Foundations

According to scripture there are only two foundations of life; love or lust. In dealing with others, most actions we take have one of these motivations as its source. We are either doing something for someone out of love or lust. Love focuses on what is best for the other person, regardless of its cost to us. While lust only focuses on what we want from them, regardless of cost to them.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) We have the greatest example of love ever given to humanity.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

He did not consider what it would cost Him to bring us salvation. He only considered the end result; the possibility of having a relationship with me.

We humans are very simple. We continue to be fooled by the same things for thousands of years.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (1 John 2:16-17 emphasis added)

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6 emphasis added)

From the beginning we have been deceived according to our own lusts and desires. "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust." (James 1:14) When we are more concerned about what we want rather than God’s will for us, we fall into sin.