Dear Daily Message Readers,
READ: 1 Peter 4-5
1 Peter 4:7 (NIV) "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."
Have you ever heard about someone who justified his sin, claiming that the temptation was so irresistible that he had no other choice? Or have you ever wondered whether a certain questionable activity, view, or word might actually be all right for you? After all, you might have reasoned to yourself, didn't this unique opportunity come along at just the right time and provide just what you thought you needed?
We learn from the temptation of Jesus that when we have an occasion to sin, God will always provide a way for us to escape or He will give us the strength to resist it (Luke 4:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Even when faced with the opportunity to ruin His Father's mission of death on a cross here on earth near the beginning of His ministry, Christ did not give in to Satan's best offers of temptation. Rather, He relied on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, and overcame the temptations and finished His divine call by overcoming sin once in for all.
The apostle Peter understood the idea of temptation. Soon after Jesus' arrest at the hand of Lazarus, Peter fell to the temptation to deny his Savior three times, just as Christ predicted. Later, when writing his first letter, he emphasized the importance of being self-controlled three timesin prayer, in living in the world, and when fighting temptation (1 Peter 1:13, 4:17, 5:8). Peter understood that we have a world of temptations to overcome, and the only way to live for Christ in its midst, is to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you in a spirit of self-control (1 Peter 5:8).
If you walking with the Spirit and actively seeking out God's promises in the Bible, there is no such thing as an irresistible temptation. Faith Lesson: No matter what the size of the temptation, it is an opportunity to trust God.
In Christ,
Darin Smith
READ: 1 Peter 4-5
1 Peter 4:7 (NIV) "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."
Have you ever heard about someone who justified his sin, claiming that the temptation was so irresistible that he had no other choice? Or have you ever wondered whether a certain questionable activity, view, or word might actually be all right for you? After all, you might have reasoned to yourself, didn't this unique opportunity come along at just the right time and provide just what you thought you needed?
We learn from the temptation of Jesus that when we have an occasion to sin, God will always provide a way for us to escape or He will give us the strength to resist it (Luke 4:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Even when faced with the opportunity to ruin His Father's mission of death on a cross here on earth near the beginning of His ministry, Christ did not give in to Satan's best offers of temptation. Rather, He relied on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, and overcame the temptations and finished His divine call by overcoming sin once in for all.
The apostle Peter understood the idea of temptation. Soon after Jesus' arrest at the hand of Lazarus, Peter fell to the temptation to deny his Savior three times, just as Christ predicted. Later, when writing his first letter, he emphasized the importance of being self-controlled three timesin prayer, in living in the world, and when fighting temptation (1 Peter 1:13, 4:17, 5:8). Peter understood that we have a world of temptations to overcome, and the only way to live for Christ in its midst, is to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you in a spirit of self-control (1 Peter 5:8).
If you walking with the Spirit and actively seeking out God's promises in the Bible, there is no such thing as an irresistible temptation. Faith Lesson: No matter what the size of the temptation, it is an opportunity to trust God.
In Christ,
Darin Smith
