Text: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone (James 1:13).
What is temptation? Temptation is an enticement, an appeal, an attraction which tends to lead someone to commit an immoral or sinful act.
Is there anyone present who has never been tempted? I believe we have all been tempted at some point in our lifetime. Every time we were faced with a situation that we knew was wrong or that we should not do, but looked so good that we gave it second thoughts, we were tempted. As adults we are faced with temptation every day. The important thing is how we react to that temptation.
Story: “The Man Who was Tempted”
A man in a responsible position, entrusted with large sums of money, was one day tempted to put some of the cash to his own account. He knew that it would be a long time before his theft could be discovered.
He resisted the temptation, but felt that he must tell somebody the anguish of mind through which he had passed. He went, therefore, to the man who had occupied the position before him, and told him all about the temptation, and how he had almost fallen.
To his surprise, the man did not reprove him, but put his hand on his shoulder in a fatherly sort of way. “I know exactly how you felt,” he said quietly. “I went through it all myself when I occupied your position.”
How good it is to know that we have One who was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
-------------------Christian Herald
Temptation itself is not a sin. Temptation is not a bad thing. Temptation will not send you to Hell. The real problem arises when we are tempted and we give in to that temptation.
Temptation has been around for a long time. In fact, Adam and Eve were the first ones ever tempted. Temptation is a test which demonstrates a person’s obedience or disobedience. If one has never had the opportunity to disobey or one has never been tempted, that person would have no way to show or display true obedience.
Adam and Eve were given the best of everything. They were placed in a beautiful garden. They did not have to labor or work. God provided for all their needs. At this point, they could do no wrong, but God did not want complete control or He didn’t want people that He could manipulate lake puppets on a string. He wanted people to be able to decide things for themselves. He wanted Adam and Eve to have a mind that would enable them to make choices.
God gave Satan an opportunity to test Adam and Eve by temptation. Satan was a created being and could do nothing without God’s permission. Satan is in the world this very day trying to lure people away from God. This is God’s way of testing His children. Satan will never be the winner or the victor because God is in control and God has already revealed his destiny to us.
Did it ever cross your mind that Adam and Eve had available to them a means to resist Satan’s temptation? Yes, they did have a means to resist Satan’s temptation. In fact, they had the same means to resist temptation that you and I have today. What is that you asked?
To start with, we have to know we are being tempted. Then we have to ask the Father to give us strength to resist that temptation. God’s answer to us might be to move away from the temptation. When we realize we are being tempted or enticed with something that will lead to sin, we simply say “No!”
God tested the Israelites as they wandered around in the desert for forty years. He wanted them to follow all His commandments. He wanted to see if they were going to be obedient to His Word. Life was not easy for them, but God needed to know that He was first in their heart. He was checking their commitment to Him. He wanted them to know that everything they had and everything they needed came from Him. They were hungry and He fed them.
As long as they stayed true to God, He took care of them. This is true for us today. If God occupies first place in our heart and we obey His commands, we are in good hands. If we remain faithful to Him, He will remain faithful to us. Temptation will come our way, but this is His way of testing us. Every temptation is a challenge. A strong faith in God will permit us to hold up under pressure and stress.
Before Jesus started His earthly ministry, He was tempted by Satan. You might ask “Why?” We said that temptation is a test. Satan was permitted to tempt or test Jesus in an effort to prove that Jesus was really the Son of God.
Please keep in mind that Jesus had fasted in the desert for forty days and there is no doubt He was hungry. Have you ever fasted forty days? I would venture to say that if any of us fasted forty day, we would probably pass away and not have to be concerned about temptation.
Jesus had given up His divine powers so that He could truly experience what humanity would be facing. He wanted to experience and to show us that temptation could be overcome. He withstood Satan’s temptations.
Jesus demonstrated that each one of us could withstand Satan’s temptations just as He did. He knew and knows every temptation we will ever face. When He was tempted, He quoted the Word of God.
Jesus not only knew and quoted the Word of God, but He obeyed the Father’s Word. It is good to know the Word, but it is also mandatory to obey the Word. Did it ever occur to you that Satan also knows the Word, but the fact is he does not obey the Word.
The Word of God is a part of the armor of God and it is a very powerful sword to fight our spiritual battles. The “sword of the Spirit” is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
When Jesus was asked to turn the stones into bread, He said, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). When Satan commanded Him to throw Himself down from the temple, Jesus said, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:7).
When Satan said to Jesus, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me”, Jesus replied with these words: Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Matthew 4:9, 10).
Jesus was tempted, but did not give in to temptation. He was tested and He passed the test. Jesus demonstrated His sinlessness to all mankind. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Satan tempted Jesus at the time He was hungry, alone, and tired. He does the same to us. In other words, He tempts or tests us at the most inopportune time. When we are tired or stressed out, we are more susceptible to giving in to temptation. When we are facing some uncertainty in life and it is weighing heavy on our shoulders, Satan is standing by with a smile on his face with an answer that will cause us to make a wrong choice.
Satan takes our normal God-given desires, like eating, wanting earthly things like a job, house, car, craving for a man-woman relationship or providing the best for our children and tempts us to go about acquiring them in the wrong way.
God knows we need food to eat, but Satan would like us to steal the food. God wants us to have necessities like a job, house or car and to acquire them honestly while Satan tempts us to use devious means.
God created man and woman and intended them to form a marriage relationship according to His Word. He is totally against adultery and fornication. Couples shacking-up before marriage is a temptation brought to the forefront by non-other than Satan.
It is evident that Satan is working very hard when we consider the large number of illegitimate children brought into the world. Temptation is not a sin, but sin enters the picture when an individual gives in to the temptation which results in disobedience to the will of God.
God does not tempt us or test us the way Satan does. Satan tempts us in an effort to lead us away from God causing us to be disobedient and thus commit a sinful act. On the other hand, God tempts or tests us to humble us thus giving us a chance to demonstrate our obedience to Him through our faith in Him.
Our Scripture reading says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). The person who stands the test of temptation will be rewarded. Their reward will be “the crown of life” which is given to an individual who is devoted to God through a strong faith. This is a promise from God.
In the present life, the blessed person will enjoy life more fully due to the intimate relationship with Jesus. Their relationship with God’s other children will be one of love, understanding, concern and caring. Brotherly and sisterly love will be exhibited to the nth degree.
As Christians, we might wonder why we are tempted to do wrong things. We are tempted because of our sinful nature but it is not God who tempts us to do evil things. God has given us the opportunity to make choices just as He did Adam and Eve. We make the right or wrong choice depending on what is in our heart.
When Christians are faced with a decision or a choice and they have Jesus residing in their heart in the Person of the Holy Spirit, this question should surface: “What would Jesus Do?” If we follow the words in red, we will make the right choice.
God does not tempt us, therefore, He is never to be blamed if we make the wrong choice. He does allow Satan to tempt or test us in an effort to refine, purify, or strengthen our faith and to strengthen our relationship with Him and make stronger or reinforce our dependence on Him.
It is very easy to cast the blame on another person when we make a wrong choice. We have all done it. We have all said things like; it is his or her fault, I’m not perfect, everybody is doing it, I just couldn’t help myself, I do make wrong choices, I was under stress and was pressured into making the decision, Satan caused me to do it, or God is to blame because He created me.
The point is we make a mistake or wrong choice and now we don’t want to accept the responsibility. The question that arises is: “Should a Christian shift responsibility?” No! The Christian needs to admit and claim responsibility for their actions. God awaits our confession and our pleas for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
We are tempted to make the wrong choice when relationship distance between us and God widens. This happens when we place something we desire between us and God. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14).
God does not move away from us but instead, we are the one who makes the move. God is the Rock. When we move away from God because of our own selfish personal desires, our relationship with Him weakens causing us to head down the road of destruction.
“Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15). The desire to sin comes from within us; therefore, God is not to blame. Satan can tempt us, but to be truly honest, he cannot be blamed for us committing the sinful act because the choice we make comes from within our heart.
So, when someone says, “The devil made me do it” they are making a false statement. Satan might tempt one to follow through with a wrong choice, but the individual makes that choice a reality. The bottom line is that we are responsible for our actions. God is the source of all good and “….cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13).
Conclusion:
Temptation has been around from the time of creation. All of us have been faced with temptation. Temptation in itself is not a sin. Satan tempts but does not cause one to sin. God does not tempt or cause one to sin.
Sin enters the picture when one gives in to a desire or enticement. Giving in to temptation comes from within the heart of the person being tempted. Satan is not to be blamed and God is not to be blamed for sinful acts committed by God’s children.
God’s children are responsible for their own sinful acts. Each person has the opportunity to repent of their sins, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior, invite Him to live within their heart in the Person of the Holy Spirit, and ask for forgiveness. The last thing is to live according to the words in red.
Amen.
