Historical Posts
Yield Not to Temptation
We do not have to yield to temptation. Through faith in Christ we can overcome the world.
As Jesus prepared and went out to the Mount of Olives, He said to His disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation (Luke 22:39-40).” He then went a little farther away from them and prayed earnestly that the cup would pass from Him (Luke 22:42). When the angel from heaven strengthened Him, He rose up and found His disciples sleeping from sorrow (Luke 22:45). He then said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation (Luke 22:46).”
Jesus was familiar with temptation. He was tempted in all points and ways as we are, but he faced temptation without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 2:15-17; Luke 4:1-13). Jesus knows it is difficult to face and resist temptation; He’s been there! Matthew records more words by Jesus to His disciples: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).” Jesus was weak when He was tempted. He had been fasting for 40 days (Luke 4:1-2). He knew, too, that the disciples would be susceptible to temptation in the trials to come.
Jesus overcame temptation! He has made provision for us to overcome as well. He said, “…In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” John also, wrote, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith (1 John 5:4).” Through our faith in Christ, we can overcome the world; we do not have to yield to temptation.
Content by Richard Dillon
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James 01:12-15 Endure Temptation to Obtain a Crown of Life
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Text: James 1:12-15
Introduction
- A temptation is a trial or test which may involve a struggle, hardships, and difficulties with a beneficial purpose and effect – Hebrews 11:17-19. If we endure through the many temptations that will come to them that love God, we will receive a great reward of God – James 1:12.
- The mark of a true servant of God is when God has enough confidence in you, to ask the devil to consider you to try/tempt, to see how much you really love God. The mature Christian will be able to endure and come out of the fire of temptation as pure gold – Job 1:1,8.
- Satan will present many trials, test, and temptations to the Christian trying to break down his faith and loyalty to God, so that he will lose his eternal reward of heaven. Christian friend don’t let anything separate from God – Romans 8:35-39. You must be watchful because the devil will come through the front door, back door, the window, friends, family, relationships, or at any of your weakness – 1 Peter 5:6-9.
To Endure Temptation You Must Learn to Trust God
- It is a joy for Christians to have the opportunity to suffer reproach by our adversary – James 1:2-4. Temptations will help us grow stronger in God’s love, so that we might be able to lay hold of that beautiful eternal home God has promised us. Did not Peter grow from his adversity of denying Christ 3 times (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75). Let fight the fight, and finish the race God has set before ud that we might obtain the crown of righteousness – 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
- It is imperative to learn to trust and rely on God’s Word for your guidance and direction in life because following your flesh and your own desires will lead you to your own destruction – Proverbs 3:5-8.
- To endure temptations you must be rooted and grounded in the Word of God. It will be more difficult for Satan to overcome you, if you always reply with “What Thus Saith The Lord?” – James 4:7. Any situation that you find yourself in, you should be able to apply and implement what God has said in your life – Colossians 3:16. Unfortunately the problem with many is that they’re not rooted and grounded in the truth of God – Colossians 2:6-8.
Don’t Allow Your Own Lusts to Draw You Away from God
- The Word of God teaches that you’re tempted, when you’re drawn away from what God says in His Holy Word, to fulfill what your own lusts and fleshly desires want. When your own fleshly desires [entice or allure] override or dominate what God says, you will commit sin which will lead to death – James 1:14-15.
- To overcome and endure trails, we need to be aware of our own lusts and weaknesses, and be willing to do something about it. This means we need to get rid of sins that will destroy us – Hebrews 12:1-2. It’s time you turn off the sources of your enticement to sin – Mark 9:43-48.
- If your working towards becoming mature in Christ, why not make the decision this evening to devote your life to Jesus – Revelation 2:10.
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Harry (Andy) Anderson Jr.Return to the Home Page
Galatians 01:03-05 Deliverance from an Evil Age – powerpoint
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Galatians-01-03-05-Deliverance-from-an-Evil-Age.pdf
Galatians-01-03-05-Deliverance-from-an-Evil-Age.pptx
Text: Galatians 1:3-5
Introduction
1. Paul’s greeting to the churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:3) contains words of grace and peace
a. From God the Father
b. And our Lord Jesus Christ
2. As an illustration of such grace and peace, Paul continues in Galatians 1:4
a. “who gave Himself for our sins” (grace!)
b. “that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (peace!)
3. I would like to direct our attention to the latter phrase
a. Undoubtedly we have heard much about Jesus dying for our sins
b. But what of this idea of delivering us from an evil age?
4. The word “age” (aion) as used here means “period of time”
a. Paul has in mind the present period of time
b. Paul views this time as evil – cf. Ephesians 5:16; 6:13
5. Do we take seriously the evil of this age? Do we appreciate the deliverance that Jesus provides?
Body
I. THE EVIL OF THIS PRESENT AGE
A. EVIL IN PAUL’S DAY
1. Paul described the sins of those in his day – Romans 1:18-32
a. Against whom the wrath of God was coming
b. For denying the Creator and suppressing the truth
c. Given up to their own vile passions, they fell into depravity
d. They were filled with all sorts of unrighteousness
2. He called such sins ‘the works of the flesh’ – Galatians 5:19-21
a. Sins that are evident (to those not blinded by them)
b. Sins unrepented of that will keep one out of the kingdom of heaven – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
B. EVIL IN OUR DAY
1. Today, many think lightly of such things as: fornication, adultery, divorce
2. One is considered enlightened when they support: abortion, homosexuality, same -sex marriage
3. More and more our culture is accepting: lasciviousness, pornography, drug abuse
4. All of which reflect a world view impacted by: humanism, evolution, selfishness
5. Yes, things are not much different today than they were in Paul’s day. Yet Jesus gave Himself for our sins “that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4).
II. THE DELIVERANCE THE LORD PROVIDES
A. DELIVERANCE FROM THE GUILT OF SIN
1. Sin is a transgression of God’s law – 1 John 3:4
2. All have sinned, for which the punishment is death – Romans 3:23; 6:23
3. Jesus’ blood frees us from the guilt of sin – Ephesians 1:7
4. We receive remission of sins when we are baptized – Acts 2:38; 22:16
5. In Jesus, there is no condemnation for sin – Romans 8:1; 3:24
B. DELIVERANCE FROM THE POWER OF SIN
1. Sin enslaves, but Jesus provides freedom from the dominion of sin – John 8:31-36
2. This He does by giving us the Spirit – John 7:37-39
3. We receive the Spirit when we are baptized – Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27; 4:6
4. With the Spirit’s aid, we can put to death the deeds of the flesh – Romans 8:12-13
5. In Jesus, we are set free from the law of sin and death – Romans 7:24-25; 8:2
C. DELIVERANCE FROM THE TEMPTATION OF SIN
1. We continue to be tempted by fleshly desires – 1 Peter 2:11; James 1:14
2. Jesus teaches us to watch and pray that we might avoid temptation – Matthew 26:41
3. His Father will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear – 1 Corinthians 10:13a
4. In every temptation He will provide a way of escape – 1 Corinthians 10:13b
5. In Jesus, the godly can find deliverance out of temptations – 2 Peter 2:9
Conclusion
1. Living in a morally confused and spiritual dark world, in Jesus we find
a. Deliverance from the guilt of sin
b. Deliverance from the power of sin
c. Deliverance from the temptation of sin
d. Deliverance from the world that is passing away
2. We note that such deliverance is “according to the will of our God and Father” – Galatians 1:4c
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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James 01:12-18 The Christian and Temptation – powerpoint
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James-01-12-18-The-Christian-and-Temptations.pdf
James-01-12-18-The-Christian-and-Temptations.pptx
Text: James 1:12-18
Introduction:
1. One of the greatest challenges of living the Christian life is dealing with temptations
a. For it can be frustrating to know that your sins have been forgiven
b. …only to find yourself bombarded by temptations to continue in your sins
2. James 1:12-18: we find helpful words for the Christian in the form of:
a. A PROMISE to those who endure temptations
b. A CAUTION not to wrongfully blame God
c. AN UNDERSTANDING of how sin develops
Body
I. THE PROMISE – James 1:12
A. THE MAN WHO ENDURES TEMPTATION WILL BE BLESSED
1. The Greek word for blessed is makarios
2. Which means happy, blessed
3. The nature of the happiness enjoyed is described as the verse continues
B. FOR AFTER HE HAS BEEN PROVED HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE
1. The promise is that of eternal life
2. The promise is given by Him Who cannot lie – Titus 1:2
3. The promise is given to those who demonstrate their love for God by their endurance of the temptations – James 1:3
II. THE CAUTION – James 1:13, James 1:16-18
A. LET NO ONE SAY THEY ARE TEMPTED BY GOD! – James 1:13
1. That is, to blame God for their temptations
2. For God is so HOLY:
a. He cannot be tempted by evil
b. Nor does He tempt anyone to do evil
B. SO DON’T BE DECEIVED INTO SUCH THINKING – James 1:16-18
1. God is the source of GOOD, not evil!
2. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him!
3. As an example, it was of His Own Will that He brought us forth
a. Which He did by the word of truth – 1 Peter 1:22-23
b. So we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures
III. THE UNDERSTANDING – James 1:14-15
A. HOW SIN DEVELOPS
1. The first stage is TEMPTATION – James 1:14
a. This stage involves two things:
1) DESIRES – a strong desire for something
2) ENTICEMENT – an opportunity and encouragement to satisfy the desire
b. Put into a mathematical formula: Temptation = Desire + Opportunity
c. For example: a small boy is TEMPTED to steal some cookies when he WANTS them and has a good chance to get them and not be seen
d. But remember, it is NOT a sin to be TEMPTED – Hebrews 4:15
2. The second stage in the development of sin is SIN ITSELF – James 1:15
a. Temptation leads to sin only when you yield and ACT upon it
b. Sin therefore requires the added step of ACTION
c. Putting it again in mathematical terms: Sin = Desire + Opportunity + Action
3. The final stage is the consequence of unforgiven sin: DEATH – James 1:15
a. This refers to spiritual separation from God, which is the wages of sin – Romans 6:23
b. Ultimately such death involves eternal punishment – Revelation 21:8
c. Putting it once more in the form of an equation: Desire + Opportunity + Action + No Forgiveness = Punishment!
B. HOW TO OVERCOME SIN
1. CHANGE OUR DESIRES
a. Since this is where the process of sin begins, it is the best place for us to begin
b. Bear in mind that it is a part of Christian growth to change our desires – Romans 12:1-2
c. How do we change our desires?
1) Notice that the WORD OF GOD has always been instrumental in helping people overcome sin – Psalm 119:11; Matthew 4:3-10
2) To see how the Word of God can change our desires0
a) As we read of God’s love, longsuffering and mercy, we desire to serve Him – Psalm 116:12-14
b) As we read of sin and its damnable consequences, we come to hate it! – Psalm 119:104
d. So the more we study God’s Word, the less likely we will have the DESIRE to sin, thereby beginning to overcome sin by nipping it in the bud!
e. But changing our desires takes time; while engaged in the process of changing our desires, what else can we do?
2. LIMIT OUR OPPORTUNITIES
a. Remember, we are tempted only when there is BOTH desire and opportunity
b. So while we work on changing our desires, we should limit the opportunities to fulfill wrongful desires
c. This can be done by ASKING FOR GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL HELP, as Jesus taught – Matthew 6:13; Matthew 26:41
d. We can cooperate with God by:
1) Purposely avoiding situations that might excite wrongful desires
a) Following the example of David – Psalm 101:3-4
b) And the example of Job – Job 31:1
2) Avoiding those whose evil behavior encourages us to sin with them
a) Again, David sets a good example – Psalm 101:6-7
b) Paul also adds his warning – 1 Corinthians 15:33
e. But we will unlikely remove EVERY desire and opportunity to sin in this life, what then?
3. EXERCISE SELF-CONTROL
a. Remember, it becomes sin when we yield to ACTION in fulfilling our sinful desires
b. If we can control ourselves so as to not yield, then we can overcome sin!
c. How does the Christian exercise self-control?
1) Self-control is but one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23
2) Strengthened by the Spirit, we are able to put to death the deeds of the body – Romans 8:12-13
3) As Paul said: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13
d. It is through faith in God’s Word that the Christian believes that he has this divine help – Ephesians 3:20
1) It is certainly proper to pray for it, as Paul did in behalf of the Ephesians – Ephesians 3:16
2) But equally important, to act upon it, trusting that you are not alone as you try to do God’s will – Philippians 2:12-13
3) As an exercise commercial once said: JUST DO IT!
e. The Christian, then, has no excuse for yielding to a temptation – 1 Corinthians 10:13
f. But there may be times when we don’t take advantage of the strength God provides through His Spirit, and we sin; what then?
4. OBTAIN FORGIVENESS
a. Remember that sin is victorious when it results in punishment
b. But if we obtain forgiveness through the blood of Christ, we can avoid that punishment and thereby still overcome sin! – 1 John 2:1-2
c. Yes, Christ is truly the propitiation for our sins!
1) By His blood, we were forgiven of past sins when united with Him in BAPTISM – Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5
2) By His blood, we can be forgiven of present sins when we REPENT, PRAY, and CONFESS our sins to God – Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9
d. At any time the Christian can overcome sins that were committed, by repenting and confessing them to God!
Conclusion
1. Indeed, we can overcome sin by stopping its development at ANY one of the four stages leading to the final punishment!
2. If you noticed carefully, you should have seen that at each of the four points in the development of sin, God is able and willing to help us overcome sin!
a. God helps us to control our desires by providing His WORD to renew our minds
b. God helps us to limit the opportunities through His PROVIDENCE as we pray for such
c. God helps us to exercise self-control over our actions through His SPIRIT strengthening the inner man
d. God helps us to obtain forgiveness through the blood of his son as we repent and pray
3. So how could anyone say that God would tempt us to sin?
a. Certainly He is the giver of every good and perfect gift! – James 1:17
b. Even as Paul wrote, in 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 10:13
4. Have you taken advantage of God’s way of escape for the sins you have committed?
5. If not, why not do so by obeying the gospel, the Word of Truth, and become one of the firstfruits of His creatures?
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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