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Post by John McGlone on Apr 20, 2008 21:09:35 GMT -5
Brothers and Sisters, I am interested in your thoughts on temptations. What are the sources and proper responses a Christian should have.
The Lord has put this on my heart awhile ago and I am just starting my study on this now. It seems to me it is not studied or discussed amongst the family much. Your thoughts with verses are greatly appreciated.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Apr 21, 2008 8:38:46 GMT -5
There are external and internal sources of temptation. But I suppose the conflict of temptation mainly arises within the person "do I - or - do I not."
The only proper Christian response to temptation that I can think of is crucifixion of the flesh. Dying daily. Denying yourself, shouldering your cross and following steadfastly after Jesus - but what does that mean practically?
FLEEING from temptation, literally avoiding (when you can) situations of temptation, or as one brother put it - "embarass sin before sin embarasses you." Being a fool for Christ so you're not the fool who is governed by every emotion and desire.
Pre-emptively speaking; 1 Corinthians 9:27 is my favorite verse: (the NIV puts it this way:) I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached the Gospel to others, I may not be disqualified from the prize."
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Post by logic on Apr 21, 2008 15:37:39 GMT -5
Brothers and Sisters, I am interested in your thoughts on temptations. Temptation is to have sympathy for that which is unlawful. If you mean "sources" as in a defence for this, I would give you: Rom 8:2-4 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set me free from the law of sin and of death. :3 For the Law being powerless, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, :4 so that the righteous demand of the Law might be fulfilled in us, those not walking according to flesh, but according to Spirit. and so on...
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Post by John McGlone on Apr 21, 2008 21:33:15 GMT -5
2 Pet 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
The purpose of my study of temptations is not to defend them but to try and understand the forces at work and how to combat them. I can see the Lord in scripture telling us to resist, pray, capture thoughts, etc in order to overcome the wickedness.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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Post by debonnaire on Apr 22, 2008 3:21:56 GMT -5
Amen, in Christ is victory. The Lord is our strenght and our song.
The sources of temptation : the lust of the flesh , the lust of the eyes , without forgetting the pride of life (which is living independently from God).
I agree that temptation comes partly from the world and partly from us One apostle says that when a man is tempted , it is because of his own lust … and another one says Flee the corruption that is in the world. Temptations often come by the thoughts. A soldier mindset is good. The scripture says “Do not obey to the lusts”. If we are willing , we see that the temptations vanish into thin air. Temptations can not last , for it is written the world passes away, and its lust passes away too !
What Jeffrey says about avoiding situations of temptation is wise, and it is possible most of the time. We are in the world but we don’t belong to it and we ought it nothing ! Like Paul said , we are crucified to the world and the world is crucified to us. We ought to live our life in the Faith of Jesus who was crucified for us.
It is not always possible though to avoid situations of temptation, hé. We see that Joseph was in a situation he had not chosen (with the wife of Potiphar), he just fled away for his life , saying how he could make such an evil ? Sometimes God helps in a mighty although discreet way : I remember once when I was in a train and there was this beautiful woman just in front of me and she had “beautiful” shapes if you see what I mean. There was no other seats in the train , I did not knew where to place my eyes for a little while nor what to do with my thoughts, so the Holy spirit came to help , he comforted my heart with a holy joy. The situation was rather comical eventually. There was this beautiful woman in front of me but I was out of reach…It was a great moment in the communion of God. God bless this woman ! There is a proverb that says : when the just see evil , they go hiding. Hiding in Jesus that is. For our Lord is a mighty fortress , and our life is hidden in Him. God by Isaiah says : don’t open worried eyes , for I am here to deliver you. Happy who is patient and wait for the Lord.
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Apr 22, 2008 11:48:51 GMT -5
The flesh has lusts, cravings, or desire, which can be gratified through the forbidden means of sin. (Gen 3:6) These lusts are at first involuntary lusts, cravings, or desires, being strictly physical and not moral. There are involuntary physical desires and then there are intentional committals of the will. One is involuntary while the other is intentional. The former is physical, the latter is moral. But involuntary physical impulses do not bring forth moral (or immoral) sin until the will selfishly serves them supremely (James 1:15) instead of self sacrificially serving the highest well-being of others. (Luke 10:27). Physical temptation becomes immoral sin when the will yields itself to it.
It was the natural, physical lusts, cravings, or desires of the flesh which were the source of temptation for Eve in the Garden. (Gen 3:6) She “saw that it was good for food”, “pleasant to the eye”, and “desired to make one wise”. These were all natural, physical appetites for food and wisdom which she sought to gratify through sin or disobedience to God. This was the first case in history when a human being submitted their will to serve their flesh supremely rather then submitting their will to the truth of God revealed to their minds. This was the first case in the history of a human individual doing what feels good over against what she knew was good. And this is exactly what every sinner does.
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