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Friday, January 29, 2010

FREEDOM OVER TEMPTATION

Sunday January 24, 2010


Introduction: There will be battles in life.

How do you resist the temptation to sin? How do you do in the face of such issues as anger, lust, jealousy, pride, drug and alcohol abuse, and greed?

A couple of weeks ago we learned about the sin that was crouching at Cain's door and that God had told him he was to master it. Instead, Cain allowed sin access to deeper regions of his heart and he failed to master the sin of envy and anger. The result was earth's first murder and Abel's blood crying out for justice.

Last week we took a look at the parents of Cain and saw that Eve was enticed and deceived into taking the illicit fruit from the forbidden tree and then handed the fruit to Adam. The result was that their eyes were open but not quite the way they expected. Sin and shame was the first curse and then they had to face their loving Creator. As a result they were banished out of the Garden- the perfect world created for them- and given coats of skins taken from innocent animals slain on their behalf.

Where Adam and Eve failed; where Cain failed; where countless others failed at mastering the sin crouching at their door, Jesus does not fail. In fact, Jesus takes on sin in the most severe weakness of the flesh in order to prove what it truly means to be a human person.

God did not create you and I for the purposes of sin and doing evil. His plan is that sin and evil desires be stamped out of your life so that He can use you to the fullest of the potential you were created for.

I am fascinated by Jesus' temptations because they don't seem to quite match up with the temptations we deal with. Jesus wasn't tempted in the desert by lust but a lot of us are. Jesus wasn't tempted by greed but a lot of us are. Jesus wasn't tempted by things that we seem to be prone to as human beings.

However, what I discover is that Jesus was tempted on a deeper level that really does mirror our own temptations.

Dostoevsky suggests in his book The Brothers Karamazov that by turning down the three temptations that we just read about, Jesus forfeited the three greatest powers as his disposal: miracle, mystery and authority.

And for us this might seem out of our league. But it really isn't when you think about it.

MIRACLE- We all want short-cuts in life. We would rather have the bread, the money, the material things without the sweat, hard-work and even worry to get it. We would prefer the easy way rather than the hard way. So many struggle with issues of lust because they have habits that buy into the instant gratification that sin begs them towards. Satan offers Jesus the easy way to satisfy his own personal hunger. But Jesus resists the devil and shows us restraint.

MYSTERY- We all want to be somebody in life. We want people to see us as wonderful beyond belief and to respect us- maybe even adore us. Satan offers Jesus the easy way to winning over the people and even winning over his enemies. By simply leaping from the temple pinnacle- at least 200 feet- and being protected by the angels, Jesus would enjoy instant fame. And who wouldn't want that? However, again Jesus resists the devil and shows us restraint in the face of temptation.

AUTHORITY- We all want to be in control. Climb the corporate ladder, beat out the guy beside you and in front of you. In a dog-eat-dog world, we can get caught up in the whole "I want to be in charge" mentality. It creeps subtly into your life in ways you don't realize: where to eat supper, how your shirts are folded, the kind of car you want; it creeps subtly into church life where in recent years there are complaints of congregations disrespecting the pastor and the pastor disrespecting the congregation, people disrespecting each other and every disrespecting God because we want the authority, to be the final answer. Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. In essence, you will be in charge of everything. For Jesus, this would be the easy way to do God's will. But with one small detail: bow down and worship evil. Jesus refuses, resists the devil and once again shows restraint.

At the end of the temptations, after Jesus has overcome the devil, the angels show up to minister to him.

So what does this all mean to us- each one of us- old Christians, new Christians, struggling Christians and even victorious Christians? I'm glad you asked!

For you today, for you facing personal unseen battles of faith, for you struggling to do the right things and for you who may be on the mountain-top today but might face a valley tomorrow there are some principles and facts for us to consider as we find Freedom over Temptation.

So let's put on our thinking caps and let's take a deeper look into how you can have freedom over temptation

  1. Temptation as a Result of NATURAL YEARNINGS.

We all have natural yearnings. The most basic human needs according to my seventh grade Geography class with Mr. Rop are food, clothing and shelter. Wrapped in among these basic survival needs are other natural yearnings.

… to be satisfied.

Most people want to go to bed with a full stomach and a peaceful mind.

…to be loved.

There isn't a person alive who doesn't long to be truly loved. And so people fall into temptations to fulfill that longing to be truly loved. However, no matter how much illicit sex a person may get, they will never realize true love both from God and their spouse unless they live life God's way.

…to be somebody.

Hurt and abused people struggle with self-esteem issues. In fact, I would guess just about everyone does at one time or another. But only in Christ can any of us truly experience what it means to be "fearfully and wonderfully made" by God.

…to be secure.

When we awake in the mornings and when we go to bed at night and as we live and work during the day we want to know that we are safe. We depend on our nation's leaders to protect us from the outside evils of terrorism; we depend on our nation's policing forces such as the FBI to catch criminals and bring them to justice; we depend on the State of Michigan, Oceana County, and for some of us, the Village of Shelby to protect us from others infringing on our rights by taking things from our homes, hurting us or our families and causing harm to our communities.

But true security comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Governments will fail- and have; police forces aren't perfect; criminals do crimes and harm others; but Jesus never fails.

Satan wants us to short-cut our natural yearnings and give in to temptations that violate the Word of God. We have to take seriously what God's desires are for our lives and resist the devil.

A second principle about temptation is:

2. Temptation as a Result of HUMAN ENVIRONMENT.

Who are you and what do you do when nobody is looking? That's a monumental question about the true character of a person.

Who are you and what do you do when someone is looking? That's just as important of a question about your true character.

I spoke with a couple of nurses yesterday after having an MRI. One of them used to work at one of our local supermarkets but now works in the lab at the hospital. I asked her what it was like and she made the comment that she actually sees a lot of the same customers. And then she said this: they seem nicer here to me here than they were towards me in the store.

I found that strange. And so I got to thinking while laying there in that cylinder with my eyes closed: should Christians be any different in a different place? Of course not.

As Christians, our environment should not be the cause of us sinning. But understand, temptation follows you wherever you go. Life Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Mask of the Red Death" evil cannot be boxed out, boarded out or avoided. Monks who attempted to defeat evils such as lust would remove themselves from outside world contact but still struggled with the same lust problems.

Understand, there are certain things we have little control over but then there are certain things we have lots of control over.

Here is a short list of human environments that we all have to deal with:

a) The Place you Live.

Beware of how you live in your home- you control what you watch on television and look at on your computer.

b)The Place you Work.

Beware of co-workers who would love nothing better than to tempt you, make your life miserable because of your faith and say all manner of evil against you. Resist lashing back at such people.

c) The Places you go.

Guard the places you are at. Some of you can go to the Brown Bear for a bear-burger and not have a problem. An alcoholic must truly consider not going to places that serve alcohol.

d) The People you encounter.

Watch whom you build relationships with. I have witnessed co-workers in the shop who finally gave in to the temptation of an affair due in part because they worked in close quarters together and developed emotional bonds. Two marriages, two families were destroyed by what seemed to be a natural thing. Maybe you quit a certain restaurant or going to a certain place or asking for a transfer or even quitting your job to save not simply your marriage or your reputation but to save your soul.

Be careful who your friends are. Paul properly quotes a Greek philosopher: Bad company corrupts good character. Watch out for friends who want to steer you towards evil. Make new friends if you have to. And at the same time you be the friend who stands for what's right.

I could go on and on but let's take a look at a third principle about temptation:

3. Temptation as a Result of SUBTLE APPEALS.

Satan very rarely runs a full frontal attack against your spirituality. Check out these crafty and tempting pleas toward sin:

"You deserve it."

"You can't help yourself."

"It's not your fault."

"You were born this way."

"Others are doing it."

"You have a right."

"You've got to do…

  • …what feels good.

  • …what feels right.

  • …what's best for you.

In none of these subtle appeals do you find the leading of the Holy Spirit. In facing temptation you have to do as Jesus did and resist the enemy and he will flee. It's important for us to understand that Jesus understands what you go through.

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:18

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin."
Hebrews 4:15

4. Overcoming Temptation as a Result of THE HOLY SPIRIT.

In truly overcoming temptation we have to understand that it is not about me but about God. The Bible says this about you and me who claim Christ as our Lord and Savior: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit whom you received from God? You are not your own you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Jesus paid the price so that you could be born again and saved from your sins. Because you belong to the Holy Spirit you now live your life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here are some important guidelines to enjoying freedom over temptation.

  • Understanding & Using the Scriptures.

Get into God's Word regularly. I promote that every Christian should do at least 5 days a week for devotions. We have devotionals available to you. Make a practice of reading your Bible- even small portions. If you struggle with reading we have the Bible on tape- some have utilize this method.

  • Listening & Learning from Others.

Read Christian authors, learn from other Christians even right here, listen to their experiences and then apply the truths you learn. I'm not going to nail everything you need for your faith. You won't find me jealous because you happen to watch Charles Stanley or listen to Chuck Swindol or read Max Lucado. I like all of those guys and have their books on my shelves.

  • Developing & Doing Spiritual Disciplines.

Come up with a plan on living a solid Christian life. Next month we will be starting Christianity 101 Class. The objective is learn the basics about how to live a Christian life, what the Bible is all about and Christian doctrines we believe. In that we will lay out a way to make a plan of spiritual growth and then to work that plan into routines.

  • Praying & Praising as Life Habits.

I have found that my life could not have dealt with some of the issues I have had to deal with- and even temptations. Good praying and praising habits are essential to every Christian here. Find the kind of Christian music style you enjoy and crank it up when you drive somewhere or do housework or work on your car.

Learn the old hymns as well as the newer stuff. Not because we need to be old-fashioned but because the hymn book has some fantastic songs that address the very issues we deal with every day.

Conclusion: There will be battles for you to win.

God has not called us a life of defeat-ism but to a life of freedom and victory through Christ.

Here are some nitty-gritty guidelines for you to be victorious over the battles that you will face in every phase of life:

  • You are called to live a holy life. "For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." (Ephesians 1:4)
  • You will always face diverse temptations.
    "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kind." (James 1:2) James seems to make a realistic assumption about the Christian life: there will be trials of many kind.
  • You won't be tempted beyond your ability to resist. "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB)
  • The Holy Spirit will help you as you allow Him to. "So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not satisfy the desires of the sinful nature." (Galatians 5:16)
  • Seek forgiveness when necessary. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
  • Get an accountability partner. Everyone should have an accountability partner who can help you win in your walk with Christ.
    As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
    (Proverbs 27:17)
  • Claim the holy life that is yours. Too often we forget that holiness is not a goal to achieve but is a life to live. Way too often we strive to live appropriate lives for Christ, for our marriage and family and even for ourselves and yet forget in all of our strivings that to be holy is not the ultimate goal. To live out the holiness of Christ that has truly gripped our life is what this dark and lonely world desperately needs. "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11 {This last thought was added during publishing. As I thought further on this message I felt that future readers might benefit from a fuller understanding of where I'm coming from.}

How do you resist the temptation to sin? How do you deal with such issues as anger, lust, jealousy, pride, drug and alcohol abuse, and greed?

Remember there is victory in Jesus. There is forgiveness of sins, there is cleansing and there is standing true.

Praise the Lord- There is freedom over temptation.


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