Sunday, 19th October 2014
Brother Siniki Muli
Brother Siniki began his sharing with 1 Corinthians 10:13, “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 also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
Temptation is devil’s trick to lead us away from God, but as it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, God will not allow anything to happen if we cannot endure it, and He can always provide us a way out. Siniki shared with us three points about overcoming temptation:
1. Identify Temptation
There is a big difference between being tempted by the devil and being tested by God. An example of God testing man is when God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. And an example of being temped is like going to a party every week and making it a habit instead of going to church etc. We need to understand that being tested by God can grow our faith and honour God; but giving in to temptation cannot honour God.
“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Timothy 6:9) Money is one of the biggest temptation to mankind but we have to understand how we value money on earth is not how God values it in heaven.
It also says in James 1:14-15 that “but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Often it’s our own desires that make us being tempted, which leads to death. Even a single thought of complaint or a word of grumble is an evil desire, which shows that we don’t trust God to be able to give us more than what we need!
2. God’s Way Out
God is in control, He allows temptation to come to us and He can always provide us a way out. So how do we know where is the way out? First thing is to PRAY. “On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”’ (Luke 22:40) Prayer is our communication with God and sometimes we might need to wait for His answer, but He will always answer us.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) God also reminds us that we are not alone. He will make the way and we don’t need to try to figure out our own ways. Often it’s better to wait on Him then to do what we think it’s right.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19); “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). From these two verses we learnt that as long as we trust in God, He will never disappoint us.
3. Renewed Strength
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). God will renew our strength and help us get through temptation. It also states clearly in Matthew Chapter 4, how Jesus used the words of God rebuke Satan again and again, after being tempted three times. God gives us the hope that we can definitely overcome temptation, and it’s up to us to choose our own way, or His way.