How To Handle Temptation Religion Essay

And Brenda helps me out as we explore another subject from the Word of God. And today we ‘re go oning a series we ‘ve begun that I ‘m naming The ‘How To ‘ Of Christianity. And that ‘s because I ‘m really concerned that we get a religion that works – that ‘s for existent, and applies to all countries of our lives and is n’t merely reserved for Sunday services merely. And that ‘s why today I want us to look at How To Handle Temptation.

GNB

And allow ‘s present the subject this manner. The Lord of the Rings trilogy tells a absorbing narrative. These three movies portrayed the friendly relationship of Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. Now, in instance some of you have n’t seen the films or read the books allow me make full you in a spot.

In Tolkein ‘s narrative the cardinal character, a halfling or hobbit named Frodo, has the duty of destructing a powerful and inherently evil ring. The lone manner this can be done is by going 100s of stat mis across enemy-held district called Mordor to throw it into the vent where it was originally forged by the evil Sauron-who is kind of a satan-like character.

This is of class a long and parlous journey and at one point Frodo decides to strike out on his ain so as non to jeopardize any of the other members of the family who had set out to assist him with this undertaking. But his friend Sam will hear nil of that.

Well, it ‘s a good thing that Frodo decided to allow faithful Sam accompany him because there are several times when he would n’t hold made it if it were n’t for his loyal Confederate, Samwise Gamgee.

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And to me this aspect of this narrative puts a limelight on the fact that we all need friends.

I mean, life in this fallen universe can be difficult and we were n’t designed to travel through it entirely. God did n’t do us self-sufficing existences. And we see this in the really beginning of human history. Remember? When God made Adam, He saw that it was n’t good for him to be without a comrade so He made Eve. This should remind us that we are all wired to populate our lives in relationship with other people-we are programmed such that we require friends. And I ‘m certain you would hold that TRUE friends-friends like Sam-who “ stick closer than a brother ” no affair what life brings-well they are Cherished!

Possibly this realization is what inspired the undermentioned verse form:

“ Count your garden by the Flowers

Never by the LEAVES that autumn

Count your yearss by aureate Hours

Do n’t retrieve the CLOUDS at all.

Count your darks by STARS, non SHADOWS.

Count your life with SMILES, non TEARS.

And with joy on every birthday,

Count your age by FRIENDS non YEARS

GNB

Now, the relationship between Sam and Frodo illustrates the truth that one of the BENEFITS of holding friends is that they provide us with person we can speak to when life gets tough. As a affair of fact Sam and Frodo have some fantastic conversations-conversations in which they give each other advocate that helps them to win in finishing their hard undertaking. And that ‘s the manner it is between good friends.

As Proverbs 27:9 says, “ … the pleasantness of one ‘s friend springs from his EARNEST COUNSEL. ” I ‘m certain we would all hold that when we have a dilemma one of the first things we do is travel to our friends for their input.

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Yes – We VALUE the “ sincere advocate ” of a true friend.

Well, today I want to be like a friend as I take the Word of God and use it to this topic of enticement.

As of all time on Word Alive our text book will be the Bible.

So Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘s get down this message by looking at two transitions of Scripture that trade with the topic of enticement: 1 Corinthians 10: and James 1.

Follow along if you can.

GNB

1 Corinthians 10:12, “ So, if you think you are standing house, be careful that you do n’t fall! No enticement has seized you except what is common to adult male. And God is faithful ; He will non allow you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will besides supply a manner out so that you can stand up under it.

And James 1:13, “ When tempted, no 1 should state “ God is alluring me. ” For God can non be tempted by immorality, nor does He allure anyone ; but each one is tempted when by his ain immorality desire, he is dragged off and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to transgress ; and wickedness, when it is adult, gives birth to decease. ”

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Okay, what do we say that will convey aid in covering with enticement? How do you manage it yourself or rede a friend?

Well the first thing we need to make is to be reminded of some rudimentss facts.

For illustration: ALL people struggle with enticement.

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As 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “ If you think you are standing firm-IF YOU THINK YOU ARE BEYOND THE REACH OF TEMPTATION-be careful because it ‘s “ COMMON to adult male. ”

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No 1 is immune to this job. It is inevitable that all of us will be enticed-or tempted-to do incorrectly from clip to clip in life. The same enticements we face have been faced by others. So when our friends come and tell us they are fighting in some country one thing we must state them there is nil abnormally incorrect with them. Bing tempted is portion of being human.

Possibly you ‘ve seen the auto spine that says,

“ Lead me non into enticement ; I ‘m absolutely capable of happening it on my ain. ”

Well, that humorously puts Forth the truth that in life all people find themselves fact to face with enticement. I mean, even mature Christians, trusters who make it their end to walk as near to God as they can-even they wrestle with enticement every individual twenty-four hours. Like the rain, enticement falls on the merely and the unjust.

GNB

C. S. Lewis one time said, “ A cockamamie thought is current that good people do non cognize what enticement means. This is an obvious prevarication. Merely [ good people – merely ] those who try to defy temptation-know how strong it is. ”

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The fact is all of us are iniquitous fallen animals so all of us are tempted.

The monastic who lives behind cloistral walls wrestles with it merely every bit much as the salesman out on the route.

Another thing-it ‘s non a wickedness to be tempted. Jesus Himself dealt with this peculiar facet of being human.

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As Hebrews 4:15 says, “ For we do non hold a High Priest Who is unable to sympathize with our failings, but we have One Who has been tempted in every manner, merely as we are-yet without wickedness. ”

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So sin happens, non when we are tempted but instead when we yield to enticement… when we act on our evil ideas and selfish desires.

A 2nd basic fact we must understand is that enticements come in ALL forms and sizes.

I point this out because we tend to believe that enticements are limited to sexual wickednesss but that ‘s non true. There are all sorts of enticement.

Some of us are tempted to take retaliation on those who wrong us.

Some are tempted to win at all costs even if we have to ache people to make it.

Sometimes we wrestle with enviousness or green-eyed monster or hatred or the impulse to make force.

In fact, allow ‘s make a quick canvass to exemplify the scope of enticements that we all wrestle with. Tick of if you struggle with these enticements-if you are of all time been tempted to eat excessively much or pass excessively much or to stall or to keep a score or to lie or to name in ill when you were n’t or to fib a small on your revenue enhancement return or to drive faster than the velocity limit-or to transgress sexually.

If we were in the same room and were being honest so our custodies would travel up and down really rapidly! The truth is all of us are tempted in a broad assortment of ways each and every twenty-four hours.

And so, the 3rd basic fact we must hold on is that the beginning of ALL enticement is SATAN himself.

This is of import for us to cognize because if we are to win our conflict with enticement we have to understand what-or instead WHOM we ‘re up against.

GNB

As a affair of fact the dictionary defines enticement as, “ The act of temptation to make incorrect, by the promise of pleasance or addition. ”

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Yes – In other words enticement tries to actuate us to be BAD by assuring something Good and does n’t that sound like the Satan ‘s tactics?

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Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that when it comes to temptation our “ battle is non merely against flesh and blood. It ‘s against the powers of this dark world-the religious forces of immorality. ”

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So, as this text and legion others like it indicate, our enticements are orchestrated by the powers of darkness. You see, the truth is there ‘s an evil force at work in this fallen universe of ours and its swayer seeks to destruct your life-my life. Part of the manner he does this is by stirring up our desires-hoping that we ‘ll react to them in iniquitous ways. He wants us to take the incorrect way and pay the painful effects. He wants to destroy our life. He wants to pulverize our Christian informant. He means us no good.

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In John 10:10 Jesus describes him a “ thief-come to kill and destruct. ”

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And that is his purpose. Satan wants to Steal the joy that God intends you to hold in life. He wants to Destroy you and your household.

Now, these yearss many people-even some Christians-tend to understate a belief in a actual Satan. And if you ‘re one of them so allow me merely inquire you this-how do you explicate the fact that in this state alone 1000000s of people have been slaughtered on battlegrounds, largely over issues like boundary line differences and cultural differences.

How make you explicate racial prejudice-judging person by the coloring material of their tegument? How do you explicate the fact that so many small kids under 5 old ages of age starve to decease every 24 hours while merely across the boundary line from where many of them live, house pets have to eat low-fat repasts because they ‘re packing a small excessively much weight around the center?

How make you explicate sexual maltreatment? How do parents maltreat their ain kids in this manner?

How is all this moral insanity explained? A damaged chromosome here and at that place? An uneffective school system? Come on! It ‘s deeper than that.

It ‘s evil and its organized and there ‘s an intentionality behind it so as, James 1:16 says, “ We must non be deceived… ” there IS a force at work in this universe and in your life and mine and it ‘s the force of immorality and its leader is a fallen angel named Satan. He wants to bust up your life-and one manner he does it is by stirring up the dark destructive desires that dwell in each of us-desires, that if we let them will destruct us and our loved 1s.

So when we or other people need counsel when it comes to enticement, allow ‘s understand this – enticement is inevitable.

GNB

And there are a broad assortment of enticements.

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Warn them that the beginning of all enticement is the Satan himself.

But be certain to understand one extra thing.

Understand that when we yield to temptation it is OUR mistake.

GNB

James 1:14 says, “ Each one is tempted when he is carried off and enticed by his ain lecherousness. ”

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Now, pull a line under the words, “ each 1 ” and “ ain ” to remind you that when we choose to give in to enticement and wickedness we ca n’t fault anyone else. Each one of us is responsible. “ The Satan made me make it ” is non a valid alibi.

The fact is nil outside ourselves is strong enough-not even Satan-to cause us to transgress. He is a powerful enemy but a defeated one so we ca n’t fault him for our wickedness. No, sin takes topographic point when we agree to his enticements and of our ain free will make up one’s mind to follow it.

In other words, no 1 HAS to give to temptation. No 1 HAS to traverse the line and wickedness. We have a pick. Anyone who says, “ I ca n’t assist myself ” is either lying or deceiving themselves. Let me give you an illustration to demo you how true this rule is.

Let ‘s say you are home entirely and you decide to give to enticement and watch a adult film. I know that ‘s an utmost illustration but bent with me. You tune in to the appropriate “ grownup ” channel and get down to watch but a few proceedingss into the movie you hear a auto pull up in your private road and a auto door unfastened and close. You lean over to look out the window and you see ME about to strike hard on your door. Could you stop watching the film? Of class you could-because no wickedness is resistless. We do n’t hold to lose the conflict with enticement. We can state NO. In fact, God promises that He will ne’er let us to be tempted beyond what we can bear.

Our Godhead… our Interior designer… knows our bounds and He has promised that He will non let the Satan to exercise more pull than we can state “ no ” to.

Old ages ago many ships were lost at sea in accidents that were caused by overloading-carrying excessively much lading. Well, after decennaries of tragic losingss, a adult male in England by the name of Plimsoll came up with the thought that a line should be painted on the side of merchandiser vass, so that it would be easy to state if they were overloaded. This ulterior became known as the “ Plimsoll grade. ” It shortly became illegal for any ship to be loaded more to a great extent than permitted by the Plimsoll grade on its side. Well, in the same manner there is a “ Plimsoll grade ” on our lives. God will non let Satan to allure us any more than we are able to manage. He wo n’t allow him overload us with more temptations than we can transport.

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In fact, as our text from 1 Corinthians Tells us, if we are willing, He will ever supply a manner out.

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Some interlingual renditions word the last portion of poetry 13 this manner, “ When you are tempted God will besides supply a manner of ESCAPE… ” And I ‘d wish us to take that word “ ESCAPE ” and utilize it as an acronym to assist us retrieve six things we must cognize or make to win this conflict we all pay.

Okay, here we go.

The “ E ” Stands for ENVIRONMENT.

You see, one manner we can forestall our battles with enticement from go oning in the first topographic point is to remain off from environments where we know we are certain to be tempted.

GNB

Ephesians 5:15 alludes to this rule when it says, “ See so that you walk CIRCUMSPECTLY, non as saps, but as wise. ”

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In other words we should walk AROUND topographic points where we know temptation delaies to lure us. And as this poetry says, it IS foolish to travel where you know the Satan is lying in delay ready and willing to allure you. We would wholly be better off today if Adam and Eve had steered clear of that out tree in the Garden of Eden.

Well, Satan still waits in out places-places God wants us to remain off from-and this is why the Bible warns us to walk circumspectly-to walk around those topographic points!

GNB

In fact, Proverbs 4:14 says, “ Do non put your pes on the way of the wicked… ”

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which is another manner of stating non merely should we avoid topographic points where we are tempted, we should besides maneuver clear of PATHS that lead to topographic points where this will go on. We must make everything we can to avoid anything that can take us to transgress.

I read about a Christian adult male who does n’t have on dark glassess when he goes to the beach because he says they make it excessively easy for him to look where he should n’t be looking without his married woman or Christian friends cognizing the way of his glimpses. He is a wise man-someone who knows what it means to walk cagily. Sunglassess can be truly helpful, I know that – but take his point. We should all follow his illustration and maintain out of any environment where we know we might be tempted to transgress.

I mean, if you have a job with chitchat stay off from people who ca n’t maintain their nose out of other people ‘s concern.

If you struggle with the enticement to eat excessively much, do n’t purchase your java at a Donut store. If you have an intoxicant job do n’t eat your repasts in bars. In short, remain off from people, topographic points, and things that you know could do you to falter.

Remember, it ‘s easier to Stay out of enticement than to Get out of enticement.

When we unwisely spend clip near people, topographic points, or things that we know will allure us we are playing right into the custodies of the Satan.

GNB

This is what Paul was acquiring at in Romans 6:13 when he said, “ Do non travel on showing the members of your organic structure to transgress. ”

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The “ S ” in this acronym stands for “ SPEND clip with God. ”

You see, one of the greatest arms in this war we all pay with enticement is to maintain a day-to-day assignment with our Godhead, all-loving God. I say this because disbursement clip with God-learning His position on our lives-learning to believe His thoughts-well, it opens unfastened our religious eyes. I mean, the closer we get to God the more clearly we see Satan for who he truly is. The deeper our relationship with God is, the better we can see through the Satan ‘s prevarications and understand the possible effects of our wickedness. The more clip we spend with God the easier it is for us to state ‘No ‘ to Satan ‘s invitations.

GNB

When Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 yearss He told Satan, “ Away from Me! For it is written ‘Worship the Lord your God and function Him merely. ”

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Jesus was fundamentally stating, “ Leave me alone Satan, because I belong to God and non you. ” And we need to hold a deep relationship with our Lord so that we can confidently state the same.

Have your childs of all time got in an statement with each other-perhaps one tried to state the other one what to make and her sibling said, “ I do n’t hold to make what you say. You ‘re non the foreman of me! ”

Well, when we spend clip day-to-day with God reaffirming His Lordship in our lives, we are strengthened to state the same thing to Satan, “ Get off from me. You ‘re non the Lord of my life! You ‘re non the foreman of me. Jesus is! ”

When we walk with God we come to see that every enticement can be good for us because it gives us an chance for us to turn closer to God by obeying Him alternatively of giving to Satan ‘s invitations.

And this leads to the rule behind the 3rd missive in this acronym.

“ C ” stands for: CLAIM Bible.

The Gospels record that Jesus ‘ primary arm when He faced enticement was Scripture. Every clip Satan tempted Him, His response was, “ It is written… ” And this should remind us that the Bible is a arm in our ain conflicts with enticement. This is one ground it has frequently been referred to as “ the SWORD of truth. ”

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David understood this rule. In his 119th Psalm he said, “ How can a immature adult male maintain his manner pure? By populating harmonizing to Your Word… I have hidden Your Word in my bosom that I might non transgress against You. ”

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The fact is, the more Bible we know-the more easy we can manage the Sword of Truth-the more power we will see over enticement.

It ‘s like every poetry we memorise becomes an anti-missile we can fire to hit down the missiles Satan launches our manner.

Let me demo you some illustrations.

When you foremost experience drawn to transgress you can fire off James 4:7 where it says, “ Submit yourselves to God. Defy the Satan and he will fly from you. ”

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When you ‘re tempted to lie or rip off, you could utilize Proverbs 11:1 which says, “ The Lord abhors dishonest graduated tables but accurate weights are His delectation. ”

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When you ‘re tired and tempted to take a verbal shooting at one of your childs, you parents out at that place can trust on Ephesians 6:4 where it says, “ Fathers, do non arouse your kids. ”

That ‘s how the Bible works-when we put it in here-when the Word of God is stored up in our minds-it bases ready to strike automatically and no arm can stand against the Truth.

GNB

Charles Swindoll tells how Scripture memory helped him get the better of enticement. He writes:

“ I was one time in Canada. I had been off from place eight yearss and there were two more to go-a weekend. I was lonely and holding a commiseration party for myself at supper-alone. I bought a newspaper, thumbed through the athleticss subdivision, and found nil but hockey-a Canadian front-runner but non mine. I heaved a sigh and walked toward the lift. En path, I heard a twosome immature adult females speaking and express joying as they used the hotel phone in the anteroom. I smiled as I passed by and a few stairss subsequently punched the “ up ” lift button. I got on. So did the two ladies. I punched ‘6. ‘ They did n’t make for the row of buttons, so I asked, ‘What floor? ‘ One looked at me instead sultrily and said, ‘How about six? Do you hold any programs? ”

We were entirely on an lift. In Canada. I was flattered, to be honest. . . . These adult females were available and I was lonely. On that trip from the anteroom to the 6th floor, I had an highly important determination to do… the come-on had been dropped. Make you cognize what instantly flashed into my head? My married woman and kids? No, non at foremost. My place and repute? No, non so. The possibility of being seen or set up? No. God gave me an instant rematch of Galatians 6:7 where it says, ‘Do non be deceived: God can non be mocked A adult male reaps what he sows. ‘ and Ephesians 6:11,

‘Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your base against the Satan ‘s strategies. ‘ and Romans 6:11-12, ‘Even so see yourselves to be dead to transgress, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do non allow wickedness reign in your mortal organic structure that you should obey its lecherousnesss. ‘ During that lift lift, the memorised Word [ poetry after verse ] flew to my deliverance. I looked back at the two ladies and replied, ‘I ‘ve got a full eventide planned already ; I ‘m truly non interested. ‘ They looked at me like I was some kind of sap and stayed on the lift as I stepped off. I walked to my room grateful for the get the better ofing power of God ‘s book. ”

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Well as Swindoll learned, God frequently provides a manner of flight through the power of His Word.

Possibly this is why Dwight Moody one time said, “ Sin will maintain you from this Book and this book will maintain you from wickedness. ”

Okay Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘s move on. The “ A ” stands for ACCOUNTABILITY…

And it refers to the pattern of happening a fellow Christian friend to be your answerability spouse. Now, understand-true answerability is when you confess a wickedness and give person permission and purchase in your life to make something to assist you.

It ‘s different from revelation. Disclosure is stating person you have a job with erotica on the cyberspace. Accountability is inquiring them to maintain your computing machine until you an overcome the job. Disclosure is stating person you are reasoning with your parents a batch and being unkind to them. Accountability is holding them name your parents one time a hebdomad to see how you ‘re handling them. Accountability is a good thing because other people can give us a batch of power when it comes to stating NO to enticement.

The narrative is told of a Equus caballus pull in Canada. One Equus caballus pulled 9,000 lbs, another 8,000. Together you would anticipate them to draw 17,000 lbs right? Not so! When teamed together, they pulled 30,000 lbs!

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This rule is called synergy.

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Yes – It means that separate agents working together have a greater entire consequence than the amount of the single agents. In other words, much more can be done in a squad attempt than can be accomplished solo and that ‘s the manner it is with enticement.

O.k. … “ P ” Stands for two words: PLEASURE and PAIN.

And the point here is that the pleasances that come with giving to temptation-and of class wickedness IS a enjoyable thing but its pleasances are impermanent whereas the PAIN that ever comes after goes on and on.

Moses understood this rule. Remember?

GNB

In Hebrews 11 it says he, “ … refused to be called the boy of Pharaoh ‘s girl ; taking instead to digest ill-treatment with the people of God, instead than to bask the PASSING PLEASURES of wickedness. ”

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Randy Alcorn says that whenever he is tempted by sexual wickedness he finds it helpful to reexamine the painful effects such an action could hold.

Here are a few of the things he mentions:

One twenty-four hours looking Jesus in the face and holding to give an history for my actions.

Inflicting untold injury on my loyal married woman… losing her regard and trust.

Aching my darling girls.

Destroying my illustration and credibleness with my children-nullifying both present and future attempts to learn them to obey God.

Causing shame to my household… .

and so on.

Whenever we are tempted to transgress, we should inquire God to open our eyes so that we can see all the hurting our wickedness will do us and other people. This can be a powerful motive to state “ no ” to Satan ‘s invitations.

This leads us to the “ E ” in Escape… which stands for EVANGELISM…

One thing we must ever retrieve as Christians is that when we yield to enticement and wickedness we frequently lose something really cherished, viz. the power of our personal informant. You see, many non-believers are looking for an alibi non to take the claims of Christ earnestly and frequently all it takes, is for them to see one of us involved in iniquitous behaviors.

You know, we frequently talk about how fantastic it will be to travel to heaven and have people we do n’t cognize come up to us and state us that things we did unwittingly led them to faith in Jesus, whether it was the manner we taught a Sunday School category or helped a neighbor in demand.

And it WILL be great to hold people walk up to us on the streets of glorification and say their lives were changed because of our non-verbal informant.

But can you conceive of the contrary? Can you conceive of how painful it would be to walk the streets of Hell and have people come up to you and state, “ I would hold become a Christian if it were n’t for you! I saw you wickedness and concluded that your religion in the Son of God was merely an empty fake. I ‘m here because of what you did. ”

Now, as Christians we wo n’t walk the streets of Hell but when we stand before God ‘s throne I do believe we will hold an apprehension of our wickedness. In the visible radiation of God ‘s sanctity we will, for the first clip grok the true deepness of our corruption.

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Possibly this is why the Bible says God will “ pass over cryings from our eyes… ” – tears we shed when we get to heaven and gain that our wickednesss kept others from Jesus.

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No wickedness is so enjoyable that it is worth that hurting.

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You are listening to Word Alive with Dr Derek Stringer and I ‘m Brenda Critchley. There is such a batch of practical aid for populating the Christian life in what we ‘ve been hearing today – good – I know you will desire to believe and pray it through.

We can assist you by directing you recordings of this series The ‘How To Of Christianity ‘ and today ‘s subject – How To Manage Temptation. Transcripts are besides available free to an electronic mail reference.

I ‘ll state you our contact inside informations in merely a minute. Let me manus over to Derek before I do so. Derek!

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Brenda! Thank you.

You know, one of the fantastic things about Christian family is that we CAN come to one another with our battles. We can be honest about our enticements and failures because we both are evildoers saved by the grace of Christ.

In his book Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes:

“ Even when wickedness and misconstruing load the communal life, is non the sinning brother still a brother, with whom I, excessively, stand under the Word of Christ?

Will non his wickedness be a changeless juncture for me to give thanks that both of us may populate in the forgiving love of God in Jesus Christ? ”