Come on now! I know you out there thinking oh boy! Is she really gonna go there? 😃😂
Well, this topic has been on my mind for a while and I want to share a thing or two with you this week.
It’s so important because many of us get so guilty and feel condemned because we were tempted, and this pounds us so much that instead of confidently reaching for the ways of escape from temptation that God has given to us, we give up the fight and allow ourselves to fall into temptation anyway. 😢😭
Today, I’ll focus on defining temptation and sin, because knowing the difference is critical to experiencing victory over sin.
🤭TEMPTATION is a desire or lure to do something that is outside of God’s will for you
🤭SIN is deviating from God’s will for you
Soooo know this: In this world, temptation will come. The devil will always take a chance to see if he can get you. Adam and Eve were tempted, even though they had the most perfect union with God. JESUS WAS TEMPTED! I mean, how much more you and I?
But this week, I want to arm you to help you to differentiate between being tempted and actually falling into sin, so that you don’t get trapped into thinking that once you are tempted, that’s it, game over. ‼️
Come back same time on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
WEDNESDAY
This topic! Fam, go back to Monday’s #boomtip to find out what you need to know about what we are talking about.
To be tempted is not the end of the game. You can still have victory over sin. YOU MAY HAVE BEEN TEMPTED, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO SIN. God’s promise to you is that when you are tempted, He will ALWAYS provide for you a way of escape. ‼️
Why then is it that for most of us, when we get tempted, we give up and just let the ourselves fall into the thing we are being tempted to do? It’s because many of us feel that we have already sinned as soon as the desire to sin crops up in our heart 💔😢
Don’t get me wrong, we need to grow up out of certain sinful desires that we should have overcome thinks ago. But the fact that you got tempted is not game over. Instead of giving into the temptation, use the way of escape that God has provided for you.
WHAT IS THAT WAY OF ESCAPE? It’s God’s throne 🤴 👑
The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way, yet without sin, and therefore when we are in a time of need (including temptation) we should run 🏃♀️
♀️ to God’s throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to forgive us from all unrighteousness and to help us NOT to sin.
BUT if you get tempted and instead of RUNNING to the throne, you fixate on the desire to sin so much that it just captivated you and sucks you in, then guess what, YOU WILL SIN! 😭
Gather back on Friday and Sunday… as we finish this up.
FRIDAY
TEMPTATION IS SWEET, so you better not be making decisions on what to do or not to do based on what feels good to you. If you are doing that, you’ll fall every time. 😞
You see there’s this rhetoric nowadays: “Just do what makes you happy” Hmmm… well fam, if we all just did what makes us happy, well, anarchy would be an understated description of the outcome. Thankfully there are still folks in this world that choose pleasing God over pleasing self. Let’s decide today to be one of those folks. ❤️💪
Nothing wrong with being happy. Nothing wrong with making choices to do what makes you happy. But your first motivation as a child of God must be: 👇
I am the Lord’s and He is mine. What is it that will bring Him pleasure? This is what I will make my life’s occupation.
You want to make sure that temptation does not convert to sin in your life? Then make pleasing the Lover of your soul, Jesus, your first motivation, not pleasing yourself.💪😊
We will close this off on Sunday.
SUNDAY:
MERCYYYYY! GRAACCEE!
In John 3:17 The Bible tells us that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but rather to make a way for the world to be reconciled to God. He did not come to condemn the world but rather that through Him, all men might be saved and restored to sweet union with God, the way it was in the beginning. ️💥❤️
This is so important when you are faced with temptation to sin, and even more so when you have fallen into sin. 💪💪
The Lord has made the most perfect way to restore you to eternal life in perfect union with Him ✝️ and that’s where mercy and grace come in. Mercy is undeserved – you don’t deserve it because you messed up, but He forgives you anyway because you asked and He loves you. Grace is power that God gives you, so that next time you are tempted, you are strengthened to resist.
These are the ways of escape that are available for you fam. Will you tap into them today?❤️ Have you been struggling with temptation and sin? Please go back to read all the #boomtips of the week prayerfully and know that the Lord is standing over you, loving you deeply, calling your name, not condemning you. Respond, will you?
Coach Toyin, Founder of The Narrow Gateway
As always, I end this by saying, I am Coach Toyin, fully convicted by my own words and very much still under construction in the hands of the Father.