Taking Out The Hook
This morning I spoke to our middle school students for their chapel, as I usually do on Tuesday mornings. We are going through the book of James, and today, we considered one of the most important passages in all of the Bible for young people, James 1:12-15. In these short verses we learn the source of temptations and the results that come if we give in to temptation and sin is conceived. I pray that it made a profound impact on each of them for the good.
James says that we are tempted when we are enticed by our desires. I explained the word "enticed" by giving a visual image of a Krispy Kreme doughnut display case. Just the sight and the thought of the taste of those delightful treats lead us to eat more than we should because we don't think we can resist. We know they are not too good for us, but they taste so good, we are drawn to eat them. That is what Satan does with our fleshy desires. He uses them to lead us to sin. We have to decide to accept, and that brings the conception of a sin. Then, if sin continues, it leads to death. The actual picture presented by the original language is a still birth baby. What a horrible reality of the results of sin!
To explain this I gave another illustration. When we go fishing we use bait to get the fish to bite the hook. The fish thinks he is getting supper, when he is getting the hook. When we sin, we get the hook, with only a little pleasure. Therefore, we need to get the hook out. We can't do it any more than a fish can, but Jesus will take the hook out if we confess our sins. (I John 1:9) If we sincerely turn from the sin and tell Him we know how badly we have messed up in a specific way, He cleanses us. He takes the hook out, so we are not continually drawn down the broad road to further sin. Therefore, we must be resolved to avoid sin, but when we do sin, we must repent and confess, so Jesus can deliver us. It is the only way. Therefore, I told them that the first step is to know Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then, after that we must be careful resist Satan's enticements and ask Jesus to take the hook out by confessing our sin,if we fail.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 62-64 and I Timothy 1.
James says that we are tempted when we are enticed by our desires. I explained the word "enticed" by giving a visual image of a Krispy Kreme doughnut display case. Just the sight and the thought of the taste of those delightful treats lead us to eat more than we should because we don't think we can resist. We know they are not too good for us, but they taste so good, we are drawn to eat them. That is what Satan does with our fleshy desires. He uses them to lead us to sin. We have to decide to accept, and that brings the conception of a sin. Then, if sin continues, it leads to death. The actual picture presented by the original language is a still birth baby. What a horrible reality of the results of sin!
To explain this I gave another illustration. When we go fishing we use bait to get the fish to bite the hook. The fish thinks he is getting supper, when he is getting the hook. When we sin, we get the hook, with only a little pleasure. Therefore, we need to get the hook out. We can't do it any more than a fish can, but Jesus will take the hook out if we confess our sins. (I John 1:9) If we sincerely turn from the sin and tell Him we know how badly we have messed up in a specific way, He cleanses us. He takes the hook out, so we are not continually drawn down the broad road to further sin. Therefore, we must be resolved to avoid sin, but when we do sin, we must repent and confess, so Jesus can deliver us. It is the only way. Therefore, I told them that the first step is to know Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then, after that we must be careful resist Satan's enticements and ask Jesus to take the hook out by confessing our sin,if we fail.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 62-64 and I Timothy 1.