Focus
The struggle between God’s will and sin, between our hearts deceptions and our divine guidance, how can we remain victorious in our walk with Christ and remain faithful unto him.
Paul tells us “but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be cast away.”2 Cor 13:5 “examine yourself to see whether you are in faith; test yourself. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you; unless ofcourse you fail the test?” Rom 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” So what we can see here is people have dominion and choice, and we as people constantly choose to do the things we do and as christians we choose to live by faith and spirit not by our flesh as we see the rest of the world doing so that we may say 2 Tim 4:6-8 “… I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…” That means we choose to follow in faith but that does not mean sin and temptation no longer exist in our world. 1 Cor 10:13 “no temptation has over taken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” You see 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober be, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. We know the devil even tempted Jesus after he had been fasting in the desert, and Jesus overcame this temptation by telling the devil math 4:10 “away with you satan! For it is written, “you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only you shall serve”.
So what does that show us, that even Jesus was susceptible to temptation but kept his focus on the Lord our God. Again we see this in Math 16:23 ” but he turned and said to Peter “Get behind me satan! you are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on Gods interests, but mans.”
Get behind me, and/or out of my focus is what we as Christians are to say. Math 26:41 “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing,, but the flesh is weak.” James 1:12-16 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire, then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” James 4:7 “submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” How do we resist, by focus on our God. Eph 6:11 “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
So that Hebrews 2:18 “for because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” in the name of Jesus, because 1 John 18:10 “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” John 3:16,17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn it, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
May we all keep our focus through our tempering as Paul so did in that even in the eye of the storm he broke bread and praised God, In the name of Jesus.
