There's No Escaping It

Blessed is the man who
endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of
life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

--James 1:12

It was Martin Luther who said, "One Christian who has been tempted is
worth a thousand who haven't been." Temptation is a subject we are all familiar
with. None of us enjoys it, but it is a reality of the Christian life. No doubt
we would rather there were no such thing as temptation. But it may surprise you
to know that testing--even temptation--can have a positive affect in the life of
a Christian.

It has been said, "Christians are a lot like tea bags. You don't know what
they are made of until you put them into hot water." It is in the hot water of
testing and temptation that we see what we are really made of.

Everyone faces temptation in their lives. As James 1:13 says, "Let no one say
when he is tempted. . . ." This verse does not say if one is tempted, but when. Temptation is inevitable. There
is no escaping it.

The word tempt means "to entice
to do wrong by a promise of pleasure or gain." We must realize that it is not a
sin to be tempted. Jesus himself was tempted, after all. Paul certainly grappled
with it as well. But it is a sin when we give in to the temptation.

We don't want to underestimate the seductive power and pull of temptation. We
make a big mistake when we say, "I can handle this." Famous last words. Because
even the strongest Christians are vulnerable to the enticements of the devil.
Even those who have known the Lord for years are still susceptible to the
enemy's attacks.

For more
relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to
www.harvest.org.

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