The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Dwight L. Moody

Blaming Others

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
James 1:13-15

 

We can trace the root of blaming others right back to the beginning of creation. God provided everything for Adam and Eve within the garden of Eden and nothing was withheld from them except for the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Human nature has not changed, for whenever a rule or boundary is put in place, there also lies a desire or temptation to test or overstep the mark and that is exactly where the evil one tempted Eve. Not only did she succumb to the serpent’s enticement but she also caused Adam to join in her sin. When God called Adam and asked him whether he had eaten of the fruit, he blamed Eve and when Eve was questioned, she blamed the serpent.

By blaming another person, there is an attempt to pass the sin and judgement on to the other person. We need to recognise that we are led into temptation when we yield to the desires of our fleshly nature and once the desire is conceived, sin is birthed, which can only produce death.
In Romans 7:15-17, Paul says “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If , then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” The real problem, therefore, is not external but internal. We need to stop blaming external factors and deal with our inner sinful nature that leads us to temptations.

It is in our carnal nature to be selfish, unrepentant, seeking pleasure, proud and blind to our own faults. However, our victory and hope lies in the cross of Jesus who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can deliver us from our sinful bodies and change us into new creations, renewing our minds to become more like Him.
Let us, therefore, not blame others for our sin but be quick to repent, putting off the old man and putting on the new man “which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:24

 

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day and submit all my ways to You so that, in Your Name, I may resist the devil and he will flee from me. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju