What Is The Source Of Temptation?

For the next few weeks I would like to talk about temptation. What is it that tempts you? Is it food? We all have a favorite food. We get a whiff of it, and our mouth starts watering. It's so tempting. The urge to take a bite of cake may not necessarily be a bad thing, but we're often tempted to indulge ourselves in other ways. Temptation is that ultimate bait and switch. It promises something good, but it delivers something harmful, and sometimes even deadly.

Fish discover that the hard way. We bait our hook, place it in the water, and watch the fish go crazy, hopefully. We might catch the smaller fish and use them as bait to catch the bigger fish. It's exciting to drop the bait in the water and see if you can lure a bass to bite. It's fun for us, but not for the fish.b And it's definitely not fun for that worm or that shrimp or that minnow that's used as bait.

The sermon title asks, What is the Source of Temptation? Just who is it who lures us into sin? We immediately want to say Satan and blame him. We say, “the devil made me do it,” but the answer is a bit closer to home. Thankfully, the solution is as close as prayer.

Let's take a look at what James wrote and see if we can’t find the answer for the source of temptation. Prayer.

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James used words that referred to trials, tests, and temptations, but in the original language he was using words that came from the same root word. So, when was he referring to a trial or test and when was he referring to a temptation? If we look at the context around the word, we will find the answer.

In the opening verses of James 1, James was clearly talking about trials. Trials are difficult hardships that lead to suffering. They're called trials because they are hard to face, and yet, if we are to remain faithful, we endure through them. While trials test how genuine our faith is, God uses trials as a means for our endurance. A temptation, on the other hand, leads us to do something wrong and simple.

James 1:13 – “ No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.”

Let's face it, temptation is around us every day. Whether it be food, or maybe a drink, or possibly a cigarette, or a seductive glance in the wrong direction. Temptation is everywhere. Many times, we say that Satan caused us to be tempted. One thing we know for sure from this verse is that God never tempts anyone. We can never blame temptation on God. And God doesn't place you in a situation so that you will be tempted. So, we can't blame temptation on God.

Trials are hard, and we tend to blame someone for what we're going through. When we can't find someone to blame, we may even blame God. During trials, we may also be tempted to doubt God. We doubt either God's goodness or his sovereignty. But not all trials are the same. Some trials are only an inconvenience. Others can be debilitating, like the loss of a loved one. Those who have experienced such a loss can often feel devastated.

Sometimes as we work through grief, we want to question God. We remember that He's sovereign, all powerful, and all loving, and we may wonder, “God, since you love me, why didn't You spare me this pain? Since You can do all things, why didn't You prevent the death? This is where the book of James helps us.

We have to remember that because God is good, He will never lead us to sin. James gives us two important truths about God to help us as we battle the temptation to sin.

1. First, he says God is not tempted by evil. The Bible tells us that God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. (1 John 1:5). By nature, God is good . In his holiness and goodness, He will have nothing to do with sin and evil. So, evil has no pull on God. Everything God does is good. When He created, everything He made was good. And because God is good and is the Creator and source of all that is good, He cannot be tempted by evil. Are we clear on that?

2. Then James says that God Himself does not tempt anyone. That's good news! It's true that God tests us to strengthen our faith. God tested Abraham to prove the genuineness of his faith when God asked Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. In the process, Abraham's faith was strengthened. Tests strengthen but temptations harm. God’s purpose is to strengthen our faith, not destroy it. He is not a deity who plays with our lives. He's a good God that provides the means we need to endure in faith.