Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com

Victory Over Sin 29When we are faced with what seems to be overpowering temptation, we have achoice to make. We can say, “I’ve tried to change before and it hasn’t worked, so I’ll managethe best I can with my sin. We’re all human, you know.” Our sin becomes a monument tothe false god we have fashioned. Or, we can take a look at our sinful habit and see it as achallenge to display God’s grace and power in our life! God says to us, “Consider it alljoy, by brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faithproduces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect –[mature] – and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).Forget the idea that God is in the business of passing out packages of spiritualvictory sent Special Delivery to the person who requests them. God is not about to handout spiritual bandages for our sin that cost Him the death of His Son. God uses ourstruggle to give us a thorough housecleaning, so we will reorganize our priorities andbecome dependent upon His grace. There are no cheap, easy miracles! We must wantspiritual freedom, not merely for our own sake, but for God’s sake, as well. Only thenwill we find the victory He promises.Getting a Larger FocusIt is important that we always remember that there is a tremendous differencebetween temptation and sin. Choosing to pursue the temptation is sin –- but temptationitself is not sin. Even Jesus, our Lord, was tempted.When sinful thoughts enter our mind, unwelcome and without fanfare, at thatpoint, we have not sinned. Now the crucial test comes: how will we respond to thesesuggestions? Well we pursue these thoughts, entertain them, and let them be at home inour mind?Many Christians think that victory over sin means that they will no longer betempted. Or they think that God will change their nature so that they will no longerdesire to do evil. Either way, they are wrong. Temptation is not a sin: it is a call to battle!Sincere Christians struggle with wrong thoughts and desires. They, implore Godto deliver them from these passions, expecting Him to change these desires so that theyno longer are stimulated when temptations come. However, they are disappointedbecause God does not change our nature so that we are less then human. Temptation ofone kind or another is universal. To pray that we will no longer be tempted is to askthat we die and go to heaven. Since we will always be tempted, we need to learn tohandle temptation in God’s way.1. As we think of that sin we want to overcome, first thank God for thistemptation and the opportunity it represents in our lifeI don’t mean that we are to thank God for the sin, but rather, thank Him forthe temptation that gives us a clear-cut opportunity to declare our allegianceto Jesus Christ. Praise, persistent praise, is the first positive step towardovercoming temptation. God is glorified when we accept our circumstances as