Temptation and Reality
Temptation is always present, no matter who you are. It knows no barriers and doesn’t play favourites. When you’re tempted don’t linger; determine in your heart to resist.
Sin isn’t a popular word. Most people think of sin as doing something really bad, like murder, assault, or robbery. But the word “sin” has the idea of missing the mark, not hitting the target.
The idea is that God has set a glorious standard and when we fail to live by it, we sin. We say, do, and think things that are contrary to God's standard, and the problem is that no matter how much we try and achieve change by ourselves, we just can't succeed.
The Bible teaches that our nature is imprisoned to sin. We miss the mark because we choose creation over the Creator. We look to succeed by our own strength, yet we never shake our own selfish sin. No matter what our education, religious heritage, ethnicity, or financial status, we cannot overcome the power of sin by ourselves. This is a problem.
Temptation is always present, no matter who you are. It knows no barriers and doesn’t play favourites. When you’re tempted don’t linger; determine in your heart to resist.
Prejudice is nothing new. It’s a learned trait, which keeps you in darkness. When you’re prejudice you become bound to old ways of thinking. You lose your openness and creativity. In fact, prejudice can affect every aspect of your life.
First impressions are seldom correct. We’re quick to judge others but a better approach is to choose to see the best in each other and extend grace. It’s something we all need.
You can’t play games fairly without keeping the rules and the same logic applies to life. Rules set boundaries for us in how we should live but they don’t stop us from stop doing what wrong. God’s law is not the cause of our wrongdoing it simply reveals it to us.
Sometimes it seems like your situation is hopeless and your life is unredeemable. But the truth is, there is freedom. In life there are two masters. One is an enemy, who will put you into bondage and a deathlike existence. The other is your Redeemer and Friend. You can only serve one, and the choice is yours.
No matter if we’re four or 84...when we’re told not to do something, we immediately want to. Don’t touch wet paint. Don’t walk on the grass. Don’t fish off the balcony. We’re all guilty of wanting to do what we’re not supposed to. And that’s why we all need God’s grace.
When you do something wrong, it is no one’s fault but yours. You can’t blame your parents, your friends, your co-workers, or anyone else. You are ultimately responsible for your actions.
Two millennia ago, God answered the anguished cry of humanity by making “the problem of evil” His own. God Almighty became Immanuel, “God with us.” He lived as we live, suffered as we suffer, died as we die, yet without sin.
Now that we’ve considered the action we must take, let’s turn to Galatians 6:1 for a close look at the proper attitude we need. To qualify for helping restore others to the truth, we must first be filled with the Spirit and not controlled by the flesh.
Acceptance or rejection of Christ’s work on the cross determines our destiny of heaven or hell. But how we live—choosing to sin or not—and the kind of sin we commit matters now, and for eternity.