There is no temptation that has taken you that is
not common to man, but God is faithful and will with the temptation make a way
to escape that you might be able to bear it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
That sin you try so hard to resist, you most likely will not be successful in resisting it. Why do I know that? I am all too familiar with the temptation to sin and know what happens when I try to resist sin through my “won’t” power. God had to send His Son to overcome it. At the root of our sins is our sin nature. At the root of our sin nature is our desire to be the “ruler of our world”.
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – Genesis 3:4-5
The original sin was our desire to be like God … not in His image and likeness, we were created by Him to be like that, but to take His place. To be in charge, so to speak. But God wants us to be like the Son (Romans 8:29) who reflects the Father. (John 14:9) It seems so simple when you read it, but can be so difficult to live. We can only live our new life successfully if we live it in the awareness of the power by which we must live it.
Our new life is spiritual. Our old life is natural. Every day, we are drawn to the natural. Sin pulling at us is like the pull of gravity – it never ceases. We must seek out the spiritual. The spiritual does not happen naturally. If you live your life with little thought to the spiritual disciplines, you are in trouble .. spiritually speaking. Galatians 2:20 says that you are crucified with Christ, nevertheless you live, but it’s not you but Christ in you. You are sealed with the Spirit. (Ephesians 1) Jesus is not in your heart, He is at the right hand of the Father as our intercessor and high priest, the Spirit is in you. The Spirit is what makes the spiritual part of you possible. Don’t neglect spiritual things .. the Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers … if you do you will find it impossible to live the new life. Trying to be “good” has its source in the original sin … believing the lie “I can do it, I don’t need God.”
That sin you try so hard to resist, you most likely will not be successful in resisting it. Why do I know that? I am all too familiar with the temptation to sin and know what happens when I try to resist sin through my “won’t” power. God had to send His Son to overcome it. At the root of our sins is our sin nature. At the root of our sin nature is our desire to be the “ruler of our world”.
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – Genesis 3:4-5
The original sin was our desire to be like God … not in His image and likeness, we were created by Him to be like that, but to take His place. To be in charge, so to speak. But God wants us to be like the Son (Romans 8:29) who reflects the Father. (John 14:9) It seems so simple when you read it, but can be so difficult to live. We can only live our new life successfully if we live it in the awareness of the power by which we must live it.
Our new life is spiritual. Our old life is natural. Every day, we are drawn to the natural. Sin pulling at us is like the pull of gravity – it never ceases. We must seek out the spiritual. The spiritual does not happen naturally. If you live your life with little thought to the spiritual disciplines, you are in trouble .. spiritually speaking. Galatians 2:20 says that you are crucified with Christ, nevertheless you live, but it’s not you but Christ in you. You are sealed with the Spirit. (Ephesians 1) Jesus is not in your heart, He is at the right hand of the Father as our intercessor and high priest, the Spirit is in you. The Spirit is what makes the spiritual part of you possible. Don’t neglect spiritual things .. the Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers … if you do you will find it impossible to live the new life. Trying to be “good” has its source in the original sin … believing the lie “I can do it, I don’t need God.”
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