Hope For Repeat Offenders

Hope For Repeat Offenders

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Hope For Repeat Offenders----------------------- Date: 2/16/2000
Keywords: "besetting sin" "hope"

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Passage: Luke 22:39-46*

39. And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.

40. And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

41. And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to
pray,

42. saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done."

43. Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

44. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

45. And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,

46. and said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."

Question

1. Before He went off by Himself to pray, Jesus told His disciples to pray that they "might not enter into temptation.” What do you think this means?

2. The disciples slept while Jesus prayed. Do you think that they “entered into temptation”?

3. What is the last thing Jesus tells them to do? (v. 46)

Practical help

When Jesus told Peter, James and John to pray that they might not enter temptation, He was wanting them to pray that God would keep them alert, sensitive, strong. Instead of receiving that gift alertness and sensitivity and strength, though, they fell asleep at the wheel. They failed - perhaps because they didn't even pray, or praying, they didn't really expect God to come through for them. Notice that Jesus’ final words to those three were the same as the first words. That tells us that the need was the same after failure as it was prior to failure AND that God’s provision was just as available after a failure as it was prior to failure.

How often do Christians who are self-trapped by a besetting sin, like clicking onto pornographic web sites, feel that their failure disqualifies them from receiving God’s help again.

If Jesus offers God’s way out to three failing disciples in the Garden of Gethsemene, He offers you the same. Failed again? Don’t give up. Pray again! God is still making grace to resist temptation available to you. This time, grab hold of it by faith!

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLEŽ, Š Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."