Memorise: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. James 1:14
Read: James 1:12-16 KJV
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Bible in one year:
2nd Kings 21-22,
Acts 13:48-14:18,
Hymnal:
Sing hymn 15
Message:
The message from the Holy Spirit to you today is that you must take responsibility for your actions in life. It is important to note that many trials and temptations we encounter in life are neither from God nor from the devil. You may then want to know where temptations emanate from. The Bible is clear on this: we cannot put the blame at God’s doorstep. James 1:13-14 says,
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
It is expedient for us to differentiate between temptation and examination. Examination is intended to yield a positive result. Whereas temptation is intended to yield a negative result. Concerning temptations, if you are unable to overcome, you end up in a worse place or state compared to where you were before being tempted. However, with regard to examinations, you usually get promoted once you successfully complete the examination.
We can conveniently say that God examines those He wants to entrust with divine assignments (Genesis 22:1, Deuteronomy 8:2). Conversely, the devil, also referred to as the tempter, takes advantage of a man’s lusts and vulnerabilities to tempt him or her, using the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1st Thessalonians 3:5, 1st John 2:16).
The truth of the matter is that man is responsible for his actions and inactions. However, the problem with us is that while we love to enjoy the freewill divinely bestowed on us, we are often not comfortable with being held responsible for whatever repercussions our actions bring to our lives. We can see a classic example to man denying responsibility in the way Adam responded to God’s query as to why he ate the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:11-12 says,
“And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”
Beloved, you are responsible for your own actions and inactions. Adam misused his freewill and his descendants are still suffering the consequences. Misuse of freedom leads to bondage, so beware!
Prayer Point:
Father, please give me the wisdom to make the best use of the liberty I have obtained through Christ my Lord.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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