What to Do When You are Tempted
“Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” (James 4:5-6)
Those who live in this world have to confront the test of sin every day. For those who want to win the test and lead a holy life, the above quote is like a breeze of relief. “He gives more grace.” The one and only way to achieve success in your life is to depend on God’s grace.
I believe that those who want to lead a holy life without surrendering themselves to the grace of God are the ones who will greatly fall. But for those who believe in God’s grace, God will strengthen them to lead a successful life.
Nowadays, people are like batteries. Consider we put two or three batteries in a flashlight. The first day we will get good light. Gradually the power of the battery reduces and within 15-20 days it will be useless.
This is just like the people who try to lead their own life. We should not forget that God’s grace gives strength and inspiration to lead our day-to-day life. If we believe in our own strength, we can carry on for some weeks. But after that we will commit sins. Day by day we will get immersed in them.
We cannot change our natural selves on our own. Like the saying in my native language of Malayalam, “even after keeping a dog’s tail in a pipe for 12 years, it will not straighten”. People who want to lead a holy life on their own will commit sins.
But those who embrace the salvation which is claimed through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ – those who depend on the grace God – can lead a holy life. No doubt about it.
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Complete Surrender to the Holy Spirit
The invisible power of Holy Spirit comes to the hearts of those who consider Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The power of the divine Spirit is beyond human power, philosophy and intelligence. To win over the desires of flesh and self we need the power of Holy Spirit.
I don’t think we can lead a victorious life just by looking back to one experience where we said, “I received the Holy Spirit.” The most important thing is giving place to the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. God never wants to compel anybody to do anything.
To take care of ourselves and to lead us through the path of truth and holiness God gave us a divine gift—the Holy Spirit. Without taking the help of this Spirit, whatever we do by ourselves will hurt the Holy Spirit and grieve him. The Word of God says it.
The Holy Spirit stays in you and is always ready help you to walk toward success. But God want us to forsake arrogance and be humble. The immense bundle of God’s grace will be open to the oppressed and the humble.
Once while driving I saw a sign on the roadside which pointed out that everything belongs to God. “This vehicle is not yours, you are just the one who controls it,” it said. Like this, if the desires of your flesh lead you; you will end up in deep trouble. The Holy Spirit that lives in you should lead you.
Your complete surrender and humble cooperation is required for the Holy Spirit to control and lead your life. When you give the rights to control your life to the Holy Spirit then you will attain success.
Consider that when we get some money, before spending it we have to ask God about it and spend it according to His will.
Don’t forget that even in things which we consider very silly we have to seek the will of God. Then we will get more and more blessings.
You may not be able to understand the will of the Spirit within weeks. But if we are happy to walk with him, the Holy Spirit will teach us to listen to the voice of God day by day.
Deciding everything on your own and then praying that God will bless it is not seeking God’s will. Some people arrange their son’s or daughter’s marriage, then pray, “Lord, thy will be done” and “Bless us”. We can’t consider these as prayers which are according to the will of God.
In your life, try to ask God’s opinion in both big and small things. There is nothing more beautiful in our life than saying, “Thy will be done.”
This is the first of a two-part series on drawing near to God. Part two will cover three steps to a victorious life.
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K.P. Yohannan ( - Present)
Dr. K.P. Yohannan, the Metropolitan Bishop of Believers Church, was born and brought up in Niranam, Kerala. Niranam has immense historical significance in the tradition of Saint Thomas, a disciple of Jesus Christ who planted the first church there in AD 52. K.P. Yohannan dedicated his life to God at a young age to serve the needy and downtrodden. He prayed, “Oh my Lord, let my heart break with the things that break Your heart” and his life was never the same. It’s his belief that one can only demonstrate God’s love by loving people. After over four decades of selfless service, he says, I have no regrets in praying that prayer for I know God has touched millions through what He did in and through me. It is all God’s grace.He spent the early years of his service in North India and traveled to the remote villages sharing the love of Christ and doing charitable works. Through numerous encounters during those years, he was instilled with an increasing passion to bring hope, peace, and comfort to the needy and deprived. His sacrificial commitment, farsightedness and aptitude to perceive helped him to lead a life of unhindered devotion to serve Christ and His church. K.P. Yohannan is also the voice of Athmeeya Yathra, touching millions through his daily radio and TV broadcasts. His 250 books offer practical and spiritual guidance on hundreds of subjects.
Recommends these books by K.P. Yohannan:
Living in the Light of Eternity: Discovering God's Design For Your Life by K.P. Yohannan
The Beauty of Christ through Brokenness by K.P. Yohannan
Crisis in Leadership by K.P. Yohannan
K.P. Yohannan is the founder and president of Gospel for Asia, a mission organization involved in evangelism and church planting in the unreached regions of Asia. Currently Gospel for Asia supports thousands of church planters in the heart of the 10/40 window.
Born in a remote village of South India, K.P. Yohannan's personal journey toward spiritual reality began at the age of eight when he gave his heart to Christ. While he was still a young boy, his mother began fasting each week, praying God would call one of her six sons into full-time gospel ministry. Her prayers were answered in 1966 when 16 year-old K.P., her youngest, volunteered to serve in North India with Operation Mobilization.
From 1974 to 1979 K.P. attended Criswell Bible College in Dallas, Texas, where he earned his B.A. in Biblical Studies. He was also awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Hindustan Bible College in Madras, India. During the time he attended Criswell, he pastored a local church in Dallas. However, he was unable to forget the millions still lost without Christ in his homeland of India, and knew God was calling him to reach his own people. In 1978 K.P. resigned his pastorate and he and his wife, Gisela, organized what is now Gospel for Asia.