For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:20-24 NLT) As believers in Christ, we must forsake the desire to 'make ourselves right' by any other means than faith in the finished work of Jesus at the cross. We are always going to think we could just 'be a little better' because that is human nature. We can never be 'more better' than we are in Christ Jesus! We are our 'best' in him - nothing we do or say can change us quite in the same way as trusting in him can do within us. We are made right with Christ Jesus - that means we might not see all the change he has done in us, but...
Billy Sunday once said, "Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in." Too many of us see the key in the keyhole, just assuming it must be opened, but a key in the keyhole doesn't mean we ever have to unlock the door! We maintain the right as to who and what we let into our lives - we can deny entrance to all manner of compromise and sin with the help of the Holy Spirit, our conscience, and scripture! The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (I Corinthians 10:13 NLT) I have heard some say that their 'temptation' is unique - nobody else deals with what they deal with. This is particularly true of the addict. Often their justification for their repeated return to the addicting object, whether it be drug, alcohol, food, o...