The statement made about Jesus, “He was without sin,” is about more than Jesus’ preparation as the unblemished sacrifice; it is also a pattern of victory He has laid down for us as our example. Christ demonstrated in His temptations that we do not need to comply with the enemy of our souls. Satan’s temptations can and should be resisted. He finally taught us how to avoid sin by loving God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves. He said that this summarized all the commands of the whole Bible. He is teaching us that, at its heart, sin is a failure to love. When we love it covers a multitude of sins by avoiding them. He said more than once to those He healed, “Go, and sin no more.” To expect defeat is to ensure it. Follow the victory of Christ’s example in regard to temptation. The whole Bible was written “so that you may not sin”(1 John 2:1), but if we do sin, we go to our Advocate, praying to never repeat that sin again.
September 17, 2018|Categories: Christ, Devotionals, Sin, Temptations|Tags: Advocate, Failure to Love, Overcoming Temptation, Pattern of victory, Without Sin|
About the Author: H. Lamar Smith
Native of Alabama. Graduated from Valley High School, Valley, AL. Graduate of Trevecca Nazarene College, 1966. Graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University, M.A. 1992. Pastored churches in Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Alabama.