The sin you choose to give in to is not the only sin you will struggle with. One sin inevitably leads to another, and then to another. Once you become comfortable with a particular sin in your life, it is only a matter of time until other issues arise
Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at http://www.thepuritycoach.com
The sin you choose to give in to is not the only sin you will struggle with. One sin inevitably leads to another, and then to another. Once you become comfortable with a particular sin in your life, it is only a matter of time until other issues arise
Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at http://www.thepuritycoach.com
In Genesis 4:7 God warns Cain – “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” The sin you choose to give in to is not the only sin you will struggle with. One sin inevitably leads to another, and then to another. Once you become comfortable with a particular sin in your life, it is only a matter of time until other issues arise.
Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #167 . In this episode we continue our mini-series on Glorifying God as we discover how our thinking impacts our doing. This week’s Episode is simply entitled “1 + 1 = What?”
Let me repeat my opening statement to this week’s episode. Listen closely. In Genesis 4:7 God warns Cain – “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” The sin you choose to give in to is not the only sin you will struggle with. One sin inevitably leads to another, and then to another. Once you become comfortable with a particular sin in your life, it is only a matter of time until other issues arise.
For example, the husband who has been secretly looking at pornography isn’t only dealing with the sin of lust. By keeping it secret, he is guilty of lying and deceit as well. If his wife suspects something and confronts him, he may choose to respond in anger. If he allows the sin to continue, his battle with such sins as pride and bitterness will deepen.
Sin will always result in death. Think about it this way, if left to itself, the process will always be self-worship = temptation = sin = death. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 ESV) Whenever you choose to sin, there is always the consequence of death that follows.
Consider the husband entrenched in pornography. He is battling with sin on a number of different fronts (lust, pride, anger, lying, controlling fear, etc.). As a result, his sin has brought a type of death to his relationship with his wife. She may not even know it (though she probably suspects). The marriage relationship has begun to deteriorate. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first; but the longer it’s allowed to go unchecked, the quicker the damage and destruction are left in its wake. He becomes withdrawn, self-focused, and self-obsessed. He no longer instinctively reaches out to her, caring for her, loving her the way he used to. Their physical relationship has also declined. This in turn causes her to withdraw, eventually damaging her love for him – another form of death. Sin will always result in some kind of death. Something is always destroyed.
Too often we choose to listen to the lies of the enemy: “I’m just human, nobody is perfect. I am always going to struggle with this sinful habit, anyway, so why fight it?” My friend, all believers, including you, have the God-given ability to say “No” to temptation. God, who cannot lie (see Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; 1 John 2:21), tells us in His Word that we can do all things through Jesus, because in Christ we’ll find the strength to accomplish it (see Philippians 4:13 and 2 Peter 1:3). God promises us that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Don’t you ever let the lie of the enemy convince you that you cannot live in victory in the face of your temptation(s), especially over the temptation that so easily entangles you (see Hebrews 12:1). God says otherwise.
There is no, “But Steve, you don’t understand.” There is no, “My situation is unique. My issues are different.” Let me remind you of what 1 Corinthians 10:13 says. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” Think about that. Paul uses the word “No” which is an absolute negative. In other words, absolutely not a single temptation will ever come upon you that is totally unique to you. Not one.
We all struggle with temptation. Every Christian battles every day with sin issues in their life. Paul said it is “common to man.” We all experience the same temptation(s). It may have a different face and be felt in a different way, but it’s still the same core issue. Self-centered King Me worship. We are daily engaged in spiritual warfare. Paul describes it this way in Romans 7:23. “I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (NIV’84)
1 Peter 5:8 warns us to “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (NLT) This is why you are to “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 ESV) Because we are at war you are to “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11 NLT)
You will always be tempted; it’s part of the Christian life. But you never have to give in to the temptation. You never have to sin. You always have a choice. Others have experienced the same temptation(s) and have been victorious over it through Christ. So can you!
God fully understands that sometimes it seems like your particular temptation to sin is about to overwhelm you and it feels like it has “seized you.” The word James uses for “seized” means to grab hold of and carry away. The promise God makes to you is that no temptation, even though it may feel like it has dug its nasty claws deep into you, no temptation will be so strong that you cannot stand with Christ in the face of it and resist. Again, let me remind you that Paul says “no temptation,” not a single one has been nor ever will be stronger than God. “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 ESV)
I love it when I see the words “but God” in Scripture. For example, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful ...” (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV). No temptation, even the one that gives you the deceptive feeling of powerlessness, is strong than God. “But God is faithful.” That word “faithful” refers to one who has been repeatedly proven trustworthy in the execution of their promise and the discharge of their official duty. “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God.” (Deuteronomy 7:9a NIV’84)
The one who is faithful can be fully and completely relied upon at all times to keep their word and do exactly what they have promised. Who is faithful, fully trustworthy, and completely reliable at all times to keep their every word and promise? Who will, with the temptation you face, also help you to endure so it does not overwhelm you and crush you? The answer is the Almighty, Holy, all-powerful, sovereign Creator of the universe – God Himself!
God is faithful. He not only is fully aware of your temptation; He has given you His promise that He will also give you the ability to endure throughout the temptation. He doesn’t want you to be defeated or discouraged. He doesn’t want you to feel the only choice is to sin. God will never let you be tempted beyond what He knows you can bear. You must understand this does not mean you will never experience a difficult temptation. It doesn’t mean the temptations you do experience won’t feel overwhelming at times. It does, however, mean that God is in complete control at all times, even when you are experiencing temptation. In the midst of that temptation, you can fully trust in God that He will not permit that temptation to be more than you can deal with.
Let me be quick to remind you that God will never tempt you to sin (see James 1:13). God will however allow temptations to enter your life for the purpose of revealing to you a heart issue that is preventing you from growing closer to Him. If Satan had his way, that temptation would bring about your destruction. God uses that temptation as a way to reveal to you an area of self-centered, King Me oriented worship in your heart that needs to be dealt with so that you can move forward in an ever deepening intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father. Through that temptation God is providing you with an opportunity to discover what heart issues you are still struggling with. In the midst of that temptation, He shows you how to escape – how to stand firm in faith and truth.
The key is how you choose to deal with your temptation when it comes. Not that temptation will come. That’s a given. Paul says “when you are tempted,” not “if you are tempted.” James tells us to “consider it pure joy ... whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2) We will always struggle with temptation. The key is how you choose to respond to it, which begins with your mind – what you allow yourself to think about in the midst of the temptation.
If you look at the temptation with a defeatist attitude, you will end up being defeated. However, if you choose to see the temptation as God revealing something in your life that needs to be dealt with so that you can spiritually mature and conform to the image of Christ, then you will take a totally different approach to the temptation. This is the way you are able to “endure it.”
“God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) There was a time in my life when I would read this verse and fixate on the word “a way out.” I thought, “Okay, God, where is the exit sign? Open a window. Open a door. Show me a crack in the wall and I’ll squeeze through it. Get me out of here!”
I have since discovered that the way out that God provides is not so you will no longer experience the temptation. That “way out” would not help you grow closer to God. That way would not help you become more like Christ. That kind of “way out” gives you the opportunity to slip back into your contented way of living. It makes it easy for you, and God isn’t about making life easy. Rather, as you are going through the temptation, as you choose to focus your mind on the things of God, focusing your attention on what it is that God is revealing to you in the midst of the temptation, discovering what you need to do to deal with it – then you are able to endure the temptation.
The key is learning to focus on His glory not your pleasure. This is the way of escape. Not that you will no longer have to deal with temptation, but that the temptation will no longer feel overbearing and overpowering. You will be able to “endure,” bearing up under the temptation patiently, handling it victoriously. This glorifies God.
OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue our miniseries on How to Glorify God. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin),, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com
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So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.