Overcoming Temptation

Faith in Action  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Challenge: pray before service
Intro: fire?
James 1:13–15 NASB95
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Recognizing the Sequence of Sin

Last week we talked about trials. Temptations are different from trials.
Temptations come to make us fall.
But Trials come to strengthen us.
Temptations are to pull us down.
But Trials are to raise us up
We turn from temptations.
But we persevere through trials.
Temptations draws us to sin.
But temptation in itself is not a sin.
To James, sin is disobeying God’s law, such as showing favoritism
James 2:9 NASB95
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Sin is turning from what pleases God,
and turning toward the things God hates.
Sin is knowing what God says is good,
but refusing or neglecting to practice it
James begins his teaching on temptation by saying, “when tempted” don’t say “God is tempting me.
James 1:13 NASB95
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
God is never the source of temptation.
So we should not blame God for temptations.
Most temptations come through our fleshly desires.
Satan may tempt people, as he tempted Jesus in the wilderness
or as he tempted King David to number the people
1 Chronicles 21:1 NASB95
Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.
But the Bible also tells us to that temptations come through fleshly desires.
In this passage, James doesn not mention Satan as a source of temptation.
why not?
Because James doesn not want believers to blame someone else for our sins.
Rather, he emphasizes that if we sin, we have only ourselves to blame.
God will judge each person for the deeds they have done in this earthly body
2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB95
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Revelation 20:11–13 NASB95
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
So the wise accept responsibility and resist temptations.
James describes three steps in the sequence of sin.
Understanding these steps helps us turn from temptation.
From the beginning, people have tried to shift the blame for their sin
Genesis 3:12–13 NASB95
The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Adam sinned, but blamed God for giving him the woman.
And then Adam blamed Eve.
She blamed the serpent.
Like Adam and Eve, many Christians blame someone else for their sin.
Many blame demons or the Devil.
But James tells us that sin begins in us.
He uses four word pictures to describe the sequence of sin:
Temptation
Conception
Birth
Death
James 1:14 NASB95
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Temptation

The invitation to sin comes through evil desire
Temptation is the bait, when fleshly desires pull us the wrong way.
Temptation is not sin.
Even Jesus was tempted, yet He was without sin
Hebrews 4:15 NASB95
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
But temptation leads to sin if we befriend it, follow it, and yield to it.
the more you yield, the easier it becomes to give in to temptation, and the harder it is to resist it.
God created us with desires.
These desires are not evil by themselves.
But God has given guidelines and limits for our desires.
The desire for food is not evil.
But the desire to eat too much food leads to the sin of gluttony.
Likewise the sexual desire between a husband and his wife is a gift from God.
But when that desire for sex is outside of marriage, the desire is sinful.
Once we were slaves to sin
Romans 6:17 NASB95
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,
Then Jesus freed us from the power of sin.
Romans 6:18 NASB95
and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Now that we are in Christ, and Christ is in us, sin is no longer our master.
Fleshly desires are still in us.
But we are no longer slaves to these desires.
We are free to choose our master
-either Jesus or sin.
We will have fleshly desires as long as we life in a body of flesh.
So the scriptures teach us to be led by the Holy Spirit in us, not the fleshly desires in us.
Romans 8:5–17 NASB95
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
This is why it is so important to be filled with the Spirit.
and be led by the Spirit
To move from being an orphan, to a son, to an heir
heir-anyone with equal share in the family business
Galatians 5:16 NASB95
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Sin loses it pull as we resist it and submit to the Spirit.
James 4:7 NASB95
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
When sin knocks, send Jesus to the door.
James 1:15 NASB95
Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Conception

When evil desire consents to a temptation, it acts and conceives sin
Conception precedes birth
before a baby can be born, it must first be conceived.
Thus the scriptures says
Genesis 4:1 NASB95
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.”
Likewise, the conception of an action in the mind precedes the action in the flesh
Things do not just happen
people conceive of good or bad acts
Before they give birth to them
Cain conceived of killing Abel before he committed the crime
Noah conceived of the ark before he built it
Abraham conceived of Canaan before he left Ur
Something must be formed in the egg before it can hatch
Conception can be good or bad, holy or evil.
In marraige, when a husband and wife unite in sex,
conception occurs, and a new person begins to grow in the womb
It is God’s plan for a husband and wife to unite sexually in marriage.
God wants children to be conceived and born in holy families.
Conception in a Christian marriage is good in God’s eyes.
In contrast, sex and conception outside of marriage are evil in God’s eyes
Hebrews 13:4 NASB95
Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
Likewise, when a person’s will consents and unites with an evil desire,
sin is conceived and begins to grow in a person’s soul
The will of a person is very important
Sermon on the mount-lust and murder
When the will agrees to the temptation, sin is conceived
First in the mind, and then in the body.
When an evil desire comes, we choose to reject it or encourage it.
Some turn evil desires over and over in their mind like a person rotates a peice of candy in the mouth.
jaw breakers
If we meditate on an evil desire, our minds begin to justify that desire and plan ways to fulfill it
This enables desire to conceive sin.
A woman conceives after uniting with a man.
And sin conceives if we allow our evil desires to embrace and unite with a sinful temptation
Meditation kindles fires.
So be careful what you meditate on
David wrote:
Psalm 39:3 NASB95
My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue:
Think about, contemplate, and ponder the wrong things and sin will begin to grow in you
Like a baby in the womb
Meditate on things that are pure and righteous and good things will begin to take shape within you.
Joseph overcame temptation by running from it.
Genesis 39:13 NASB95
When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,
Paul liked this method
so he told Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:22 NASB95
Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
The only safe way to deal with temptation is immediate rejection.
Satan tempted Jesus three times.
Each time, our Lord’s quick response was refusal.
Jesus did not play with temptation.
Rather, He rejected the temptation at once.
Jesus went as far as to say “cut off your hand if it causes you to sin”, or pluck out your eyes
The world says “Look!” But the Spirit says, “Look Away.”
Look away at once from what you know is wrong.
Do not analyze and study temptation.
Do not gaze at the wine in the glass.
Proverbs 23:31 NASB95
Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly;
Turn away from entertainment that is fleshly, seductive, and evil
Refuse to eat everything the world puts on your plate.
Avoid sitting by the fire with unbelievers, or like Peter, you will soon deny Christ
Matthew 26:69–70 NASB95
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
Be careful what you meditate on.
Jesus told His disciples;
Matthew 26:41 NASB95
“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Live Alert
Be aware of what you are thinking at all times.
Practice hating what is wrong and loving what is right
Romans 12:9 NASB95
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Philippians 4:8(NASB95)
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Flee at once from temptations.
As we live alert, pray, and practice self-control over our thoughts,
We avoid falling into temptation.
But those who let the world lead their thoughts find that lust has conceived sin in them.
And it is only a short time until they give birth to the sin that is already alive and growing in their hearts.
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No one ever fell into the pit of temptation by running away from it!
James 1:15 NASB95
Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Birth

After conception, desire gives birth to sin
A conceived child will grow in the womb
from a tiny cell to a complete person who is born
So it is with sin
Sin developes from an evil thought
to a fascination
to an obsession
to an act
to a crime
To avoid the birth of sin, we must avoid the conception of sin
Note that sin can be born without killing a person.
A believer may become entangled in a sin
Galatians 6:1 NASB95
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
If we sin, both James and John encourage us to confess our sin, repent, and turn back to God
James 4:9 NASB95
Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
James 5:16 NASB95
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
1 John 1:9 NASB95
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is a terrible thing to sin.
But it is even worse to sin, and continue in sin.
At step 3 in the sequence of sin, it is still possible to repent and live in relation to God
No one will go to hell for sinning.
Rather, only those who refuse to repent
Accept God’s forgiveness
and be saved from sin
Only those who refuse will experience eternal separation from God
James 1:15 NASB95
Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Death

Sin gives birth to death
As sin matures into a habit, or fixed attitude, the result is spiritual death
The fruit of sin is death in two different ways:
Even Now
and Not Yet
For Even Now, those who live in sin are spiritually dead,
separated from God’s presence
And Not Yet, because after physical death, sin results in the second death
eternal separation from God in the lake of fire
Revelation 20:14 NASB95
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
We view birth as an announcement of new life.
but the birth of sin is a sign of death
Evil desires lead to sin
and sin, when full grown, brings death
Romans 6:23 NASB95
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
spiritual death which is separation from God
Sin kills our relationship with God
Each person is alive or dead in relation to God
Ezekiel 18:20 NASB95
“The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
Sow a thought and you reap and action
sow an act and you reap a habit
sow a habit and you reap a character
sow a character and you reap a destiny
In other words, thoughts lead to actions,
actions lead to habits
your habits lead to your defining your character
your character determines your destiny
are you righteous or evil
God has prepared a different destiny for us- eternal life
The sequence of sin is broken when we are born again and begin to follow Jesus
At the new birth we receive power and freedom to resist temptation.
With the help of God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and God's family (the church),
We grow in grace and learn to resist desires that lead to sin
As a rider guides a powerful horse,
believers can guide powerful desires
Avoid temptation when possible.
An alcoholic once found freedom, but went back to his favorite bar to show his old friends how much he changed.
Instead, temptation returned.
The foolish ask God for help, and then choose to walk on temptation street.
Avoid temptation by avoiding evil friends, ungodly places, and unholy entertainment.
Those who avoid fire will not be burned
Consider the parable of the cold snake
As a man walked down the mountain, he was surprised when a snake spoke to him:
I am very cold, please pick me up and carry me to a warmer place
The man replied
Oh NO! You are a poisonous snake.
People die from your bite.
Only a fool would pick you up
Still the man did not turn away from the snake.
Rather, he continued talking with it:
PLEASE said the snake
I am just a small serpent, and I PROMISE not to bite you
I just want a warmer place
Finally, after much talking, the snake persuaded the man
he put the snake under his coat, and carried it down the hill.
When they reached the bottom, the man opened his coat to remove the snake
and it bit him
Dying, the man cried
But you PROMISED, not to bite me
The snake laughed and said:
You fool, you knew what I was when you picked me up.

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:26–28 NASB95
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
Lord Jesus, I come to you a sinner.
Forgive me of the sins I have committed.
I believe that you are the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.
I believe that You died on the cross for my sins
I believe that You rose from the dead the third day
Come into my heart, and make me new.
I receive You as my Lord and Saviour.
Now, help me to live for you the rest of this life.
Amen!
Preparation Prayer
Let us pray before we partake of the elements together
Father, we come together today to sit at your table as your guests, resting only in the worthiness of your Son. As we look upon the emblems of our Savior’s death, the cup and the bread, may we remember why He died- to cleanse and to heal; to satisfy your righteousness and justice. We remember His eternal love and boundless grace. May we receive the assurance of forgiveness, eternal life, and the hope of glory. As the bread and cup nourish our body, so may your indwelling Holy Spirit strengthen our soul, until the day of Christ’s appearing when we will hunger and thirst no more, and sit with Him at His heavenly table. Bless these symbols of your grace and mercy as we remember your sacrifice today. Amen
Bread
The Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Let us partake together
Cup
In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Let us partake together
Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray together as Jesus taught us by saying the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who is in heaven
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And do not lead us into temptation
But deliver us from the evil one
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
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