Title Beyond Temptation
Contents
Thomas Carlyle, author of the French Revolution, said:
‘Adversity is a difficult opponent to endure as a human being. But if there are a hundred people who can endure adversity, only one can withstand prosperity.”
What does this mean? It is more difficult to overcome prosperity than to overcome adversity. That is, what is a human being? While they do their best to be recognized, they are weak in the face of temptations that come after recognition.
Temptation comes in different forms in each season of life.
What are the main temptations in your 20s and 30s? Being young, there are many sexual temptations.
40s: There is a temptation to gain fame through lust and achievement.
50s: Material lust, the desire to spend the end of life safely.
Temptation began to come to Joseph, who became the general secretary in charge of Potiphar's house.
'My master's wife asked me to sleep with her while blinking her eyes (7)' This may look like a scene from a movie, but this image of a married man seducing an unmarried person is typical of those who do not know God today. You can say it looks.
In particular, when did homosexuality begin? In Genesis, angels visited the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to rescue Lot's family. At that time, the people of the city gathered at Lot's house and demanded that the angels be released. It was for sex.
The sexual fall is not just linking the days of Joseph and today's modern age, it has continued since the fall of mankind and continues until the moment when the Lord comes.
What you need to know here is that sin does not develop as time goes by, as science advances, but it is the same as it was in Adam's time and now. There is no difference in the type and concentration of sins.
Potiphar's wife seduces first. This is a form of temptation. In a way, temptation approaches us first rather than us as saints approach sin first. Like a snake approaching Eve, like a roaring lion, temptation always comes first.
In the case of Joseph, Joseph was a young man in his late twenties. Also, Potiphar's wife must have been as young, attractive, and stature as Joseph. It was a situation where, if you were like a worldly person, your future could be guaranteed as long as you hold onto a woman no matter what you do. Conversely, if he refused her request, his future could be bleak. Also, even if Joseph complied with the woman's request, no one noticed.
Now, what did Joseph do when he was tempted like this?
At this time, Joseph refused with one sword (8-9). What was the reason for your rejection?
Joseph refused for three reasons: Because he couldn't betray his master who trusted him. 2) From an ethical point of view, the third reason is the most important because she was a woman with a husband. Because from the point of view of faith it was sinning against God.
Finally, “How can you do this evil and sin against God?”
What we need to remember here is that Egypt at that time had a developed sexual culture and a lewd society. But the important thing is that Joseph did not judge sin according to the Egyptian culture, but saw it from God's point of view.
That's very important. The more the world has fallen, the more sins it has embraced in its time and its culture. If you look at actors and talents that we see a lot in our society today, premarital pregnancy is regarded as something we are proud of. proud to say that Some say it's fine. say it can be.
However, we must remember that believers should not live according to the standards of the world, but live according to the Word of the Bible. why? This is because when you are judged later, you are not judged by the standards of the culture and values of the time, but by the unchanging Word of God.
I pray that you will be living in the presence of God, not in front of people.
Even though Joseph refused, what did the woman do?
He continued to seduce me every day. Temptation doesn't come just once. Every moment, every moment, it comes continuously. So it's not over just because I've refused the temptation once. We too are tempted every day. What is the most important thing at this time? The volitional decision to reject temptation the attitude of the heart is of utmost importance.
If Joseph's heart was shaken by the persistent temptation of a woman, what would have happened? If his heart is shaken, his life is shaken.
However, if his heart is not shaken, neither his future nor his life will be shaken.
What we need to learn is that depending on the type and nature of the temptation, the way we respond will vary.
What about the temptations of material things, honor, and power? You must fight and conquer.
However, sexual seduction should be avoided immediately.
What should I do if a woman just pulls her sleeve while walking down the street?
Instead of praying there, you should quickly get out of the place.
You don't become obese overnight. And you can't lose weight overnight. Rome was not built in a day, nor was it destroyed in a day. The most terrifying collapse begins on the inside before it comes on the outside. It begins with a thought before it begins with an action. So, don't blame the other person or the environment. Temptation is persistent, but if you accept it, you are responsible for the sin.
Also, remember that Joseph defeated himself before he overcame temptation.
When Joseph kept holding him, he threw away his clothes and fled (13).
Joseph also lost his second coat. His favorite colored clothes were taken from his brothers, and his coat was also stolen from his mistress. But there was something that could not be taken from him. His innocence, his conscience, and the way he reacted to life in such an environment could not be taken away by anyone.
What did Joseph do while in prison? ‘I am not guilty. The woman seduced her first,’ and did not criticize her or put her in trouble.
Usually, when we are framed, it is easy to complain about difficulties. I can't stand alone. But Joseph did not do that. Jesus did not condemn those who pointed their fingers at the cross. And Joseph did not even blame God. He just accepted this reality of going to prison.
What made you do this?
Because they had faith that God was with them.
I hope you will have this kind of faith as well.
When you have faith, you can wait. You can be patient.
But without faith, we become frustrated, disappointed with the future, and angry.
At that time, adultery was a crime punishable by death. Joseph's imprisonment was minor. Perhaps Potiphar was aware of his wife's immoral conduct.
So he goes down to prison, but this was another training from God to prepare him
What kind of training did Joseph receive when his clothes were taken twice and thrown away twice?
1) It is training to trust God.
What did Joseph learn the hard way through his second abandonment?
He had learned that it was not enough to entrust his life to anyone.
Joseph was abandoned by his closest brother. He was abandoned by his closest master. When the master he trusted and trusted did not believe in his character and life and sent him to prison, Joseph would even feel betrayed.
So are we. You gave your life for the company, and if you ask to retire later, you will experience chaos and frustration.
So was Jesus. He was sold to the closest disciple, denied by Peter three times, misunderstood by his brothers, rejected by the locals of Nazareth, and abandoned by his father on the cross. So when we are forsaken, the Lord knows our hearts.
What we're learning here is, don't depend on people, don't depend on money.
Only God is the object we depend on.
Joseph learned this training.
2) Training to adapt to the environment: Adapting to the environment means putting oneself before God's sovereignty.
It is giving up. As we adapt to our circumstances, we must listen to God's voice. There are times when you have to accept reality even if you don't want to admit it. because it's training
As in Potiphar's house, the same happens in prison (22)
How could this happen?
21: Because God was with us.
When God is with you, you do not come out of prison, but good things happen even in the worst situations.
23: “The prison did not look after anything that was in his hand.”
what's the reason? Because God is with you.
‘He made him prosper in all things’
There is a training that we must pass in order to be successful.
It is training to trust in God. If you pass this, you will prosper in everything.
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of men is a snare, but those who trust in the Lord
Sleep will be safe'