Overcoming Temptations

James 1:13-18

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Testing Trial Vs Temptations 

God does not tempt us, He tests us.

God tests us to bring out the best in us and cause us to grow.

Devil tempts us to brng out the worst in us and cause us to sin.

Temptations are like fishing hook, once we get hooked, like the fishes, one day we get cooked by the devil. Sin leads to death. 

3 Key Applications 

1. Flee from temptation 

Collection of all sins, little by little. 

Flee from Idotary, aldultery, evil desires of youth

2 Tim 2:22

1 The 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil

Don’t fight temptation, flee ftom it!

2. Fight the Devil

James 4:7 Resist the devil, he will flee from tou.

3. Focus on God 

The truth of God will deliver us. 

The depth the submarine can go depends on how much it can withstand the water pressure. 

But there are fishes are at bottom of ocean. 

Be like fishes, develop pressure within so we can withstand the pressures from outside. 

James 4:7 Submit yourself to God, Resist the devil, he will flee from you,

Psalm 119:9-11

Living according to Your Word. I seek you with all my heart. 

In the final anslysia, it is a matter of our faith.

Story on the Middle C Tuning Fork

What is the good news ?

The good news is that the Middle C of the Tuning Fork is always accurate ! Even when the school hall piano, the frist floor violin may go out of tune.

Like the middle C in the tuning fork, Christ never changes and be our steer and comfort!

Spiritual Maturity 2 - Marks of Maturity

 

Spiritual Maturity = Christlikeness

Colossians 1:28,29

Contending for 

Spiritual maturity is Christlikeness

His Character is fully complete

2 Cor 3:18 

Measuring our progress against the standard of Christ

The fullness of Christ

Colossians 1:28-29

The more we are Christlikeness, the more we are mature

Biblically- Peter 1:3-4

God has given us everything we need gor a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Possible, moment by moment cases, cause we are living in sinful and satan tempt world.

When we see Him face to face, victory.

2 Corinthians 3:18 Good news

Standard = God (Fullness of God-Christlikeness) only measurement

What does Spiritual Maturity looks like? 

1 Timothy 1:5 : The goal of this command is love, which from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Love is the hallmark of Spiritual Maturity 

3 Marks of Maturity:

1.  A Pure Love  
• John 13:34-35 love the way Jesus love
• 1 Cor 13:13
• Romans 13:10
• Eph 4:15
• 
  
2. A Good Conscience 

• (1 Tim 1:5) Greek : Suneideseos "to know with" 
• (1 Tim4:1-2) Conscience defiled/seared/corrupted - heart hardens - God outguard - no longer feel guilty (go on sinning) 
• (Titus 1:15) (Hebrews 5:14) 
• (Hebrews 4:12-13)
• James 4:17 Clear Conscience VS Good Conscience 

Clear Conscience = done nothing wrong / done something wrong, repented and stop sinning 

Good Conscience (Spiritual Maturity) = not only done nothing wrong + actively pursuing what is right 

3. A Sincere Faith (1Tim 1:5) Sincere in Greek: "Anypokritos" which means "without hypocrisy" and "without pretence".

• (Hab 3:17-18) (Rom 4:18-21)

• True faith (put your faith in what God says)

• Hebrews 6:11-12 Time we pray until we see the breakthrough, there's always a period of waiting, trial of faith (waiting room) hardest room to be in, waiting for God, breakthrough and unfulfilled purpose that requires robust Faith.

• Waiting in Greek: Two dimensions 

1. Passive and surrender, let God do things. 

2. Active: holding/clinging on, refuse to let go 

 

https://youtu.be/GLeedepVtaM?si=SEW_GOKuQMjGAGOL

Spiritual Maturity 3 - Hindrances to Spiritual Maturity

What Hinders Spiritual Maturity 

Two Critical Things :-

As soon as we became Christian, we are recruited into the army, as soldier of the cross

    

1. Satanic Oppposition

Spiritual Walfare is real) 1 Peter 5:8; Eph 6:10-12

Satanic Opposition

• need for deliverance
• As a Christian, we are enlisted into an army of God
• Who are we fighting against ?
• 1 Peter 5:8What
• Eph 6:10-12

We need to depend on the Blood of Jesus when dealing with the devil.

2 Main Tasks of the devil :-

1. To stop you from becoming a Christian
2. To hinder your walk with God from serving God with all sorts of bondages.

Luke 10:17-19 Satan fell like lightning from heaven.

2. Soulish Oppression

Soulish Orientation = Soulish Carnal Christian :- 

• Mind
• Will
• Emotions
• Living by the soul, by the flesh, in sin
• Sanctification taking place
• I am saved, I am being saved, I will be saved’
• My spirit is saved, my soul is being sanctified, my body will be renewed
• We have the Holy Spirit, does the Holy Spirit has us?

What is a soulish orientation

    1.Mind (think) 

    2.Will (want) 

    3.Emotions (feel) 

which made our personalities, soul

sanctification

My mind, will and emotions are not concecrated yet, do not conform by the living world, soul is being sanctified

The body will not be renewed but our soul is renewed day by day.

3 Manifestations

1. The mind operates with Soulish wisdom

1 Cor 2:10-16

When the Holy Spirit is in charge, our mind is renewed

James 3:12-18

wisdom is the life within in humility - humble life

Who is wise and understanding among you ? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Such wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, demonic

wisdom that comes out from soul is earthly (human ideas) - demonic, unspiritual, which we defends with soulish energy eg: cults 

Heavenly wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Where you find Godly wisdom operating, people are in harmony and unity. 

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

2. The will is ruled by stubborn self-content

Self-pride, centre of our lives is not God, God is the way, not our way.

I am the man for this task and job. I get the job well done. 

The carnal man thinks of I, me and myself as the key person.

3. The emotions are easily stirred by circumstances

Mood-changing Christians, Hi Hi, Dry Dry period 

Over sensitive, easily offended

Psalm 42:5-7

James 1:13-15

Matt 16:24-25

Gal 2:20 

Gal 5:25

Psalm 42:5-7 

Spirit telling own soul (emotions, will, mind) get in line, align to the Lord 

people don't take attention, we upset, seek other sensation. 

I AM SPIRITUAL MAN 

Walk in spirit not by flesh

James 1:13-15

Key: If flesh is not there, Satan has nothing to do there. Die to ourself, die to our flesh, then we follow Him, go back to the cross! Key to Spiritual Maturity 

Matthew 16:24-25

Galatians 2:20

Galatians 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

HABIT

In the word HABIT, if we drop H, we still has A BIT, if we drop A, we still has BIT, but if we try to drop I, we will have many challenges to yield it, so need to turn I toward the CROSS (T), then we can cultivate the Godly habit we want.

Christlikeness is the endgame of Christian Discipleship.

• Must experience Transformation by applying God’s Word in our life
• How to apply the Word of God unless you read the Word - spiritual discipline, easy to start but difficult to continue
• Spiritual Discipline as Spiritual Delight then only its sustainable.
• We must have spiritual hunger that give us spiritual Delight
• Only Holy Spirit that gives us spiritual hunger.

END GAME= CHRISTLIKENESS

must experience transformation (Romans 12:2- do not conform by this world, but transformed by the renwing of mind, so that we may discern what is good, pleasing, God's will to us.

Word + Spirit

https://youtu.be/GLeedepVtaM?si=SEW_GOKuQMjGAGOL

Spiritual Maturity 1 - What it is Not

Spiritual Maturity IS NOT

 

1. about age, not growing old but growing up - 1Tim 4:12 measure by substance 

2. ⁠about Appearance - 1 Sam 16:6-7, Matt 22:27,28

3. ⁠about Achievement - Matt 7:22,23

4. ⁠about Academic - knowing God of the Word intimately John 5:39,40 James 1:21,22

John 5:39-40 (measures by transformation inside out) 

James 1:21-22 

5. ⁠about Activities- Eph 4:28 

Ephesians 4:28 (steal, work, share) 

Greedy from the inside, transformation happens, generosity, starts sharing

Bill Hull: There is no discipleship without accountability

Discipleship is truncated when is not accompanied with value-change. 

6. ⁠about Abilities - 1 Cor 13:1-31 Corinthians 13:1-3 

Col 1:28 MATURE in Greek is TELEIOS which means Complete, Perfect

Spiritual Maturity is not automatic

(there's no such thing as instant maturity) 

Colossians 1:29 Power of the Holy Spirit that works in us and dwell in us- to achieve Spiritual Maturity

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity

3 KEY 🔑 THINGS

1. Don't stop growing due to complacency 

(life long learning, not until we see Him face to face) 

Growth Essentials - 

* Practical Teaching

* ⁠Private Disciplines

* ⁠Personal Ministry 

* ⁠Providential Relationships 

* ⁠Pivotal Events.  

Five (5) Growth Essentials: practical teachings, private disciplines, personal ministry (those who don't serve don't grow), providential relationship (honor and give time to those relationship with pastors, preachers, mentor, cell group members etc) and Pivotal Events (God things- happy, sad, triumphant - events in life that we process it well, we will grow) 

2.  Don’t do this alone as you need God and friends 

We need to do it in community, we cannot do this alone, make friends of all forms but make sure best friends are those who can journey with you in discipleship. 

Eugene Peterson: Its a long obedience in the same direction. 

3. Don’t stop or slow down due to discouragement 

Hebrews 6:1 we need Holy Spirit to sanctify us, power of God for us to grow. 

Energy= power of God, we can't do it by our own strength

Don't stay contented with current state, let's commit towards growth in spiritual maturity. 

Strenuously contend

It's a dark illusion to think that we can live a double life and still be close to God 

Ps Benny Ho's Teaching 1-2 March 2024

https://youtu.be/7EAzyUjFp5A?si=OdULbFqef0eAa7ze