Temptation and Surrender


prisonchaplain
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During the song Satisfy, by Worshipmob, the singer breaks into prophetic wording, with the LORD declaring that he loves us in spite of our addictions. We all struggle against those, yet Heavenly Father loves us--loves me! It dawns on me that I struggle way too hard against my addiction--my sin. I strike a defensive posture, and gradually wear out. Then, the temptation comes at me and I am overrun. What if, instead of striving and fighting, I turned towards Jesus? Then, I could quit my battle and surrender. My Savior would then take my hand, and walk with me through my sin-lust, around my temptation, and He would deliver me from my sin. Yes, it's time to turn from my wicked ways, towards Christ--and surrender.

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God honors the honest desire of His children to be obedient and draw closer to Him. In the beginning that is enough. 

“Striving for perfection means doing a little better than you did the day before.”  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

”You haven’t failed until you’ve given up.”  Elder Deiter Uchtdorf 

When I was struggling with eliminating a stronghold in my life I found Elder Holland’s talk “Lord, I Believe” to be very helpful. His other talk “Be Yea Perfect - Eventually” also insightful as well as Elder Uchtdorf’s talk “Bearers of Heavenly Light”.

When I was struggling with eliminating a stronghold in my life I found the following things to be helpful. 

1) Pray, pray, pray.  Get someone who can agree with you in prayer (preferably a more mature Christian) and who can give you a blessing when needed. 

2) “If your trying to eliminate a vice it is helpful to replace it with a virtue.”  CS Lewis.      I can’t have silence (it’s where I find myself rehashing old arguments and hurts) so I replaced it with music, scripture on CD, and church talks. 

3). Remembering our Father wants us to succeed and that He isn’t  so much concerned with our failures as He is with whether or not we get back up again.   He will help us.  

 

Edited by warnerfranklin
Grammar
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1 hour ago, prisonchaplain said:

I live in a house with a wife, 3 daughters, and a dog of the female persuasion. Ergo, I'm not familiar with the bolded term. Could you explain it? :whistling:

You can't be THAT old as to have forgotten darkness, your old friend; who came to talk with you again...

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On ‎2‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 11:40 PM, prisonchaplain said:

During the song Satisfy, by Worshipmob, the singer breaks into prophetic wording, with the LORD declaring that he loves us in spite of our addictions. We all struggle against those, yet Heavenly Father loves us--loves me! It dawns on me that I struggle way too hard against my addiction--my sin. I strike a defensive posture, and gradually wear out. Then, the temptation comes at me and I am overrun. What if, instead of striving and fighting, I turned towards Jesus? Then, I could quit my battle and surrender. My Savior would then take my hand, and walk with me through my sin-lust, around my temptation, and He would deliver me from my sin. Yes, it's time to turn from my wicked ways, towards Christ--and surrender.

 

First – I enjoy your posts.  They always bring a spirit of good will that I understand.  However, things are not as simple or complicated and we would see them – only in the application.  When we speak of Jesus taking our hand and leading us – obviously this is metaphorical.   I like the allegory of the poem “Footprints in the Sand”.  In this setting the allegory is in hindsight.  It is after the trial that we realize how lovingly and tenderly we were being “led”.

There are two separate issues – one is the issue of temptation the other the issue of a trial.   I like to think in terms of a trial rather than a temptation.  It is because of the difference.  I see a temptation as the issue of Satan leading or taking control – a trial is where we are under the direction of G-d.  Though there are temptations in our trials – at least for me the goodness of G-d and his interest in our accomplishing (with his oversite) is more productive.  It becomes more of a matter of distinguishing “I can” verses “I can’t” – which is the process of faith and that with G-d all things are possible.

And so, it is difficult for me to think in terms of surrendering – that is what we do with temptations and Satan gains control – we surrender.  I would rather think in terms of becoming a disciple.  A student or an apprentice.   Someone being taught.  Then our failures become setbacks – means of learning and a path to victory rather than a surrender.

I know its semantics – but I feel more strength in the notion of victory over that of surrender.  That we achieve and become free by discipline of being a disciple of the Master.   This also plays in the notion of “salvation” which come from the same root as salvage.  Like fine mettle we are forged in fire – fire that burns away the impurities so that all that is felt is that which is refined and good and worthy of being “one” with G-d.  Trials become a path to greatness and not just a path to avoid temptation.

 

The Traveler

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@Traveler, Let me never be understood as discounting or undervaluing spiritual discipline. Yet, as you often remind me, were not the Pharisees incredibly disciplined? They fasted, they prayed, they tithed on their tea leaves. They would not surrender, though. They would not declare, "Thy will, not my will, be done." If Nicodemus (John 3) is to be believed, the Pharisees knew that Jesus was from God. Nevertheless, they colluded with the Romans to see him executed. There does come that point where I must surrender--not to temptation, but to God. I confess that I am unable and undone, and depend on God to guide me and empower me--after He cleanses me.

Consider Nicodemus again. They had discussed the need for baptism--for being born again. The Pharisees could recognize the need for the rabble to undergo John's baptism of repentance. Yet Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again--he must repent. That was outrageous. He was disciplined--a disciple--an expert keeper and teacher of the law. Yet, Jesus demanded his surrender.

Perhaps one of the most powerful demonstrations of surrender is that of Isaiah, the great Old Testament prophet who wrote so much about the coming Messiah. In chapter 6, and verse 5 of his great book he says:   Then I said, Woe is me! I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:  for mine eyes have seen the king, the LORD of hosts.

Edited by prisonchaplain
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We believe that God gives us weaknesses so that we will be humble.  The amazing thing is there is an endless list of things we need to work on to become like God yet he is kind enough to  show us just a few things at a time, not to overwhelm us.  It is a process to "become" like him.  It's easy for me to do the checklist things that God asks us to do and fall into the trap the Pharisees living by the letter of the law but failing to become like Him.  

It's interesting the love I feel from God when I repent of things and yet God knows that I will be back tomorrow or next week or next year repenting of the same old things.  He must be okay with it and He must understand it.  We beat ourselves up when we fail and sometimes we get a little prideful when we do well. It sure is a process though, and for a purpose we sometimes don't understand but God does and I think that is why we feel his love when we submit to his will.

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6 hours ago, prisonchaplain said:

@Traveler, Let me never be understood as discounting or undervaluing spiritual discipline. Yet, as you often remind me, were not the Pharisees incredibly disciplined? They fasted, they prayed, they tithed on their tea leaves. They would not surrender, though. They would not declare, "Thy will, not my will, be done." If Nicodemus (John 3) is to be believed, the Pharisees knew that Jesus was from God. Nevertheless, they colluded with the Romans to see him executed. There does come that point where I must surrender--not to temptation, but to God. I confess that I am unable and undone, and depend on God to guide me and empower me--after He cleanses me.

Consider Nicodemus again. They had discussed the need for baptism--for being born again. The Pharisees could recognize the need for the rabble to undergo John's baptism of repentance. Yet Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again--he must repent. That was outrageous. He was disciplined--a disciple--an expert keeper and teacher of the law. Yet, Jesus demanded his surrender.

Perhaps one of the most powerful demonstrations of surrender is that of Isaiah, the great Old Testament prophet who wrote so much about the coming Messiah. In chapter 6, and verse 5 of his great book he says:   Then I said, Woe is me! I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:  for mine eyes have seen the king, the LORD of hosts.

 

Scripture tell us that discipline is a matter of heart, might, mind and strength.  The problem with the Pharisees was not that they were too disciplined – actually it was that they were not disciplined enough concentrating only on the outward appearances of discipline – thinking that lip service (declaration and outward presentations were enough).

On another note – last year when I visited the country of Israel, one place I found interesting was the shrine of ancient Jerusalem which is a model of Jerusalem and the temple before being destroyed by the Romans.  At the shrine the nation of Israel prepared a video of what a traditional visit to the temple was like – going all the way back to the first Temple of Solomon.  Anciently someone coming to the temple would change to a white linen covering and enter a pool where they were “washed” by emersion to be ritually cleansed and purified before bringing a sacrifice to the temple for their sins.  I also learned that this ritual washing by emersion traditionally goes back to Moses and the Tabernacle and also when Josiah brought the Israelites to the river Jordan to wash everyone before they would enter the “promised land”.  Incidentally the place Josiah brought Israel was the same place Jesus came to John for baptism.

When I visited Qumran; there were ritual places for emersion washing.  I asked the trained guide authorized specifically for Qumran if that was the purpose and I was told that it was.  The point being that at the time of Jesus there were many baptisms both at the temple and other places – but only the baptism of John was acceptable – the difference of John’s baptism is not in Biblical scripture so we cannot use the Bible as the authority for why.   This leaves the Christians of today to wonder if their baptisms are of the authority of John’s or similar ot the authority of the Levites at the temple or the priests at Qumran.

Lastly, I would point to Acts chapter 5 and Ananias and Saphira that held back in their discipline (after accepting baptism for remission of sins) thinking that a complete and total commitment was not really necessary.  I leave Acts chapter 5 as an exercise to the reader to determine if G-d expects full or partial commitment in our discipline (discipleship).

 

The Traveler

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I think we surrender ourselves everyday by acknowledging and accepting where we are in the present. Guilt and shame are from the past, fear and anxiety are from the future. 

We can seek to improve ourselves and we can learn from the past. But we are enough in the present when we surrender the past and the future thinking. 

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