The general epistles - James (Temptation)

Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
0 ratings
· 1 view
Notes
Transcript

James 1:12-15

Introduction: In the Australian bush country...There grows a little plant ....called the "sundew." Now the sundew...has a slender stem and tiny, round leaves...fringed with hairs that glisten...with bright drops of liquid ...as delicate as fine dew. But...Woe to the insect, however,… that dares to dance on it. Although its attractive clusters of red, white, and pink blossoms...are harmless,...yet...the leaves are deadly. Because see...the shiny moisture on each leaf is sticky...and will imprison any bug that touches it. And...as an insect struggles...to free itself,...the vibration causes the leaves...to close tightly around it. This innocent-looking plant...then...feeds on its victim.  And much like the insect...we too are drawn,...to that which looks shiny and pretty. But the Saying is true... not all that glitters...is gold. In fact,… sometimes...It is Downright gloomy. It can create gloom...in our lives. Such gloom...as to devastate our souls. And the problem...is... temptation,...temptation is real. But not only is it real...but...it is really deadly sometimes. And...what is temptation? It is seduction...to evil...solicitation...to wrong.  It stands distinguished...from trial. See...trial Are there to discover...the man's moral qualities or character ...but...temptation persuades us...to evil...and deludes us...that it may ruin us. The one aims...at the man's good...making him conscious ...of his true moral self;...but the other....leading man...into sin.  
-And with that in mind
-Let’s read our text this evening
-It is found in the book of James
-James 1)
-The Bible says in
James 1:12–15 KJV 1900
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
-Let’s go to the Lord, In a word of prayer
I. Understanding temptation
Declaration
Now then, Notice our text if you would please
Pastor James, The Lord's brother
Writing to the 12 tribes
Which are scattered abroad
Said (James 1:12
James 1:12 KJV 1900
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Now, I call your attention
To the word temptation
Used in this verse
The word temptation
Is the Greek Pirasmos
And in its most basic form
It can be defined as
Solicitation to do evil
In other words
It can be defined as
an enticement
to sin.
And in the Bible
There is reference after reference
and verse after verse
That deals with the subject
Of temptation
For example
in 1 Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And In Hebrews 2:18 - For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Likewise, in Mark 14:38 - Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Ephesians 4:27 - Neither give place to the devil.
The word, place there in that verse, describes opportunity
And the insinuation is, Don’t give the devil the opportunity, to tempt you
And
Throughout the Bible
There are many examples, That we could read about
Of individuals
Who
Were tempted
That is they were enticed
To sin against God
Now some
Were able to resist the temptation
While others
Weren't able, Or willing
And
We are going to be talking about Temptation
This evening
We’re going to be discussing
Solicitations to sin
But
Before we do
Let's review again
When
We started this series of sermons
Two weeks ago
we
Talked about trials
That we face sometimes
And life is a trial
And if you recall, we read verse 2
Here in this passage
Where James said (James 1:2
James 1:2 KJV 1900
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
The word temptations there, describes trials
That we face sometimes as believers
And James said
Count it all joy, Be glad
When trials come your way
And James went on to say
You can be joyful in your Trials
Because God is trying to make you better
Through them
Satan might be trying to make you bitter
But God always is endeavoring
To make you better
Then, ast week
We talked about Wisdom
and in verse five, James said (James 1:5
James 1:5 KJV 1900
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
And my... how we need wisdom today
And if you're lacking it
All you need to do is ask God for it
Discussion
But this evening, As we continue our study
Of the general epistles
And as we work our way through James
Let's
Read verse 12 again
Pastor James said (James 1:12
James 1:12 KJV 1900
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Now
As I read that verse
I see a great promise
The promise
That if you endure temptation
That is
If you persevere through it
If
You're able to remain faithful to God
Through your temptation
Then
God promises you
The crown
of life
By the way
As you read your Bible
You find a number of crowns
That God promises to the believer
For example the...
Crown of righteousness: Given to those who live in light of eternity and desire Jesus' return
Crown of glory: Given to those who are humble, honest, and eager in their service to God and others
Crown of life: Given to those who have persevered through temptation, persecution, and even martyrdom
Crown of rejoicing: Given to those who bring others into God's family
Imperishable crown: Also known as the incorruptible crown, this crown is a reward for self-discipline
h. But that being said
i. In our text today
ii. God promises the crown of life
-To those who persevere in temptation
iii. James 1:12
James 1:12 KJV 1900
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
i. What a great promise that is
But notice if you would
Verse 13
James said (James 1:13
James 1:13 KJV 1900
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
See
James wanted his readers to know
That no solicitations to do evil
-come from God
But
According to verse 14
James said (James 1:14
James 1:14 KJV 1900
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Now
that metaphor is taken from fishes,
who are enticed
by the bait,
and Then
drawn out by the hook;
Drawn away
To the frying pan
And
In a spiritual sense, People are tempted
They are enticed to sin
And
That word means to be deluded
It means to be allured
And then entrapped
But it says
A man is Allured into sin
And then trapped
By his own lust
By the way
When we think about lust today
We often think of in terms
Of adultery
And certainly
The word lust does include that
But the word lust here
Is a word that means a longing
A strong desire for
So
What James is saying is
That people become entrapped
In temptation
When
The desires of their flesh
Become so strong, For some kind of sin
That they just do not persevere
Oh
But there is a warning
That James goes on Give us
He said
In verse 15
(James 1:15
James 1:15 KJV 1900
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
So
What he is saying is that
When that lust becomes so strong
It produces sin,
If we don't persevere
But
In the end
It brings forth death
Or separation
Determination
By the way
When James wrote this passage
As I've mentioned numerous times
He was writing to believers
To
Christian Jews
The 12 tribes Of Israel
Jewish Christians
So
What James is saying here
Is that
Christian
If
Your desire Become so strong
For something Sinful
-if your desires become so strong
That
You give in
To temptation
And Then imbibe in that sin
That my friend
Is going to cause
Alienation
Between you
and your Lord
and that's what sin does
I'm reminded of the words of Isaiah
He said in Isaiah 59:2
Isaiah 59:2 KJV 1900
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
So the fact is
When temptations come
These solicitations to do evil
And
When because of our desires
We give into the temptation
It's going to cause separation
Alienation between us and God
In other words
Our sin will hinder our prayer life
Our sin will hinder our Ability
To hear the voice of God
When we read and study the Scriptures
Or when we listen to the Scriptures preached
Is going to hinder our ability
To hear the voice of God
And at the same time too
Our sin
Will hinder our relationship
With other believers as well
And
The point I'm trying to make is
Sin is a hindrance
But
Temptation itself
Is not sin
I think we know that
In fact
If you know the New Testament well
Then you remember that
The Lord Jesus was tempted as well
Turn if you would
To the gospel of Luke
For just a few minutes
And read with me
The first 13 verses
The
Bible says
In Luke 4:1 – 13
Luke 4:1–13 KJV 1900
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Now
There are several things I want you to see here
and the first is
The word tempted in verse 2
Is
The exact same Greek word
As is used in James 1)
So, We can conclude that Jesus was tempted
In the same manner
That we are tempted
There is
The second thing I want you to see
Verse 13 says (Luke 4:13
Luke 4:13 KJV 1900
And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Now
Did you see that
When Jesus was tempted
It wasn't just one time
It appears that
The devil tempted Hiim
On other seasons
But
Whether he did or not
The devil sure does do that
to us
But
There's one final thing
That I want you to consider
And
I've already made mention of this
But temptation in It's self
Is not a sin
to
Be enticed to sin
It is not a sin
And
The truth is
We don't have to give in
In fact
The apostle Paul wrote
In 1 Corinthians10:13
1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV 1900
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
See
The God whom we serve
Always provides us
With an escape route
Away from sin
We sure are glad
But
Look back in James again
And let's read this passage
Together, once again
James
Said to these Jewish Christians
James 1:12–15 KJV 1900
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
So
In a nutshell
James was telling the believer
Essentially that
You're going to be tempted
Jesus was
James was telling the believer That
You're going to be tempted
To sin against God
The devil
Is going to use your desires
Against you
To endeavor
To entice you to sin
Against your Lord
But
If you will just endure
If you'll just persevere
In the midst of the temptation
Persevere and don’t give In
Then
You are promised
The crown of life
And
By way of illustration
Turn to the Old Testament book
Of Genesis
If you would please
And in chapter 39
And
When you find your place
In chapter 39
Read with me
Versus 5 – 9
And
While you're finding your place there
Remember that Joseph
Have been sold into slavery
By his other brothers
He had
Been purchased
By the captain of the guard
named Potiphar
Of the land of Egypt
But
Notice that it says of Potiphar With regard to Joseph
(Genesis 39:5 – 9
Genesis 39:5–9 KJV 1900
And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Now
That Passage teaches us
A number of lessons
That
Number 1: Everyone is tempted
Satan makes sure of that
It
Matters not if you're a slave
A king of Israel
A Christian sitting in the pew
Or even the Lord Jesus while He lived on earth
Everyone is tempted by the devil
But that being said
We don't have to sin
When the temptations come
Like Joseph
We can consider sin as wickedness
Against the God that we serve
And like him
We can all run from it
And
That is exactly
What our God
Wants us to do
And the point is
if Joseph could endure temptation
If he could persevere through it
Then
There isn't one of us
Who can persevere through Temptation as well
If we just will
So
Before I move to the next point
Let me just sum things up
With regard to temptation
And our understanding of it
Temptations
Are solicitations to sin
They are enticements
To disobey God
And
Regardless of your walk of life
Regardless of your spiritual status
Every man is tempted
Pastor James said so
And at the same time
When we fail to persevere
Through those temptations
We bring alienation
Between us and God
But
When we persevere
The temptation
When we don't give in
to them
We
Are given a great promise
(James 1:12
James 1:12 KJV 1900
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
II. Underscoring temptation
but
Now that we have acquired
A basic understanding
Of temptations
And remember
These aren’t the kind of trials
Mentioned in verse 2
There are solicitations to do evil
But
Now that we've acquired
A basic understanding
of temptation
Allow me
To underscore Some of the temptations
That are detailed for us
In the Word of God
And first of all
Let me call your attention
To the temptation
To engage in pride
People sometimes even Christians
Are tempted
To engage in pride
And
Let me say without reservation
Pride
Is a sin
Now
The Bible is Filled with references
To pride
There are Numerous references
Regarding pride
So let me give you just a few
Proverbs 11:2 - When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. Proverbs 16:5 - Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 29:23 - A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Galatians 6:3 - For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. James 4:6 - But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Now think about all those please
Pride brings shame
Pride is an abomination to God
It will bring you low
It precedes destruction
When you are prideful, Your self-deluded
God resists those who are proud
So
Very clearly
Pride is a sin
In fact
It is the original sin
In the garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve
To engage in pride
But
Let me share a Glaring example
Of pride
And the temptation to pride
Turn if you would
To the book of 3 John
3 John 1)
And read with me, Verse 9
The Bible says in 3 John 1:9
3 John 9 KJV 1900
I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
Now then
Let's talk about Diotrephes
Diotrephes, Was apparently a member
Of the church
He
Seems to be one of prominence
In the church
and
John describes Diotrephes
as a self-seeking, ambitious,
and inhospitable leader
in a local church
and
John's letter criticizes Diotrephes
for his refusal
to welcome the apostles
and other believers
into the church
Likewise
John's letter also criticizes Diotrephes
for spreading gossip about the apostles
and for excommunicating those
who disagreed with him.
But
Right about now
Someone may ask
Why would this man
This Christian brother
Behaves so reprehensibly
Well
He loved to have the preeminence
Do
You know what that means?
It means literally
He was fond of being first
And why
Because of pride
Because people like him
Fail to heed the admonition
Of Philippians 2:3
Philippians 2:3 KJV 1900
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Diotrphes, Though
Could not bring himself
To esteem others
As better than him
Because
Diotrrphes Had been bitten
By the pride bug
But
Keep in mind
Pride is sin
And Satan
wants people like us to be prideful
So
he Uses our desires against us
Our desire To be thought of highly
he then
Uses whatever Is at his disposal
To entice us
To get into pride
Oh
But pride is destructive
In the congregation
It causes separation and division
In a church family
It creates
Animosity
Among the believer
But
Never forget
God hates pride
The Bible says in Proverbs 8:13
- The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
By the way
The word Arrogancy
That Solomon used in that verse
Describes a swelling
It is a swelling of the head
It speaks
Of a presumed majesty
Of an attitude that
I'm better than you
I am
More spiritual than you
I am more qualified than you
I'm certainly smarter than you
And therefore
By rights
I'm entitled to the preeminence
In this situation
And
That was Diotrphes’ Problem
He just loved
To have the preeminence
He just loved being first
That is
He loved the accolades
He loved the notoriety
He loved the first mention
Because he was prideful
And
The reason he became prideful was
Satan used his desires Against him
To entice him
To engage in the sin of pride
And
When unlike Joseph, He didn't persevere
In the temptation
He sinned
And in the process
He created a lot of Commotion
In the church
In fact read with me verse 10
If you're still in 3 John
It says (3 John 10
3 John 10 KJV 1900
Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
The word malicious
Mean simply That he usedhurtful words
And at the same time too, he was not hospitable
He was a stumbling block, To the body of Christ
All because
When Satan tempted him
To engage in pride
Rather than resist
He gave in
But
What about us this evening
Have we given into pride
Are we Fond of being first
Do we enjoy notoriety
Do we give in to the temptation
To be prideful?
Well Diotrephes Did
And how destructive he became to that church
Loving the world
There is another sin
That believers are often tempted
To give in to
And that is loving the world
The Bible says
In 1 John 2:15
1 John 2:15 KJV 1900
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Now, that phrase,
"love not the world"
means to not be consumed by worldly things
and to not be overly attached to them.
and
John writing on behalf of God said
Love not the world
but in the Bible
We have the example of a man
Who did
In fact
The apostle Paul wrote
In 2 Timothy 4:9 – 10
2 Timothy 4:9–10 KJV 1900
Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Now think about that
Demas had been a fellow helper
In the ministry of the apostle Paul
But
For whatever the reason
He became consumed by worldly things
And attached to them
And
When he did
Paul said, he forsook me
Do you know that means?
To leave me behind
Paul was engaged
In the ministry of reconciliation
Helping people get right with God
But
Because Demas loved this present world So much that
He quit serving
He simply dropped out of ministry
And
There is a reason Demas behaved this way
Satan used his desires
Against him
Satan used his desires against him
In order to entice him
To fall into the trap
Of the sin
Of loving this present world
And
When he did
It was a destructive thing
It destroyed his effectiveness
In ministry
But what about you and me
Have You given in To the temptation
Of being consumed by worldly things?
Are You overly attached to them?
Oh listen
The Bible is clear
(1 John2: 15 – 17
1 John 2:15–17 KJV 1900
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Unkindness
There is another sin
That if were not careful
We can, after being tempted to do so
we can give in
To the sin of unkindness
But, Paul wrote
In the book of Ephesians
Ephesians 4:32 KJV 1900
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
now
Kindness is the opposite of bitterness
and harshness.
It's about being helpful
and pleasant to others
It's about
Being careful in not only
What we say,
but how we say it
It's about
Being careful in not only
What we do, but how we do it
Where another question is concerned
and In the New Testament,
prominent examples of kindness include
Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry,
showing compassion to marginalized groups like the Samaritans
His Showing compassion on the woman caught in adultery,
It includes
forgiving sinners,
and instructing His disciples to "love your enemies"
and "do good to those who hate you" -
But while The New Testament
Gives us the example
Of the good
and kind Lord Jesus Christ
I'm afraid that
It gives us the example
Of people like King Saul
Who in the Old Testament
Treated young David
In a very unkind manner
now
Think about King Saul's unkindness
In chapter 17 of the book of 1 Samuel
David had slain Goliath the giant
For the king of Israel
And for the people of God
But most importantly, for God Himself
And there is no doubt
That David took great risk
To slay the giant
But after that great victory
The Bible tells us
in 1 Samuel18: 6 – 11
1 Samuel 18:6–11 KJV 1900
And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
Now I submit to you
That Saul was unkind to David
And the tool of his unkindness
Was this javelin
But I'm afraid that
The tool of unkindness
That is used today, more often than not
Is our tongue
But King Saul
Was unkind to David
And it wasn't just in chapter 18
But King Saul was unkind to David
through much of the rest of the book
I mean,Day after day
Time and time again
King Saul was unkind To David
And why?
Because
Satan tempted him
He used Saul’s desires against him
And tempted him to be unkind
And Saul gave in
But
What about us this evening
Are we ever tempted to be unkind
And then do we give in?
And
Then behave unkindly
To our brother and sister in Christ?
Well if we do
It's just like James said
James 1:14–15 KJV 1900
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
And when it comes to unkindness
It will discourage the ones Who are treated unkindly
It will weaken their hands from the work of Christ
And it might even make them quit
That happened temporarily to David
In fact
After being treated unkindly again and again
By King Saul
David said In 1 Samuel 27:1
1 Samuel 27:1 KJV 1900
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
Oh how terrible it is
To give in to temptation
Whether it is the temptation of pride
Or loving the world
Or unkindness
Adultery
There is yet another sin
That Satan loves to tempt us with
And that is the sin of adultery
And by way of reference
Turn to the gospel of Matthew
If you would please
Matthew 19, And read with me versus 16 – 18
The Bible says in Matthew 19:16 – 18
Matthew 19:16–18 KJV 1900
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
now
In the Bible, adultery is defined
as voluntary Physical relations
between a married person
and someone other than their spouse
But the Lord Jesus
Who is God
Took it a step further
Jesus said in Matthew 5:28
Matthew 5:28 KJV 1900
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
so
The fact is, Looking lustfully, After a woman
According to Jesus is adultery
And in the Bible
A very righteous man named David
Was tempted to engage in adultery
And unfortunately he gave in
In fact
Turn to 2 Samuel, And to Chapter 11
And let's read the first 4 versus
The Bible saysIn 2 Samuel 11:1 – 4
2 Samuel 11:1–4 KJV 1900
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
Now think about that
This righteous man was tempted
He then lusted after This woman
And he ended up committing adultery with her
And the consequences
Were devastating
They were devastating to her family
And to his family
And even to the testimony of God
And maybe tonight
You have been tempted
In the same manner
Well let me just say
That Joseph was too
But because in his heart
He considered it a great wickedness against God
He was able to flee the temptation
And listen please
If Joseph could flee temptation
Then so can we
But if we don't
The consequences could be disastrous
Disastrous
To our homes
Our churches
And our lives
And
To shed some light on the disastrous nature
Of giving into temptation
Let me read you an excerpt
Of An article written by Paul Harvey
Entitled, Sin’s Peril
It said
The way an Eskimo kills a wolf offers fresh insight into the self-destructive nature
of yielding to temptation.
First the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze.
Then he adds another layer of blood, and another until the blade is completely concealed by blood.
Next the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up.
When the wolf discovers the bait he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood.
Then he begins to lick faster and more vigorously until the keen edge is bare.
In his craving for the blood the wolf does not realize that his thirst
is being satisfied by his own warm blood
until the dawn finds him dead in the snow.
And the point is
These solicitations to sin
If we give into them
Have such destructive consequences
The
sin of pride is destructive
If we give into the temptation
The
sin of Loving the world is destructive
If we give into the temptation
The
sin of Unkindness is destructive
If we give into the temptation
The
sin of Adultery is destructive
If we give into the temptation
And finally
The
sin of lying is destructive
If we give into the temptation
And
By the way
Giving into any sin
Is very destructive
But
For the sake of time
I’m just going to give you one more
I want to talk about lying
The Bible says
Thou shalt not bear false witness
)In Exodus 20:16))
Thou shalt not lie
And telling a lie is an intention
To conceal the truth
To deceive Someone
And
By way of Bible example
Turn to the book of Acts If you would
Acts 5
And let's read verses 1 – 11
the
Bible says
in Acts 5:1-11
Acts 5:1–11 KJV 1900
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
so
Do you see how destructive
It can be, to give into temptation
Even the temptation to lie
It
Can destroy your life
Your reputation
And your integrity
so
What can you do about temptation
Well
You can heed James' Admonition
In James1:12
James 1:12 KJV 1900
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
In a moment
When the invitation begins
You might need to come to the altar
To ask God to give you the grace
To endure
That is to persevere
Temptations, the solicitations to do evil
God can give you the grace
To overcome temptation
And in closing
Let me ask you could To consider
James 4:6–8 KJV 1900
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Conclusion: Let's close in a word of prayer
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.