Category Archives: Temptation

Staying Alert in the Battle Against Sin

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Have you ever been through a time in your life when you were constantly overtaken by the same sin again and again, not realizing the temptation was there until it was too late? Maybe you’re even struggling with that right now, falling into old habits, not seeing the trap until you’re already caught in it.

What causes this spiritual obliviousness? How can you and I be more alert and aware so that we won’t succumb to a surprise attack from Satan?

In his epistle, Peter talks about three actions we need to take that will help us to change from who we used to be into the people God wants for Himself:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

Prepare your minds for action

This phrase literally means “gird up the loins of your mind”. Back when people wore long robes, it was necessary to tuck the robe into their belts in order to run quickly. Peter’s essentially saying, “Roll up your sleeves and get ready to work”. If you’re not expecting to be tempted by sin, you will be caught off guard and fall more easily into the temptation. Peter says later in his letter, “Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Half the victory is preparing for the battle. What can you do to be ready to combat Satan?

Be sober-minded
If you’re struggling with impaired judgment and poor decision-making, maybe you’re drunk. And not necessarily on alcohol, though that could be an issue, but maybe on other things that numb you to the reality of God’s truth. What are you “under the influence” of? Think about what you go to for comfort or escape when you’re feeling down. Is it entertainment, sex, food, socializing, etc.? These things can offer temporary relief from pain but do nothing to confront the reality of life, and will only deaden us spiritually. Ephesians 5:15-21 offers the alternative to spiritual inebriation: be filled with the Spirit, sing to God, be thankful, and serve others.

Hope fully on grace
Peter spent the first 12 verses of this chapter writing about the hope that we have because of the grace God has given us, and the grace we’ll continue to receive. Often when we find ourselves falling into the same sins repeatedly, it’s because we have our hope fixed on something other than Jesus and the grace He brings. If your hope is set on landing that promotion at work, or meeting the perfect person, or finally getting approval from someone you admire, then you will make decisions and work hard to bring that hope to realization, no matter the cost spiritually. Examine your behavior and how your emotions are affected by circumstances in your life, and you will begin to see where your hope is truly placed.

When we have our minds set on God’s truth and ready for action, when we remove from our lives influences that impair spiritually, and when we focus on the hope Jesus gives, we will be better prepared to confront the sin that we’re tempted with head on.  Peter gives us hope for the battle against sin at the end of the letter:

Resist [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:9-10).

By Joshua Lewis

Which Ones Have You Encouraged?

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The Lord’s church is composed of both strong and weak members. Each one needs encouragement at times, but certainly the weaker brethren need a greater amount of special attention. Also, there are some members who are not necessarily weak, but who have special physical problems, causing them to need special attention. The apostle Paul taught that the responsibility of helping the weaker members rested upon the shoulders of those who were mature, full-grown Christians (Romans 15:1; Galatians 6:1-2). In the minds of some, this type of responsibility is the work of the elders, deacons, or preachers. Indeed it is; but the instruction is given to all Christians. Sometimes elders and preachers are negligent. Sometimes there is simply more work to be done than a limited number of men can accomplish. Which ones have you encouraged?

Some Members Are Forsaking the Assembling of the Saints

This sign of weakness is obvious to any mature Christian. It takes no special training or skills to make a phone call, write a note, or drop by for a short visit to say, “I’ve missed you.” Would it be presumptuous to say almost all Christians could render service in this area?

Some Members Are Attending Without the Support (Perhaps With the Hindrance) Of Their Spouse

A mother rises early on Sunday morning to prepare breakfast and dress the children to get them to Bible class; and they leave home with the father still in bed. Sometimes the fathers have the same problem, leaving the mother at home. All recognize the special problems faced by such parents, admire their effort, and are encouraged by their faithful attendance under less than ideal circumstances. Are we not obliged to reciprocate some type of encouragement to these faithful parents?

Some Members Are Presently Experiencing Family Problems

There are parents who are struggling with a rebellious child. There are married couples who are experiencing serious problems, perhaps resulting from an immature spiritual life. There are adults who have aging parents who are sick or confined, and demand much of their time and attention. In many cases, an encouraging word may be all that can be offered. Who offers it?

Some Members Are Facing Problems Associated With Aging

The elderly and widows find it more and more difficult to do the basics, such as driving to services, shopping at the market, visiting with others, etc. Many live alone, without the encouragement or support of a faithful companion. Encouragement may be extended both verbally and actively.

This list could go on and on, but the initial question would remain the same, namely, “Which ones have you encouraged?” As the members of a congregation consider one another, the opportunities to serve are abundant. Christians may avoid the question for the present, but one day all will stand and give an answer.

By David Thomley

 

 

Count It Joy

As humans, we have a tendency to ask “why” when we experience difficulties in our lives. We may look at a situation as being the victim. God gives insight on how to handle these situations so that we may look at them as being a victor. We can expect experience difficulties as a Christian. After all, Jesus, the apostles and first century Christians endured hard times. James tells us how to approach these times in chapter 1.

We must first embrace the trial and count it joy (v.2).  Jesus said that we will have trials (John 16:33), so we should not be caught off guard when they occur.  These trials may be caused by satan, the world, our family and even brethren.   Peter tells us not to be surprised by these trials, but to rejoice in them (1 Peter 4:12-13).  Rejoicing occurred after suffering persecution for the cause of the gospel (Acts 5:41).  These times bring about perseverance (Romans 5:3).  We should look at the difficulty and thank God while adopting a joyful attitude when trials occur.  Persecution, in whatever form it may be, is a part of Christianity and when we suffer for Jesus, we should look at it as a good thing, especially since He suffered for us.

In verse 3, James says that the testing of our faith produces endurance.  Just as athletes train for their sport, we must train for Christianity.  Faith tested brings out the best in us if we remain focused on God.   Trials help us mature as Christians.  If we never have these, then we expect everything will be easy and as a result, we do not grow stronger.  Endurance denotes the ability to have consistency in the face of adversity.  We must stand firm with God, no matter what is thrown at us.  Testing can work for us, not against us (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Endurance must have its perfect result (verse 4).  Too often, we want the hard times to be over with immediately.  Instead of complaining or questioning God, we should simply endure it.   We learn to continue to seek God’s will during the hard times.

Lastly, we must look to God for wisdom (verse 5).  Wisdom is demonstrated when we take what Scripture says and apply it to our own lives.  We must look to the One who is all knowing for guidance.  Persistency must characterize our prayer life.  Especially in times of difficulty, we should become more dependent on God, looking to Him for strength, guidance and comfort.  James tells us to ask God in faith, without doubting (verse 6).

Seeing trials as an opportunity to rejoice is contrary to what the world thinks. Christianity is about seeking to please God.  It is about humbling ourselves in good times and in difficult times.  Christians are commanded to have a joy in all circumstances of life.  This joy occurs because, no matter what we endure, we have the hope of heaven.

By Randy Case Jr.

Reacting to Immorality

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There have been many words put to print lately about various trends of immorality in the world around us. In particular, our state has recently been involved in the ongoing debate surrounding homosexual marriage and there is a movie recently released that further glorifies other forms of sexual deviancy. What is the Christian to make of all of this? Shall we take up some political campaign or protest to show our dismay? Perhaps we should go along making no comment at all because all of this “really has nothing to do with us.” It is easy to get swept into one extreme reaction or another when such extreme positions are at play but let us not look to the world for our guide but to God’s word.

In the first place, we do want to recognize that the world is always going to be at odds with the will of God. Men of all points in history have believed in their own capacity to “make the world a better place.” If we are not careful, we can get swept up in the notion that the right leader, the right law, or the right political system can save mankind. When God speaks of the world, He never speaks with the view that it will be saved but always to the view that the majority have always and will always turn away from Him (Matt. 7:13). That is not pessimism, that is reality of the history of God’s word and faith in what He says of the future. So, to some degree we must not allow ourselves too much shock and dismay when the world acts like…the world.

In addition to the recognition that the world is lost and dying, we also need to recognize the limitations of our place in this world. God has not called Christians to become political world leaders but to become quiet and consistent influences wherever they are. We influence by living lives that glorify God not ones that glorify a political party (Matt. 5:16). Our authority over those who defy God’s will is limited to those who are of our number and even that is only a matter of limiting our own contact with those persons (1 Cor. 5:9-12). So, while we may want to take some forceful action, that is simply not what God has called for. In fact, in a world that was at least as immoral as our own time, Paul called for Christians to pray for leaders to the end that we may live a “tranquil and quiet life” (1 Tim. 2:2).

Yet, while we should recognize the world for what it is and our limited capacity to bring about change, we don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that such digressions in morality as we have seen in the last several decades are of no consequence to the Christian. In the first place, it is and should be a sorrowful thing to see immorality exalted. Some might say, “I am not surprised to see this.” Do you suppose the Lord was shocked to see the world digress into the state in which we find it in Genesis 6? The omniscient God is not shocked, but He is filled with sorrow (Gen. 6:6). We don’t need to become so calloused to sin that it fails to cause in us the reaction that it causes in God who has seen all the sin that has ever been committed and yet grieves. Many will mock us for our sorrow and even view our sorrow as another form of judgment. And yet like “righteous Lot” we are increasingly living in a world surrounded by sin and therefore our souls will be “tormented day after day by their lawless deeds” (2 Pet. 2:8). But take heart, God has promised that those who mourn are blessed, “for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4).

The other thing that we must do in the face of such tremendous opposition is keep the faith. When we look at the numbers we can begin to question the rightness of our beliefs or the effectiveness of our efforts to influence. But consider the influence of men of God in other ages of debauchery. Noah is said to have been a “preacher of righteousness” and would have been so for at least 100 years. Yet the result of his preaching was the preservation of only eight souls (2 Pet. 2:5). Isaiah is told to prophesy to the people not so that they would listen and change their hearts, but to, “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed” (Isa. 6:10). Can you imagine being told that no one would listen but that you must go and preach anyway. The response to truth may not be what we would wish it to be in a world so full of sin. But if Isaiah could continue to proclaim the truth in the face of such opposition as that, then surely we can continue to proclaim it in face of what we see today.

It is a sinful world we live in. Let it break your heart, but let God also lift it back up. Don’t get carried away with the tactics of the world in trying to fight the world. But take up the armor of God and keep fighting on God’s terms (Eph. 6:12-18). And if you will do that, you will not win the world, but you and all those blessed few who will do likewise will most assuredly win the crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8).

By Stephen Russell

It’s Going to Be Hot

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By John Gibson

Weather forecasting can be risky, but I am going to venture out on a limb and predict that July and August will bring hot weather to North Alabama. I am also going to predict that this hot weather will allow (note that I said allow, not require) many of the citizens of North Alabama to go about in rather skimpy attire.

Obviously, I am being sarcastic about going out on a limb, for barring the return of our Lord, we will see some brutally hot days over the next couple of months. And unfortunately, the second prediction is just as certain—indecent dress will prevail. Of course to identify a problem is one thing, but solving it is another. Is there anything we can do about these problems of summer? When it comes to the weather, we will simply have to put up with it and while we will never stop everyone from shedding their clothes, there is one thing we can do. We can make up our minds that we will have no part in bare season. Let’s consider carefully some principles that must guide us this the summer, and for that matter, throughout the year. These are principles that involve a lot more than dress, but if they are not reflecting themselves in the way we dress, then they are not present as they ought to be.

Vital Principles

God has called us to be a holy people. “Be holy, for I am ho-ly.” 1 Peter 1:13-17
We are to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). If any-one doubts that dress can be seductive and contribute to sexual desire, he or she should be required to explain the success of Victoria’s Secret®.

We are not to engage in lewd, lustful, lascivious or licentious conduct. In our dress and in everything,“Let us walk proper-ly,…not in lewdness and lust…” (Romans 13:13, 14; 2 Corinthians 12:20, 21).

We must avoid putting a stumbling block before others. “For whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6, 7; 1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:31-33). Since looking at another person with lustful desire is sin (Matthew 5:28), we must not allow our dress (or undress) to be the stumbling block that causes another to stumble.

We are called on to be different, to be an influence for good (salt and light) in a corrupt world filled with darkness. We are striving to be “children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15, 16; Matthew 5:13-16).

Are we willing to maintain a holy dedication to God that dares to be different in the way we dress? Are we going to refuse to dress in ways that satisfy the desires of those who have “eyes full of adultery” (2 Peter 2:14)? Will our determination to avoid immorality, lust, and lewdness lead us to keep our clothes on? Will we dress in such a way as to lead to lust, or will we our choices be as a light shining in the darkness?

Let’s Be Honest With Our Answers

In the past I have offered six questions that everyone should ask before they leave their room. I still believe they are valid and offer them again for your careful consideration.

Is this too short? (When fashion designers want to add sexual appeal, the display of the thighs usually seems to be where they start.)

Can I sit down and still retain my modesty? (There may be “shorts” or dresses that are acceptable when one is standing, but don’t forget that you will need to sit down at some point. Hint: if you find yourself continually tugging at the bottom of your shorts or your skirt—too short.)

Is it cut too low? (Let’s recognize that the fashion world refers to low-cut apparel as sexy and daring, never as modest, holy, and pure).

Is it too tight? (Form-fitting clothes are made to display the attractiveness of the human form—do we not see the problem with that? Let’s save the Spandex for undergarments, not outer ones.)

Is it too brief? (Where is the sense of shame when men and women will appear in no more than Adam’s fig leaves?)

Is it too sheer? (Some fabrics may “cover” the body, but still al-low the skin and/or underwear to be clearly visible.)

It will be hot this summer and many will dress indecently, but as we make our decisions about dress, it might help if we remember that there is a place that will be a lot hotter.

Have you put yourself in the path of the storm?

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By Steve Klein

Huntsville, Alabama was recently ranked number one in a list of the top ten tornado cities in America. It calls into question the collective sanity of those of us who have chosen to live in this area where powerful and deadly storms are such frequent occurrences.

Few of us (other than storm chasers) would ever choose to put ourselves in the way of an oncoming tornado. Most of us heed the weather warnings. We take shelter when the warning sirens are blaring and the TV weather forecasters are telling us that a tornado is near. But some don’t. Sadly, during our most recent tornado outbreak here last month, two people who had refused to take cover in a storm shelter lost their lives.

In Proverbs 1:27-30, Wisdom warns that those who reject her have chosen a disastrous destiny indeed. They have placed themselves in the path of a terrifying storm with little hope of rescue. Wisdom says,

“When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD; they would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke.”

My friends, when we reject instruction, correction or rebuke that is based in the wisdom of God, we are choosing to be destroyed by the storms of life.

But it is so easy to dismiss criticism and rebuke. We rationalize our actions. We justify ourselves. We may do this whether it is that we’ve been told that we need to attend assemblies of the church more faithfully, or study our Bibles more frequently, or stop smoking, or stop speeding, or stop gossiping or any other of 1,000 rebukes we might need to hear. All too often we choose to stay in the path of the storm.

The day before our most recent round of tornadoes, the weather was beautiful. Just hours before the storms hit, it might have been easy to convince oneself that no storm was coming. Even as the storms were approaching, some apparently thought that they could continue as they were where they were, and that the sirens and the media warnings could be ignored. It was easier and more pleasant to believe that no harm would come. But, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:5).

Be wise. Flee the storm. Listen carefully and humbly to rebuke. Make corrections in your life where they are needed. “Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool” (Proverbs 17:10).

Temptations and Answers

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Matthew 4:1-11 tells of the devil’s attempts to cause Jesus to sin and His response to the temptations. Take the time to read the narrative:

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ “Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. “

Note that each time Jesus was tempted He refused the invitation to sin and answered with a quotation from Scripture.

Two questions:

1) Do we have the same desire to overcome the devil’s temptations?

2) Do we know the Scriptures well enough to find the answer we need in our moment of temptation?

Isaac Muñoz

 

 

 

Edward Bragwell, Sr.

Man, in his arrogance, thinks that he can say things better than God said it in His Book. Why do folks have to go to great lengths to tell us that while “this is what it says, but this is how it really is.”

When Jesus told a woman “Your faith has made you well” (Matt. 9:22), did it require a long explanation how it really was not her faith that made her well, but God’s power, in order for God to get the glory.

When Luke wrote that Peter said, “Save yourselves…” (Acts 2:40 KJV, ASV, RSV), did he feel compelled to give a long explanation that they could not really save themselves, but it was really God that would save them.

When Paul wrote, “Work out your own salvation…” (Phil. 2:12), did he insert an extra two or three pages explaining how man cannot really work out his salvation because all that is left up to God?

When the Hebrews writer wrote, “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9), did he quickly inject a note telling us that while one needs to obey Him that really it is not the obeying Him that would save him but the sacrifice of the Author?

When Peter wrote, “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Peter 3:21), did he then take up a lot of space telling us that baptism does not really contribute to our salvation because we are saved by the grace of God?

No, the New Testament writers did not seem to think that mentioning something that man does as saving him took away from glorifying God for providing that salvation. Nor did they seem to think that in order to magnify God required negating or minimizing anything that God says saves us – even anything that man must do. Thus, creating the impression that man’s contributions to his salvation is not all that important as long as he gets the “grace” part right.

So, when we read that something saves us, whether something God does or did, or something man does, we need to just accept it. If it is something that we must do, just do it, and urge others to do. Yes, when I read in one place that grace saves us, it really saves us. Also when I read that faith saves us, it really saves us. When I read that baptism saves us, it really saves us.

It is kind of like reading accounts of the rescue of a drowning man by a lifeguard tossing him a life line. One account may simply read, “The lifeguard saved him.” Another may say, “The life line saved him.” Another may say, “Grabbing the life line saved him.” Another may say, “He saved himself by holding on to the lifeline.” All would be true and neither account would minimize the importance of the other. It would be unbecoming for one who really loved the lifeguard to get upset when he reads that “by grabbing the life line he saved himself” to get into a tizzy and rebuke the writer for taking away from the credit of the lifeguard by saying the man somehow saved himself. The fact is, every account is true and gives at least one aspect of how the man was really rescued. The fact that one might feel the need to further investigate the rescue to find out who tossed the life line does not take away from the importance of accepting that “he saved himself by holding on to the lifeline.” When he investigates and finds out who the thrower was, he will praise his name for his work without which the downing man would not have been saved. But he would not chastise the man who reported the man “saved himself by holding on to the line” for not giving the lifeguard his proper glory.

So, the truth is, when we read separate accounts of what saves us, that they all save us and if there is anything in any one of the accounts that we must do for ourselves, we accept it and do it at the same time giving God the glory for making that particular thing save us – along with anything else we may read elsewhere in God’s word that saves us.