day 4

We have been considering what it means to have a biblical worldview and how that influences our thoughts, our words, our actions, and how we view God and others. The two devotionals the students are doing in Silent Sounds today address two important aspects of what it means to live for Christ – how to resist temptation, and how to honor God in our relationships with others.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines temptation as “the wish to do or have something that you know you should not do or have.” Sometimes resisting the temptation may be as simple as not going to the grocery store when you’re hungry! But in many situations in life, the temptation may be so strong that it is difficult to resist it even though you know you should.  What are some temptations you have difficulty resisting? No matter how you answer this question, the Bible has good news for us.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13

 Often, when people yield to temptation, they will exclaim: “The Devil made me do it!” But according to this important verse, we can trust that there is no temptation so strong that we will be unable to resist it. Satan may try to convince you otherwise, but God’s Word states clearly that He will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to say no.

How can we resist temptation?
God doesn’t promise that every temptation will be easy to resist, but the verse says God will provide “a way out.” What are some strategies you can use that will provide that “way out” that the verse talks about?

1. Don’t put yourself in a tempting situation. In other words, don’t willingly put yourself in a situation where you know you will be tempted. Psalm 1 begins, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” Stay away from people who are in open rebellion against God or who consistently live in sin. Sometimes avoiding temptation is as simple as avoiding tempting situations.

2. Run away! Genesis 37-50 tells the story of Joseph, one of the godliness and most significant individuals in the Old Testament. When he was sold by his brothers to become a slave in Egypt, he served in the household of a man named Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph and tried to get him to sleep with her. Her advances continued and became so persistent that Joseph had only one option: Run away! He literally ran for his life and removed himself from the situation.

3. Know God’s Word. In Psalm 119:11 we read, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” When we spend time in God’s Word and seek to obey what it says, sin somehow no longer seems so appealing. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, his defense was to respond to each temptation with Scripture. Knowing and loving God’s Word can protect you from the temptations that life may throw in your direction. God’s Word is part of the spiritual armor God provides for us to live victoriously for Him.

When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus replied that we are to love God with everything we are. Then, he said the second commandment is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. There are two important dimensions described here. One is the vertical dimension that concerns our relationship with God; the other is the horizontal dimension that concerns our relationships with others.

The vertical dimension
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:8-11

Our relationship with God is the most important thing in each of our lives. It is the key to navigating successfully through life. It impacts how you view yourself and the world around you, it drives what you prioritize and what you pursue, and it affects how you approach situations and treat other people. When you know Jesus – really know Him – it changes everything about you.

The horizontal dimension
"A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. What Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ (Some teachers of the law questioned how Jesus could forgive sin. In response to their questions, Jesus then said) “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’” Mark 2:1-12

The friends of the paralyzed man were willing to do whatever it took to bring him close to Jesus. Those are great friends to have, aren’t they? Horizontal relationships are important. But it’s not just about having friends; it’s about having the right friends. Jesus loved everyone, and so should we. But Jesus had an “inner circle” of friends, a handful of disciples in whom He invested His time and invited to be with Him on several special moments in His ministry. These men knew Him, they walked through life together. We, too, benefit from having an “inner circle” of friends who love us well, who are followers of Jesus, who encourage and challenge us, and who help us see the truth when we get caught up in lies.

You will also have an “outer circle” of relationships. Many of these may be people who don’t share your beliefs and who are not followers of Christ. Some may even be people you need to distance yourself from because they don’t have your best interests at heart. I John 4 tells us that “since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.” Ask God to help you develop an inner circle of friends who can help you grow in your relationship with God. Then ask God to show you how you can share Christ with those who do not know Him and ask Him to help you point them to Jesus.