I suddenly thought of the popular Christian radio stations in the Philippines and found one and their topic was about temptation.
How many of us ponder that we will never face a TEMPTATION? Some of us think that we are very strong and we can overcome temptations in our own way.
Have you ever experienced promising things? Like to yourself? That you will be on “a diet” starting to that day? And then you went to a place that has many foods, then you started to say “hmmm.. I like that one, this one, and all!” then you buy and eat. And suddenly, you realized, “Gosh, I forgot that I’m on a diet”.
Everyone is not exempted to any kind of temptation. All of us will be tempted but all of us can escape and run away to the temptation that may come.
The best example to look upon is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. He was tempted but did not sin, from the Lust of the Flesh, Pride of Life and Lust of the eyes. (Matthew 4) Jesus overcame all of those temptation to prove that it is POSSIBLE for us to overcome temptation like what Jesus experienced.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
So, our question may be. What to do when I am in my temptation season?
Here are the things that God impressed me to write at this moment:
1st thing: Recognize that you cannot do any good thing apart from GOD.
You have to know that there’s no magic thing in the world. There’s no formula to overcome our situations in life. You have to know that there’s a God who can make these things known to you. And you have to know your real condition in God’s eyes first to understand your situation.
In Romans 3:10-12 New International Version (NIV):
10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[a]
THERE IS NO ONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE. We are all part of it. This statement proves that as a human, we will never have good things, for we are unrighteous before the Creator and Lord – JESUS CHRIST.
I appreciate God more and more each day and remember the reason why God saved me by His grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 New International Version (NIV):
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works so that no one can boast.
God does not save me by the works that I thought would gonna save me – to be kind, to attend church every Sunday, to be generous and many good works that the world defined on it. But all of those things are just filthy rags in the sight of the Lord.
In Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
But why? God knew us more than we know our selves. If our good works (we thought) are the only answer to save us from the life that is ahead of us, why would Jesus need to die on the CROSS and pay for our sins?
God looks at the heart of those who do good works or let’s say kind works. And He knew that we do all the works to make someone clap on us or praise us. God knows how people love to be praised publicly. We cannot hide from God.
Hebrews 4:13-15 New Life Version (NLV)
13 No one can hide from God. His eyes see everything we do. We must give an answer to God for what we have done.
2nd thing: You need to accept Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior – you cannot change this TRUTH, He is GOD.
Now that you know your condition in God’s eyes. What you need to do? You have to accept that Jesus is Lord and Savior of the world.
Are you looking for evidence? Just to believe that this JESUS (the world had been neglected many many times) is the One True God that you really need?
John 3:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
How many times we heard this verse from the people of God or everywhere else, and how many times we tried to meditate it when we are alone? My dear friends, what God the Father has given us was so precious to Him that because of His GREAT GREAT GREAT LOVE for us, He did not refuse to give His one and only Son to be the payment of the sins that we can never pay. Look at this verse what Jesus said:
John 10:18 New International Version
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Jesus has freely given His LIFE for you and for me.
You might want to listen with this song to understand more of what Jesus did:
Are you facing great trials and temptation? YOU need JESUS CHRIST in your life. Meditate on this song.
3rd thing: As you accept Jesus, as your Personal Lord and Savior. Let Him strenghten you to face every circumstances.
Accepting Jesus genuinely means accepting a new life with Him, accepting His total forgiveness from your original sins (also called ancestral sin, is a Christian belief in the state of sin in which humanity has existed since the fall of man, stemming from Adam and Eve’s rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and been cleansed by His blood.
Accepting Jesus means you really do what the Bible said:
1 John 1:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
NOTE: If you think God would forgive only the portion of your sins, you are wrong! Look at the word “ALL” and the word SINS not just sin but SINS. No sin that Jesus can’t forgive, whatever you think with your life, GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU, He has a reason why God allows you to live in this world.
I like this song again, and I am really blessed on the content:
“For there is no one like our God
There’s no one like our God
There’s nothing that can stand against You
There’s no stronghold You can’t break
No life that You can’t save
Our God You never fail”
Accepting Jesus means You now have His power to overcome all the temptation and trials you are about to face.
Again, His power -the Holy Spirit. Before, when you don’t have a personal relationship with HIM, you have friendship with the enemy. You do what your lord do, you are a slave of sins. But when You accepted Jesus, you are now a slave of RIGHTEOUSNESS and you have the eternal life (which we will receive after this life) promised to those who believe in JESUS CHRIST – the Son of God.
4th thing: As you received the free gift of God’s salvation, you have to know: WE CAN DO ALL THINGS TO CHRIST WHO GIVES US STRENGTH.
Let’s go back to the topic, how are we going to face the possible temptation as a child of God?
I remember what the Pastor said in the radio station: when you feel the situation is really wrong, you have the chance to RUN AWAY and ESCAPE. Because when you started to be curious about what will happen if you will try the wrong thing you feel, there’s a hundred percent you will gonna commit sin.
Escape while there’s still a time for you to run. If not, there would be danger if you like to try.
I’ll give you an example. As a youth, I’m also tempted to desire the wrong things. But as time goes on, I started to ask the Lord to show me the root of all these things.
And suddenly, I realized something. Our desire is also like a seed, it is always our choice if we want that seed to grow or not in our hearts.
What I discovered in my desire when you are not aware, you let that desire grow inside of you and you see yourself reaping the same fruit and experience the same result: DEPRESSION, PAIN, DISAPPOINTMENT, HATRED.
And you asked, what happened to me? The answer is: you water the seed/desire inside of you.
I know all of us have our own desires in this life: to be rich, to travel all over the world, to be famous, or a lot of things. God knew it dear. But I can testify, God is able to SET YOU FREE from all the chains you are having right now.
1 Corinthians 10:13 New International Version
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Jesus set the best example of how God the Father will help us in times of need.
God will never let us be tempted BEYOND what we can bear. But He also promises us that when we face the temptation – he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
You might see your desire as like seed starting to come inside your heart, give it to GOD. Let the seed you will receive is the WORD of GOD. It will direct and instruct you on how to live in this life. You just have to be willing to give your WHOLE LIFE not HALF.
Hold on GOD’s WORD:
1 John 4:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
New International Version
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.
Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
REMEMBER: RUN AWAY from TEMPTATION and TURN TO GOD in PRAYER!
Love,
My Story of Faith