{"id":30437,"date":"2022-06-22T16:51:39","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T20:51:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=30437"},"modified":"2022-06-22T16:52:09","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T20:52:09","slug":"worship-wednesday-temptation-where-it-leads-and-how-we-find-our-way-before-the-throne-of-god-above","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=30437","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – Temptation, Where It Leads, and How We Find Our Way – Before the Throne of God Above"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Heartlight<\/a><\/p>\n

Encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called \u201ctoday,\u201d so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin<\/strong>. – <\/em>Hebrews 3:13<\/a>
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No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it<\/strong>.<\/em> – 1 Corinthians 10:13<\/a>
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Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil<\/strong> and he will flee from you.<\/em> – James 4:7<\/a>
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We don’t really talk much about temptation. It’s real, and all. Just not something we want to think about. Because we might miss out on something…even if it’s misery.<\/p>\n

“Let us learn more about the power of temptation in order to avoid it.”<\/em> – John Owen<\/a><\/p>\n

I don’t always resist temptation, but Jesus did. So…if we want to be more like Jesus, that Lover of our Souls, that Saviour who left it all on the cross for us…then we seek to live like Him.<\/p>\n

We are not without power to do so. The Holy Spirit indwells us and moves us toward a pure heart, righteous living, sound thinking, and self-less love. When we are tempted to sin…or we are drawn to a desire we aren’t even sure is sin, God has made a way out of that situation or desire so we can endure. [1 Corinthians 10:13<\/a><\/span>]<\/p>\n

“Steadfastness in believing doth not exclude all temptations from without. When we say a tree is firmly rooted, we do not say the wind never blows upon it.”<\/em> – John Owen<\/a><\/p>\n

Our struggle is that sometimes we want our way more than God’s way. We want pleasure, vindication, revenge, or the favor of others more than we want our holy God.<\/p>\n

“Unwillingness to accept God’s ‘way of escape’ from temptation\u00a0 frightens me. – What a rebel yet resides within.” – <\/em>Jim Elliott<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Neil Anderson, Heartlight<\/a><\/p>\n

Temptation to sin will come, and come again. It’s important for us to recognize it and deal with it with wisdom and restraint. We don’t want our hearts to be hardened by deceit [Hebrews 3:13<\/a>], thinking it’s ok to sin…What does it hurt really? Or we’ve succumbed to the deceit of not even being sin. We’re saved and safe for eternity, right? Christ’s work on the cross covers us. We’re good to go!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Charles H. Brent, Heartlight<\/a><\/p>\n

The thing is God is holy and loving, merciful and just. Who would want to cozy up to temptation which draws us away from Him? Our Jesus is gentle and lowly<\/a>. He endured every temptation without sin. Because we have the Spirit of God within, we can resist the pride of thinking our way is better and that we can handle what comes at us.<\/p>\n

“The first step towards humility was to realise that one is proud…No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.<\/strong> A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.<\/strong> After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness.<\/strong> They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means\u2014the only complete realist.<\/strong>“<\/em> – C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity<\/em><\/a>
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When we wrestle with the reality of temptation and its grip on us, we don’t take comfort in our “fire insurance”, treating Christ’s salvation like a ticket into Heaven.<\/p>\n

“<\/a>What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? Certainly not!”<\/em>\u00a0<\/em> – Romans 6:1-2a<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

We live in the way He has called us to live – to submit our desires, our very selves, to God and resist the Evil One [James 4:7<\/a><\/span>]. This isn’t by works, but by a mind and heart resolve…because we love Him.<\/p>\n

Worship<\/a> with me to the glorious anthem “Before the Throne of God Above<\/em>” as sung by Selah<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Before the throne of God above
\nI have a strong and perfect Plea
\nA great High Priest whose name is Love
\nWho ever lives and pleads for me<\/p>\n

My name is graven on His hands
\nMy name is written on His heart
\nI know that while in Heaven He stands
\nNo tongue can bid me thence depart
\nNo tongue can bid me thence depart<\/p>\n

When Satan tempts me to despair
\nAnd tells me of the guilt within
\nUpwards I look and see Him there
\nWho made an end to all my sin<\/p>\n

Because the sinless Savior died
\nMy sinful soul is counted free
\nFor God the Just is satisfied
\nTo look on Him and pardon me
\nTo look on Him and pardon me<\/p>\n

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
\nMy perfect spotless Righteousness
\nThe great unchangeable I Am
\nThe King of glory and of grace<\/p>\n

One with Himself, I cannot die
\nMy soul is purchased by His blood
\nMy life is hid with Christ on high
\nWith Christ, my Savior and my God
\nWith Christ, my Savior and my God<\/p>\n

One with Himself, I cannot die
\nMy soul is purchased by His blood
\nMy life is hid with Christ on high
\nWith Christ, my Savior and my God
\nWith Christ, my Savior and my God<\/p>\n