“A very helpful way of escape from temptation is not listening to voices who move us away from vulnerability and teachability.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 8, 2022
So be careful. If you are thinking, “Oh, I would never behave like that”—let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin. 1 Corinthians 10:12, TLB
An old friend recently confessed to a group of us, “There was a period in my life a few years back that I took advantage of God’s grace. I stop spending daily time with the Lord to receive His love, confess my sins, thank Him for His forgiveness and seek His wisdom. I was proud of my professional accomplishments, my astounding affluence and my pervasive influence. But then, I began to lie. I lied to myself: I can get by and not really live out what I say I believe about Jesus Christ. I lied to my wife: Yes, even though I am traveling alone for work, I have remained faithful to you. And, I lied to two groups of men: Yes, I am right in my relationship with God and my relationship with my family.” Pride slowly disassembles boundaries, lies and severs all trust.
The extraordinarily gifted early church leader, the Apostle Paul understood the temptation to depend on his incredible giftedness and skills in place of desperate dependence on God. He said to be weary of using the word never because the mindset of never—never seems to work out well. Especially a cavalier attitude that is reckless in the reality of sin’s influence and the devil’s deceptions. Pride has a way of taking advantage of grace and replacing it with foolish actions. Paul concludes the verse with the sad result of pride’s fatal deception, you too may fall into sin.
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13,NKJV).
Fortunately, the Lord provides a way of escape from the temptations of pride’s subtle snares. One wise way of escape is to avoid self-talk that feeds pride’s influence. Lies like, “I’ve grown beyond a daily quiet time, that’s a discipline for new Christians. Or, accountability sounds good, but it’s not really practical for my season of life. I don’t have time to meet with three or four people on a monthly basis for three hours. Or maybe the most harmful self-talk, I have God what else do I need, and there is no way I will ever be unfaithful like other weaker souls.” So, a very helpful way of escape from temptation is not listening to voices who move us away from vulnerability and teachability. Instead of being proud of grace, be humbly grateful for grace.
A timely truth from Charles Spurgeon on resisting pride: “Live nearer to God. Take the best examples for your pattern. Let your conversation be redolent of heaven. Let your hearts be perfumed with affection for men’s souls. So, live that men may take knowledge of you that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of him; and when that happy day shall come, when he whom you love shall say, “Come up higher,” may it be your happiness to hear him say:”
“Thou hast fought a good fight, thou hast finished thy course, and henceforth there is laid up for thee a crown of righteousness which fadeth not away” (2 Timothy 4:7, KJV).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise you for your amazing grace, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What area of my life requires me to be more vigilant about making wise choices? Who can I ask to mentor and help me in this area?
Related Reading
Genesis 3:1; Matthew 26:41; Luke 8:13; 1 Timothy 6:9; James 1:2
Worship Resource
The Petersens: Be Thou My Vision
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