August 7
“If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples and Mine. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:31-32, 36)
Today I was planning on moving on to our next topic, overcoming pornography, but I had another important thought that I want to emphasize once more from the prior days’ discussion about developing lasting change. I want to once more combat the idea that at some point we will “arrive” and not be susceptible to certain temptations anymore, that we will get to the point where we simply won’t be tempted by certain things no matter what we do, no matter what we expose ourselves to, no matter what our circumstances. It is certainly possible that this may be the case for some, that they somehow become immune to temptation and sin, and I know of some who claim that this is the case with them, but I am very skeptical of those claims. I don’t know anyone personally who has “arrived” and no longer needs to be concerned about being tempted in certain areas.
We can learn something from a very well known Bible teacher, author, and seminary professor who was teaching at Dallas Theological Seminary. This is a man whose books many Christians have on their shelves. I do. I will not give his name since he is dead now, and I do not have permission. But I heard from a student in one of his seminary classes, when he was quite old, that he once said as he was praying, “Lord, please keep me from becoming a dirty old man,” or something along those lines. Here was a famous author and seminary professor who was candid and honest enough with himself and his students to admit out loud to God and everyone in his class that he still was struggling with lust and didn’t want that sin to rule over him, even though he was an accomplished Bible expositor and well known expert on the Bible. Praise God for that honesty! And if we are honest, we would say the same things about the sins in our lives.
This is the point I want to leave with you:
LASTING CHANGE AND VICTORY REQUIRE LASTING DISCIPLINE.
There are no shortcuts. I have gotten sloppy with my prayer and Bible study disciplines at various times in my life, and I have suffered and fallen into sin as a result. I believe that had I kept up with my routines and disciplines that I had developed at one point in my life, I would not have stumbled at those times when I got older. I guess thought I didn’t need daily, focused time studying the Word anymore. I thought my daily reading of the Psalms and Proverbs was enough. I got careless and lazy. And not immediately, but over time, after months and years of spiritual laxity, and when my circumstances took a decided turn for the worst, I found myself stumbling again into sins that I thought I had developed a resistance to. I am confident that had I not become lax in my focused prayer time and had I not let go of my previous habit of spending quality time studying God’s word and digging into it each day, I would not have stumbled in the ways that I did.
Maintaining daily, focused prayer and Bible study habits is the foundation for continued success in overcoming temptation. We cannot get around this. We will never get to the point where we don’t need to be seeking Christ in these ways. These are the ways that He has ordained that we connect with Him. This is how we “abide in Christ,” I have concluded, based on my study of that topic. This is the prerequisite for being filled with the Spirit. I don’t think we will be filled to nearly the extent God wants to fill us with His Spirit unless we maintain the discipline of daily time grappling in the Word and wrestling in prayer. Lasting change and lasting victory over temptation require lasting discipline. Don’t allow laziness and overconfidence to deceive you into thinking otherwise!