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Dealing with Bad Thoughts

A temptation is a solicitation to do wrong. It comes from a desire to perform something that we know is against God’s expectation of us. Understanding how we go from a temptation to sin is important to comprehend in order to stop the process by taking the way of escape before we work out the desire from the temptation. In the book of James, we find the process by which we are solicited and how that temptation works out to sin.

Let no one say when tempted, “I am being tempted from God”. For the God is without temptation of wrong and He tempts no one. But each one is tempted by his own strong desire while being drawn out and baited. Then the strong desire after being conceived, births sin. And the sin, when it is finished, brings forth death – James 1:13-15.

We are first presented with a strong desire to do wrong by one of our three enemies: the sin nature, Satan, or the world system. This temptation has no impact on us until we accept the desire as our own and then choose to perform it. Conception is the combination of a wrong desire and the determination to do it. This is a trespass and always happens within the mind, resulting in a person being in a state of unrighteousness, although sin has not yet happened. Conception does not guarantee birth, but unless it is interrupted it will always result in sin. Once a temptation has become a desire within us that we have determined to fulfill, if we do not apply the truth, the faith, or reject what the world wants, this determination will work out to sin when we perform the […]

Dealing with Bad Thoughts2023-12-14T08:11:01-08:00

Lust (ἐπιθυμία)

Although often translated as “lust”, this word simply means “a strong desire”. The English word “lust” is a specific description of desires that are perceived primarily to be of a sexual nature; however, the Greek word is much broader in its meaning, therefore it is the content that determines what is being desired, whether good or bad.

In the parable of the Sower of the seed, we find that the desires concerning the cares of this world and wealth came up like weeds and choked out the message of the Kingdom of the Heavens (Mark 4:19). In dealing with the Pharisees, Jesus reveals to them they are actually following the desires of their father, Satan (John 8:44). Often desires from Satan are looked at as wicked, but here we see the perceived religious leaders of the time being called out for doing his desires, not God’s. Satan wants to be like God (Isaiah 14:14) and comes as a messenger of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) to ensnare believers (2 Timothy 2:26) while secretly bringing in his sons to introduce false doctrines to manipulate the minds of the believers to follow his desires (Ephesians 2:2; Galatians 2:4). He did it to the Jews in Jesus’ time and still does it today to the Christians. Therefore, we should pay attention to what we are being taught and seek out pastors who speak the truth, not being in assemblies that focus on manipulating our desires through emotional experiences, whether through worship services, events, or gatherings to influence the attendees into feeling good about themselves rather than focusing on the truth.

When it comes to dealing with the desires from the sin nature, we have to apply the truth to our lives […]

Lust (ἐπιθυμία)2023-11-25T07:53:41-08:00

The Definition of Love – Not Jealous

Love is longsuffering, love is kind, love is not jealous … 1 Corinthians 13:4

Jealousy is wanting what another person has. It is not just being resentful or angry of another’s good fortune or achievements, but a strong desire to possess them. Unlike zeal, which is an enthusiastic devotion to a cause or goal making someone eager and determined to do something, jealousy takes this type of attitude and uses it in a way that damages others to get what they have. So one who is jealous will be zealous to obtain what another person has.

Jealousy will produce actions that are harmful to others.

“And the patriarchs, becoming jealous, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him – Acts 7:9

We also see an example of jealousy in Galatia where men came down from Jerusalem who sought to make Paul look bad to the saints there as though he was their enemy so they could exclude the saints to themselves. This is a very common tactic of false teachers and those seeking to usurp a position of authority even today.

They jealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. – Galatians 4:17

Because of jealousy for their father’s love, the brothers of Joseph sold him into slavery. Because of jealousy for the saints, false teachers came into Galatia teaching that they had to keep the law to be saved, not for the sake of those they sought to persuade but so these false teachers could look good before others and get them to only follow them. Jealousy always leads to hurting others. The Jews were very jealous of Paul when he would teach […]

The Definition of Love – Not Jealous2023-12-14T08:35:00-08:00

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Walking

I say, all of you walk by [the] Spirit and you will not bring to maturity the desires of the flesh – Galatians 5:16

Walking is a term used to describe how we generally manage our lives. Prior to being saved we walked according to the age of this world, which is a malignantly evil period. We had a lifestyle that was controlled by the futility of the mind.

in which once all of you walked according to the age of this world, according to the head of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of the disobedience – Ephesians 2:2

Therefore, I say and testify in the Lord, you are to no longer walk according to also the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds, Ephesians 4:17

Now we are God’s children and are to walk in the light. This is a lifestyle that rejects the works of the flesh and seeks to fulfil the desires of the Spirit so that we are fellowshipping with God.

If perhaps we should say that we are having fellowship with Him and we are walking in the darkness, we are lying and are not doing the truth. – 1 John 1:6

But if perhaps we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son keeps on cleaning us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

We have a walk that is through faith, not through sight. This means we base our lifestyle upon the promise that God has given to us.

For we walk through faith, not through sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7

God […]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Walking2023-12-14T08:40:44-08:00

The Works of the Flesh – Inner burning anger

The works of the flesh, which are a product of the sin nature residing in the flesh, are plainly seen in certain desires and actions. One of these works is an inner burning anger. Sometimes mistranslated as “wrath”, this is a work within a person that will produce all kinds of wrong actions because it holds their mind in anger so that they are not clearly thinking, but rather lash out in anger by both their words and deeds.

Inner burning anger has a very negative impact on other Christians and shows that the one caught in it is carnal. That is, not focusing on the things of God, but on the things of the flesh.

For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I desirously will, and also I shall be found by you such as you do not desirously will; lest strife, jealousies, inner burning anger, selfish ambitions, backbiting, whisperings, conceits, confusions – 2 Corinthians 12:20

We are to put away this type of attitude from us, putting off the old man

Let all bitterness, inner burning anger, wrath, clamor, and blasphemy be put away from you, with all wrong. – Ephesians 4:31

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: wrath, inner burning anger, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. – Colossians 3:8

Stop lying to one another, having stripped off the old man with its practices and put on as an outer garment the new man, the one being renewed unto the full experiential knowledge according to the image of its creator. – Colossians 3:9, 10

Anger is not sin; however, the sin nature can take our anger and misapplying […]

The Works of the Flesh – Inner burning anger2023-12-14T08:46:30-08:00
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