOD has given these GOOD desires, motives and abilities to fight sin.

What about his failures?  When he gives into the temptation and falls into sin.  We can see that he ORIGINALLY wanted that sin, but was granted by God good things to fight that desire.  When he fails, he is simply doing what his nature wants.  God has not GRANTED unto him the victory in this situation.  God has allowed him to do what his nature wants.  God is not the AUTHOR nor INSTIGATOR of sin , but in His unknown wisdom, has allowed this man to fall.  Perhaps God needs him to see a deeper level of his depravity?  Or he needs to be more desperate for God?  Or, whatever the case is, God has a wise plan.  Evil men crucified Jesus, BUT GOD had designed it for a greater purpose (Acts 2:23).  Joseph’s brothers SINNED and sold him into slavery, BUT GOD had designed it for greater purposes (Genesis 50:20).  Each person is RESPONSIBLE for their own sin nature and sinful behavior.  And each person will REAP the consequences of those sins (Gal. 6:7).  But God has designed those failures and consequences to work into His wise plan.  For the saved person, even these failures will work for good (Romans 8:28), and God WILL chastise the person (Heb. 12:6) and WILL eventually grant them victory!  This is our hope!  For the lost person, there is no hope for good to come out of their sin.  God gives them over to their sins and they continually do what their sinful nature wants (Romans 1:24-32).  In the end, they will pay the penalty for their wickedness (Rev. 20:12).

What about the victories?  How did this man sometimes flee sin and escape it’s lure?  How did he successfully resist and overcome his own nature!?  It’s like a turtle flying!  It’s nature does not allow that.  How did it come to be?  It can only be God!  God gave the power to overcome and granted an escape!

So, we can see that in all things, man is responsible for his actions.  But underlying that, is God’s sovereign decree.  He is in control and has designed all things.  Every wicked action is man doing what he wants, but God is wise enough to design mans actions into His sovereign plan.  And every good thing (every good thought, desire, motive, action, etc.), goes against mans nature and therefore MUST of necessity come from outside himself.  God is the author of all good!  It ALL comes from Him.  And He gives to each man as He sees fit.

So we must STRIVE against our own nature.  We MUST hate and fight sin.  And we are accountable and responsible when we fail.  But we MUST also know that ANY victory is a supernatural act of impossibility that has been granted by God.  In this way, He properly gets ALL the glory for EVERY good thing.

Fight as if it all depends on you and KNOW that it all comes from Him.  We must never think that we are not accountable and responsible for our actions, but we must also never steal from God’s glory.

Philippians 2:12-13 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

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