Christianity Oasis Forum

[logi bear]

Genesis 39:1-12

1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said,"Lie with me."

8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.

11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
NKJV

Joseph should be a great inspiration to us. He was hated by his brothers, sold by them into slavery, separated from his family... sure he was greatly favored and well off in Potiphar's house. But he was still a slave. I'm sure there must have been just a second where he thought... "I deserve this. I deserve to get laid. So what if she's not my wife? She's beautiful, she wants me, I deserve some pleasure. No one will know."
But instead, he acted admirably. Not just once, but it says "DAY BY DAY" she spoke to him. Day by day she tried to seduce him. But he would not be swayed, he would not have sex with another man's wife, no matter how beautiful she was, or how much she threw herself at him, or how much he thought he "deserved" some gratification. Not only does it say that he refused to lie with her, but that he refused to even be with her, and when she caught him by his clothes, he RAN in the other direction.
We have the power to say no to sin. Before we were saved, we were slaves to sin, sin OWNED us, sin was our master. But Romans 6:16-18 says "Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.
18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. " (NLT)
Joseph was able to say no to sin, because he served God, because he served righteousness. Not sin. If you serve righteousness, you have the power to say no to sin.
Satan knows your weaknesses, your "achilles heal." If he fights dirty, if he puts the very thing in front of you that he knows makes you crumble. Then fight dirty too. Get on your knees and pray for God to help you, I can't even count the number of times i have prayed and God has either completely delivered me from temptation, or filled me with the strength and the courage to stand up to sin and say NO. Get a Christian friend to stay with you till the temptation subsides. Play worship music, read scripture out loud, download and listen to an encouraging teaching, get in the spirit, because sin is not your master, you do not have to obey it. Because you serve righteousness, because you serve God, you can say no. And again, if you find yourself slipping, above all else, PRAY. God will help you if you are struggling, God will give you the strength to fight through it. God will empower you, his child, if you come to Him and ask.