You Will be Tempted

Luke 17:1 he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” (ESV)

Temptation isn’t a subject we like to talk about because secretly, we’re afraid that it’s just us. Why am I having these bad thoughts? Why do these desires keep coming at me?

Scenario: You’ve just had a huge temptation overwhelm you and as you’re walking into church, you look around and feel so guilty because everyone else appears to have their act together. They look so normal!

And so Satan stokes that fire in you, with the lie that it’s just you. You’re weak. You’re not good enough. That’s why you’re being tempted! You’re an imposter, not a Christian at all. You don’t belong here amongst these saints!

We need to deal with those lies once and for all. In fact, let’s allow Jesus deal with them, because …

Luke 17:1 … he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” (ESV)

Now, we’ll deal with the second half of that verse tomorrow. For the moment, let’s focus on the first bit. What did Jesus say? Did I hear Him right? Temptations to sin are sure to come!

That sounds like a rock-solid guarantee to me, straight from Jesus’ own lips. In fact, the more you set your heart on living your life for Him, the more the devil’s going to tempt you.

Temptation itself isn’t a sin. Everyone you know who loves Jesus is tempted just as you are. Hey, Jesus was tempted just as you are. So don’t let the devil deceive you with His lies. Because the truth is that temptations are sure to come, guaranteed!

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.