What God Has Not Given You Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: What God Has Not Given You-------------------------- Date: 8/10/2001 Keyword: "discipline" "love" "power" "timidity" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: 2 Timothy 1:7-8a* 7. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 8. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.... Questions 1. If God didn’t give us a spirit of timidity, why are we so often afraid?   2. Are you embarrassed to tell people you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If so, do you understand why?   Practical help Perhaps we are afraid because Satan clouds our minds. But there may be other reasons as well. When we are willfully sinning (doing things we know are wrong, yet we do them anyway), we give ourselves over to fear. It’s impossible to lead a double life without fear of exposure. If you are playing with porn, you can’t be too comfortable sharing with others how Jesus has "transformed" your life. Or you have reconciled the problem of porn and following Christ by talking about His marvelous "grace." Jesus saved His sharpest criticism for religious hypocrites. Here is an example taken from Matthew 15:7-9: "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’" This means you can go to church, sing and pray all you want, but if you are harboring a secret sin, you are a hypocrite. When you drop the mask and admit your situation, God can begin the restoration process, not before. There is no middle ground. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."