People who have an addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, gambling, gossip, self-pity, and self-will – temptation to fulfill the addiction will be at every turn, all along the streets of life. Being tempted is a problem but NOT a sin. Giving into the temptation is sin.
God has made a way out – He has put His divine help, His grace, to work in our lives through faith in Christ Jesus. Recognizing temptation is the first step.
The next step is to get out of the situation in which we are tempted. Is this easy to do? I think that most of the time it is not easy. Instant gratification has temporary pleasure of some kind and it is hard to turn from. Hard, but not impossible.
Before giving in to temptation, it must be recognized. Those who are addicted will find the pull to whatever is tempting them very strong. Turning to God, crying out to Him for His help to resist the temptation and then deliberately getting involved in something entirely different will be helpful. One suggestion that has been helpful is to pray against the temptation before faced with that overwhelming desire for …whatever.
If you or I give in to the temptation, what should we do? Run, don’t walk, to God – tell Him the sin, ask His forgiveness. It is God’s divine help, it is His grace alone that forgives and forgets our confessed sin.
(NIV) Micah 7:19 “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
***And as Corrie Ten Boom said, God puts up a “No Fishing” sign.
(NASB) Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
***When Jesus Christ is my Savior, what can I expect from God?
1 – He gives me light to see and His protection.
2 – God’s grace is alive and active today. God’s favor is actively involved in our lives.
3 – God will not withhold good from you and me when we are in right relationship with Him. To keep that relationship right, you and I need to recognize when we sin against God, confess that sin and turn from it, and get our attention focused on something else. Use Scripture to verify that we have been forgiven. One Scripture is (NIV) 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Our need is God’s grace (His divine help)
to walk uprightly through life.
(NIV) Psalm 84:12 “O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”
