Greater temptation, greater self-control

Do you think we face greater temptations today than previous generations did?

Interesting question.  The truth is, as David points out, at the very least we have more discretionary time on our hand, increased opportunities, and less physical barriers to temptation than ever before. These three factors add up to the likelihood that we face greater temptations (though not different in kind) than previous generations.

If that is true, we need greater self-control.  So David points to a NYT article that offers a few somewhat helpful tips for increasing self-control but then he gives biblical counsel for greater self-control in an age of temptation.

1. Christ’s love. Just as Christ’s love for us constrains and compels evangelism (2 Cor. 5:14), so it also constrains and compels obedience (1 Jn. 4:19).

2. Christ’s Word. Just as Christ Himself resisted temptation with Scripture (Luke 4:1-14), so we do too (Eph. 6:17).

3. Christ’s example. Consideration of Christ’s holy life inspires and empowers perseverance in holiness (Heb. 12:3)

4. Christ’s Spirit. Christ is with and in His people by His Spirit (Gal. 5:16-18). He does not send us into battle, He comes with us.

5. Christ’s sympathy. As He was tempted on all points, like as we are, we can go to one who sympathizes with us as we face strong temptation in our human weakness (Heb. 4:15).

6. Christ’s grace. When we come to Christ, we not only get sympathy, we get strong grace to help in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).

7. Christ’s forgiveness. We are going to fail and fall. But there’s no need to wallow in strength-draining guilt. We can come to Christ for immediate forgiveness (Jn. 8:11; 1 John 1:9). We start again with a re-formatted hard-drive (“clean sheet” for the older generation).

“Yes temptation is greater today. But Christ is greater still.”

Read the whole article.

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What’s on your urgent list?

What’s in on your “urgent” list today?  Is obedience to God there?  Is trusting Christ there?  Is growing in godliness there?  As this illustration explains often one of Satan’s favorite schemes is to convince us to put “obedience to God” in our “someday/maybe” file rather than “today/urgent!”

The story of told of three apprentice devils being trained by Satan. ‘What are you going to try today?’ asks the leader. The first apprentice replies, ‘I’m going to tell them there is no God.’ ‘Well,’ says Satan, ‘you can try. A few fools will believe you. But the universe shouts the existence of God. There is evidence all around and you’ll not do very well. Indeed, even in the secular twenty-first century you may find your self witnessing the slow death of atheism. Any other ideas?’ The second apprentice tries this: ‘I’m going to tell them there’s no judgment.’ ‘That’s a better idea,’ says Satan. ‘You will persuade more people of that, especially some of the clergy. But human beings have a gut sense of accountability, that actions have consequences. They know what it is to feel guilty even when there therapists tell them not to. So I think you’ll find it an uphill struggle. Anyone else have an idea?’ The third apprentice pipes up, ‘I’m going to tell them there’s no hurry.’ ‘Brilliant,’ says Satan. ‘That is just what you want to say. You will have great success. Let them listen to the word of God and whisper in their ears, “This is good stuff. One day you ought to do something about this. But tomorrow will do.” – Christopher Ash, The Priority of Preaching (A Mentor Commentary) (Norhaven: Christian Focus, 2009), 65.

(HT:  Mark)

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Are you occupied with God?

I love this story!

Robert Kennedy, an American missionary to South America, once visited the dense jungle of the Amazon. There he talked with a Brazilian Indian who had recently come to know Christ. Working through a translator, the communication was strained, so the salvation of this newly converted Indian was unknown to Kennedy. He innocently asked the native Brazilian, “What do you most like to do?” He expected to receive a generic answer such as “hunting with bows and arrows” or “canoeing”. But to his amazement, the Indian answered, “Being occupied with God.” Kennedy was stunned with the response. He said, “Ask him again. Something must be lost in the translation.” But the Indian gave the same answer. The constant preoccupation of this new believer was, quite simply, God. –Steve Lawson, Psalm 76-150, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 146.

What a great illustration of worship this man is to us of the heart of worship:  being occupied with God.  That’s what a worshipper is: one’s whose life is occupied with the grandeur and goodness of God!

Worship is all that I am responding to all that God is!

What a challenge today to us all: be occupied with God.

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