For the introduction to this series on temptations faced by singles click here.
This is the last post on dangers of the single season. But don't be misled into thinking that we are done dealing with temptation. This side of heaven we will never be totally free of sin or from facing temptation.
Fight
Temptation
At this point you may be weighed down by all the
ways you have given into temptation in your attitudes and actions. Or you could be
congratulating yourself for how well you are doing in resisting temptation. Let me encourage you to
avoid both of those responses.
We are to feel guilty over sin, but we are not to
wallow in such guilt. We have a faithful and righteous high priest who lived
the perfect life that God requires. He did this on our behalf! He died to pay
the penalty for our sins. He is seated at the right hand of the Father to be
our advocate. So, draw near to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14-16). Confess
your sins and ask for renewed strength to live in light of the new life you
already have in Christ (Rom. 6:1-14).
If you think you are doing well, give glory to God.
It is Christ who is at work in you to do what God commands (Phil. 2:13). And
remember that if you think you stand you should take heed lest you fall (1 Cor.
10:12). At some point you will probably be tempted in at least one of these areas.
Humbly ask God to help you resist temptation.
In the past posts, I have given some specific ways to combat particular
temptations. I want to conclude this section by giving a few general principles for battling all of
the temptations I have mentioned so far.
First, Reflect on God’s Love for You in Christ
The
gospel is where you most clearly see the sovereignty, goodness, and wisdom of
God towards you. He sovereignly comes to show you His goodness through the
wisdom of the gospel message. Understanding and believing the gospel generates a
loving and humble trust in God which pushes sinful desires out of the heart.
This is not a one-time act, and it does not come
naturally to our hearts. If you do not make this a conscious, ongoing effort,
it will not happen. Plan to meditate on passages of Scripture such as:
Romans 8:32- He who did not spare his own Son but
gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all
things?
Ephesians 2:1-10- And you were dead in the
trespasses and sins 2 in which you once
walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power
of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of
our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so
that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in
kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For
by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it
is the gift of God, 9 not a result of
works, so that no one may boast. 10 For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Titus 3:3-8 For we
ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various
passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others
and hating one another. 4 But when the
goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in
righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration
and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom
he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might
become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The
saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those
who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.
These things are excellent and profitable for people.
While meditating on such wonderful truths, begin to
prayerfully and actively replace sinful behavior with a lifestyle that honors
God. So, for example, think of ways to put off manifestations of pride and how
to put on humility. There are many good books that address each of the areas of
temptation mentioned in the previous posts. It may be helpful for you to ask your pastor or an
older godly man or woman at your church to help you pick out some good
materials. [1]
That brings me to my final point. Benefit from your church family. Even though you may be single with regard to marital status, you are not alone when it comes to fighting sin. God has placed you in a body of believers. Faithfully gather with a local church to worship God, encourage one another, and reach out to the lost. Share your struggles with a trusted Christian friend of the same sex. Ask for their accountability and encouragement.
This is part of the series God, Singleness, and Marriage: How the Bible Gives Purpose and Direction to Singles.
Copyright Ben Khazraee. You may share this article with others, but please direct them to this blog rather than posting the text to your own website, blog, etc. You may share printed copies with friends as long as you do not charge more than the cost of producing the copies.
[1]
For a fuller treatment on growing in godliness check out How Can I Change? By CJ Mahaney and Robert Boisvert and the CCEF
mini-booklet Temptation: Fighting the
Urge by Tim Lane (CCEF has other great mini-booklets on specific issues. Visit
www.ccef.org).
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