Tag Archives: commands

Resisting Temptation – Luke 4:1-13

Posted on by
Reply

First of all I am reminded that temptation is not a sin.  Jesus lead a sinless life on earth to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Even Jesus was tempted in the desert and yet He was able to resist temptation.   It is our calling as Christians to be obedient to the Lord and to resist

the devil and his temptations.

How did Jesus resist temptation?  Notice verse 1

 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert…

The Holy Spirit.  Our God is so amazing, that he pours out His Holy Spirit upon us to help us, to guide us, comfort us and give us strength.  Leaning on our own strength and willpower, and stood staring temptation in the face, we don’t have a hope.  Especially those Christians caught in a habitual sin, they will understand that even though they know they do not want to partake in it everytime, they can’t seem to help themselves.

How can we resist temptation?  By leaning on the Holy Spirit.  By reading Gods Word as regularly as possible thus focusing our minds on Him, and filling our hearts with truths as opposed to the lies of temptation  (Note; Jesus used scripture when resisting temptation).  By fellowship with other Christians that we may learn from each other, share our problems and thoughts and encourage one another.  By getting rid of those things that cause us to Sin or are a source of temptation, that could include drugs, friends, internet, music etc.

By resisting we are being obedient to the Lord.  John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command”.  It is our duty as followers of Jesus to strive to obey Him.  Resisting temptation is one of the many ways we can Glorify our Lord.  Take a look at these two portions of 1 Peter:  1 Peter 3: 1-2,  and 1 Peter 3: 15-16.  Remember that old saying that I have no doubt used many times within my journal?  Actions speak louder than words.

What a Friend – John 15:9-15

Posted on by
1

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

Words: Joseph Scriven, 1855. Music: Charles Converse, 1868.

Above is an old hymn that once I hear, the tune repeats itself in my head for pretty much the rest of the day.  It talks of the absolute truth and perfection of our friendship with Jesus.  Our true friend.

Reading this Bible passage you see how close the disciples were to Jesus and how much he loved

them. His love is was not just limited to his disciples however has he died for ALL that WHOSOEVER believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

3 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus will never let us down, He is always loyal, loving and faithful to His promise. He is our comfort and our strength. Where earthly friends can at times let us down, we can always rely on Him. Don’t know Jesus as your best friend? Then please check this link out: http://bygrace.co.uk/believe/

10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

and

14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

Tie in very well with a recent talk on Obedience that we had at our life group. I recommend you read the notes and comments at: http://bygrace.co.uk/2008/02/07/obedience/

Don’t Get Burnt – Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Posted on by
1

40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.

Today’s devotional pick up on the verse above hight lighting a warning from the Lord. Satan would have us think that we have a God who is out of touch, unfriendly and makes threatening demands. However when I read the above I can only see love!

The devotional cleverly picks up on the differences between a threat and a warning. A threat is something someone would make to get their own way, where a warning is made to protect the person being warned. Confused? Here are 2 examples, which is a threat and which is a warning:

  • A parent see’s a child putting his hand out toward a candle: “Don’t touch that, you will get burnt”
  • A couple argue about an outing: “If you don’t let me go, then we may as well divorce”.

My examples, although probably not scholarly clever, or extremely imaginative, I think highlight the difference well enough!

Sure they look the same! Someone is speaking of something that could happen as a result of certain actions, however the major difference is love! The parent lovingly warns their child, as it is in the child’s best interest not to get burnt.

The person making the threat in the couples argument however is using a possible outcome to get their own way, in other words a threat!

Our Lord through out the Bible never threatens us. He is our loving Father God. Everything he commands us to do is always in our best interests, and for our well being. He wants us to live happy and fulfilled lives in Him. His will is there to ensure we don’t get burnt!