Just say no?

You know, we can be pretty mindless at times. (Yes, I’m referring to not only myself but to you as well.) God does so much for His children and most of the time we completely fail at giving Him the praise, honor, and glory He deserves. The amazing thing about it is that He still loves us just as much as He always has. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “ No temptation has overtaken you such as is common to man; and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” What does that verse mean to you? If someone asked you what it meant, what would you say? How about, “God will not give us anything we can’t handle. He will help us get through everything that comes our way.” Great Sunday school answer! Not only is it a great Sunday school answer, but it’s true; however, that’s not all that can be squeezed out of that verse. It’s a treaty, a declaration of hope between God and His children. I’m going to quote a sentence or two out of a book that I’m reading for the Bible study I have been involved in called, Self Confrontation. I would try and rephrase it for you, but I feel that if I attempted to put it into my own words that I would loosen the depth of the thought and you would miss a great truth. “God will not allow believers to be tested or tempted beyond what they can bear. He gives you His grace and strength to endure every test and resist every temptation so that you never have to sin.” Yes, you read that correctly. When we trust Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, He gives us hope that screams, “Your old self is gone. He is dead!” We are now being conformed to the image of Christ. Every trial and tribulation we go through is brought about to bring endurance to our lives so we may run the race and not only finish but finish strong. When we are faced with the temptation to sin…we don’t have to sin. “Oh, but you see, it’s just too hard. I’ve tried saying no, I’ve tried to ignore it and let it pass, but it never does. I simply can’t do it.” That’s where you’re wrong my friend. The minute God writes your name down in the Lambs Book of Life, the minute you accept His as God of your life, He automatically provides you with the goods, the ability, and the power, however you wish to phrase it, to defeat sin and temptation. So when we do sin, it’s our own choice. There is no one to blame but ourselves. I simply want to challenge you to think about this key concept and essential truth in the life of a believer. Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. When He lived here on earth, He was just like us. He went through the same challenges, temptations, and disappointments as we do…yet He didn’t sin. We are humans in a lost, broken, dying, and sinful world. Even though we are present in this tragic time, we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Therefore, if we are becoming more like Him, then the reality of God enabling us to where we never have to sin isn’t such a mind boggling idea. We are still going to sin…every day, ever person, until we are united with our Father in Heaven. But what a thought…He really is conforming us as His sons and daughters…just like Jesus.