| “...lay...yourself in the way of allurement.” |
“...lay...yourself in the way of allurement.”“My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.” ~ Song of Solomon 5:10 “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” ~ Col 3:11 “Endeavour to increase spiritual appetites by meditating on spiritual objects. We are to restrain lustful appetites all that we can by casting away and avoiding thoughts and meditations on their objects. We are not allowed by any means to give a lease to our thoughts concerning those things, because that tends to increase lustful desires after them. But ‘tis our duty to be much in meditation on the objects of spiritual desire: we should often be thinking upon the glory and grace of God, the excellency and wonderful love of Christ the beauty of holiness...endeavour to promote spiritual appetites, by laying yourself in the way of allurement.” ~ Jonathan Edwards What good is all the theological knowledge one can muster, when practical issues are prying for your attention. What good is all this doctrine when temptation comes in like a flood, what good is grandiose talk of beauty and splendour and the God of boundless energy, the God who is Triune, the God who has set in place the Plan of redemption? The answer is found in a story which has theological ramifications that should change your life. It's about a mysterious island, two heroic men, and a host of 'women' whose beauty was literally skin-deep. But mostly it’s about a radically different perspective on the nature of Christianity and living for the glory of God. This is a story taken straight from the pages of Greek mythology, but don’t let that scare you away, Its practical application will soon be apparent and perspective altering. The first of our two characters is sometimes called Odysseus, and sometimes called Ulysses [yoo-lis-eez]. He was a devoted husband to his wife Penelope, adoring father to his son, and now agonized at leaving his home country of Ithaca to battle for his empire. He was a Greek, and a call to duty was expected to be answered. The story’s context is as follows. Paris, the prince of Troy, had stolen away Helen, the woman of whom it is said “whose face launched a thousand ships”. She was the wife of Menelaus, the king of Greece. He, together with his brother Agamemnon, Ulysses, and a mighty Grecian army undertook the daunting task of recapturing her and restoring dignity to their beloved land. To make a long story short, hidden in the belly of a huge Trojan horse, Ulysses and his men gained access to the city, slaughtered its inhabitants, and rescued the captive princess. But the return voyage to Ithaca, which lasted nearly a decade, would prove to be far more challenging. Possibly the greatest danger in the voyage were the infamous Siren women. Countless were the unwitting sailors who, on passing by their island, succumbed to the outward beauty of these women called the Sirens and their seductively irresistible songs. Once lured close to shore, their boats crashed on the hidden rocks lurking beneath the surface of the sea. These cannibals, whose alluring disguise and mesmerizing melodies had drawn them close, wasted little time in savagely consuming their flesh. Ulysses had been repeatedly warned about the Sirens and their lethal hypocrisy. Upon reaching their island, he ordered his crew to put wax in their ears lest they be lured to their ultimate demise. He commanded them to look neither to the left nor right but to row for their lives. Ulysses though had other plans for himself. He instructed his men to tie him to the mast of the ship, leaving his ears unplugged. “I want to hear their song.” He said, “No matter what I say or do, don't untie me until we are safely at a distance from the island.' The songs of the Sirens were more than Ulysses' strong will could resist. He was utterly seduced by their sound and mesmerized by the promise of immediate gratification. One Siren even took on the form of Penelope, Ulysses' wife, seeking to lure him closer by using the delusion that he had finally arrived home. Were it not for the ropes that bound him tightly to the mast, Ulysses would have succumbed to their invitation. Although his hands were restrained, his heart was captivated by their beauty. Although his heart said 'Yes', the ropes prevented his indulgence. His 'no' was not the fruit of revulsion born from knowing the truth of these women but rather the product of an external shackle. Ulysses' encounter with the Sirens, together with his strategy for resisting their appeal, is all too similar to the way many Christians try to live as followers of Jesus Christ. Like him, their hearts yearn for the rapidly fading pleasures of sin. Their wills are no match for the magnetic power of sensual indulgence. Although they understand what is at stake, they struggle through life saying 'no' to sin, not because their souls are ill-disposed to evil or the at least repulsed to it, but because their hands have been shackled by ritualistic, rigorous, religious, laws and rules imposed by daily, oppressive, religious adherence. It‘s that specific ‘extra-biblical taboo’ that comes thundering from a legalistic pulpit or a long-standing denominational prohibition that accounts for their external complicity. Their obedience is not the happy product of a transformed nature, but a reluctant conformity originating from a fear of shame and the knowing regret that comes after indulgence. I have no desire to live that way. I suspect, neither do you. So, how do you account for your 'obedience'? Is it the natural product of your deepest heart-felt joy? Is it the result of a passion that spontaneously and urgently springs from the depths of your being? Or are you firmly bound to the mast of religious ship, all the while yearning for the opposite of what you know is right? What is the most effective scheme for confronting the sinful sounds of Sirens? The answer is ...a Sweeter Song Jason, like Ulysses, was himself a character of ancient mythology, perhaps best known for his pursuit of the famous Golden Fleece. Again, like Ulysses, he faced the temptation posed by the eloquent tones of the Sirens. But his solution was of a different nature. Jason brought with him on that treacherous journey a man named Orpheus. Orpheus was a musician of incomparable talent, especially on the lyre and flute. When his music filled the air it had an enchanting effect on all who heard it. There was not a lovelier or more melodious sound in the entire ancient world. When it came time to face the unrelenting temptation of the sirens, Jason declined to plug the ears of his crew and neither did he strap himself to the mast to restrain his otherwise lustful yearning for whatever pleasures the Sirens might offer. But be sure to note this was not the reckless decision of an arrogant heart. Jason had no illusions about the strength of his will or his capacity to be deceived. He was no less determined than Ulysses to resist the temptations of the sirens. But he chose a different strategy, indeed a higher way. As his ship and the frightened crew approached the treacherous island Jason ordered Orpheus to play his most beautiful and alluring songs. And when he did the sirens didn't stand a chance! Notwithstanding their collective allure, Jason and his men paid no heed to the Sirens. They were not in the least inclined to succumb. Their ship passed steadily and safely by those deceitful women and their island, without any danger to the men. Why? Was it that the Sirens had ceased to sing? Was it that they had lost their capacity to entice the human heart? No not at all. Jason and his men said 'no' because they were captivated by a more transcendent sound. The music of Orpheus was of an altogether different and exalted nature. Jason and his men said 'no' to the sounds of the sirens because they had heard something far more enticing, far more sublime. They had tasted something far sweeter. They had encountered something far nobler. For many people Christianity is a tedious and ultimately unsatisfying aversion of temptations they would much prefer to indulge. And there’s very little that depresses me more than to think of expending my one life on earth merely suppressing my deepest desires, always acting contrary to what my heart and soul continue to crave. But that’s exactly what our lives become when we seek satisfaction in something (rather anything) other than God. Here is my point, taken from this story. I don't want simply to live the Christian life. I want to love living the Christian life. And Christianity’s only saving and alluring feature for me is Christ! In fact I would venture to suggest to you that, evidently speaking, that’s THE ONLY captivating feature of it for anyone. And so the point is, Christ! He is the ‘be and end of all’ religion. Christ is the crux of Christianity and He’s the only alluring feature that has power to save and He’s the only sustaining feature that has power to secure your soul to eternity. It’s Christ, it’s all Christ and it’s only Christ. Ulysses may have survived the sounds of the Sirens. But only Jason triumphed over them. Yes, both men 'obeyed' (in a manner of speaking). Neither succumbed to sins lustful drawings and neither indulged his desires. But only one was changed. Only one had found the key to true life and life forevermore. And so this is why Edwards wants us all to lay ourselves in the way of allurement. And this is why I desire to preach Christ and only Christ because it makes for the most practical Christian living. Concentrate your thoughts on Him and be ye freed from sin and temptation. Laying yourself means making conscience and concerted efforts to be in love with Him, to be in constant consideration of Him and all that He is. To let your thoughts, your conversations, your leisure and most importantly all your affections be entirely wrapped up in Him. Christ is all in all... Written by C.C.I. [to hear the audio of this sermon please follow this link - http://hopechristianchurch Facebook Social Comments Box for Joomla
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