“You shall not commit adultery.”
--Exodus 20:14
Talking about a subject like adultery is unpleasant. It’s unpleasant because in our hearts, we know how dire the consequences of this sin really are.
What’s sad, though, is that as horrible as the consequences of adultery or sexual sin are, so many people… including Bible-believing, Christ-following people… continue to put themselves in a position to be tempted by the sin of adultery.
That’s why I want you to think about your day-to-day life. Think about the people you work with, the people you email with, or even the people you might Facebook with each day.
Is every relationship you have… whether it’s online or offline… aboveboard? Are your motives in each relationship pure?
First Corinthians chapter 10 tells us with any temptation, God provides a way of escape. And one way of escape he has given us is his Word. This is why I’m such a strong advocate of memorizing Scripture!
Because just trying to not think lustful thoughts really doesn’t do you any good. You and I have to replace bad thoughts with good thoughts. And the best thoughts you can put in your mind are God’s words.
So today, I want to help you start winning the battle against lust and sexual sin in your life by giving you a verse you can memorize. It’s 2 Corinthians 10:5, which says, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
So write that down. Second Corinthians 10:5. Learn it and memorize it. And the next time you’re tempted to lust… the next time you’re tempted to flirt… the next time you’re tempted to cross that line… repeat this verse in your head. You may even need to say it out loud! However you do it, use this verse to help you take every lustful, adulterous thought you have captive.
And trust me, the escape of God’s Word will protect you, your witness for Christ, and the godly relationships in your life.
YOU HAVE TO REPLACE BAD THOUGHTS WITH GOOD THOUGHTS. AND THE BEST THOUGHTS YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR MIND ARE GOD’S WORDS.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”
Luke 9:54–56
Sometimes we find it hard to love people as we should. If they just weren’t so troublesome, it would be a lot easier. There was a report in a paper a while back about an eight-year-old boy named Zachary who saved the life of his six-year-old sister Meghan. She was sucking on a piece of candy and it got stuck in her throat and she couldn’t breathe. Zachary performed the Heimlich maneuver on her, just as he had seen it done on television. When a reporter visited to interview the young hero, he asked the boy what it felt like to have saved his sister’s life. “I wouldn’t do it again,” Zachary said. “She’s been a pain this week.”
In Jesus’ day, there was no love lost between the Jews and the Samaritans. Even Jesus’ disciples held this cultural prejudice. When Jesus passed through without being welcomed, James and John wanted to see him destroy the Samaritans by fire from Heaven. But James and John had a complete misunderstanding of the point of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus will eventually return to earth as a Judge, and there will be fire and judgment awaiting those who have rejected Him. But today the door of grace and salvation is still open. There are many enemies of Christ and the gospel in our world today. But rather than cheering for their destruction, we should be praying for their deliverance. Compassion should be the over-arching emotion in our hearts, even toward those who oppose all that we believe.
Today’s Growth Principle:
When we treat even our enemies with kindness and compassion, we are truly living as Jesus did.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment