Sunday School Lesson on Temptation in the Bible Topic Discussion

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Sunday School Lesson on Temptation in the Bible Topic Discussion

1.How can admitting that sin is slavery helpus in our battle against temptation?

One of Satan's most successful strategies in-volves convincing God's people that sinful prac-tices are liberating. This was a significant part ofhis approach to Eve (Genesis 3).

One of the most crucial and successful tech-niques to resist Satan in this regard involves thewillingness to call sin what Scripture calls it:bondage (compare Hebrews 2:15). No one in hisor her right mind would find the thought of slav-ery appealing. Yet many do not acknowledge theenslaving power of particular sins until they ex-perience it firsthand. By classifying sin accu-rately at the outset. we allow the Holy Spirit toguard us against temptation. There is a very realsense in which "forewarned is forearmed."

2.What are some ways that we, like theancient Jews, might be tempted to allow ances-try and tradition to produce an inaccurate viewof our spiritual status before God? How do weguard against this?

Those who come from devoutly Christian fami-lies might be lulled into assuming that that "godlyaura" guarantees a right relationship with God.Due to the impact of their upbringing, people whocome from a particular Christian heritage or de-nomination can at times find it difficult to let theBible speak on its own terms.

Practices such as the singing of familiar songs,gathering with familiar people, and worshipingin a familiar place can provide great security.Such spiritual rhythms can become dangerous,however, if they become ends in themselvesrather than as means to authentic relationshipwith God.

3. What are some practical lessons the exam-ple of Jesus can teach us regarding how to pre-sent the exclusive claims of the gospel?

We can never compromise the gospel messageby communicating that salvation can be found inany way apart from an acknowledgment and ac-ceptance of Jesus' person and work. We mostalso strive to make sure that if people take of-fense at the gospel message it is due to the mes-sage itself and not to our presentation of it. If we

suffer rejection for the sake of the gospel, weneed to examine if that rejection is a reaction tothe gospel message or is a reaction to our ownobnoxious or abrasive attitude (1 Peter 3:15, 16).The example of Jesus shows that strong anddramatic language sometimes may be necessaryto help people see their spiritual condition. Wecaution ourselves with the realization that Jesuscould see into people's hearts, but we cannot.

4.How should you as a Christian witness tosomeone who fears death? How would your wit-ness to a Christian and a non-Christian differ,or would it?

Examining your own view of death is an im-portant first step. Our view should be that deathis an enemy, but it is a defeated enemy (1 Corin-thians 15:26). Next, finding out why a personfears death is important. Some fear death becauseit is a great unknown. Some fear death becausethey dread the painful and difficult ways thatpeople sometimes die. The list goes on.

Christians are not exempt from the pain ofdeath. Yet we know that Jesus has emerged victo-rious by God's power—that's our hope. The fearthat each Christian or non-Christian goesthrough is unique to him or her, so a canned ap-proach will be counterproductive. Pray!

5.In what ways can Jesus' example help us inefforts to share the gospel with Jewish peopletoday? What are some cautions?

We must be careful not to make blanket com-parisons between modern Judaism and the Ju-daism of Jesus' opponents in the text. ModernJudaism manifests itself in various streams ofbelief (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed)that are not precisely parallel to the Judaism ofJesus' day.

Even so, Jesus is still the way, the truth, andthe life. To the modem Jew we can demonstratethat Jesus is the Messiah anticipated in the Scrip-tures. One thing we dare not do is give the ideathat a person can reject Christ, stay within Ju-daism, and still be saved. The missionary workand teaching of the apostle Paul dispels any suchpossibility (Acts 13:44-46; etc.). Doing all fromlove is crucial.

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