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Lesson 9: Beware the Hook

Thedevilmademedoit!
No,hedidn't!Youdidit,andyouareresponsibleforit.Thedevil
mayhavetemptedyou,butYOUmadethechoice.
There'snothinggoodaboutsin,butthedevildeceivespeople
intothinkingit'sgood.Ineverytemptation,thereisthiselement
ofdeception.That'sthewaythedevilgoesabouthisworkof
destroyingpeoplehedeceivesthem.It'sthesamethinga
fishermandoestocatchafish.
Thinkofyourfavoritefishinglake.Initisagreatbigfish.For
years,thefishermenhavewantedtocatchthisbigfish,butthey
haven'tbeenabletodoit.Why?Becausethatfishhasaplaceof
safetyunderabigstump.Nobodycangethimthere.
Howdoesthefishermangoabouttryingtocatchthatfish?Does
hegooutthere,buildanicefire,putafryingpaninit,danglea
hookinfrontofthatfishandsay,"Comeon,fish,bitethathook,
soIcancatchyouandeatyou?"Ofcoursenot!
Whatdoesthefishermando?Heslipsupquietlybehindthatstump

sothefishcan'tseehim.Heputssomethingonthathookthathe

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thinkswillappealtothatfishanicejuicyworm
hedanglesthatinfrontofthefish.
Thebattleison!Thefishishungryhehasn't
eatenfordays,andthatwormsurelooksgood.
Butsomethingwarnshimofdanger.He'sbeen
tangledupwithahookbefore.Finally,hisdesire
getsthebestofhim.Heconvinceshimselfthathe
canrunoutthere,grabthatworm,andrunback
underthestump.
Hegrabsit!He'sgottheworm.Yes,but
he'sgotsomethingelsethehook!
That'sthewaythedevildeceives
us.Hedanglessomethinginfrontofus
thatappealstous.Heknowsus,andhe
knowsexactlywhat'bait'touseforeachof
us.Thedeviltemptsmeatmyweakpoint
hetemptsyouatyourweakpoint.The
Biblesays,
"each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away
and enticed." (James 1:14)
Now,it'snosintobetempted.EventheLordJesuswas
tempted.TheBiblesaysthatHe"has been tempted in every way, just as
we areyet [he] was without sin."(Hebrews4:15)Justbecauseyou
aretempteddoesn'tmeanthatyouhavetosin.Whendoessin
comein?Sincomeswhenwegiveintothetemptation.Wesin
whenwesay,"Yes"toit.
Eachtimeyouaretemptedyou
mustchoosebetweentwo
things:God'swillandyourown
lust.Certaindefiniteresults
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chooseGod'swill,theresultwillberighteousnessandlife.Ifyou
chooseyourownlust,theresultwillbesin.TheBiblesays,"the
wages of sin is death"(Romans6:23)TheBiblealsosays,"Then, after
desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives
birth to death."(James1:15)
Remember,ineverytemptation,
thereisahook.Thereisnothing
goodaboutsin.Itmaylookgood,
butsinceitcomesfromSatan,itis
notgood.
TheBiblesays,
"Don't be deceivedEvery good and perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father" (James 1:16-17)
GetthatEverygoodgiftandeveryperfectgiftisfromGod.And
itcomesinGod'swayandinGod'stime.Ifitdoesn'tcomein
God'stimeandinGod'sway,it'snotfromGod,andit'snotgood.
Actually,itisthePURSUITofsinthatissoappealingtous.As
soonassiniscommitted,itisnolongerattractive.Satanhasyou
hooked,andhenolongercarestohideitsugliness.
Forexample,2Samuel13tellsthestoryofAmnon,oneofKing
David'ssons.Amnonwasinfatuatedwithhisbeautifulhalfsister,
Tamar.Helustedafterher.Finallyheconceivedaplantogether.
HepretendedtobesickandaskedTamartocomeandcookfor
him.Whentheywerealone,heforcedhisattentionsonherand
rapedher.
Afterward,howdidhefeelaboutTamar?His'love'turnedtohate.
Butthestorydoesn'tendthere.Lateron,Amnonwasmurderedby
Tamar'sbrotherinanactofrevenge.
Wecanlearnavaluablelessonherethereisalwaysahookin
sin.SexisawonderfulgiftofGodand,inGod'swayandinGod's
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time,itisagreatblessing.But,ifyoureachout
andtakeitoutsideofHiswill,itbecomesacurse.
Ifaboyreallylovesagirl,hewon'ttrytotake
advantageofherandifagirlreallylovesaboy,
shewon'tlowerhermoralstandardsforhim.It'sa
foolishgirlwhogivesintoaboy'tokeepfrom
losinghim.'
Butyouask,"HowcanIovercometemptation?"First,accept
thefactthatyouwillbetemptedweallare.Next,realizethat
thereisahookineverytemptationtherealwaysis.Remember,if
itdoesn'tcomefromGod,itisn'tgood,nomatterhowgooditmay
look.
Godwillprovideyouawayout
ofeverytemptationifyou
choosenottosin.Hepromisesto
dothisinHisWord.Youshould
memorizethisverse,Itwillhelp
youwhenyouaretempted.
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can
bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that
you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Areyoutempted?TelltheLordaboutit.TellHimthatyouchoose
nottosin.AskHimtokeepyoufromsinning.TrustHimtomakea
wayofescapeforyou.Then,takethatwayofescape.
ESCAPE!
"No temptation has seized you except what
is common to man. And God is faithful; he
will not let you be tempted beyond what
you can bear. But when you are tempted, he
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that you can stand up under it." (1

Corinthians 10:13)
Godhasatremendousmessageforusinthisverseandevery
teenagershouldgetit.Let'slookattheversecarefullyandsee
whatGodissayingtous.

You will be tempted.

TheChristianlifeisnotalifefreefromtemptation.Whenyou
becomeaChristian,thedevildoesn'tdecidetotakealong
vacation.Iwishhewould.Iwouldpayhisexpenses!Aslongaswe
areinthisworldwewillbetempted.Butrememberthis
temptationinitselfisnotsin.TheBiblesaysofthesinlessSavior,
He"has been tempted in every way, just as we areyet [he] was without
sin."(Hebrews4:15)Sincomeswhenwesay,"Yes"totemptation.

Everyone is tempted.
Rememberwhenyouare
temptedthatsuchtemptation
is"commontoman."Christiansare
notaneworderofangelicbeings.
Theyaremadeofthesamestuffas
otherpeopleandaresubjecttothe
sametemptationsandtrials.Often,
whenweasChristiansaretemptedwithuncleanthoughts,weare
pronetothinkthatwemustbethemostwickedorweakestofall
people.Thedevillikesforustothinkthatway.Helikesforusto
thinkthatourcaseishopeless.Butthisisnottrue.Othersare
temptedinthesameway.Manyofthemhavecomethroughwith
flyingcolors,andyoucantooifyoureallywanttodoso.

God will not let you be tested beyond what you can
bear.
Hereisafactthatwecancounton.[God]"willnotletyoube 

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temptedbeyondwhatyoucan
bear."GodkeepsHisword.If
wegodownindefeatitwillbe
ourownfault.Therearethree
stepsdownintosin,andthelasttwostepsareours.
Someonehassaid,"Temptationislikeaneggeasilybroken,but
alsoeasilyhatchedifwegiveitawarmreception."

There is a way of escape.

"But when you are tempted, he [God] will also provide a way out [an
escape] so that you can stand up under it."
Whenanoldblackpreacherwas
explainingthisversetohiscongregation,
hesaid,"WhattheLordsayshereisthat
Hewillneverletthedevilhemyouupina
cornerwithoutleavingsomelittleknot
holethatyoucansqueezethrough."This
istrue.
Sometimesthewayofescapeistoavoidasituationthatyouknowwillbe
dangerous.
Sometimes,thewayofescapeistobreaksomefriendshiporassociation
thatisleadingyouthewrongway.
Keepbusy.Findsomethingconstructivetodo.Idlenessisthedevil's
workshop,andifyoudon'twanttodobusinesswithhim,stayoutofhisshop.
Becarefulaboutwhatyoufeedyourmind.Youcannotkeepapuremindif
youfeeditonallthefilththatisprintedandshowntoday.
Don'tneglectyourBible.AnoteinD.L.Moody'sBiblereads,"ThisBookwill
keepyoufromsinorsinwillkeepyoufromthisBook."

God is faithful.
Ourversesays,"GODISFAITHFUL."WhenGodsaysHewillnot
allowyoutobetemptedbeyondwhatyoucanbear,Hemeansjust
that.WhenHesaysHewillmakeawayofescape,Hemeansjust
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that.WemayfailHim,butHenever
failsus.
But,supposeyoudofail.Ocean
linerscarrylifeboatsforusein
emergencies.Godhasmadesucha
provisionforus.1John1:9says,
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Whenyoudosin,cometoGodatonceandconfessyoursinopenly
andfrankly.
Butyoumustnotbeexpectingtofailallthetime.Ifyouexpectto
fail,youwillfail.Determineinyourheartthatyouwillsucceedin
theChristianlife.
JonathanEdwardsmadetwowonderfulresolutions:
"Resolvedfirst,thateverymanshouldlivetothegloryof
God.
Resolvedsecond,thatwhetherothersdothisornot,I
WILL!"
TheyoungpersonwhodeterminesinhishearttoglorifyGodin
hislife,nomatterwhatothersdoorthink,ismoreprecioustoGod
thanallthestarryuniverse.

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