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Word of Life Korea SYME Discipleship Topics
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Week 5: TEMPTATION
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How To Say No
When Lust Says Yes - Part 1
In South America, jungle tribes often earn money by trapping animals that are used for research by scientists all over the world. To trap a monkey, tribe members drill a hole in a coconut, dig out the insides, and fasten the coconut to a chain. Deep in the jungle the tribe members locate a band of wild monkeys. As the curious animals watch from the trees, the tribe members chain the coconut to the base of a tree and make a great show of putting a piece of candy or other bait into the coconut. After the people leave, its usually the biggest and dumbest monkey who comes down and puts his hand into the coconut. But when he grabs the bait, he can't get his fist back out of the hole. Believe it or not, that monkey will hold on to the bait until the natives return or until he starves to death.
1. REPENT
Some Jewish rabbis thought that since God created all things, He must have created evil; He must have created man with the ability to sin. "God made me do it." James stops this idea. James 1:13 says,
James
1:13 |
"Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man." |
Neither can we say, "I know it's wrong, but I just can't help it. The devil made me do it." Christians don't sin because we have to, as slaves (like unbelievers) do. We are individuals with the freedom of choice, we sin because we choose to sin . . . "I made me do it." When someone says, "I can't," he is really saying, "I won't."
One reason that many of us as believers commit the same sin over and over again is that we forget the fact that sin is against God (Psalm 51:4) and grieves His heart. Where did real repentance go? When was the last time that you can remember being truly broken before God over sin in your life? 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land."
2. FEAR/DEPART
In Exodus 20 the children of Israel are at Mount Sinai. God has just finished speaking the 10 commandments. The people cannot see God but they see His thunder lightning and smoke. In verse 19, the people keep their distance and say to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." In verse 20, Moses said to the people,
Exodus 20:20 |
"Don't be afraid. God has come to test you. So that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."
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Our God is an awesome God who rewards for doing good and punishes for doing evil. We should fear Him. If we do not do what He says He will be against us. Proverbs 3:7 says, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." These two things go together. If you really fear the Lord, you will depart from doing evil; from doing wrong; from doing the things that are against God.
3. DRAW NEAR / RESIST (OR FLEE)
James 4:7 says,
James 4:7 |
"Draw near to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."
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When we have our eyes, heart, and mind facing in God's direction, our backs will always be to Satan. If our love for God is cold and our love for the world is hot, then the farther we go away from God, the smaller He will become, and the closer we will be to the enemy. When we turn our back on God, we will be facing our new master (Luke 16:13). If you were once close to God but now are not, who moved? God will draw close to us if we "draw near to God." Paul told Timothy to "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace ..." We are to be like Joseph who fled from Potiphar's wife. Run from Satan and run to God. There is a little chorus that says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things on earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." Romans 12:9 says, "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."?
4. REMEMBER SCRIPTURE
According to Psalm 119:11 why does one "hide God's Word" in his heart?
Hiding God's word in our heart means to store it for the future. The best way to do this is by memorizing Scripture. How did Jesus respond on three different occasions when tempted by Satan? "It is written." If I have memorized a verse on stealing (like Ephesians 4:28) then the next time I am tempted, that verse will come to mind and will help me not to take something that doesn't belong to me. A good phrase to write inside your Bible is, "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." It would be good to memorize verses that give positive principles on a weak area you may have.
Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. "First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. "Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the sourc his sensitive nose to the sourc bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night.
So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his unstoppable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His appetite just wants more and more--until the next morning finds him dead in the snow!" It is a fearful thing that people can be "consumed by their own lusts." When lust says yes, we must say no. We must repent of our sin, fear the Lord, draw near to him, depart from evil and hide His word in our heart so that we will keep from sinning.
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by Steve Nicholes
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LINKS TO . . .
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