BROADCASTS.com

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; 2 TIMOTHY 2:22; JAMES 1:12-15; 4:7\n\n\n\nWhat sins do you struggle with the most? In other words, in what situations do you find it\u2019s harder to love God and your neighbors through your words, thoughts, and actions?\n\n\n\nIn Matthew 22:37-40, we see that the life Jesus invites us into is one of love. But sin distorts love, so we end up loving the wrong things\u2014or loving the right things in the wrong way. And the result of sin is always death, decay, and brokenness.\n\n\n\nYet, so often sin seems so appealing. Do certain sins seem to tempt you more than they tempt other people? That can be such a discouraging experience. But the good news is, it\u2019s also normal. Every person has different weaknesses and different strengths. And Jesus \u201cunderstands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin\u201d (Hebrews 4:15). Isn\u2019t that a comforting truth? And it gets even better. Because Jesus was sinless, He was able to pay for all our sins when He died on the cross\u2014He took the whole of our sin upon His own body (1 Peter 2:24). This was the ultimate act of love. He went through all that undeserved pain and sorrow and ridicule\u2026because He loves us. He wants more than anything for us to be with Him. He invites us to come to Him with all our failures, weaknesses, and shortcomings\u2026to come and receive His free gift of salvation. Instead of being trapped in guilt and fear, we can rest knowing that we are held in His love, because He has secured our forgiveness by dying and rising again for us. And since He loves us, we can love Him and others.\n\n\n\nSo, when we feel tempted to do something unloving against God or our neighbors, we can remember that we don\u2019t have to give in to any sin because Jesus has already freed us from sin\u2019s power. We can trust Him to help us resist every temptation we face\u2014no exceptions. And when we find ourselves believing lies that make it easy for us to act in ways that are unloving toward God and our neighbors, we can turn to Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, He will help us reject those lies and instead rest in His great love for us\u2014a love that is far more powerful than sin.\n\n\n\nThe next time you\u2019re tempted, remember that God knows your weaknesses, and He can help you be strong when you feel yourself wanting to give in. Once you know Jesus, sin holds no power over you. You don\u2019t have to give in, even when something is especially tempting, because God gives His people the ability to resist every temptation. But when you\u2019re tempted, don\u2019t try to resist on your own\u2014instead, depend on God. Since you belong to Jesus, you have been freed to flee temptation and run to Him. In His arms, you will find the strength to love God and your neighbors\u2014no matter what. \u2022 A. W. Smith\n\n\n\n\u2022 Jesus came to save us from sin. Why is sin something we need to be saved from? (If you want to know more, check out our \u201cKnow Jesus\u201d page.)\n\n\n\n\u2022 When is it hardest for you to love God and your neighbors well? Consider taking some time to talk with God about this in the space below. Remember, even Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. Yet, He understands all our weaknesses and He empathizes with us. So, once you\u2019ve put your trust in Jesus, you can approach Him with anything, knowing that you are held securely in His love. (Hebrews 4:14-16)\n\n\n\n\u2022 We live in a broken world where we are constantly bombarded by lies that make it easy to act in ways that are unloving toward God and our neighbors. Here are just a few examples of lies we might believe: God doesn\u2019t really love me. God doesn\u2019t really care about me. God won\u2019t meet my needs. I\u2019m worthless. I\u2019m bad. I\u2019m unlovable. Other people are worthless. Other people are bad. Other people are unlovable. What I do doesn\u2019t ma...