First Epistle to the Corinthians

What do you do when you are tempted to sin?

Temptation is something we all face as Christians, no matter how long we have been following Christ. There are a few practical things, however, that we can do to grow stronger and smarter in our struggle against sin. We can learn how to avoid temptation by practicing these five steps.

Here’s How:

Recognize your tendency toward sin.

James 1:14 explains that we are tempted when we become enticed by our own natural desires. The first step toward avoiding temptation is recognize our human tendency to be tempted by our own fleshly desires. Temptation is a given. Do not be surprised by it. Rather, expect to be tempted. Be prepared for it.

Run away from the temptation.

I love the New Living Translation of 1 Corinthians 10:13. It says, “But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”

Whenever you are faced with temptation, look for the way out that God has promised and then run as fast as you can.

Resist with the Word of truth.

Hebrews 4:12 says God’s Word is living and active. Did you know you can carry a weapon that will make your thoughts obey Jesus Christ? If you don’t believe me, read 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 One of these weapons is the Word of God.

Though it can be helpful to read God’s Word when you’re being tempted, sometimes that’s not practical. Even better is to practice reading the Word daily, so that eventually you have so much of it inside, you are ready whenever temptation comes. If you are reading through the Bible regularly, you will have the full counsel of God at your disposal.

Refocus with praise.

How often have you been tempted to sin when your heart and mind were fully concentrated on worship to the Lord? Praising God takes your focus off of self and puts it on God. You may not be strong enough to resist temptation on your own, but as you focus on God, He will inhabit your praise. He will give you the strength to resist and walk away from the temptation. May I suggest Psalm 147 as a good place to start?

Repent quickly when you fail.

In several places,  the Bible tells us the best way to resist temptation is to flee from it (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). Yet still we all fail from time to time. We fail to flee. Notice I didn’t say, repent quickly if you fail. Having a more realistic view—knowing that, at times, you will fail—should help you to repent quickly when you do. It is not the end of the world when you fail, but it is very dangerous to persist in your sin. Going back to James 1, verse 15 explains that sin “when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

This article was originally published on http://www.onewaystreetministries.org

 

WATER! you are what you drink.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Therefore, brothers and sister, we must take care of our bodies, even as we take care of our places of worship.

The Blood of Jesus Cleanses

Smith's later theology described Jesus and God...

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“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20)

The blood of Jesus Christ is powerful. It is His blood that makes it possible for you to be forgiven and cleanse from every sin. His shed blood is also the purchase price that has been paid for our redemption. What the blood of Jesus cleanses, it also claims. There are great benefits for believers when we recognize the claim that the blood of Jesus Christ has upon our lives.

I am sure you have heard the saying, “God is ready to take full responsibility for the life that is totally yielded to Him.” What a blessing that truth is! It means that you are not only completely the Lord’s but that He is completely yours. His righteousness is your righteousness, His strength is your strength, His peace is your peace, and His life is your life.

Heavenly father, I have acknowledge that I am yours, and because I am yours, I have a right to all the blessings you have reserved for those who have totally yielded themselves to you. I yield to you Lord, totally and completely.

Lord, you have esteemed me, and you have raised my status. The Scripture tells me that I am Royal and I believe. You are the King of kings and I am your child—I am special. ” 1 Peter 2:9 assures me, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Lord you have made me a joint heir with your son Jesus and I appreciate that.

Father, I know all these blessings that you have bestowed upon me come with a price—a price I did not pay personally. A long time ago you looked beyond my faults, and saw my needs. And you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ to shed His blood on Calvary’s cross. That’s a big price to pay for a stranger but you did anyway.

Heavenly father, I thank you for the blood of Jesus, and I thank you for all the blessings. I know I have a duty to worship you in spirit and in truth and I will Lord! I also know if I fail to do my duty, I cannot continue claim your many blessings….Thank you Lord.

Let God direct your footsteps into the future

Scroll of the Book of Proverbs

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None of us can live without a vision for our future. If we don’t have one, we flounder aimlessly. Without a vision, life seems pointless and we die a little every day. “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18)

Having a vision doesn’t necessarily means  knowing the specifics about what is going to happen next. It has to do with sensing the general direction you are moving in and having hope that something good is on the horizon. It is knowing that you do have a future and a purpose, and that it is bright.

Not every man have that certainty. When he doesn’t, you can almost see life draining from him. Even the ones who do, do not necessarily have it all the time. Even the most spiritual man can get overtired, burned out, beaten down, distanced from God, confused about who he his and why he is here, and lose his vision for the future. He can misplace his sense of purpose and become overwhelmed and hopeless because of it. If he loses sight of his dreams and forgets the truth about himself and his situation, he can end up believing destructive lies about his future. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).

God says not to listen to voices that speak lies, for “they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:16). Any vision for the future that is full of failure and empty of hope is not from God (Jeremiah 29:11). But God can restore vision where it has been lost. He can give hope to dream again. He can give His truth to bear upon the lies of discouragement. He can give assurance of a promising future. Prayer is the avenue through which He can accomplish it.

We have to remember that father God has drawn up His will. His estate is divided equally among His children. All that He has, we will have. “We are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ: (Romans 8:17).  I have read my copy of the will and it says we do not have the slightest idea of what God has in store for us. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the thing which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). It promises that “the blameless will inherit good” (Proverbs 28:10). It says that not only will we have everything we need in this life, but the most significant part will be ours. Then we will be with Him and we will want nothing more.

God does not want us to know the future, He wants us to know Him. He wants to trust Him to guide us into the future one step at a time. In order to understand God’s leading , we must t seek him for every step. “Those who seek the Lord understand all” (Proverbs 28:5).