STUDY THEME: THE BIBLE: GOD’S BOOK OF GRACE 1-12-03

"THE PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE." 1 COR. 10:1-13; JAMES 1:13-15, 16-18

JAMES 1: 13-15, 16-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 10: 6-9, 10-12, 13.

PLEASE OPEN YOU BIBLE TO JAMES 1.

Turning now to today’s lesson we find that sometimes we, like the Corinthians, believe ourselves to be immune from temptation and are safeguarded against sin. Both Paul and James counter this misconception with a reminder that that we too face temptation and we need to be delivered. Temptation comes to everyone and we need to be prepared for this temptation when it comes.

The Theme of today’s lesson is that God’s promise of grace includes deliverance from temptation to those who seek God'’ help.

Some adults make no effort to resist temptation because sin is their normal way of life. Others do not resist because they have so often failed to resist. Some seek to absolve themselves of any responsibility for yielding to temptation by blaming others, perhaps, even God, for their wrongs. Others live in constant guilt because of their feelings of weakness.

The biblical worldview views temptations as things to be resisted, but affirms that only with God’s help can temptations be overcome.

All people experience temptation. All people yield to temptation. Temptation is basically an invitation to disobey God. Being tempted is not a sin, but disobedience is. And sin always leads to consequences that are grievous and destructive.

One of the most significant challenges faced by every adult is that of overcoming temptation. Is it possible to consistently resist temptation? What help is available to assist us in the struggle against those natural desires to choose our way rather than God’s way? A Christian friend, who struggled with a particular temptation once said, "I know what I’m doing is wrong, but I just can’t help myself. I try and try not to yield to temptation, but I fail every time." Is there any hope for someone like this?

James was writing to believers who were scattered throughout the nations. They faced persecution and trials of all kinds. Many were tempted to disobey the Lord and succumb to various temptations. James taught some important truths about the future of temptation and urged his readers to assume the responsibility when they fell to temptation.

An overweight businessman decided that it was time to lose weight. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving route to avoid his favorite bakery. One morning, however, he arrived at work carrying a big gigantic coffee cake.

"This is a very special coffee cake," he explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window were a host of warm goodies. I felt this was no accident so I prayed, ‘Lord if you want me to have one of those delicious coffee cakes, let me find a parking place directly in front of the bakery." "And sure enough," he continued," "the 8^th time around the block, there it was!"

1. PLEASE READ JAMES 1: 13-15.

Last week we talked about overcoming worry; today we want to talk about winning over temptation. Temptation is defined as "the act of enticement to do wrong by the promise of pleasure or gain---." Now isn’t that just like the devil, getting us to do wrong by promising us something good?

Now, as we talk about this today don’t limit (as we are prone to do), don’t limit temptation to just sensual sins, because temptation, just like trials, comes in a variety of packages; We are also tempted to; lie, cheat, gossip, over eat, to hold grudges, to steal, to not give the Lord the first fruits of our treasure, time and talents.

Our goal in this study is to come up with some practical ways that will help us overcome temptation. But before we deal with how to handle it, it will be helpful for us to discuss what temptation is. Understand we are in a war, a very real battle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of this dark world, and like any good general, it is both necessary and beneficial to understand our enemy and his tactics, therefore we must understand temptation if we are ever to defeat Satan and be victorious for God.

In our text James reveals to us four facts about temptation:

1. Temptation is inevitable.
2. Temptation is NEVER directed by God.
3. Temptation is an individual matter.
4. Temptation that leads to sin always follows the same pattern.

1. Temptation is inevitable. It’s going to happen, notice what James says as he begins Vs 13; "When tempted no one should say---." James didn’t say if, he said WHEN…Temptation is not a possibility, but a certainty. We will be tempted.

Now it would be wonderful if we could live life without facing temptation. But the simple fact is we can not. Just as hardships are an unfortunate reality of life, so is temptation. And if you think you’ve found some place, some unique Christian victory secret, some perfect location some uninhabited island, some ideal church, some area where there is no chance for temptation, my advice to you is…don’t go there." Because when you do, you’re going to spoil it."

You see, when you go you will take with you your mind and your thoughts—which are the vehicles of temptation. We will never be in a place on earth where there is no temptation. As long as we live in this flesh and in this world we will face temptation.

A powerful illustration of trials leading to temptation can be seen by observing the time when God’s people were wondering in the wilderness, many times the difficult times faced by the Israelites led to temptation. The first fact about temptation is, it is inevitable, you can’t get away from it.

1. Temptation is never directed by God. James is telling us that God is never the author of temptation but Satan is. How are you at accepting responsibility for your actions? When you do something wrong do you admit it, or do you blame someone else? You get angry and lose control—it as their fault—they made me do it. There is an epidemic in our society of people failing to take responsibility for their actions, and inaction’s.

Everyone blames everyone—it really wasn’t my fault—but would anyone really blame God? Adam and Eve were hiding, as soon as they heard the sound of God walking in the garden they took off and hid. "But the Lord called to the man, ‘where are you?’ He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ And God said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’ The man said, ‘The woman YOU put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.’ (Adam is blaming God). Eve in turn blamed the serpent. (And the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on).

3. Temptation is an individual matter. We might expect James to say that temptation comes from the devil… but he doesn’t. James says that the source of temptation is our own evil desire. James places the responsibility for temptation squarely on the individual. When you and I choose to yield choose to yield, it’s an individual matter. You cannot blame anyone else… nothing outside ourselves is strong enough to cause us to sin—not even Satan.

A young couple were struggling with their finances and in an effort to get a better handle on their spending, they agreed that whenever they were tempted to make an impulsive purchase they would say, "Get behind me Satan."

One evening the wife came home with a Dullard’s bag with a Liz Claiborne dress and showed it to her husband.("What happened? Didn’t you remember to say "Get behind me Satan?") Yes, I remembered. I told him to get behind me and he said the dress looked good from back there too.

4. Temptation that leads to sin always follows the same pattern.

Vs. 14 begins the process, and Vs. 15 carries it out.

Step 1: The bait is dropped.

Step 2: The inner desire is attracted to the bait.

Step 3: Sin occurs when we yield—when we bite the bait.

Step 4: Sin ends up in tragic consequences—we end up cooked and fried.

"…but each one is tempted when, by his own desire, he is dragged away and entices. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death…"Now notice when sin occurs---it occurs at step 3. We can cut off before then and we are okay…For you see, to be tempted is not a sin. Heb, 4:15 says "Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin."

2. PLEASE READ JAMES 1: 16-18.

Let’s face it. We all tend to play around with things that make us weak. You may remember on the T.V. show "Hee Haw" (yeah I know it was before your time)…But in one clip Dr. Campbell is confronted by a patient who says that he broke his arm in two places...And Dr. Campbell had some simple but wise advise, "well then stay out of those two places."

There are places we need to stay out of too…

A mother told her son not to go swimming. However, when he came into the house his mother noticed that his hair and bathing suit were wet. "Johnny," his mother scolded, "I told you not to go swimming." "I couldn’t help it mom," he defended himself. "The water looked so good." "But why did you take your bathing suit with you?" "Just in case I was tempted."

We tend to play around with temptation; hanging out near it’s edge, bringing our swimming suit, driving around the block 8 times. Let me be more specific; if certain movies make you weak and bring within you certain desires you can’t handle, you’re not counteracting temptation, you’re tolerating it! Fertilizing it! Promoting it! Internet pornography is a big problem today for many Christian men.

If you have a problem with Gambling don’t hang out at a casino. If you have a problem with drinking don’t go to certain parties. Temptation to sin is nothing to play around with—there are places, and situations you need to stay out of.

David didn’t counteract temptation, he tolerated it—he knew exactly what he was going to see when he went up to the roof-top. (He even took his bathing suit with him in case he was tempted). David played around with the things that make him weak. What does sin do in our lives. Vs. 15 says it breaks the heart of God, it hurts the cause of God, it adversely affects those around us, it brings spiritual death. When we are constantly walking where we should be; there’s only room in our minds for the Lord.

How can we effectively deal with temptation? Vs. 17-18 give us the answer. Since all good things come from God, (1.) Dwell on that which is good. Think on those things which come from God and fit Phil. 4:8. (2.) Do what the word of God says. When temptation comes, follow Jesus example in Matt. 4 and stand upon scripture. Also be like Joseph in Gen. 39 and run from temptation as fast as you can! God may call you to experience difficulties, but He will never call you to experience defeat.

Don’t play with temptation or try to stand against it in your own strength. Remember; apart from God you can do nothing. Also, remember 1 Cor. 10:13 when he tells us that "God will make a way of escape available in the midst of temptation," so look for it and take it immediately! And finally, (3.) Detour past temptation. If you know that temptation is just around the corner, go around a different corner. Don’t traffic where you know you will be tempted. In other words, think and act smart.

1. PLEASE READ 1 CORINTHIANS 10: 6-9.

Paul warned in 1 Cor. 10:1-13 that privileges do not ensure that we will not fall into sin. The key to this passage’s setting is in vs. 14-21. Some of the Corinthians felt so confident of their moral and spiritual privileges and their strength that they felt no harm could come to them by going to a pagan feast. Many of them also seem to have felt that the rigid demands of the Christian faith did not apply to them. Paul pointed out that idols lack reality but the evil powers used the idols and idol feasts.

The Apostle, having recited the privileges of the Christians in Corinth, proceeds here to an account of their faults and punishments, their sins and plagues, which are left upon record for an example to us, a warning against the like sins, if we would escape the like punishments. We must not do as they did, lest we suffer as they suffered.

 

We should shun inordinate desires after carnal objects. This caution stands first, because carnal appetites indulged are the root and source of much sin. Vs. 7 warns against idolatry. Even eating and drinking before the idol, and things sacrificed was idolatry, which they should be warned to avoid.

Paul cautions against fornication, a sin to which the inhabitants of Corinth were in a peculiar manner addicted. They had a temple among them dedicated to Venus (that is, to lust) with above a thousand priestesses belonging to it, all common prostitutes. How needful was a caution against fornication to those who live in so corrupt a city, and had been used to such dissolute manners, especially when they were under temptations to idolatry too! Most of the gods whom the heathen served were represented as patterns of lewdness, and much lewdness was committed in the very worship of many of them. Let us the fear the sins of Israel, if we would shun their plagues. Paul warns against tempting Christ (as some of them tempted, and were destroyed by serpents.)

2. PLEASE READ 1 CORINTHIANS 10: 10-12.

A five year old was told to stay out of the cookie jar that was on his mother’s kitchen counter. The mother was sitting in the living room when she heard a kitchen chair going across the floor towards the counter. She shouted "what are you doing?" The boy responded, "I’m fighting temptation." He was in the wrong place fighting temptation! When we entertain the thought of lust, hate, and anger in our hearts…we are in the wrong place fighting temptation. Is temptation a sin? No. Temptation is sin’s parent thought. Martin Luther said, "You can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from nesting in your hair." When sin is born something dies.

Vs. 12 is a warning against overconfidence. Christians are never in so much moral danger as when we assume we are immune from the dangers of temptation. Paul wrote "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!" Those who allow sin to dominate their lives cast great doubt on their claim to be a child of God. Only God knows, but if any one does what is described in Vs. 7-10, that person is either lost or severely backslidden. Both are deadly conditions. The Lord said in Matt. 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven."

To the word of caution in vs. 12 God adds a word of comfort in Vs. 13,

So we are back to where we came in at the beginning of the lesson. Why did Paul suddenly insert this word of encouragement in the midst of warnings against presumption? The best solution seems to be to regard it as functioning in two directions at once, both as a continuation of the warning in Vs. 1-12, and as a word of assurance leading to the prohibition to "flee idolatry" in Vs. 14. There is no risk of their falling, he seems to be telling them in response to Vs. 12, as long as one is dealing with ordinary trials, God will help them through such.

Another fact about temptations that sometimes gets overlooked, party because it is only indirectly addressed in Scripture, and partly because it goes against what our reasoning power would suggest to us. But it is true nevertheless, that we are MORE subject to temptation the STRONGER we are. Reason with me for a moment about Paul’s words in Vs. 13: (God) will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.? Now, would you shay that this phrase, "beyond what you are able," is a level that is standard in every single person you meet? Certainly not! And it stands to reason that if God is allowing only what we are able to bear, and if some are able to bear more than others, then those who are stronger and are able to bear more will have more to face in the area of temptation.

One of my favorite Christian writers, A.W. Tozer, puts it this was: "As we move farther on and mount higher up in the Christian life we may expect to encounter greater difficulties in the way and meet increased hostility from the enemy of our souls. Though this is seldom presented to Christians as a fact of life it is a very solid fact indeed as ever experienced Christian knows, and one we shall learn how to handle or stumble over to our undoing."

Hebrews 11" 25-26 says, "By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin for a short time.

Is sin pleasurable? You bet it is. So much so that people will risk their reputations, their careers, even their families just to taste it’s flavor. If the bait on the hook did not look like something good to eat then the fish would never bite the hook. Sin is fun—it does feel good.

Now look at "short time." Though sin is pleasurable this enjoyment lasts only a short time. You have your kicks and then your kicks kick back. You sow and then you reap. Usually you will reap longer than you sowed, and you always reap more than you sowed. He who has no mind to trade with the devil, should be so wise as to stay away from his shop.

Committing adultery or having pre-martial sex may seem pleasurable at the time; but when the marriage is ruined, you see the kids just on weekends. Or you have an unwanted pregnancy at 16, OR you are hooked up to life support in the final stages of aids…you find out that the pain sure has out weighed the pleasure. Have you ever looked into the eyes of someone behind bars—who had lost their freedom, their family and their life for a good time…I have and its tragic.

Dietrick Bonhoeffer a German Lutheran theologian was hung by the Nazi SS Black guards on April 2, 1945 at the age of 39. He was devoted to Christ and a distinguished scholar. He wrote a manuscript on temptation and desire. Here is a part of what he said.

"Once desire is kindled it burns like a raging fire and seizes mastery of the flesh. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money, at this point joy in God is extinguished in us and we seek only our own joy. Satan here does not fill us with hatred of God but with forgetfulness of God.

I think we have all been there more than once—with God on one side and sin with it’s pleasures on the other side…And we are standing smack dab in the middle…And we begin to yield to temptation and we forget about God.. the scales are tipped and Satan wins. We must at these times remember the pleasure of sin is temporary. AND the pain of sin is deadly.

Ask Adam and Eve, they desired the fruit because of what it could do for them and because it looked like it tasted good…was it worth it?

NEXT SUNDAY FROM PSALM 139 AND MARK 10 WE FIND THAT GOD’S PROMISE OF GRACE INCLUDES HIS VALUING OF HUMAN LIFE AS SACRED. A.V. DAUGHERTY 1-13-03