No One Has to Sin!

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces pa­tience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4.

Temptation is not sin. It is a trial of my faith—a test of whether I live before people or before God—a trial of whether or not I fear God.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8. To have sin means that we have lusts and desires. But through faithfulness in the time of temptation, I can destroy him who has the power of death. Therefore, I can rejoice exceedingly when I come into temp­tation.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:12-15.

You must stand in your trials and commit those things that you are tempted to into the death of Christ. If you hold onto an accusation, that has an effect on your spirit. Then you cannot be alive to God. When you are alive to God, you love your brother and do not accuse him! Those who receive the exhor­tations in the Bible are alive to God. No matter how unpleas­ant someone is, he cannot force sins like anger, impatience, irritation, etc., into another person. In other words, it is never someone else’s fault. The sin in your own flesh has been awakened by the things that happen. If you then begin to blame other people in your thoughts, you have fallen in sin and have not stood in the temptation.

Even though I have sin, it is not the intention that I fall in sin. Temptation is a trial of my faith. This is a very exciting life. Even though I have sin in my flesh, I do not have to com­mit sin!

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Heb. 2:14. Death is a tremendous dis­appointment for many people because it puts an end to all their human plans. We can win eternal life by standing in temptation. Jesus came to liberate all those who through fear of death were held in bondage all their life.

“For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Heb. 2:16-18. He had to become like His brothers! Isn’t that simple? When we suffer in the flesh, we also cease from sin. Jesus’ spirit was never defiled by the sin in His flesh. What a High Priest we have! He is interceding for us who are being tempted. And something happens inside us. For example, we do not have to get angry anymore!

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Rom. 8:1-2. There is no condemnation for being tempted! Many speak in such a way that people are left with no hope when they are tempted. But when you stand in a temptation without sinning, there is tremendous hope. If you fall in sin, you must acknowledge it, so you do not come into the law of death and as a consequence be taken by the second death. We must be made free, both from the law of sin and the law of death.

Adultery and fornication are sins that a person can enjoy in his thought life. But Jesus says if you do that, then you have already committed adultery in your heart. For example, in your thought life you can enjoy an infatuation. That is ex­tremely dangerous, and you can fall before you know what has happened. People who commit fornication and adultery have committed it first in their heart. Over a period of time, they have enjoyed something in their thoughts. That is un­faithfulness to God and to your marriage partner. And then, of course, you are not a servant of the Lord. Take this area ex­tremely seriously right from your youth. If you do not wage a wholehearted battle in this area, you will not receive a clear, powerful testimony in your heart so that you enter into sancti­fication. Hate your life—your own honor. Then you will be set free from people, and you will not get offended by what other people say, write or think about you or about the church.

God does not like superficial talk! We need a holy fear over us when it comes to how we speak about other people. Be very careful about treating a servant of the Lord in a superfi­cial way. We will all be weighed, and if we don’t come to sanc­tification, our weight will be very light. If you live a superficial life, you will not find all the sediment that is lying at the bot­tom. Through the ministry of the Spirit and chastisement, we find our own life and experience development and growth.

No one is special because of his ministry or his position, and no one has any rights just because he has served in the church. The fruit we bear is what is valuable to God. We must be filled with life and glory in our spirit.

There is a governing council in heaven. Dan. 4:17. Proph­ets, shepherds and apostles in the church decide, together with God, how things should be, and that is exactly how they will be.