33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
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Jesus Came to Set You Free From Sin
The only one who really wants people defeated and living in
sin is the devil. He is the promoter of sin and defeat on this
earth. However, Jesus came and died on the cross to forgive our
sins and to give us the power over every temptation. Jesus
came to destroy the works of the devil in everyone’s life.
Therefore, the question is, “Do you want to be free?”
The work of the devil is to cause people to sin and live in
defeat. He tries to work “overtime” on all of us. Today, those
who put their faith in Jesus and the work of the cross can have
the devil’s work, in their lives, destroyed once and for all (1
John 3:8). For the disciple, the “power of sin” has been
destroyed, the “presence of sin” has been erased, and the
“penalty of sin” has been forgiven! As a result, the lifestyle of
defeat has been exchanged for the lifestyle of victory in Jesus!
Before you read the next section, please take some time to
prayerfully meditate on the statements just made. If Jesus really
has already destroyed the power of sin in your life, then the
devil and your sinful flesh has literally been defeated. Do you
believe that? If you truly believe what Jesus did for you, then
you will be able to live free from sin. You will never be the
same again.
Remember, you can’t get free with your own “will
power.” You can only be made free by Jesus’ resurrection
power. If you’re currently being defeated by sin, stop right now
and put your total trust in Jesus because He has already made a
way of total victory for you. Hallelujah!
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Eight Kinds of Temptation to Overcome
As you read the following list of temptations to overcome,
please pray and ask God to show you all the mindsets and
habits that you need to abandon so that you will not continue
in sin. Don’t be ashamed or afraid to admit to God your
weakness. Come to Him in humility and He will change your
heart.
God said, “26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to
follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws,” Ezekiel 36:26-27.
Therefore, it is because Jesus gives you a new, healed, and holy
heart that you can live holy. You cannot try to be holy. God
must make you holy. You cannot move yourself away from
temptation. You must pray and receive God’s power to move
you in righteousness! Consider the different kinds of
temptation below that are common to all people:
1. Sexual Perversion: Galatians 5:19 & 1 John 2:16.
a. Sexual actions outside of marriage including oral sex,
homosexuality, and masturbation.
b. Lust in the form of dirty thoughts.
2. Evil Entertainment: Psalm 119:37 & Philippians 4:8.
a. Excessive sin, vulgarity, and glorification of evil in TV,
music, and movies.
b. Pornography, perverse movies, and indecent TV.
3. Love of Money: 1 Timothy 6:10 & Matthew 6:24.
a. Prideful, selfish, and greedy.
b. Not a tither, putting money before God, and stingy.
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4. False Religion and Witchcraft: Galatians 5:20 & 1 John 4:1.
a. False prophets, teachers, and religions.
b. Astrology, palm readings, and involvement in the
occult.
5. Anger and Unforgiveness: Matthew 6:15 & James 1:19.
a. Bitter, unable to forgive, and slanderous.
b. Outbursts of rage, disrespectful, and cursing.
6. Ungodliness and Addictions: Titus 2:11-12 & 1 Corinthians
10:23.
a. Drug use, drunkenness, ungodly friends, lying,
stealing, cheating, and committing crimes.
b. Addicted to food, social media, shopping, etc.
7. Fearful Behavior: Proverbs 29:25 & Revelation 21:8.
a. Fearing what people think about you and trying to
please man, rather than God.
b. Fearful of trusting God and following all His
commands.
8. Rebellion: 1 Samuel 15:23 & Hebrews 13:17.
a. Bad attitude towards leadership and lack of honor.
b. Defensive when corrected, complaining spirit, and
unwilling to submit to godly discipline.
This list is by no means a complete list of possible sins. It is
meant to highlight some of the most common areas where
people are tempted. Now that you have read the list, remember
what John wrote, “…for everyone born of God overcomes the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1
John 5:4). Being an overcomer means to allow God’s power in
you to make you an overcomer. Some of these areas will be
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easier for you than others, but all of these temptations will be
conquered in your life by your faith in Jesus. Always stay close
to Jesus in your time of temptation (don’t run away and try to
hide) and you will be delivered from evil every time!