“Looking Away  TO Jesus…”- In Your Temptations…or  when your heart is breaking. He knows all about it. His heart broke over sin. His heart broke in the garden of Gethsemane, where great drops of blood fell. He knows what it is to be abandoned by His Father and be all alone, forsaken of God, all to satisfy God’s right demands so you or I would never be abandoned or be forsaken by God. He knows truly what it is to have the heart broken.

The writer of Hebrews tells us He is “a Great High Priest.” – Hebrews 4:14 . The word “Great” means, “Superior.” He is superior than all the other high priests combined. On the day of atonement when the high priest went into the holy of holy’s to offer sacrifice for the nation after having taken care of their own sin, there was no place for them to sit down and also there was a limitation they could only be there as long as God designed otherwise they would die! Jesus having offered His sacrifice once for All ascended into HEAVEN AND HAS SET DOWN FOR ETERNITY. God will never ask Him to leave for He has finished the work of His Father. Where the work of the priest in old Testament times was never finished, Jesus has finished His Fathers work. On the cross He cried, “It is Finished.” Which means, “paid in full!” All that the Law demanded, all that God required was completely, irrevocably paid and eternally accepted by God!

 There is no other offering required  by God, but His once for all perfect sacrifice, which the Father accepted and He has sat down in the place of authority, power where you and I can come in times of temptations,  with our broken and bruised hearts to Him and we find in Him as the writer of Hebrews says, “a great High Priest who empathizes with our weakness.” {See Hebrews 4;15 }

The word “empathize” means He, “Feels the very feelings” you and I feel. He knows the sorrows, the various temptations to sin against God, and He knows the full and demonic temptations, the obvious and also subtle ones, yet He did not yield. He knows we are but frail and feeble in and of ourselves and yet He imparts Hope with a Promise, “God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with THE temptation will provide THE way of escape ”{See 1 Corinthians 10:13}–  so we need not sin against Him in times of temptation.

 

TEMPTATION’S CHOICE;

Joseph when tempted by Pothipar’s wife said, “Far be it from me to commit this great evil and sin in the sight of the Lord”- He lived in the REALITY, GOD IS PRESENT IN ALL MY MOMENTS. Nothing, absolutely nothing , even with the covering of darkness is hid from Him who knows all and sees all! Joseph chose the way of escape- flee temptation! David, on the other hand chose too, and it was a choice, to commit adultery and later when convinced and coming to His senses confessed he had committed this “…great evil in the presence of the LORD.”… Both had been tempted, both made choices. We too make choices when temptation comes. Temptation is not sin but yielding to it is! We are tempted with a THOUGHT and we CHOOSE to ACT upon it with our WILL, and sin is birthed as result in the circumstance and God is offended and sinned against. When temptation comes realize its goal is to seduce you to sin against God! The Scripture speaks of the “…pleasures of sin for a season.” -Hebrews 11:25. But “seasons” pass and then what? There is  often a harvest that results. A harvest at times of devastation in the lives of others. Sin against God.  We are not without power in times of temptations. In each temptation we can chose to obey God! We need not yield. It begins with THINKING on the TRUTH- God is present. God is not worthy that I should sin against Him by yielding to sin against Him. Hate sin. Flee temptation. Pray for God to make you wise to the sutilties without and within your own heart and consciously chose God’s Honor in times of temptation.

Temptations come to us all in various forms.Temptations are a test of love. Love for self or Love for God. The response to temptations reveals our CHOICE OF LOVE.

 

TEMPTATION DEFEATED; God’s Means…

1. – THE WORD OF GOD –

In Matthew 4 Jesus shows us how to defeat temptation. The evil one came and three times tempted Him to act independent of God and sin against God by choosing to lean to His own understanding and act independent of God. Jesus responded when tempted.  “It is written,…it is written…it is written…”  He used the Word of God. When the evil one quoted the Word wrongly, Jesus responded with the appropriate verse in context. We must choose to know His Word and  when tempted apply His Word to our THINKING and to the circumstance.

2. – PRAYER-

We are told to  “Prayer lest you enter into temptation.”– {See Mark 14:38}. Prayer is a powerful and expensive privilege you have been gifted. Powerful because you have access to God through the Lord Jesus. Expensive because it cost God His Son to make it possible for you to come to Him and be accepted because of the work of the Lord Jesus!

Prayer is an issue of faith. It turns us to God, acknowledging our need of Him, for in and of ourselves we are weak and we cry out to Him, that we need Him, to undertake for us- both in us and through us!  Jesus says we are to persevere in prayer and uses these words,“Keep on praying and do not lose heart.” {See Luke 18:1}In our trials we can often grow weary but we must persevere or else we will lose heart, spiritually “faint.” We are to “Devote ourselves to prayer keeping alert with an attitude of thanksgiving.” {See Co 4:2} We are told to “pray without ceasing” { See 1 Thess 5 }-The phrase “without ceasing,” was a term that spoke of  “a hacking cough,” It spoke of regular interruptions. We are told to “…pray about everything” {See Phil 4:6}. God is interested in you. God is interested in you speaking to Him on behalf of others. God is “…attentive to your prayers.”- {See 1 Peter 3:12}. We have reason to pray because we have great needs that only God can meet!

We pray in our troubles,  as God has gifted us the privilege and access to speak to Him. Troubles can be used and should be used to draw our hearts out to Him in prayer!

“Trials must and will befall;

 But with humble faith to see

 Love inscribed upon them all—

 This is happiness to me.

 “Trials make the promise sweet,

 Trials give new life to prayer;

Bring me to my Saviour’s feet,

 Lay me low, and keep me there.”

 

3. -THE HOLY SPIRIT–

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness… The Spirit intercedes for us…” {See Romans 8:26}. The Holy Spirit helps us and…Prays for us! Amazing the Spirit of God is praying for you! Jesus said, The Holy Spirit would, “…GLORIFY ME.”{See John 16:14}. The Spirit of God desires and intercedes for us in our circumstances and indeed times of temptations that we would glorify Jesus Christ. He helps us in our weakness and temptations as well. The Spirit of He is the comforter, He comes alongside to aid us, to help us, to empower us to choose to do the right thing. He uses His Word, something we have Heard and reminds us, He at times brings someone across our path to help. When we look back we can see He had warned us, He had reminded us, He at times had sent someone our way to show us His way. He is intimately involved in our lives and in our temptations we are never alone.  We do not lack!

 

4. – HOPE – THERE IS HOPE IN TIMES OF TEMPTATIONS;

You have the Power and Promises of God to resist temptation {See 2 Peter 1:3-4}. But what if you or I have chosen to yield to the temptation? There is Blood, precious and costly blood shed for you and me to “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:7,9

It does not mean we take sin lightly but in realizing the grace of God in Christ and the cost to save and forgive and cleans e me it brings about a humbling before this Wonderful Savior and now my Great High Priest who ever lives to intercede. So we must arise from our sin and shame and look away to Jesus our GREAT High Priest who loves us, forgives us, grants us access to God and cleanses us continuous with His powerful blood- We come to the throne of Grace- a throne not of judgment for He bore our punishment but note- A Throne of Favor and Kindness that we may “Receive” grace, mercy and help in our time of need. Surely, it should cause our hearts to love Him more when we contemplate Jesus, the cost of the cross, the shedding of the blood, the abandonment by the Father for me, for you and when we sin and fail, we find He still loves us, cares about and us, is desirous for us to not run and hide but, “Come…”  “Come to Me…I will give you rest…. Come to the THRONE OF GRACE TO RECEIVE…” {See Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:14-16}

5. GODLY FRIENDS –

“BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS and so fulfill the Law of Christ.”{See Galatians 6:2}. Note it says,”Bear” one another NOT “Bury one another.” So often it can happen we bury the wounded and weak rather than helping them Paul wrote,”…Encourage the disheartened, Help the weak. Be patient with all men.” { See 1 Thess 5:14} In verse 12 he writes, “encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing.”– v 11. We must CHOOSE to help those who are “weak” be it physically or spiritually, we must not be unloving by being harsh or legalistic with them but encourage them, help them. For WE ALL have times of temptations, some of us have no problems perhaps in one area in our lives while others do, and vice versa.

We must deal tenderly with one another and HELP NOT HURT when dealing with another brother or sister. The goal is the as we LOVE GOD and LOVE others and see temptations are the evil one’s enticements to trip us up and sin against God. Be being Kind to one another!

Looking Away to Jesus- in times of heart break and temptations to see  God has provided us all we need though

  • His Word is our powerful weapon;

  • Prayer; Access to God Himself

  • The Holy Spirit; To strengthen us

  • Hope; Power and Promises

  • Godly Friends; To Help

  • These five  “Means” are gifted to us, that we need not be mastered or succumb to temptations and sin against God. But, if we have, we can get up begin again, because of His Blood and CHOOSE to start afresh and honor Him in times of temptations!

  • REMEMBER-  KEEP LOOKING  AWAY TO JESUS!

 He has risen, ascended and He empathizes with you in your struggles, weakness, temptations. God is “near the broken hearted” God, “heals the broken hearted.”  Look away to Jesus when you feel your heart is breaking, when temptation’s would seek to tempt you to succumb and sin against God…Look away to Jesus knowing He is your Great High Priest who empathizes with you and bids you to “Come to the Throne of Grace to receive, grace, mercy and help in time of need.”– {See Hebrews 4:14-16}

Jesus is Conqueror and you through Him are also- and that includes temptations!

The words of an old hymn come to mind…

“I’ve found a Friend, oh, such a Friend!
So kind, and true, and tender,
So wise a Counselor and Guide,
So mighty a Defender!
From Him who loves me now so well,
What power my soul can sever?
Shall life or death, or earth or hell?
No? I am His forever” –

Look away and keep Looking Away to Jesus in your times of temptations and avail of Him and the means He has given you for such a time!

Victory is in Jesus!