Competition for Affection

Have you ever wondered why Adam was inclined to rebel against His Maker and Creator? The bible clearly states that he was not deceived (1Timothy 2), so it was clearly an act of deliberation and intentionality. So what was behind this dastardly act of disobedience? And let's not be so swift to blame the woman (Eve). Even though she was the first to commit the transgression, Adam was fully responsible for his own actions. I believe that part of the reason why Adam was inclined to rebel against the governmental authority of his God was because of a case of Competition for Affection.

A lot of the reason why we sin, particularly when we know better and are in a place to do better, is because our affection is not totally with God. Remember, Adam did not have a sinful nature, so he was not challenged with the internal battle of indwelling sin. He was "externally" influenced. And believe it or not saints, a lot of times, we are too; and aren't even fully aware of it. We need to make sure that as we enter this season of Blessing and Reward, that we are not being "duped and seduced" into Competition for Affection.

When God created Eve for Adam, there was now someone else who could compete for Adam's affection. I believe that this was by Divine Design. Did you know that God will allow certain people and certain situations to arise to "test" your affection and fidelity towards Him? Not tempt you, test you. God wants to know, even when I bless you, will you still be ultimately loyal and faithful to me? There are more than a few saints that fail this test. I believe that Adam went through the same test that Jesus (the last Adam) experienced in Luke chapter 4, a Satanic attack. And I believe he passed (there's no scriptural support for this assertion so this is my faith, not my doctrine). However, when Eve arrived the dynamics changed. She too was now a part of the "Satanic battleground"; and for whatever reason, she was not as equipped to withstand the temptation as (we believe) her husband was.

Did you know that Jesus went through a similar test of Loyalty and Affection? In Matthew 16, when Jesus asks the disciples who people were saying He was, Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus told him that flesh and blood did not reveal this to him, but The Father in heaven. A few verses later, when Jesus was telling the disciples that He had to suffer and die, Peter rebuked Him for these remarks. Then Jesus turns and says to Peter, "Satan, get thee behind me". Peter in this instance represents "the bride of Christ" (the church), just as Eve represented the bride of Adam. If Jesus had given in to Peter the way Adam had given in to Eve, do you know He wouldn't have gone to the cross? But there was no Competition for His Affection. Nobody and nothing came before His love for The Father. And saints, this is how we're supposed to be. Not our family, not our money, not our status, not our ministry, not our life; nothing should precede nor supersede our love for God. This is the victory of The Competition for Affection.