| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “You have been set free” Our Bible verse for today: “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (CSB) Our thought for today: “You are no longer a slave to sin” At this point in our study of having been set free by Jesus, we’re considering what it is that we have been set free from. Yesterday we learned that first and foremost, we have been set free from the punishment for the sins that we have indeed committed. God will forgive our sins if we will place our faith in His Son Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Also, once we have placed our faith in Christ, we are set free from sinful behaviors as well. We are no longer a slave to sin. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we will no longer commit sin, but it does mean that we don’t have to. Satan can’t force us to do anything we’re not willing to do. And, as the Apostle Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 10:13, God will provide a way for us to escape that temptation and avoid the sin if we are looking for a way out of it and if we are willing to avoid it. But that’s the key, we have to want to avoid sinning and we have to take the actions necessary to resist it. We all have our weaknesses, and therefore we each have ways in which we are especially prone to sinful behavior. My chief weakness is a tendency towards gluttony. If I don’t discipline myself, I will overindulge in food – especially sweets, and most specifically ice cream, cakes, and donuts. Those are my weaknesses. I know this about myself and so there are ways in which I have learned to discipline myself so that I don’t overindulge. With respect to ice cream, we can’t have containers of it in our freezer at home. If we do, I just might eat it all in a single sitting. Probably right out of the container. So, we can’t have that in our home. Likewise with cakes and donuts. I won’t eat just one donut or just one piece of cake. If there are more, then I will eat more. So, I have to keep them out of the house and I have to stay out of the cake and donut aisle in the supermarket. (I should also stay away from the desert table at the church potlucks but those of you in our church know that I don’t. You’ve seen me eating more than my fair share of the deserts at church fellowship events. But don’t judge, I know most of your weaknesses too!) Whatever your weakness is, you don’t have to be a slave to it. There are steps you can take to avoid it. If alcohol is your weakness, then don’t go to places where they serve alcohol. If pornography is your problem, have the appropriate controls set up on your computer. You get the point. And for those times when we do find ourselves in a situation of being tempted, God has provided us with the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13. Make that passage your prayer. Recite it back to God, mean it, look for the way out, and then take it. You are no longer a slave to sin. You have been set free. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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