Just saying, "No!"
James 1:12-15
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full- grown, brings forth death.
Personal Challenge
I love how the New Testament writings almost always give me a warning that the sledgehammer is about to fall by inserting "therefore" or "but" into the middle of a passage. It is so easy to blame my sin on a temptation, and then blame God, the devil, or someone/something else for bringing the temptation into my life. Yes, temptations are out there in the world, and sometimes the enemy tries to trip me up with them. However, it is usually my own desires and thoughts that create the temptation. Then if I am not living a life constantly on the guard of this the temptation which I introduced into my life gives birth to enticement and then to sin. It is so much easier to say, "No!" at the beginning of this progression than it is to wait until the sin is in the process of being committed. I cannot blame this on anyone or anything for it is my own doing. Lord, help me to say, "No!" sooner and to stick to it more strongly.
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