Talking about No Thanks

No Thanks
"No, Thanks!"

Reading: James 1:1-16 "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own desires, and enticed" (Js 1:14) The first two senten "No, Thanks!" Reading: James 1:1-16 "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own desires, and enticed" (Js 1:14) The first two sentences each newborn babe in Christ should learn are, "Yes, Lord!" and "No, Thanks!" The first one is his instant response to whatever God says, and the next one his immediate reply to whatever Satan suggests. Adam as the first man of the human race was defeated because he failed to say, "No, Thanks!" to the devil, whereas Jesus the Second Adam leads humanity in triumph because He outrightly rejected Satan's suggestions. We will have a comparative study on this today, so we may not blame anyone or anything for our failure. Bodily cravings Jesus overcame the temptation when He was really hungry after forty days of fasting, whereas Adam and Eve failed even when they had all the fruits and vegetables at their disposal (Mt 4:2; Gen 2:16). God has given us enough and more. We must learn to be content. Be content with your wife, your husband, your possessions, and so on. "Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body" (1 Cor 6:13). God was greatly displeased when David said yes to his flesh and took another man's wife. God expressed His grief and disappointment through Nathan (2 Sam 12:8,9). Don't throw the blame on your body saying the flesh is weak. That's why God has given us the Holy Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Gal 5:16,24). Satan's suggestions Eve threw the blame on the serpent (Gen 3:13). May be she justified herself that Satan presented a temptation that was too much for her to resist. "Good for food... pleasant to the eyes... desirable to make one wise" (Gen 3:6). The temptations of Jesus in the wilderness had the same triple strength (Mt 4:4,7,10). The offer for Him was also quite attractive. But He refused. Because, He knew that "all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 Jn 2:16). No doubt Satan is strong but that's no excuse for us because He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 Jn 4:4). We ought to be victorious! Satan is a defeated foe. Christ is the Victor and Christians are to be victors, not victims of the enemy of God. No temptation is too strong to resist. For every temptation God has provided a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13). Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin, Each victory will help you some other to win! (Horatio R. Palmer, 1834-1907)