Blessed is he who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12
We will have trials.
We will have temptations.
We will especially be tempted during trials.
During trials, it is very easy to give in to our temptations.
If we remain steadfast during trials, then God promised that we (who love Him) will be rewarded.
It is an effort on our part to not give into our temptations.
We're tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires.
Falling into temptations vs. Entering into temptations
Fall - count it all joy knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance.
Enter - Choices and Decisions
You have free will. You have a choice to flee from or to give into temptations that lead you to sin.
Sin does not satisfy our desires.
Sin breaks our fellowship with God.
Confession of sin restores fellowship with God.
The love of God covers multitude of sin.
You have to want more to be free from sin than to have the sin. If you want to be free, confess now to God and ask Him to rescue you, forgive you, and restore relationship with him.
How you respond to temptations will reveal integrity and maturity.
Flee from temptations. Know the word. Dwell on the word. We all need safeguards to protect us. Abide in Christ, not in temptation. Walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh.
It's not instantaneous, it is a process that takes time. Bad habits are hard to break, but we can form good habits instead. We are adaptive creatures. Be flexible in the Spirit.
If we love God, then we will be rewarded for our efforts to not give into temptations during trials.
A trial is not a temptation.
A trial is a situation or a circumstance.
A temptation is an object of desire.
The object of desire is not necessarily sinful, but can lead the person to sin.
God tempts no one, but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. James 1:13-15
All people are tempted.
We each have our own desires, our own weaknesses, and our own temptations.
What tempts one person may not tempt another.
Giving in to temptations can and will lead to sin.
What is so terrible and important to remember is that the momentary happiness is fleeting and quickly disappears. But the joy of the Lord is my strength!
It helps to stay away from what tempts us, but we can't always avoid them. It helps to be prepared ahead of time so that we know what to do when we are faced with a known temptation.
Temptations are not from God.
God is holy and separate from evil.
James 1:16-18 says...
God doesn't change.
God the Creator gives good gifts to His children.
God created us.
We are His children.
We are brothers and sisters.
We are His first fruits of all his creatures.
God loves us!
God wants to bless us!
God wants us to love Him!
God wants us to look to Him when we are tempted by our weaknesses.
Thank you Lord for helping me...
to learn from my mistakes,
to grow from past experiences,
and to turn to you always.
Thank you Lord for all your blessings, your love, and your joy.
