The Real Deal On Temptation

THE REAL DEAL ON TEMPTATION

TEXT: Genesis 3: 1 – 10

INTRODUCTION:

During the season of Lent as Christians we focus on the 40 days in which Christ was tempted in the wilderness. One thing or another today tempts all of us. We each in our daily lives are faced with choices that can either lead into a higher path or lead straight into temptation. Temptations may come in many different forms, what might tempt me might not have any effect on you and visa versa.

So what is the real deal with temptation? Why are we tempted? Let us examine the very first time temptation into to play with human beings.

Disguised as a crafty serpent Satan came to tempt Eve. Satan at one time was an angelic being who rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven. As a created being, Satan has definite limitations. Although he is trying to tempt everyone away from God. He will not be the final victor. In 3:14, 15, God promises that Satan will be crushed

Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin He’s been busy getting people to sin ever since He even tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:11), but Jesus did not sin.

The serpent, Satan, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He suggested that God was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share his knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her and focus on the one thing she couldn’t have. We fall into trouble, too, when we focus on the few things we don’t have rather than on the countless things God has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself over what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank God.

Adam and Eve got what they wanted: an intimate knowledge of both good and evil. But they got it in an distorted and painful way-by doing evil We sometimes have the illusion that freedom is doing anything we want God says true freedom comes from, obedience and knowing what not to do The restrictions he gives us are for our good, showing us how to avoid evil. We have the freedom to walk in front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to be hit to realize it would be foolish to do so. Don’t listen to Satan’s temptations. Don’t think you have to experience certain things to lean more about life.

It wasn’t wrong of Eve to want to "be as gods," or, as some diversions translate the phrase, "to be like God. To become more like God should be any Christian’s highest goal. It is what we are supposed to do. But Satan misled Eve on the right way to accomplish this goal. He told her that she could become more like God by defying God’s high authority, by taking God’s place and deciding for herself what was the best for her life. In effect, he told her to become her own god

But to become like God is not the same as trying to become God himself. Rather, it is to reflect his characteristics and recognize his authority over your life. Like Eve, we often have a worthy goal but try to achieve it in the wrong way. We sometimes want to go before God and do things our way. This often times leads us to do the wrong things.

Self-exaltation leads to rebellion against God. As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above him. This is exactly what Satan wants us to do

Satan tried to make Eve think that sin is good, pleasant, and desirable A knowledge of both good and evil seemed harmless to her. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good, at least for themselves. Our sins do not always appear ugly to us, and the pleasant sins are the hardest to avoid. So prepare yourself for the attractive temptations that may come your way. We cannot always prevent temptation, but there is always a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is often engaged at the first look. Temptation may begin by simply seeing something we want. Are you struggling with temptation because you have not learned that looking is the first step toward sin? We would win over temptation more often if we followed Paul’s advice to run from those things that produce evil thoughts (2 Timothy 2:22).

One of the realities of sin is that its effect spreads. After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing. When we do something wrong, often we try to relieve our guilt by involving someone else. Like poison spilled in a river, sin swiftly spreads. Recognize and confess your sin to God before you are tempted to pollute those around you