Blessed Is The Man That Endures Temptation

Hello everyone haven't blogged since before Christmas. Hope everyone is doing well in the new year.



James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive a crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.



A friend of mine commented the other day on this passage and it blessed me so. We hear alot about blessing or being blessed in our world today. This passage give a true source of blessing - enduring temptation. We are tempted everyday in our lives. Verse 14 describes how temptation happens. We are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed. The end result of giving in to or being controlled by our desires is that desire gives birth to sin and sin brings death. Sin will always bring death and is the opposite of being blessed. A man or woman who is always failing in times of temptation is not blessed but is actually experiencing death. To be bound and controlled by sin is death and again is far from being blessed. Sin will control every part of your life including our minds, will and emotions. To be in sin is like being in prison with no way of ever getting out. Think about the prisoners with life sentences or those on death row awaiting their execution, they have no hope of ever being set free. Well this is what sin does in the life of one who is bound in sin. Alot of people think they are free from sin because they don't do the major sins. Sin is sin and we need to call it like it is. Sin does not have categories it's all the same. The little sins are the same as the big ones it's sin and sin brings death. Blessed is the man that endures temptation. The scripture points out that we can endure during times of temptation. To endure means to remain, abide, not recede or flee. To preserve under misfortunes and trials. To hold fast to ones faith in Christ. The next part of the verse says for when he has been approved. Enduring or sinning during times of temptation proves something. It proves whats in our heart. The proof is in the puddin the old sayin goes. Do we hold fast to Christ and abide in Him during our times of trials or do we flee or worst yet we find that we never have been joined to Him in the first place. Another thing about sin is that it deceives. Sin deceives us to thinking we're not that bad or it prompts us to compare ourselves to someone who we think is worse than us.



We cannot endure temptation alone or in our on power or strength. We cannot endure temptation through will power or self helps, psychology, or religion. The only way we can endure temptation is to be joined to Christ through being saved by His grace and filled with His nature. The proverbs says a Leopard cannot change his spots because that's his nature or how he was born. Well a sinner cannot stop sinning because he is controlled by his nature and that's how he was born. We are all born with the Sin Nature and the first time we give in to the desires of that Nature we become sinners and the Sin Nature becomes our master who will ever control our life. Jesus paid the price that the master of all men demanded. The wages or the payment for sin is death. Well Jesus paid the debt of death by dieing on the cross to die for the sins of all mankind. This is what the blessing is all about. Man can take part in the payment plan by putting His faith in Christ and becoming His disciple. As follow Christ we will experience freedom from our old nature. He will no longer dominate our lives because Jesus is Lord of our life and we are partakers of His nature and we can endure anything temptations bring our way. Ever heard the saying God will never put anything on you more than what you can handle. Well many people go through trials that they cannot handle and fail even to the point of despair and death. Well the way God has given us to handle trials of life is to be joined to Christ. We can go through hell and high water as we are joined to Christ. We don't have to sin and live in death. Through CHRIST AND FAITH WE CAN BE OBEDIENT. The leopard can have his spots changed. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away behold all things have become new. In this new year don't settle for failure and sin but be be joined to Christ and His Body and become a new creature. The crown of life is awaiting all who endure with Christ. Don't be cheated through religion and old ways of thinking that cannot and will not bring life and freedom from sin. Only Christ can do this. Be joined to Christ today. Seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him. This is His promise!!!!!



Temptation is the times we are put to the test in order to ascertain the character, views or feelings of someone.