DO YOU DESIRE SOMETHING? IS IT SOMETHING THAT BY GOD'S STANDARDS IS "FORBIDDEN"?
COULD IT BE YOUR DREAM FOR FAME, SOMETHING THAT IS BEAUTIFUL, OR FOR MONEY?LET'S SEE WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS ABOUT THESE THINGS!
1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
What IS the will of God?
James 4:7-8 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
"Submitting yourself to God," means that your desires will match up with what God's desires for you, and not what the world pounds into our heads!
Breaking ANY of God's commands means that for what you wish is not in your best interests!
James 4:3 "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
ALL of the allurements this world offers us are vain!
Job 15:31 "Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence."
Ecclesiastes 12:8 "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity."
Emptiness is the final result for trusting in meaningless things according to God's standards!
When the devil tempted Jesus with questions after Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights, how did God answer Satan?
"It is written..." was how!
Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Matthew 4:7 "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."
Matthew 4:10 "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
The devil offered Jesus things that were his, as Satan is the god of this world!
Notice that Jesus answered each question with scripture! Question #1 dealt with food! (Remember, Jesus was hungry after fasting for 40 days!)
Question #2 dealt with temptations. (These are often things that we shouldn't have!)
Question #3 has to do with our worship!
Jesus summed up the devil's questions with this statement, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
There is only ONE true Eternal God who is also the Saviour!
Hosea 13:4 "Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me."
1 Timothy 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;"
1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."
In WHOM do you place your trust? If you trust in any other than Jesus Christ, your hope is in vain! Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world!
Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
2 Corinthians 4:4 "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
1 John 5:4 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
To overcome the allurements of this world, we must place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him ALONE!
Do you trust God with your eternal soul?
Are you saved from the judgements to come?
Acts 16:30-31 "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
When you realize that you're a sinner who is in need of the Saviour, you're on the right track!
Believe the gospel, that Jesus Christ died on the cross paying for your sins, that He was buried, but three days later He arose from the grave according to the scriptures! Believing this is what saves your soul forever!
John 3:15-16 "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Matthew 5:30 "And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."
Hell is a VERY REAL PLACE! Why else would God talk so much about it if it wasn't REAL?
Ask Jesus (who already PAID the cost for your sins) wants to be your Saviour and draw you away from the allurements this world offers! Those things will perish, but the life Jesus offers will last forever!
Choose life! Choose Jesus!
Know Christ, know life!
No Christ, no life!
