Unfathomable Grace

In 1982 AD, Hall & Oates penned their top song, “Maneater.” It was one of their most famous ballads, and it remained at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. The lyrics were as follows

She’ll only come out at nights
The lean and hungry type
Nothing is new
I’ve seen her here before
Watching and waiting
Ooh, she’s sittin’ with you
But her eyes are on the door

So many have paid to see
What you think
You’re gettin’ for free
The woman is wild
A she-cat tamed
By the purr of a Jaguar
Money’s the matter
If you’re in it for love
You ain’t gonna get too far

Oh-oh, here she comes
Watch out boy
She’ll chew you up
Oh-oh, here she comes
She’s a maneater

I wouldn’t if I were you
I know what she can do
She’s deadly man
And she could really rip your world apart
Mind over matter
Ooh, the beauty is there
But a beast is in the heart

Somewhere around 982 BC, King Solomon’s father or mother penned these famous words found in Proverbs 7:

My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

The theme is the same in both of these poetic pieces:

Whether one lives in the culture of King Solomon, Hall & Oates, or Joseph Franks, sometimes he’s a she.

And what do I mean by such a nonsensical statement?  No, I am not referring to Bruce or Caitlyn Jenner. I am referring to Satan. He is the father of lies. He is the one who has been rebelling and murdering from the beginning. At times he is the greater tempter who shows up, attempting to lead astray and destroy, using male friends, male ministers, and businessmen.

However, quite often, Satan is the mother of lies as well. He is the anti-Christ who finds his greatest success utilizing fantastically interesting women who comes towards men, calls their name, grab’s their attention, and marches them down the forbidden and disastrous road.

Oh my friends, consider the short list of those in Scripture taken down by Satan’s use of attractive women: Adam, Abraham, Reuben, Judah, Samson, David, and Solomon. There are many, many more.

Then consider those in modern culture and modern-day ministry who have been taken down by Satan’s use of attractive women. There is no need to put a list here.

However, more importantly, consider yourself, your man, your pastor, and your friends. If Satan can sway David — the man after God’s own heart — then who is safe from his wiles? If Saint Paul called himself a “wretch” who kept doing the things he ought not do, who is off limits from the Evil One? Yes, all men today are only an Eve, Hagar, Tamar, Delilah, Bathsheba, Daughter of Pharaoh, or Ashley Madison away from a tragic fall. Satan is coming after you and/or all the men in your life, and sometimes he’s a she.

So what ought we to do?

First, one must become a disciple of Jesus Christ in order to have victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Apart from regeneration and conversion, you and/or the men in your life are like constant “dogs in heat.” Natural man is born in sin, and he has a never-exhausted lust for wickedness that is encouraged by both nature and nurture. Therefore, apart from the leading of the Holy Spirit, man will always be wandering about, doing that which is right in his own eyes. He will always have a tendency to be led, less by wisdom, and more by the lusts in his pants. So, in order to enjoy progressive and ultimate victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, one must have a heart-transplant. Friends, come to Jesus Christ and be liberated from the power of sin. Regardless of your transgressions, addictions, and idolatries, you can enjoy the process of being freed from guilt while more and more saying yes” to righteousness and “no” to sin.

Second, one must pray without ceasing. Consistently, the victorious Christian utilizes the Lord’s teaching and asks God to lead them not into temptation, or to deliver them from evil if God chooses to let it come their way. In the Old Testament we see how Joseph was able to withstand great sexual temptation because his heart was fixed on his Heavenly Father. In the New Testament we see how Jesus withstood Satan even in his greatest moment of weakness. This was due to his being a man freshly filled by the Holy Spirit and fed by his fasting, prayer, and meditation on Scripture. Friends, we know that In order to run a long-distance race and not give in to the temptation to quit, one must be physically watered and nourished. The same is true in the Christian life. Today, all men and women need fresh grace from God, and they find such every time they commune with God in the Bible, in the prayer closet, and in the worship service. Do not go into the fight malnourished; gorge on Christ and his benefits.

Third, one must be ready to discriminate, flee, and sacrifice. According to David in Psalm 1, there are people one ought not to hang around. According to Paul there is a time, not to stand and fight, but to flee or run. And according to Jesus, there is a time when even a good thing, such as an eye or hand, ought to be sacrificed because of its tendency to lead to a bad end. Friends, those who want to be successful in business, athletics, or the arts, they understand they must make sacrifices in order to be above-average. Do we really desire to be holy? Do we want to be fantastic worshipers and lovers of our Lord and Savior? Let us prove it by our willingness to discriminate, flee, and sacrifice.

Finally, one must be ready to repent, forgive, and enjoy the grace that is greater than all our sin. So what is to happen if Ashley Madison has called your number, or the number of the man in your life, and you or your foolish friend has answered the call? Consider the Scriptural testimony of Adam, Abraham, Reuben, Judah, Samson, David, and Solomon. All these men were guilty. All these men deserved immediate death and eternal destruction. However, all these men we plucked from the cesspool of sin, washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and set up for further ministry success in the kingdom. So, let us forgive those who have fallen with the same forgiveness Christ has given to us. Then, let those of us who have fallen not believe the lie of Satan that we are useless has-beens who have been put on the shelf by Jesus. Let us hate our sin. Let us look at our Savior who was crucified as a pornographic philanderer on our behalf. Let us hear and see him coming our way as Hosea did to Gomer. Let us submit to his washing and redressing. Let us listen to his wise governance and discipleship. And then, let us walk on and minister on, striving all the more in holy humility to love him who has loved us so.