Sabbath: Enduring Temptation
Read for This Week’s Study: James 1:12-21, Ps. 119:11, Gen. 3:1-6, Titus 3:5-7, Rom. 13:12, Eph. 4:22.
Memory Text: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him
(James 1:12).
We all have experienced it. We resolve not to give in to temptation, but in the heat of the battle, our resolve melts and-much to our own sense of shame and self-loathing-we fall into sin. Sometimes it seems that the more we focus on not sinning, the more powerless against temptation we feel, and the more hopeless our condition appears. We wonder if indeed we are saved at all. It’s hard to imagine any serious Christian who hasn’t wondered about his or her own salvation, especially after having just fallen into sin.
Fortunately, we can have victory over the temptations that so easily ensnare us. None of us, no matter how enveloped in sin, is hopeless, for our Father of lights
(James 1:17) is greater than our propensity to evil, and only in Him and through His Word can we have victory.
That’s the message from the verses we will study this week. Sure, temptations are real, sin is real, and the battle against self is veryreal. But God is real, too, and through Him we can more than overcome the temptations that brew inside us, just waiting to take us down.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 18.
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For real God lives. He knows our weak points,He is waiting for us to knock and He will open a way, strengthen and deliver us.
I like the fact that God is real. We tend to see the temptations that are real and forget to see the reality of God's existyence. .
What does it mean to endure temptation?
Endure means:
: to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding
James is telling us we will be blessed if we do not give up or give in when we go through temptations, we must trust God and he will carry us through.
Jas 4:7 Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
I remember the last several Sabbaths with a smile…. two dear elderly saints approached me with some advice for my young (very lively) grandsons who I bring to church each week… one insisted I give them iodine to settle them down, and when I told her I'm not their mothers, and that their mothers are vegan and taking care of their dietary needs, she raised her voice saying the children were full of the devil. The second dear saint told me that I should not bring them to church because they are so disruptive (true, they are quite active. False, they are not disruptive because I take them out of church at those times.) Then a third saint, decided to do the children's story on reverence and the value of "spankings" (my two grandsons were the only children who came up for the children's story that Sabbath) "Well", I thought…. "perhaps these grandsons of mine are destined to become great pastors considering all the opposition there is to drive them out of church already!" And I was encouraged. And yes, I rejoiced! I'm thinking maybe "trials" are something we'd gladly rejoice in, if we could see the whole big picture!
May God bless you as continue to do what you can to help all involved to grow in grace.
Nadine, I was also twice blessed with boys, (25 months apart), they are now 25 and 27. Boys by their very nature are active, however, like I tell mothers of young boys, "be thankful you have a boy, because they give you the most trouble when they are young, girls on the other hand...My oldest son is a christian hip hop artist and my youngest has a special relationship with Our Father. So you stay strong in the Lord and continue to love and nurture your two "gifts."
Be of good cheer dear Sister that God has given you a ministry for your grandchildren and that you are able to take them to church with you. God bless you for your selflessness even in the face of such scrutiny and well meaning advice. I pray that God gives you the strength to remain faithful in the ministry He has given you. Remember who was shouting "Hosanna" when Christ made his entry into Jerusalem; But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. Matt 21:15
I especially love this quotation from Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 116-118
This is why Paul talks of dying to self. It is a daily struggle. Sometimes we are victorious, but many times we fail. We have to constantly request the Holy Spirit to assist us in our struggle to overcome self.
Eileen
Without God we are not able to resist temptations. God is very real and so is evil. The devil knows are weaknesses and tries very hard to make us fall. If we stay close to God, prayer, meditation, reading the word and also asking God to help us, He will carry us through it all. Even if we fall, God will forgive us (when we ask) and help us because of His great love for us. Amen
It's hard to endure change, growth and healing. I remember relying on those who appeared to be 'strong' in the faith for encouragement and support, with devastating results. Now, even as I read about enduring temptation, I'm reminded not to trust the 'arm of flesh'.
Recently, I've had several difficult experiences follow one after another. God allowed me to receive specific help from a counselor. In these early morning hours, He's reminding me never to trust humans in the combat against evil. It's crucial to have the courage to let go of human counsel and take hold of God for wisdom.
I thank Him for clarity.
God isn't interested in having fun with my pain, emotional impediments, errors, naïveté or leading me into evil in any way. I can trust Him safely.
When I stopped listening to the "arm of flesh" and began to turn to God I began to experience change in my life also. As long as I keep God in charge, the trials become more meaningful in a very spiritual way.
James 1
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Could it be that the devil is not to blame in this instance?How much does the devil know about me?
satan knows everybody's weak point and that is why he keeps on tempting us,let's stand firm in prayer.Our faith will not grow without prayer and perserference.let's have hope and courage
Jesus told us if we love him we should keep his commandments hence summarizing the whole week's teaching
I'm blessed with this truth that even though "temptations
are real, sin is real, and the battle
against self is veryreal"; our hope remains that our "God is
real, too, and through Him we can
more than overcome the temptations
that brew inside us, just waiting to
take us down".
In my early years as a believer I struggled alot with sin and before my conversion I was one porn addict. But then, after my conversion I never thought of how powerful and burdensome this addiction was going to be on me, and at often times I found myself tripping. I tried to be clean to no avail [ Isaiah 64:6] until I realised that I couldn't do it with my own strength rather I had to seek Gods' face and let everything in His mighty hands [ Psalm 121].
I beheld these filthy things, the intent of the thoughts of my heart became filthy also and the force of pornography was just so great to bare BUT then I met a greater force than that, the Mighty Power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I'm free to testify of this because the power of God is above all. And with Him in us and us in Him through His Spirit, we can all endure these temptations just like Job.
God bless you all!
Only a sure grounding on the word and complete dependence on His promises of being with us till the end" gives many a child of God the will to rise up again and again, no matter how many times they fall.
The battleground is the mind. We have to first resolve to stop trying on our own; fully commit to allowing God to handle it. It involves a moment by moment dependence on The Lord. We can do ALL things by Jesus' strength! Phil. 4:13.
Paul tells us not to "conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will". (Romans 12:2 NIV). David prayed for a clean heart, and a renewed spirit, after he committed adultery with Bathsheba: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NIV)
Then, We have to set our mind on God's plan perfect plan for US. Get our minds set & keep it set on what the Holy Spirit desires. Romans 8:5-8.
"we should not dwell on sin, we should not dwell on the commandment that causes us to want to sin, we should not dwell on our problems, instead we should dwell on the great blessings that God has given us and how we can advance God's work." (From gobible.org, Lesson 3-Enduring Temptation).
Then, take that immediate next step of obedience in the situation, in the "now", as the Holy Spirit guides us.
We are made for more than just being victims of and entrapped by our own vicious cycles and sinful desires, and falling for Satan's entrapments! We are made to rise up, do battle with our issues and, using the Lords strength in us, defeat them – spiritually, physically, and mentally – – To the glory of God!
You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north, (Deuteronomy 2:3 NASB)
It's a moment by moment fight because the devil is constantly seeking to devour us. But we must submit every thought and make it captive to Jesus, and HE will provide us a way to escape. 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 10:5; Amos 5:6;
Be blessed!