Meditations in the night

"....Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9).

The Greek word translated abhor means "to detest utterly".

Often I wake up in the night for one reason or another. Last night, during those waking moments, I kept thinking about two words: abhor and resist. Before going to bed, I was thinking of a couple of areas in my life where I am often tempted to sin. Both of these sins have a measure of enjoyment in them, as besetting sins usually do. I prayed that God would make me abhor those sins, not just merely resist the temptation. I resist the temptation to sin because I know that sin grieves the heart of God, and I know that any "enjoyment" is exceedingly short-lived. But often, even as I resist temptation, I find myself wishing I could go ahead. This wishing, of course, is still sin.

I want more than just to physically resist temptation. I want to abhor the sin itself. 1 Corinthians 10:13 speaks of a way of escape in the midst of temptation. James 1:12 tells of the crown of life given to those who endure temptation (meaning, they stand firm in the faith rather than give in to temptation). This is all useful information, of course. But what I want even more is what comes with much prayer, as found in this verse:

"Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41, emphasis mine).

I want to be in such close fellowship with Christ that I abhor my sin just as much as He does, to the point where it does not even tempt me. I know that there is no such thing as sinless perfection in this life, but I can still strive to be as holy as possible this side of glory.