Last night at (sola)s we celebrated the reality of what Christ accomplished for us through his life, death and resurrection. It was a joy to sing songs that magnify the mystery of the cross. Just for kicks we did a rough recording of song worship and it came out pretty good. Check it out and let us know if you’d like us to do more of this in the future.
If the title, “Dealing with Temptation” doesn’t quickly spark your interest, you’re either misguided about your struggle with sin, or you’ve simply given up by this point. All of us deal with life in a fallen world and as sinners we know exactly how Paul felt when he wrote, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15) Nonetheless, battling temptation is a fight we must engage in. Paul went on to say, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). Battling temptation and sin is an indication that you have the Spirit of God (that you are spiritually alive!). Not fighting temptation indicates spiritual death. Are you battling sin?! I pray you are. And as you do, fight in the strength God supplies, namely, his Spirit: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).
Dr. Timothy Beougher from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary offers great advice on how to deal with temptation.
DEALING WITH TEMPTATION
From Dr. Timothy Beougher
1. Recognize that you are in a battle (Eph. 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 4:13)
2. Set your goal–fight to win! (Daniel 1:8; 2 Peter 3:10-14; James 4:4)
3. Understand the process of temptation (2 Cor. 2:11; Gen. 3:1-6)
4. Learn God’s limits to curiosity–protect your mind. (Rom. 16:19; I Cor. 10:12; Rom. 12:l-2; Phil. 4:8)
5. Avoid tempting circumstances (Prov. 27:12; Matt. 26:41)
6. Remove hidden provisions for defeat (Eph. 4: 27; Romans 13:14)
7. Decide in advance what you will do in a tempting situation. (2 Tim. 2:22)
8. Give the Holy Spirit His most effective weapon–memorize God’s Word. (Eph. 6:17; Psa.19:9-11; Psa. 40:8)
9. Develop a bond of accountability (Eccles. 4:9-10)
10. Realize that winning a war means many battles (Prov. 24:16; Psa 51)
KEY VERSE: I Corinthians 10:13
Have you ever seen the T shirt that says, “Jesus is my homeboy”? What does that even mean?And what does it convey about the person of Christ? As we live in a culture marked with varying worldviews and misconceptions about Christianity, it is vital that we, as believers, know and understand what the Scriptures says about Jesus. We must be able to defend our faith in Christ in a way that is effective, without stooping to the level of wearing a “Jesus is my homeboy” T shirt. This week at (sola)s we will be discussing the person of Christ as we continue our series Church Sign Christianity.
