Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 11.01.2000
Temptations
To get a victory over temptations should be as popular as sports. They are jogging every day to get a victory and they gain such a little prize. After getting a victory over a temptation we get a much greater prize, but however only few are striving for that.
Tempted man
Do you want to fight against temptations or surrender to your lusts? All rational arguments recommend to fight. When one has overcome a temptation and done well, one will be rewarded sooner or later, in one way or another. Many have got tired of fighting against sin and they have given free rein to the evil. Some have decided to consider evil things good and so eliminated all temptations from their life.
How popular is ambition, though it leads to violence!
How completely people are surrendering to their sexual lusts, though it leads to lovelessness!They sacrifice much time and efforts to the lust for money, though they can enjoy and own it only for a moment!
A desire blinds easily our mind and sense and it silences the voice of conscience by exhausting it. The mankind obsessed by its bad desires is in a miserable state. To have a hope of freedom, we should have the hope of the power of lusts to be broken in our life. Generally Christianity doesn't give people this hope, because it so often represents another Christ than Bible's Jesus.
Do you want to fight against temptations or surrender to your lusts? All rational arguments recommend to fight. When one has overcome a temptation and done well, one will be rewarded sooner or later, in one way or another. Many have got tired of fighting against sin and they have given free rein to the evil. Some have decided to consider evil things good and so eliminated all temptations from their life.
How popular is ambition, though it leads to violence!
How completely people are surrendering to their sexual lusts, though it leads to lovelessness!They sacrifice much time and efforts to the lust for money, though they can enjoy and own it only for a moment!
A desire blinds easily our mind and sense and it silences the voice of conscience by exhausting it. The mankind obsessed by its bad desires is in a miserable state. To have a hope of freedom, we should have the hope of the power of lusts to be broken in our life. Generally Christianity doesn't give people this hope, because it so often represents another Christ than Bible's Jesus.
Jesus overcame all temptations
God has sympathy with a tempted man. He became a man in Jesus Christ so that He could overcome all our temptations. Jesus is not only the true God but He is also a true man. "For we do not have a high priest, who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Heb.4:15
God is the Father of Jesus. No evil can tempt Him. So from where did Jesus get that sinful nature which made it be possible that He was tempted in every way as we are? His human nature He got from his mother, Mary. So it is no wonder that those, who deny that Jesus is a real man, worship Mary as their god. If Jesus would be totally only God, it would be logical that also Mary would have had a godly nature. Do not worship Mary or other idols, if you want to have a victory over your bad desires.
Also Mary is a sinner like all others. Devout Simeon predicted about Jesus and said to Mary: "This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2:34-35 When Jesus was speaking a woman in the crowd said to Jesus some adoring words about Mary: "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." However Jesus didn't agree with this adoration, but He said: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." Luke 11:27-28
The sword of God's word pierced the soul of Mary and revealed to her that she is a sinner. Also she could become blessed only by obeying the word of God. When Jesus had been tempted with all human temptations He gained the victory over all of them without any sin in His thoughts, words or deeds. Glory to Him! Really a good achievement!
God has sympathy with a tempted man. He became a man in Jesus Christ so that He could overcome all our temptations. Jesus is not only the true God but He is also a true man. "For we do not have a high priest, who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Heb.4:15
God is the Father of Jesus. No evil can tempt Him. So from where did Jesus get that sinful nature which made it be possible that He was tempted in every way as we are? His human nature He got from his mother, Mary. So it is no wonder that those, who deny that Jesus is a real man, worship Mary as their god. If Jesus would be totally only God, it would be logical that also Mary would have had a godly nature. Do not worship Mary or other idols, if you want to have a victory over your bad desires.
Also Mary is a sinner like all others. Devout Simeon predicted about Jesus and said to Mary: "This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2:34-35 When Jesus was speaking a woman in the crowd said to Jesus some adoring words about Mary: "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." However Jesus didn't agree with this adoration, but He said: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." Luke 11:27-28
The sword of God's word pierced the soul of Mary and revealed to her that she is a sinner. Also she could become blessed only by obeying the word of God. When Jesus had been tempted with all human temptations He gained the victory over all of them without any sin in His thoughts, words or deeds. Glory to Him! Really a good achievement!
God will forgive you your sins
Every time when you have fallen into a sin, you can praise Jesus and say: Although I have now committed a sin, You never fell into this sin. However upon Jesus was put the punishment that belongs to me. He suffered the punishment that I deserve, so that I could get forgiveness. When I confess my sin, God forgives me for the sake of the sacrifice of Jesus.
What about then? Soon there comes the next temptation. Must I fall again and once again beg forgiveness? By no means, for I have the hope of the victory, because Jesus is able to give me power to win all temptations. So long as you are fighting against sin in the name of Jesus you are safe in God's grace, but if you give up fighting and start to sin deliberately, God's grace starts to move away from you.
Every time when you have fallen into a sin, you can praise Jesus and say: Although I have now committed a sin, You never fell into this sin. However upon Jesus was put the punishment that belongs to me. He suffered the punishment that I deserve, so that I could get forgiveness. When I confess my sin, God forgives me for the sake of the sacrifice of Jesus.
What about then? Soon there comes the next temptation. Must I fall again and once again beg forgiveness? By no means, for I have the hope of the victory, because Jesus is able to give me power to win all temptations. So long as you are fighting against sin in the name of Jesus you are safe in God's grace, but if you give up fighting and start to sin deliberately, God's grace starts to move away from you.
God will give you a victory over your temptations
If you have a covenant with Bible's Jesus, you worship Him as God and follow Him as man. He is to you the true God and the perfect Man. Why did Jesus win temptations? You will gain a victory for the same reason. Because He is the Son of God, He knows completely the will of His Father. He won all temptations because of knowing God.
Jesus promised to give us the Holy Spirit, "who will guide you into all truth." Apostle Paul says that if we adopt "the mind of the Holy Spirit", we will get power to do right. "In order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Rom.8:4-5
Because none of us know God perfectly, we sometimes fall into a sin. The amount of sin is inversely proportional to the amount of knowing God.
What sort of thoughts are there in your heart? Have you the mind of Christ? If we obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He will let us to know God and we cannot go on sinning.
If someone claims to believe in Jesus, but has not any victories over temptations, he is stiff-necked and resists the Holy Spirit. Hold on to that knowing of God which you have got in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will give you more.
Do not be depressed about an occasional fall, but get worried about the direction of your life, if your losses are increasing and not decreasing. Who believes in Bible's Jesus knows God and who knows God will overcome temptations. "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1Cor.13:12
If you have a covenant with Bible's Jesus, you worship Him as God and follow Him as man. He is to you the true God and the perfect Man. Why did Jesus win temptations? You will gain a victory for the same reason. Because He is the Son of God, He knows completely the will of His Father. He won all temptations because of knowing God.
Jesus promised to give us the Holy Spirit, "who will guide you into all truth." Apostle Paul says that if we adopt "the mind of the Holy Spirit", we will get power to do right. "In order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Rom.8:4-5
Because none of us know God perfectly, we sometimes fall into a sin. The amount of sin is inversely proportional to the amount of knowing God.
What sort of thoughts are there in your heart? Have you the mind of Christ? If we obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He will let us to know God and we cannot go on sinning.
If someone claims to believe in Jesus, but has not any victories over temptations, he is stiff-necked and resists the Holy Spirit. Hold on to that knowing of God which you have got in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will give you more.
Do not be depressed about an occasional fall, but get worried about the direction of your life, if your losses are increasing and not decreasing. Who believes in Bible's Jesus knows God and who knows God will overcome temptations. "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1Cor.13:12
The Bible version used in references is NIV