Short Take #3: How Christians Should View Temptation

Here's another short take Christian worldview with David. We read in first John chapter 2, where it gives these categories, the big three temptations that we face it says for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the father but is from the world have always wondered about those three big categories a loss of the flash, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life and what temptations or what sins do they refer to the loss of the flash seems to me to be temptations to please our physical appetites. In this.that's where that sexual drive would come in, or even to please our bodies with like gluttony or food or so forth. There's others a fleshly lust to please our physical appetites, the lust of the eyes. There is that the temptation to please what we desire in life not so much our physical appetites, but things we desire.

Like, gaining possessions, materialism, money agreed those types of things is the lust of the eyes we see things and we want those things than the third category is that the boastful pride of life. I think this is the category of temptation is it has to deal with gaining power or attaining position in life or pride about who I am and where I where I am, those kind of encapsulate some of the major temptations that all that is in the world as it says in first John chapter 2 now we expect nonbelievers to to follow after those lust right they don't have the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is given to believers at the moment of justification to help us live out the Christian life in a way pleasing to God. So we don't expect nonbelievers to act or to live like believers to that of the power inside to do so. That's the only reason a believer can live a life honoring to God is because they have the Holy Spirit of God living within them. But when Ravi Zacharias or any Christian lives in a sinful way, a shockingly sinful way the conclusion the world makes is that following God doesn't change you on the inside it's just it just to what you're trying to live on the outside it doesn't change the way you you actually live your life.

It doesn't give you victory over temptation you're no different.

You're just a hypocrite. So why would I become a Christian. It's obvious that Ravi Zacharias lost the battle of this sexual temptation in his mind a long time ago, and that's where the battle needs to be one when it's lost in the mind in the thoughts. Sin eventually will come out you can't Sin you can't be festering lost inside your mind and not overcoming it.

Not repenting of it and having mastery over it before too long it's gonna come out in a sinful action. It says this and in James chapter 1 verse 13 let no one say when he is tempted I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone. And here's a key verse 14 but each one each one of us is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Verse 16 it closes by saying, do not be deceived, my beloved brother Nestor and James sin is conceived in her mind, and it gives birth sin as birth interactions and we continue habitually and sin, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived.

It's a great way that pathogens don't be deceived, my beloved brother another adult bees deceived by this sequence of what takes starts in your mind becomes an action which becomes a habit which becomes leads to spiritual death. Don't be deceived by your own weakness and I read that and I think I remember very well my own sin my own life back before I came to saving faith in Christ. When I was 24 years old. I was a professing Christian growing up, but I remember very well in my late teens and early 20s, a time a life one I was professing to be a follower of Christ, but dishonoring God in the way I was living my life and I look back at that time and in shutter and die shutter and also in the in thankfulness how God led me to repentance and see my need to be right with him to see my sin for what it was a offense against him and and lead me to saving faith in Christ as Duchess, my Savior, but to commit to follow him him as Lord and that he gave me the Holy Spirit and began to help me overcome the things in my life that I previously couldn't overcome in the process of doing that he increase my my fear of him my reverence for him. My love for him so that when we attempted we think in terms of how not, how can I get away with this, or how can I please myself and get away with this, but that boy can I do this great evil and sin against God. This is been a short take Christian worldview with David. We find out more about the Christian worldview resources make a donation from a monthly partner or contact us visit the Christian worldview.org you can also call us toll-free 1-888-646-2233. Write to us at Box 401, Excelsior, MN 5531 that's Box 401, Excelsior, MN 551