“…I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” Revelation 3:8
Today’s study was eye opening for me. For some reason when I think about Jesus I don’t ever think of him as being tempted, but in thinking this I realize that I am totally and completely wrong.
When looking into why Christ’s priesthood was so superior to Aaron’s we were able to see the importance of Jesus becoming one of us. In becoming flesh he suffered when he was being tempted but remained holy and did not sin. It is through these experiences with temptation that he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He has been there, and he’s only guiding us so that we don’t have to suffer ourselves.
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Temptation happens to everyone, so we are not in this alone. But any temptation can be resisted because God is there to help us. In the footnote in my Bible it gives 5 ways of resisting temptation:
1. Recognize those people and situations that give you trouble.
2. Run from anything you know is wrong
3. Choose to do only what is right
4. Pray for God’s help
5. See friends who love God and can offer help when you are tempted.
*Running from a tempting situation is your first step on the way to victory.
For me, the real assurance is knowing that God the Father has provided a door of escape for every temptation that I will encounter. The choice is up to me. Beth said, “Two things about a believer’s temptation never vary: 1) We always have an open door, a way out. 2) Every door we refuse to walk through makes the next one even harder to enter. This so very true!
Can you cite a time when you narrowly escaped a sin that could have ruined your life? If it is extremely personal, write your comments vaguely. The important part is to acknowledge the One who opened before you a way of escape.
When asked this question, there was one situation that popped into my head. About a year after I was married I went to dinner with one of my ex-boyfriends whom I was still friends with. Again, just friends. At the time I saw nothing wrong with doing this, but now looking back at it and can’t help thinking, “What in the world was I thinking!!!!” Anyway, once we were done and going to our separate cars he proceeded to kiss me. I immediately pushed him away and told him that our friendship was no more. I cried the whole way home and when I got home I told my husband what had happened. I felt as if I had cheated on him and we had only been married for a year. I promised him that night that I would never be put in such a situation again and I haven’t since! When my dear friend Sara commented earlier this week about not being alone with the opposite sex I couldn’t help but think just how vitally important this is!
Just as Beth mentioned in her story, things can get out of hand very quickly if you continue to shut or walk right past the doors that God has given you to escape. Lucky for me, I took that first door – If I wouldn’t have I could have lost the best thing that ever walked into my life, my beloved husband. I know that some people aren’t so lucky!
Do you care to share as I have?
Can you site a time when you narrowly escaped a sin that could have ruined your life? Again, you can be vaque!
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3 comments:
I'm sitting here pondering this question and at first, I couldn't think of anything. My mind was completely blank (this actually seems to happen oftener and oftener - I blame it on hormones). But then I started thinking about the whole "open door" thing. About how God always leaves a door open. Now, we may choose not to go through it at first, but it still stays open. It just gets harder and harder to go through that door once you've initially ignored it. It gets harder and harder to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit leading us towards that door once we've made up our minds to go ahead with whatever particular temptation is at hand. I think this has happened a lot over the course of my life. I choose to ignore the open door - I choose to ignore the way out.
So where am I going with this, you may ask. All I can say, is thank the Lord that the door stays open! I'm thinking of a particular temptation that I fell prey to several times when I was younger. And I chose to deliberately ignore the way out that was provided for me. AND I chose to keep it from my husband (at the time my boyfriend). Now, the effects weren't felt immediately, and I thought, "Hmmm...maybe there won't be any consequences...I'm safe...what he doesn't know can't hurt him..or me." But I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, so very, very wrong! Over time, it began to prevent me from fully connecting with my husband on all levels. It became this huge barrier between us in our marriage - crippling us, so to speak. But this is the thing - because the door stays open, we have the opportunity at any time to choose to go through it. So I did - finally and with much conviction from the Holy Spirit. I chose to walk through the door God had continued to hold open - away from further temptation. In this case, most particularly, the temptation to keep withholding my sin(s) from my husband (the initial temptation was over and done with). And the forgiveness that came was staggering, and I think of how amazing it is that no matter how long we choose to ignore the door, no matter how long it takes for us to be able to walk through it, we still get to receive the blessing that's been waiting for us when we do!
And I find it distinctly reassuring that Jesus knows about temptation - He's not just some super Holy (although He is!) guy sitting up in Heaven judging us without any concept of what we face every day. He knows! He was tempted in every way imaginable!
Sorry for this super long comment! Yikes! I just got started and couldn't stop apparently...
i feel the same way, meghan. i'm sitting here, trying to think... first of all, sarah, those steps you shared were great! and like you said, RUNNING from the temptation and sin is the first step! this is the often the problem, i feel. we don't RUN!!! at least not at first. our minds are curious or we may not recognize because we've grown a little numb or whatever... we have to train ourselves that as soon as we see the temptation we have to RUN!! the evil that lurks around the seemingly innocent corner of curiosity is huge, and ready to attack us!!!
as far as personal experience, there was something specific i struggled with while growing up. i have only ever spoken of it with two people, my husband being one of them... the other one was a dear friend in college, who struggled with the same thing--God was so gracious in bringing us together in that! anyway, every time the temptation came along, i always knew it was wrong. however, i didn't see that it was hurting anyone or myself, so what was the big deal, right??... well, as you mentioned, meghan, it kept me from totally connecting to my husband and even though it has been confessed and i don't struggle with the "sin" anymore, the ramifications are still deep and long into my life!... because i hid this, i still struggle with wanting to hide things i struggle with and with feeling dirty because of it!... sin is such an evil thing, and satan is so cunning and his purpose is single in nature--to destroy us! why do we even entertain the idea when we know full-well it's a temptation that will lead to sin?!... we must RUN!!!!
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