To God Be The Glory.

Every temptation has a weakness: time limited. If you give it just enough time, it will surely pass. The bait often fits only one prey. It doesn’t have to be you.

The strength of every temptation is in the prey’s fear of missing out. Such fear may be imposed by one’s own cravings or others’ cravings.

The good news is this: “when you are tempted, he, God, will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

How does someone endure a temptation? By the strength of Christ. No temptation can stand the test of truth, the truth of God’s love for us. The goal of every temptation is to deceive you by trying to make you believe what it cannot guarantee. The goal of every temptation is to fail us with the belief that we’re beyond the reach of redemption. If we endure the temptation with the knowledge that this too Christ has redeemed us from, whether we’re pushed into, whether we’re dragged into it, whether we’re made to be partakers of it by threats, we know that such temptation cannot outdo the redeeming work of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Christ did not have any sin of his own, yet took all of our sins as His and paid the price for our freedom away from sin, our freedom to God.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

What if you were to deny Christ like Peter did? The blood of Christ still works. What if you were to deny God in your action like David toward Bathsheba, another man’s wife? The mercy of the love of God still works.

What if you were to deny temptation like the three Hebrews or Daniel? It would have been by the strength of the Spirit of God.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.” (John 1:24-25)

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:25-27)

We endure temptation, we experience temptation, we’re often invited to fear missing out. Yet, God usually tells us to go ahead, “for this too, he will use for His glory”. Because by the Spirit of God, we’re to be fearless. And when we proceed with the bait of temptation, “What men meant for evil, God meant it for good.”

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Without fear in the potential prey, temptation is rendered powerless. Without fear, temptation’s bait becomes God’s instrument for His glory in Christ Jesus.

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36)

“You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” (John 11:50)

To God Be The Glory.