HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 118
page A116
Evil continued
we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with
Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
One of the tricks of evil is to blind us to our authority and identity as children of God.
Through faith in Christ we are children of the king of the universe. Like a crown prince or
princess, we can stand tall and firm against any threat on the Kingdom.
• MAT T H E W 1 0 :1 | Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast
out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.
• MAT T H E W 2 8 :1 8 | Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in
heaven and on earth.”
Our authority in Christ Jesus not only helps us defend against temptation and evil, it gives
us the power to take the offensive and overcome evil with good.
PROMISES FROM GOD
• PSA L M 1 :6 | For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked
leads to destruction.
• R E V E L AT I O N 2 0 :1 0 | Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery
lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented
day and night forever and ever.
E
Excuses See also Convictions; Honesty & Integrity
HelpFinder
Excuses are part of daily living. An excuse is designed to justify certain behavior. There
are legitimate excuses (“I couldn’t meet you because I was sick”), and there are poor
excuses (“He dared me to steal it”). Poor excuses try to rationalize improper behavior.
When you find yourself blaming others for your actions or lying to make you look better,
your excuses will get you in trouble. It is far better in the long run to admit what you’ve
done, seek forgiveness, and move forward.
Where is the first excuse in the Bible?
• G E NE S I S 3 :1 2 | “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
Adam made the first excuse. He blamed Eve, and indirectly he blamed God for giving him
“the woman.” Then Eve blamed the serpent. Both tried to excuse their actions by blaming
someone else.
What are some examples of other people who had poor excuses?
• G E NE S I S 1 6 :5 | Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault!”
Sarai (Sarah) couldn’t have children, so she gave her slave to Abram in order to have a child
through her. Later Sarah had second thoughts and blamed Abram for the whole thing.
• E X O DU S 3 2 :2 4 | “When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came
this calf!”
Aaron’s lame excuse for making an idol—something expressly condemned by God—was
that it just happened! How often we do the same thing, blaming our sin on circumstances
beyond our control. But the Bible clearly says we are completely accountable for all our
actions (Romans 14:12; Revelation 20:12).
• L U K E 2 2 :6 0 | But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Peter had an excuse for saying he didn’t know Jesus—he wanted to save his life or, at best,
avoid the ridicule of being associated with him. Ironically, it is when we start making excuses
about not knowing Jesus that we are in the greatest danger.
Can we ever excuse ourselves from God’s work because we lack abilities
or resources?
• E X O DU S 4 :1 0 | But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words.”