[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":93},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fitching-to-do-wrong":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fitching-to-do-wrong-surround":82},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":15,"columnName":65,"date":66,"description":21,"extension":67,"image":68,"meta":69,"minRead":70,"navigation":71,"path":72,"postType":73,"publication":74,"publicationUrl":68,"seo":75,"stem":76,"topics":77,"__hash__":81},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fitching-to-do-wrong.md","Itching to Do Wrong",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12,13,14],"1 John","Romans","1 Peter","1 Corinthians","2 Peter","Hebrews",{"type":16,"value":17,"toc":61},"minimark",[18,22,25,28,31,34,37,44,51,58],[19,20,21],"p",{},"I am pretty disciplined about what I eat—until a coworker puts a dozen donuts on the table right outside my office door. I can hardly resist the urge to eat one (or two, or three).",[19,23,24],{},"I control my temper most of the time—but when a referee makes a call that hurts my favorite team, I can hardly resist the urge to question his judgment and his eyesight.",[19,26,27],{},"Ever get an itch on the bottom of your foot? It demands your attention, doesn't it? Even a bride standing in front of the minister on her wedding day finds it hard to ignore an itch on the bottom of her foot. You could be the President giving the State of the Union address, but if your foot itches badly enough, you'd be tempted to slip off your shoe and scratch it right there in front of the TV cameras and a joint session of Congress.",[19,29,30],{},"Ever find yourself itching to do something you know is wrong? Why is temptation so alluring, sin so enticing, forbidden pleasure so appealing? Why do even those who truly want to follow Christ fall prey to pornography addiction and alcohol abuse? Why is it so easy to spend too much, talk too much, eat too much, and get angry too much?",[19,32,33],{},"Lots of reasons could be given. Every day we're exposed to \"the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does\" (1 John 2:16). Stressed out, we welcome any remedy that offers escape and relief. Barraged by sexual images in the media, we're tempted to trade the long-term blessings of fidelity for the short-term pleasures of sin. The numbing effect of moral relativism has taken a toll on our collective conscience. \"As long as no one gets hurt,\" we've been told for years, \"there's no right or wrong except what makes you happy.\" But people are getting hurt. And in a well-intended effort to emphasize grace, even the church has weakened its moral authority by failing to lift up the values of sound doctrine and holy living.",[19,35,36],{},"Here are three lessons to keep in mind.",[19,38,39,43],{},[40,41,42],"em",{},"The struggle is normal",". Even the great apostle Paul acknowledged, \"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do\" (Romans 7:15). Peter warned that sinful desires \"war against your soul\" (1 Peter 2:11). The itch to do wrong is so prevalent that Paul told the Corinthians, \"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man\" (1 Corinthians 10:13).",[19,45,46,47,50],{},"Nevertheless, ",[40,48,49],{},"victory is possible",". \"God is faithful,\" Paul continued. \"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 10:13). The Bible promises \"there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,\" and the Spirit of God gives us \"everything we need for life and godliness\" (Romans 8:1; 2 Peter 1:3).",[19,52,53,54,57],{},"But to gain victory over the itch to do wrong, ",[40,55,56],{},"mutual support is essential",". Christians need to \"spur one another on toward love and good deeds\" (Hebrews 10:24). No one is strong enough to win the battle alone; but there's wonder-working power in the help of the Holy Spirit and the support of Christian friends who provide encouragement and mutual accountability.",[19,59,60],{},"On this side of Heaven, the battle with temptation rages on. But through all our stumbles and struggles, when we submit to the Lord in obedient faith we will find a different kind of urge growing within ourselves. We will be compelled by the love of God, motivated to be holy—itching to do the right thing. That's an itch I hope never goes away.",{"title":62,"searchDepth":63,"depth":63,"links":64},"",2,[],"First Look","2007-02-25","md",null,{},4,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fitching-to-do-wrong","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":21},"articles\u002Fitching-to-do-wrong",[78,79,80],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Spiritual Formation","EDa3IOOQJbK6PvFAWx9F1twLf8dFQWNqiwkvY63jCjQ",[83,88],{"title":84,"path":85,"stem":86,"description":87,"children":-1},"It’s Up to Us","\u002Farticles\u002Fit-s-up-to-us","articles\u002Fit-s-up-to-us","Some presidents have served shorter terms, but none has a shorter middle name than the 33rd president of the United States, Harry Truman.",{"title":89,"path":90,"stem":91,"description":92,"children":-1},"Jacob's Limp—and Ours","\u002Farticles\u002Fjacob-s-limp-and-ours","articles\u002Fjacob-s-limp-and-ours","Jacob must have been a powerful wrestler! Through the night he and an angelic visitor wrestled to a draw. The match came to an end, though, when his opponent \"touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.\" By the time the struggle was over, Jacob had received a divine blessing, a new name (Israel), and the awe-inspiring realization, \"I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.\" As the sun rose and Jacob walked away, \"he was limping because of his hip\" (Genesis 32:24-31).",1790466158893]