1 Timothy 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
Phillipians 2:21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Matthew 23:27-28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Ezekiel 33:30-32 “As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.
Isaiah 29:13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,
Why is it that we struggle with temptation when we have been regenerated (born again). The simplest answer is because we had and still have a sinful nature. This sinful nature tries to pull us down and give in to what the world has to offer. Think about how a plane is able to fly. When it is designed properly and has engines with enough thrust it is able to defy gravity and while these engines are operating it is able to fly. If we shut down these engines it may be able to glide for a short period of time but ultimately gravity will pull it into the ground. Our new lives are much like this example. When we are regenerated (born again) and the Word of God is active in our life every day, then our ability to discern temptation and fight it keeps us lifted up. When we choose to not have the Word of God active in our life every day, then, temptation will come at us like gravity and pull us in. We will fall into patterns of life that are not Godly. Just because we have been regenerated (born again) does not stop temptation but rather gives us the engine to set ourselves apart from worldly temptations and the Word of God gives us the fuel to keep walking with God in ways that honor and glorify Him. I am sure of this; fueling up on Sunday and thinking it is going to get you through the week is foolish thinking. The word of God cannot be mixed with the philosophy of the culture of the day. This will only make the fuel ineffective and though you may think your plane is worthy of flight, it is not. Likewise, if the Word of God is not seen as fuel it will be neglected and we will be happy with a plane that never flies. A plane that does not fly, and if it is not flying it will never honor and glorify God.
