YOU CAN ALWAYS TRIUMPH
IN TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS
AS WE TALKED ON this momentous evening, Frank spoke as though he had a huge burden on his heart. As he talked, I could almost feel the burden he seemed to be carrying, the passion with which he was expressing himself was something I had not experienced or witnessed in him before.
"Relax Frank". I interjected as he was getting over excited about the whole issue.
"That's what you keep telling me Ernest … and things are not getting any better … I wonder if so many Christians can ever get to the place where they understand what the Christian life is all about…"
He went on and on as he expressed his mind concerning the apparent lack of understanding about the Christian life by so many Christians.
"Relax Frank!" I reminded him again, and then went on.
"You know pretty well that you and I, are not the owner of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ is. If anyone should be more concerned about the state of the Church, The Owner should." I said quite pointedly to him, and as calmly as I could.
Those were the words that eventually calmed Frank, and he became a little bit more comforted and relaxed. All he could repeatedly say was: “Ernest, you have a point there and you are right… it's no use worrying over what God is aware of… it's no use playing God. The Lord is certainly more concerned about His Body than a mere mortal can possibly be…"
As I left Frank’s house that evening, I left with the same burden he tried to express to me. I guess my visit had a contagious effect on me. Frank obviously has a point, and this point is what has motivated me to come up with these Christian Possibility Teaching Series.
As I share fellowship with believers from all works of life and from different cultures of the World, I have come to the conclusion that very many believers are ignorant of what the Christian life is all about. The inability of many believers to express biblical viewpoint about truths that are so foundational to the Christian life is a clear testimony to this truth.
Over the years, attempts have been made to interpret Christianity from the viewpoints of prevailing cultural and economic settings. The poor see Christianity as a means to wealth and prosperity. For these, Bible passages, especially Old Testament passages on wealth and prosperity become their only favorite passages. The sick and those with life threatening diseases only want to hear about divine health as though the issue of divine health is the only issue in the whole of the Bible. For those with huge appetite for affluence, pleasure and comfort, these are their main emphasis in their preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Is this attitude to the eternal Word of life right? Certainly not! Shouldn't the total Word of God inform our perception of life?
The negative effect of this approach is that our perception of God and His Word has become blurred to the extent that our understanding of the Christian way of life is shallow. What do we have? A good chunk of false doctrine and human philosophy now flow unabated in the stream of consciousness of many believers. How can this lopsided perception of the Christian life be corrected?
This publication, which is a part of the Christian Possibility Series, attempts to teach, from biblical perspective, issues of foundational doctrines on the Christian way of life. One of the most frustrating things any one can experience in life is to try to become what he already is. Beneath this is ignorance. Understanding the doctrines of trials and temptations is to my mind one of the very foundational doctrines in the Bible. But ask the average Christian what temptations are all about, and you will be amazed at his definitions and descriptions. Ask him further about his understanding on other related biblical issues such as trials and divine discipline; you will be shocked at how shallow his views fall short of the biblical picture of these important Christian foundational doctrines.
This mini-book is in two parts. The first Part will attempt to define and describe from biblical perspective, trials, temptations and divine discipline. Having laid a good foundation, Part 2 will further explore how total victory can be won over these issues that try to pull us down.
God has furnished every believer with divine resources to triumph in the trials and temptations of life. No Christian is designed to be a loser. We are made to triumph in the business of living. Triumphing in the Christian life is God's purpose for His children, because in triumphing, we bring ultimate glory to God.