Living Free - March 5, 2018
Temptation: Jesus Was Tempted Too
Today's Scripture
"We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help." Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV (suggested reading for this week: Luke 4:1-15)
Thoughts for Today
Every Christian is tempted to fulfill the natural desires of life in illegitimate ways on a daily basis. Some of us struggle more with sexual temptation. Others with eating too much, desiring to control others, looking good at any cost, taking things that are not our property. The list could continue for pages, but you get the point.
It is surprising for some people to learn that the Bible shows us that Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted. This week we will look at some of the specific temptations Jesus experienced and how he handled them. He was tempted--but he did not sin.
Consider this …
Jesus knows from experience what temptation is like. He is our high priest who intercedes for us with the Father. How comforting to know that he understands what we are going through when we are tempted. We can go to the Father when we are struggling with temptation with assurance that we will find understanding and help. How encouraging today's scripture text is: "So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help."
Father, I am so grateful for the knowledge that Jesus experienced temptation too. This helps me know that you will continue to love me and will respond with kindness and help when I turn to you in the midst of a struggle with temptation. In Jesus' name ...
These thoughts were drawn from …
Crossroads: Choosing the Road to Sexual Purity by David E. Longacre. Crossroads deals with choosing the road to sexual purity and is suggested for use in support groups and Christian counseling.
- Describes the sexual addiction process
- Shows how the sin of proximity often precedes sexual sins
- Shows the way out of sexual addiction
- Presents biblical insights to help a person break free and stay free
- Gives practical actions for renewing the mind
Serves as a powerful evangelistic tool by providing a way to minister to people's felt needs and then pointing them to Christ
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