Good Morning Friends,
“You, dear children, are from God and have
overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of
the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God
listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how
we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” (1 John 4:4-6)
The world has a powerful pull. Its
temptations are strong. Earlier in his letter John talked about the cravings of
sinful man, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Those are the inner
attitudes and drives of man that temptations play upon and they make the
temptations so strong. They are hard to resist. We cannot resist those temptations
in our own strength or through our own self-control. When we try, we fail
miserably.
But, here’s the good news: we don’t have to
rely just upon our own strength or self-control. God has planted within us His
Spirit. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit living in his heart. And it is the
Holy Spirit who provides the power and self-control to overcome the strong temptations
of the world.
Of course, we don't always listen to the Holy
Spirit. We don’t always tap into the power and control He offers. That’s why we
continue to sin even after coming to Christ. But the Spirit does indwell us and
is available to help us overcome the world.
The world is strong. Its temptations are
powerful. But the One who lives within us is even stronger and His help is more
powerful!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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