If You Are Not Striving Against Sin Do Not Bother To Read This Encouraging Piece -By Joe Dauda

Hebrews 12:4

“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

In other words, you have not yet had to shed your blood in the effort to overcome sin by striving against it.

First, let me state two portions of the Bible Christians appear to have forgotten.

Matthew 5:48

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Similarly, the Bible says:

Hebrews 12:14

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

When was the last time your Pastor preached from either of those scriptures? Remember that, as a child of God, you are supposed to be like God — perfect — and, without holiness, you will not be able to achieve your strategic goal, which is to inherit the kingdom of God.

No matter what anybody tells you, note that the Bible says that you will not see God if you are not holy. And, just in case you are in doubt about what the Bible means, the words of Jesus Christ remove any uncertainty. He said categorically that we are to be perfect as God is perfect. It’s a tall order: but all things are possible to him that believes and all things are possible with God. If knowledge is power, here is empowering knowledge to make this thing easier than it first seem.

How much more will you appreciate your wife if you got to find out that she deals with an average of eleven proposals for extramarital affairs everyday — and turns all of them down!

It goes without saying that you will, at the least, believe that she loves you and prefers you. Getting to know that your wife rejects the advances of men with ample capacity to shower her with nice gifts and give her flattering attention leaves you with a good feeling.

But suppose the reverse were to be the case? Let me not even go there because it will be quite nauseating to read about the possible scenario of an unfaithful wife.

The fact of the matter is that, just as the Bible says, Jesus Christ is like a groom and every follower of His is like a bride. The relationship is meant to be exclusive and requires absolute loyalty and absolute faithfulness. But here is the kicker:

God allows you to be tempted so as to get that feeling the man in the first hypothetical case above would get when he discovers that his bride shuns mouth-watering advances from other men, just to stay faithful to him. And, like Omotola of Nollywood recently said in an interview, it would be a lie for her to pretend that she does not encounter men she finds attractive. Nevertheless, she is not only content with her chosen husband but respects her marriage relationship with him to the extent that, to preserve it (and this is the main reason) to preserve that exclusive union, she ignores these possible distractions from other men and chooses to move on.

The bare fact is that God gets a kick out of watching us resist temptations because it shows how much we value our relationship with Him. It’s all a test and God wants to know what is in your heart.

Deuteronomy 8:2, 3

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee . . . to humble thee, and to prove (test) thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. And He humbled thee, and suffered (allowed) thee to hunger.”

Knowing this should arm you to continue to resist temptations because you now have a broader perspective. This thing is not for nothing: and God sees your struggles when you choose not to do those things that may give you temporal pleasure/relief but trouble your conscience.

God boasted about Job for this very reason, proving that He would like to boast about you also but cannot do so if you keep being unfaithful; if you keep giving in to temptations.

Don’t you want God to boast about you?

Don’t you want to make Him happy if you could?

Well, you can!

If this thing is true and not a lie, it means your resisting temptation is more important than it first appears. The King of the Universe, used to adoration by millions, if not billions, of angels, wants something only you can give. He did not boast about the angels worshipping Him daily when Satan came for that meeting recorded for us in the Book of Job (chapter 1 and chapter 2); neither did He boast about the earth He had created; nor about His sheer Majestic glory and the unapproachable light that veils His presence. Rather, He boasted that, even while living in this sinful world, a certain man called Job chose to fear God and eschew evil.

Job 1:8

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”

This is why everyone truly on the narrow path to eternal life has something they are dealing with. Please don’t blame God: eternal life is such a big deal your loyalty must first be tested and trusted before you can be bestowed with that life that goes on and on and never ends. The Bible supports this view and proves that, if Adam and Eve had resisted the temptation to eat from the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden, they would have been allowed to then go ahead and also eat the fruit from the tree of life.

Genesis 3:22

“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.”

This was why Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden (verse 23) because the tree of life was right there, waiting to impart immortality on whoever eats of it. Notice that the test came and then an urgent effort was made to deny man the attainment of immortality. This proves that you must be tested before you are given eternal life. And this life on earth is that test. If you fail the test, you will have to be incinerated in hell. That’s the deal for human beings. The fire specially prepared to bring the existence of Satan and his angels to an end will serve a secondary function in destroying the body and soul of any human being that is cast into it.

Nothing you are tempted with in this world can be compared with the joy of living in the presence of God and experiencing everlasting life in a world with no sadness, no sorrow, no pain, no sickness. A world with no sin and no evil and no death. A world of abundance and true wealth. This new earth is so far beyond our ability to imagine you have to allow your curiosity energize you to pass your own test so you can see what God has in mind. And my test may be different from yours — which is why you should not judge your brother. If his test is about patience, do not think him a devil when you see him manifest devilish anger. Because, to test him, God may allow the circumstances and even the people around him to keep driving him mad. In the eyes of God, these provocations are His divinely provided opportunities for that man to learn patience. And that becomes his cross. Everybody has his or her own cross. Some have several, perhaps due to an earlier life of sin that has corrupted their soul or ingrained certain habits in them. But, no matter who you are, you must be tested in this world so that a fair decision can be taken on whether to give you eternal life or dump you in hell as incurable of the virus of sin.

Satan is determined that you fail your test and, even if you are actually without sin, he is devious enough to make you fall by injecting pride in you over your ability to resist things other mortals find irresistible; or he may make you feel smug and then catch you when you least expect. Which is why the Bible warns:

1 Corinthians 10:2

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Finally, there is the issue of the pain involved in resisting temptations. Please understand that God knows that this thing is not palatable. And it means all the more to Him exactly because it is not palatable to you. Compare with the wife who is resisting a rich man seeking an illicit affair with her even though her mother is sick and needing the sort of help the rich man could easily offer. It is quite tempting and only faith in God (trusting His good heart and His superior strategic plan) that can enable you to engage in the “foolishness” of resisting sin, especially in today’s world. But we will soon find out who is wiser.

Do not be discouraged.

The fact is that righteousness is impossible without the painful sacrifice it imposes. And it is easier to die for the LORD than to live for Him. Being a “living sacrifice” is required for holiness and quite stressful. But place your focus on the King above watching it all. Believe me, He will reward you when it matters the most — at the end of this life.

Romans 12:1

“I beseech you . . . brethren . . . that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.”

A living sacrifice is a source of great glory to God. Be one. Just by resisting temptations. And, because men don’t sacrifice without meaning, I’m announcing to you the cosmic implication of your resisting temptations. It matters to the God of the universe; it makes Him feel good. And I just told you that He recognizes it as a sacrifice, which the Bible said is “acceptable” unto Him.

Psalm 4:5

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness.”

There you have it in plain English. To be righteous is to live sacrificially; living as if you were a fool, denying yourself what you could do and nobody will question you. It is a sacrifice — but it will be bountifully rewarded. And no man can take away your reward. However, as a note of caution, be mindful of trying to bribe God through sacrifice.

1 Samuel 15:22

“To obey is better than sacrifice.”

So focus on obeying God instead of on trying to impress Him by sacrifice. But, according to the scripture, obedience to God, because of our carnal nature, is a sacrifice and is even akin to dying. Our free will is precious to us and, if you really don’t want to forgive a person for hurting you, a command from God to forgive that person will feel like you are about to die. But only by dying (figuratively) would you be able to obey God and choose to forgive that person. This is why Jesus Christ talks about us carrying our cross if we must follow Him. It is exactly because obedience to God sometimes requires giving up our will. The cross is a symbol of death and giving up our will (when it clashes with the commandment of God) feels like dying. And we need to submit our will daily. No wonder, Apostle Paul dropped the bomb in his first epistle to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 15:21

“I die daily.”

Next time you understand that you are facing a temptation, decide what action you need to take, consider the pain it will cause you, and take a deep breath. Then look up and say:

“Father, may the pain I suffer in resisting this temptation be a sweet smelling savor for Your honour and glory, in the name of Jesus Christ.”

After that, take the required action, knowing that you just made your Heavenly Father proud.

Of course you need not be as dramatic as suggested above. But I’m sure you get the message. The point is this: make a conscious effort, from henceforth, to offer as a sacrifice, the pain that accompanies your resistance to temptations. It will give you a paradigm shift and you just may begin to enjoy the process and become impossible to beat. Hopefully, Satan will feel frustrated enough to let you alone — even if only for awhile.

If you have ever heard of the term “pain relief”, the above suggested prayer is a tool of pain relief because it channels your pain (the pain that comes with resisting temptations) into a deliberate act of sacrifice and gives meaning to the whole exercise. But it is pain relief and also pain release. You are dying to self and it is painful; but you now die with a sense of purpose. You die knowing that you are moving the emotions of the King of the universe and awarding Him bragging rights against His enemy, Satan, whose disobedience appear more inexcusable anytime mortal beings like us manage to obey God and do so in spite of accompanying pain. This understanding of the situation from the divine perspective changes everything and empowers you to deny yourself; to die gloriously — like a typical soldier.

Typically, soldiers, in any given country, are high on patriotism. This is because they are deliberately engineered to be patriotic in their military training. Their trainers know that, except a soldier understands the matter properly and has intense patriotism, he or she will not lay down their life for the country.

It’s the same thing with us spiritual soldiers. Except you understand that God placed you here to test you and that He understands the pain that is involved in living right and still demands you go through it to prove your loyalty, you may give in where you might have held on. So having the right perspective is critical. This piece is meant to help us have the right perspective and understand the divine plan. And to sympathize with it. Like Eddy Murphy in Coming To America, Jesus Christ is stupendously rich and He wants a bride. But He cannot bestow marriage on a bride without proven loyalty. That would be too risky because part of the marriage rites include bestowing eternal life on the bride. And eternal life means you can never die. God does not want to immortalize any sinner and there shall be no immortal sinner in the universe after Satan, his angels, and all disobedient people are burnt up in the fires of hell. Indeed, affliction shall not rise up a second time. Sin shall never rise up to trouble God’s universe ever again.

Nahum 1:9

“Affliction shall not rise up the second time.”

Why?

Nahum 1:9

“He will make an utter end.”

How will God make an utter end of Satan and those that followed him in rebellion — whether angels or men?

Malachi 4:3

“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this.”

What turns them into ashes?

Malachi 4:1

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven: and all the proud, yea, all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts.”

The future destiny of those that reject the forgiving grace of God is that they will burnt to ashes — to be treaded down under the soles of the feet of the righteous, whose righteousness is of the LORD.

It is definitely the fire of hell that will do this burning — and it does exactly what it did to Sodom and Gomorrah — turn things into ashes. Because it is an eternal fire which is unquenchable.

Jude 7.

“Even as Sodom and Gomorrah . . . are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

God loves examples. To demonstrate how saints that die before the second coming of Jesus Christ will be resurrected, Moses was resurrected and taken to heaven; and to demonstrate how the saints who will be alive during the second coming will be translated without tasting death, Elijah was translated into heaven without tasting death. As for sinners, Sodom and Gomorrah is the example of their eternal destiny. They will be burnt up by the eternal fire of hell and end up as ashes, just like Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes. Interestingly, it is on this field of ashes that the new earth will be created.

Isaiah 65:17

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”

May God make us a part of the new earth. 

NB

Watch out for the next article titled: The Greatest Deception In Modern Christianity.