Seduction Rather Than Persecution

This is the peculiar danger to the American church.  American Christians live in a free, comfortable, prosperous, and sensuous culture.

Our culture is full of self-indulgent pleasures and diversions of entertainment and gratification of our senses.

The Bible tells us, “[2 ] And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them [false prophets] the way of truth will be blasphemed.”(2 Peter 2:2 ESV)  He was speaking of the false prophets that would terrorize the church, but the church is admonished from indulging in their “sensuality.”

The Greek word is aselgeia, meaning “1) unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness,  wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence.”  Taking all the nuances of this word, one can see what havoc such character among the members of Christ can devour the church.

We Americans need to be on guard from the seduction of the world and guard ourselves against sensuality with a healthy dose of continence.  We need to avail ourselves of the Word and Spirit to change our lustful ways in ways of restraint and voluntary restriction from the many allures and amusements in this world, and in self-denial seek to serve one another and our neighbors.