He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. (I John 3:8—NIV)

We may be coming to the place where the Christians in America will be forced to go to the jungles of South America or the frozen wastelands of Canada in order to raise their children in a social atmosphere that is not pervaded with sexual lust.

But Jesus is greater! If you are the type of individual that finds the problem of sexual lust to be almost insurmountable, take heart. There is enough power in Jesus Christ to speak a galaxy of stars into existence. Christ has enough power to drive the lust from your personality. Believe it, look to Christ for it, and victory will be yours.

God will not receive us (except in a legal sense, through the blood atonement) until the love of the world and the passions of the flesh are driven from us by the Holy Spirit.

Notice the following, written to the Christian churches:

Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. (II Corinthians 6:17—NIV)

Can you see from the above passage that it is not enough to just say "I believe in Jesus"? You actually have to make the effort to come out from the uncleannesses of the world if you expect the Lord to receive you. This is how we are reconciled to God: first through the blood atonement; then by following the Holy Spirit in putting away worldliness and the lusts of the flesh.

The third temptation is that of the roof of the Temple. There Jesus stood, while Satan challenged Him to jump off and thus prove He is God's Son.

The Lord Jesus was absolutely obedient to the Father. He did not just set forth and do things because He was the Savior of the world. Rather He waited long nights in prayer until He knew what the Father desired that He do and say.

Much if not most of what goes on in Christianity is being performed by believers who mean well but who do not really know what Jesus would have them do. They never have made Jesus their personal Lord. They have received Him as Savior but not as personal Lord. They perform their religious work before they hear from the Lord.

They have never denied themselves, taken up their cross, and set out after Jesus. In other words, they have not as yet begun as a real Christian.

Perhaps the greatest emphasis of the Holy Spirit in our day has to do with learning obedience to the Father. In order to perfect our obedience, God permits all kinds of prisons and sufferings to afflict us. If we are to pass the test, and thus be reconciled perfectly to God, we are obliged to remain in our prison, accepting our suffering as cheerfully as we can.

This does not mean we are not to pray to be delivered from our prison of suffering. We assuredly are to pray. We must pray. We must always keep joy before us so we may endure the cross. Jesus did!

To be continued.