Before You Give Your Life To Christ, Terms And Conditions Apply

2) You Will Pass Through Different Temptations, Tribulations, Trials, and Persecution

Temptation:  Is to be enticed to willing transgress against God through our desires and lust.

James 1:13-14 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “ God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. (NLT)

In every human being is lust. When the devil comes around, he’s always looking for something in that person he can use as a contact point for temptation.

The devil  always tempts every child of God with 3 things;

• Lust of the eyes: Lust of the eyes is the inordinate desire to possess what we see. The things that appeal to the eyes; flashy cars, pieces of jewellery ( gold, diamond, pearls),
• Lust of the flesh: Lust of the flesh are the inordinate affections and desires of human nature that are in contrast to the will and command of God  I.e. Immorality, Pornography, Masturbation, Lesbianism, Oral Sex, Gay ( homosexuals), Adultery, Fornication, Stealing, and Covetousness.
• Pride of life: Example, the temptations of Eve in Genesis 3 and Jesus Christ in Matthew (4:1-11), Luke (4:1-15).

As a believer, follower, and soldier in the Army of God’s Kingdom, you must always get ready for the tempter, the devil.

Jesus was tempted by him and as a follower of Jesus, you must always expect him to come to tempt you, in order to choke you spiritually. If Jesus was not spared, you being His follower and believer will not be spared too.

 The devil comes to tempt you, only when you are vulnerable.

Do not let him take advantage of your present needs and challenges to lead you away from God or cause you to sin against God.

Beloved, you have nothing to prove to anyone, about your relationship with God.

Don’t let the world push you to prove that you are a child of God. That is pride.

The spirit of pride is the most dangerous of them all.  Seeking men’s approval is pride.

The tempter can use any vessel to carry out his assignment;

your Father, Mother, Husband, Wife, Friend, Mentor, Mentee, Pastor, or Boss at work, any willing and yielded vessel can be used by him.

So you must at all times, be vigilant and alert.

Anytime you are tempted to prove a point to people about your status and what you have achieved, you’re already close to being trapped by the pride of life.

The Devil wanted Jesus to do the same when he said to him “ If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down ” but he did not fall for it.  The tempter was tempting Jesus to see if the pride of life was in Him.  He wanted him to prove a point about his sonship.

You have nothing to prove to anyone or the Devil.

Jesus says you are his son that settles it.

If you can deal with lustful desires, you will overcome sinful actions.

Tribulations: Distress or suffering resulting in oppression.

Scripture tells us that those who follow Jesus Christ and obey God’s commandments will face tribulations.

“ Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9-10.

Trials: Difficult experiences and problems.

As a believer and follower of Jesus, you can not escape certain challenges you must go through them. You must expect the trial of your faith always.

 Sometimes when you pass through certain challenges in life, God allows them to make you stronger.

It is called the trial of your faith.

Your ability to overcome these trials shows the strength of your love for God.

Many followers and believers of Jesus Christ are angry with God, they feel betrayed by him for not fulfilling His promises, but it is not their fault.

It is the fault of some preachers and teachers of the Word who have failed in their assignment to teach the truth to them.

Everything that happened to Jesus Christ, how he was treated, all will happen to you as his believer and follower and you will go through them all except dying for the sin of mankind.

All the disciples of Jesus suffered and died the most horrible types of death you can think of or imagine.

Being a believer and follower of Jesus Christ is not for men and women of fragile minds, but bold men and women who are sold out to their belief and are ready to pay prices that are high and deep including their life if need be.

Men who will say like Job; “ Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him…” Job made this statement when he was in terrible pain and suffering. He had lost all of his children, his wealth, and his health. His friends were of no help. His wife offered no support either. She told him to curse God and die.

Job felt as though his life was over.

The only thing left was to die.

Women who will say, “ If I die I die, if I perish I perish” but I will not compromise my body or my faith.

It’s not about you, it’s about God.

Persecution: This is to deliberately cause a person to suffer pain.

Whatever causes you pain for Christ’s sake is persecution.

Persecution is causing someone to suffer oppression or hate on the basis of their race or religion. Matthew 24:10-13, Matthew  13:20-21, Matthew 24:9-10.

As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, expect persecution.

Persecution for a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ is not for babies. It calls for endurance.

Persecution is a deliberate pain inflicted on you even death for Christ’s sake.

There comes a time we expect God to show up because we know He has the power but He does not show up.

Why?

Because it is His will you pass through that pain at that time.

Example: The imprisoning and beheading of John the Baptist in Matthew 14:1-12 and Jesus’ death on the cross.  While on the cross, He felt forsaken by God the Father,  just the way you do now and sometimes.

And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a

    loud voice saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’’

    that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?    (Matthew 27:46)

God had the power to stop all His pain and deliver Jesus but just as in the case of John the Baptist, He choose not to. Because of the purpose that their death will fulfil. Which is why Scripture tells us that. “ All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His Purpose. Romans 8: 28

Beloved, Persecution is part of our inheritance in Christ as his believer and followers.

It takes a soldier’s mentality, to accept persecution as part of your faith.

A trained soldier matches head-on into the battlefield, even in the midst of bullets whizzing past him. But a civilian hides at the appearance of danger, battle, and bullets.

Today’s Christians do not want to pass through persecution, tribulations, and trials which is why they go about looking for miracles, signs, and wonders up and down.

Thereby becoming easy prey to wolves in sheep’s clothing, masquerading as the Shepherd, but they are not. These wolves feed on their desperation and take them through various theatrics which in the end leave them high and dry.

In the end, guess who is still blamed?

The LORD God.

In this era of fast food and fast internet and all, they want everything fast and easy.

Fast and easy may be applicable to manmade gadgets, equipment, and systems, but it’s not so with God.

The LORD God is a God of principles, times, and seasons. In Lamentation 3:1 Scripture tells us ;

“ There is a time for everything

and a season for every  activity under the heavens…”

Beloved, it’s imperative that  I bring to your knowledge today, that as a Soldier, believer, and follower of Jesus Christ,  in this journey of faith, there is an allotted time by God for going through trials, temptations,  persecutions, and tribulations.

This is a MUST for every human on earth and includes a believer and followers of Jesus Christ. No one is exempted.

Every man or woman one way or another has a battle they are fighting in their lives.

Don’t let the devil fool you that everyone has their life and affairs together except you.

That’s a Lie from the Pit of Hell.

You can not pray your way out of it, and neither can you wish it away.

It’s part of your training curriculum.

Passing through them is not because you sinned, nor your parents. God permits them even though He has the power to stop them so that His mighty works may be displayed and for His Glory, as it was in the case of Job.

Job lost all his sons and daughters, wealth, companies, and investments in one day even his health was afflicted. 

Why?

Because God boasted of him to the devil.

It might interest you to know that in all the havoc the devil wrecked in the life of Job, he had God’s full support. The only “Caveat  ’’ was that he was not permitted to touch his life.

The LORD God stood and watched the devil release his fury upon the household of Job and his innocent children died for what they knew nothing about and God gave His approval.

I mean it doesn’t make sense to the human mind, right?

But after Job was tested and passed, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. He lived a hundred and forty years, he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

Job during his light affliction as severe as it was, stood his ground.  “ Though he slays me, yet will I hope in him…” Job made this statement when he was in terrible pain and suffering.

The pain and suffering of Job worked for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory because God gave him twice all that he lost.

Beloved Walking with God can strip you bare and naked.

He does things that make Him seem unreasonable, mean, wicked, and not loving as He says.

What so ever the devil does, he is simply a messenger, carrying out His Master, God’s assignment. He does nothing except that which the LORD God approves.

It is written in Lamentations 3:37 -38,

“ Who is he who speaks and it comes

to pass if the Lord has not authorized

and commanded it?

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that

both calamities and good things come?

Man fears the devil more than he fears God. Forgetting that the devil has no power of his own.

No matter what so ever you are passing through now oh! Soldier in the Army of the LORD’s Kingdom, remember it’s for a time and season. Make up your mind not to lose hope and faith in the LORD as Job did.

Because the LORD God who has called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10

Jesus Christ whom you are following or intend to follow said,

Remember what I told you: ‘ A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also… John 15: 20

God Bless You

See The Concluding Part;

Before You Give Your Life To Christ, Terms And Conditions Apply Part 3