On the BBC DVD of the "Robin Hood" show, the character Alan, who was one of Robin's merry men in the show, betrays Robin by giving secrets away for money. Robin confronts him. Alan says in part of their dialogue that they made him do it--that he had "no choice." Robin then rebukes him: "Everything is a choice."
Some people like to give the cliched excuse for sin: "The devil made me do it." The fact is, the devil doesn't MAKE us do anything. We make the choice--Am I going to give in to this temptation or not?
The character of Alan let the threat of death and the bribes of money sway his decision to give betraying secrets to the enemy. He CHOSE to make the wrong decision. He could have stood and done what was right, even with the threat of death.
Many Christians in other countries were matryred because they CHOSE to profess Christ. They chose the right decision.
Every day we have decisions to make. Am I going to chose to make decisions to today that are honoring to Jesus? When I am tempted, am I going to choose to resist that temptation?
The Bible tells us, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%2010:13&version=NIV). God can help provide "a way out," so that we can make the right choice.
Let's CHOOSE to be believers who are sold-out for Jesus. Let's CHOOSE to turn down the temptation, which God can help us with.
Robin was right: "Everything is a choice."
