G
gideons300
Guest
I wanted to share a bit on temptation and pray it might help someone who struggles with a specific sin.
First, temptation is NOT sin. When the thought originates in your head, it generally comes not from you at all, but from satan. Do NOT buy ownership in it for if you do, you will most likely fall.
Secondly, despite what our modern gospel teaches, we are called to be victorious, to overcome temptation EVERY time. We are told to "count it all joy" when we fall into diverse temptations. How in the world can we do this if we do not believe it possible to not fall to it? Let us plant our feet and speak out the words of faith in God's keeping power.
"He is able to keep me from falling. He WILL keep me from falling!"
So how are we to resist, for this is the place that we often fall into error? There are two ways to resist the devil. One is by sheer determination, where we grit our teeth, use self discipline and self control to keep from giving into to the things we are tempted to do. The other is for God to do it in us, for us, for Him to keep us from falling by the power of God.
These two can be well illustrated in a story of Jason in greek mythology. He and his men had to sail past the sirens, beautiful women in the water who would sing so seductively that men would cast themselves into the sea to get to them and then drown.
As they approached the area, Jason bound all his men and then himself to the mast with strong ropes, and although they did wanted to jump, the ropes held them back and they were kept safe.
On the return voyage, Jason had an idea. He got the best musician on the ship to play the lyre, and he played it so skillfully that as they sailed past, the beauty of the music was more enticing then the sirens' voices and they again sailed past safe. No ropes. Freedom of will, they never were made "robots" and yet they still had the victory, a far better and more powerful one.
It is a good thing to avoid falling for sure, but God's higher way is that we have a new heart on the matter, Him in us doing the resisting, for that is true freedom. That is our calling, our heritage as children of God.
We are, as we reckon ourselves new creatures, freed from the power that sin has over us. Why? Because we are not the same old person with a fallen nature, and God has truly made us new.
This is a fact for you and I right now, but you might ask "Why hasn't it worked yet? Why do I still fall?" The reason is simple. God wants us to believe like Abraham did. He wants faith on our part in what He has clearly promsied us. It will not profit us until we grab hold and claim the victory as our possession- now.
We think the only thing that we need to believe is that Jesus died for our sins and rose the third day, and then it is simply time to get to work and become a good Christian. As wonderful as forgiveness is, it is just the beginning of the faith walk God has for each of us. We are called to have exceeding growing faith, to fight the good fight of faith. Christ is to dwell in our hearts, abide, by faith. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Praise God!
Do you see? Believing the completed truths that we are new creatures, that satan has no more hold on us, that we are NOW light in the Lord, that sin shall NOT have dominion over us, that our shield of faith will quench ALL the fiery arrows satan casts at us, are just as hard for us to believe, no, moreso than believing Jesus came out of the grave, because they involve US.
But praise God, that is what God wants.... a people who will have the audacity to believe Him, all His promises, for these are the stepping stones to experiencing Christ's victory.
May I humbly suggest starting in Romans 6, where Paul tells us things we must KNOW of we are to believe. Romans 7 is telling us the failure of a life whereby we try to do it by law, with great self control and discipline, and the inevitable failure that comes from it. And He ends it crying out for a deliverer for he now knows he does not have the strength himself. The law has finally finished its job, to break us of all confindence in ourselves and our discipline, and to fall down beofre the Lord for Him to do in us what we cannot do.
And praise God, we have that deliverer....Christ in us, the hope of glory. Our God has given us the victory of Romans 8 and it is when we finally believe His promises to us that we can walk in God's amazing overcoming power.
All these truths are wonderful, and God tells us to be bold and to incorporate them into our shield of faith. And what is the result He promises us? Is it not that our shield of faith will totally stop satan in his tracks- all the arrows, every time.
Our minds rebel at the possibilities. Yes, we are weak. Let us finally establish just how weak we really are! NOw, let us look away from ourselves and look unto Jesus and how strong He is. He said He will keep us from falling. Shall we remain in unbelief that has crippled us our entire Christian walks or shall we finally climb out of the boat of unbelief, believe in the mighty power of our God who longs to have us let HIM be the potter, the builder of our house, and walk on the water to Jesus, with overcoming victory in our life?
Be blessed.
Bruce
First, temptation is NOT sin. When the thought originates in your head, it generally comes not from you at all, but from satan. Do NOT buy ownership in it for if you do, you will most likely fall.
Secondly, despite what our modern gospel teaches, we are called to be victorious, to overcome temptation EVERY time. We are told to "count it all joy" when we fall into diverse temptations. How in the world can we do this if we do not believe it possible to not fall to it? Let us plant our feet and speak out the words of faith in God's keeping power.
"He is able to keep me from falling. He WILL keep me from falling!"
So how are we to resist, for this is the place that we often fall into error? There are two ways to resist the devil. One is by sheer determination, where we grit our teeth, use self discipline and self control to keep from giving into to the things we are tempted to do. The other is for God to do it in us, for us, for Him to keep us from falling by the power of God.
These two can be well illustrated in a story of Jason in greek mythology. He and his men had to sail past the sirens, beautiful women in the water who would sing so seductively that men would cast themselves into the sea to get to them and then drown.
As they approached the area, Jason bound all his men and then himself to the mast with strong ropes, and although they did wanted to jump, the ropes held them back and they were kept safe.
On the return voyage, Jason had an idea. He got the best musician on the ship to play the lyre, and he played it so skillfully that as they sailed past, the beauty of the music was more enticing then the sirens' voices and they again sailed past safe. No ropes. Freedom of will, they never were made "robots" and yet they still had the victory, a far better and more powerful one.
It is a good thing to avoid falling for sure, but God's higher way is that we have a new heart on the matter, Him in us doing the resisting, for that is true freedom. That is our calling, our heritage as children of God.
We are, as we reckon ourselves new creatures, freed from the power that sin has over us. Why? Because we are not the same old person with a fallen nature, and God has truly made us new.
This is a fact for you and I right now, but you might ask "Why hasn't it worked yet? Why do I still fall?" The reason is simple. God wants us to believe like Abraham did. He wants faith on our part in what He has clearly promsied us. It will not profit us until we grab hold and claim the victory as our possession- now.
We think the only thing that we need to believe is that Jesus died for our sins and rose the third day, and then it is simply time to get to work and become a good Christian. As wonderful as forgiveness is, it is just the beginning of the faith walk God has for each of us. We are called to have exceeding growing faith, to fight the good fight of faith. Christ is to dwell in our hearts, abide, by faith. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Praise God!
Do you see? Believing the completed truths that we are new creatures, that satan has no more hold on us, that we are NOW light in the Lord, that sin shall NOT have dominion over us, that our shield of faith will quench ALL the fiery arrows satan casts at us, are just as hard for us to believe, no, moreso than believing Jesus came out of the grave, because they involve US.
But praise God, that is what God wants.... a people who will have the audacity to believe Him, all His promises, for these are the stepping stones to experiencing Christ's victory.
May I humbly suggest starting in Romans 6, where Paul tells us things we must KNOW of we are to believe. Romans 7 is telling us the failure of a life whereby we try to do it by law, with great self control and discipline, and the inevitable failure that comes from it. And He ends it crying out for a deliverer for he now knows he does not have the strength himself. The law has finally finished its job, to break us of all confindence in ourselves and our discipline, and to fall down beofre the Lord for Him to do in us what we cannot do.
And praise God, we have that deliverer....Christ in us, the hope of glory. Our God has given us the victory of Romans 8 and it is when we finally believe His promises to us that we can walk in God's amazing overcoming power.
All these truths are wonderful, and God tells us to be bold and to incorporate them into our shield of faith. And what is the result He promises us? Is it not that our shield of faith will totally stop satan in his tracks- all the arrows, every time.
Our minds rebel at the possibilities. Yes, we are weak. Let us finally establish just how weak we really are! NOw, let us look away from ourselves and look unto Jesus and how strong He is. He said He will keep us from falling. Shall we remain in unbelief that has crippled us our entire Christian walks or shall we finally climb out of the boat of unbelief, believe in the mighty power of our God who longs to have us let HIM be the potter, the builder of our house, and walk on the water to Jesus, with overcoming victory in our life?
Be blessed.
Bruce
