Crossroads Community Church

November 5, 2015 · 0 Comments

We gathered together rejoicing in the opportunity to worship and praise God.
Pastor Don prayed, Dear Father God, we praise you this morning for giving us the spirit of free choice. Gratefully, we can choose to accept and follow your Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior. We pray this morning for your protection from the many temptations that may draw us into sin and away from your will. I pray Dear Lord Jesus that our faith in you will remain strong and secure. I pray for our minds and hearts to be open to your leading. May we listen to you, obey you and heed your warnings, meditating upon your word. I pray all this in the name and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.
Today we studied overcoming temptation.
The dictionary definition of “tempt” is to “entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain” or “to risk the dangers of”.
In the opening verses of James 1, the emphasis is on persevering through our trials to strengthen our faith and produce a steadfastness of character, and James 1:12 states “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterwards they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
If we want to overcome temptation we must understand its’ origins.
James 1:14 states “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away”.
It is important to note that this verse (James 1:14) is immediately preceded by James 1:13 which tells us “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.”
Adam and Eve, when tempted in the Garden of Eden, willfully and willingly, knowing God’s word, chose to disobey God and sin. (Genesis 3:1-6)
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and willfully and willingly, knowing God’s word, chose not to sin. (Matthew 4:1-11)
For some temptation may be possible because of their personal desire for wealth, power, or status; others may seek unhealthy or unlawful self-gratification; and for others the temptation may come from their lack of food, shelter or rest.
Temptation, which comes from our own desires, is inevitable, for James not only says “when” you are being tempted, not “if”, but further warns us in verse 15 that “These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
Recognizing that each and every one of us faces our own, personal, temptations we then looked at 1 Corinthians 10:13 which assures us that “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
When Job had lost everything, his wealth, his livestock, his family and his health, in all this, Job worshipped and praised the Lord and did not sin by blaming God (Job 1:20-22) and God blessed Job.
We’ve been set free by God’s grace if we know Jesus Christ, the living word, as our Lord and Savior.
Unfortunately, despite God’s grace, faithfulness and guidance, people ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord (Proverbs 19:3).
“So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.” (James 1:16)
It has been said that the key to overcoming temptation has to do with belief, not behavior. “Every temptation to sin is a temptation to disbelieve the gospel.”
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Someone once said “the greatest threat is not the wrong being done to me, but the wrong that may be done by me”.
When we give in to temptation, we need to recognize it, admit it and repent, asking God’s forgiveness, not justify it, try to get away with it, nor play the “blame game”.
We may think the lack of accountability evident in society is new, but it was actually present in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:8-13)
Psalm 119:67-68: “I used to wander off until you disciplined me but now I closely follow your word. You are good and do only good, teach me your decrees.”
May God richly bless these His words here this morning and may we victoriously overcome the unavoidable temptations present in our lives, strengthened in our faith and steadfast in our character. Amen.