Sinsation - Daily Devotional April 27th, 2010

Bible Reading - Numbers 4, Psalm 38, Song of Solomon 2, Hebrews 2

Sinsation

This weekend at Urban we will be starting a new series entitled, "Sinsation". In this series we will be looking at what the Bible says sin is as well as the effects of sin and how we can escape and overcome it. This is essential to understand as a Christ follower because if we do not know what sin is or how it works we will not be able to withstand it.

James 1:13-15 tells us how sin begins to originate in us. "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death". Although I do not want to dive too deep into this today, it is clear how sin is birthed in our lives. It is birthed in our lives because we have desires within us and not all of those desires are good or if aroused in the wrong season of life are not good. Then, what happens is temptation (opportunity) comes along for us to act on those desires, as desire and temptation collide and we give in, sin is birthed in us.

Here is an example. Lets say you have a lust issue (desire) and you are at 711 looking for your favorite chips and right next to the chips is the magazine rack. Amongst the magazines on the rack are some pornographic magazines. Your lust desire inside is really wanting you to pick one up and look at it and buy it because it is right there tempting you. Now if you would have stopped here at this point then you would have escaped sin, but instead you pick it up and begin to look at it. Desire met temptation, you gave into temptation and now because of this you sinned.

This is just an example but now that the picture has been painted clearly for you, you might be thinking of an area in your life where desire and temptation have met. You might be thinking to yourself, "man how in the world will I ever be able to conquer that area in my life". Here is the great news, you will and you can! Hebrews 2:18 says, "For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted". Jesus, the One who has paid and paved the way for us was tempted in every way in which we are tempted today but yet was without sin. He was without sin because even though He was tempted He never gave in to the temptation. This is Jesus the way the truth and the life! He is the one that is giving us strength by His atoning power to overcome and conquer any temptation in our lives.

We need to remember Jesus and what He has done the next time desire and temptation are about to mingle. We need to remember that because of Jesus we are able to withstand the temptation and not allow sin to be birthed in our lives.

I hope you can join us for all these discussions as we launch our new series Sinsation.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Numbers 5, Psalm 39, Song of Solomon 3, Hebrews 3

Dream Big
Ben