Lesson 8: Faithful in your actions
Read 1 Timothy 2:8-15 - www.bible.com/bible/59/1ti.2

8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,
10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.
12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.


Being faithful in our actions is rarely as easy as that sounds. We human beings have an amazing ability to justify our actions, even if they are against what God asks of us. For example, if we are in a physical relationship with someone, a relationship God says is not to be because we are not married to this someone, we might tell ourselves we can witness to this person if we remain in the relationship. We might tell ourselves breaking the relationship would cause the other person to curse God. We might even tell ourselves it would hurt too much to break it, and such pain is never God’s will for our life. All our reasons are faulty; they are only lies from the evil one to keep us from doing what God asks of us. It is important for us to understand who God made us to be (sexually pure), and determine with all our strength to keep His way, no matter the cost.

The same is true for any other part of our life – we may have a habit or an addiction which is not God’s plan for us. The most common excuse we give ourselves is that we cannot break this habit or addiction.

Stepping away from sin is a choice. When we make the choice, whether we feel like it or not, and ask God to help us make our choice a firm fact in our life, He will do it. This does not mean our choice will only be made once and the situation will go away. No, we may, depending on how strong the addiction or the need is in our human body, have to make the choice many times each day for the rest of our lives. Our bodies will fight us in our choice, and it will be ever so easy to give in. Our only solution in this battle is to set our resolve before God and ask Him to help us keep it.
*Next time (and every time) you’re faced with a strong temptation to fall into a familiar sin again, pray, “Lord, I love You more than I love the pleasure of doing what I’m being tempted with right now. I choose to turn away from the temptation and back toward You – I love you because You first loved me.”