God does not Tempt, Nor Can God Be Tempted Part I
James 1:12-15 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God, cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
The truth of God's Word is that God does not face temptation, nor does He tempt us. Sometimes, people get caught up in their sins; they tend to blame God. They say God allowed them to sin or intentionally put them into the circumstances that caused them to sin. The idea here is to liberate themselves from the God-given responsibility and practice wisdom in applying their liberty and freedom that comes from God. Our sinful nature will cause us to blame God, saying God allowed us to get involved in the sin.
Satan can never tempt God because
He is Holy, righteous, and is perfect love. There is nothing in God's nature in
which sin can have any appeal. The powers of God's character cannot experience
enticement by sin. Unlike human beings, God does not have a sinful nature
within Him. As human beings, we, on the other hand, have a sinful nature and
are inclined to be tempted by sin. We have within ourselves the aptitude and
capability to be drawn by others and the ability to tempt other humans. No one
is exempt from this sinful nature; it exists in all fallen humanity. None of us
will ever be able to avoid temptation; however, it is not a sin to experience
temptation. We must remember Satan tempted Jesus when He was hungered in the
wilderness (Matthew 4:1). It is not sinful to face temptation; sin comes when
we succumb to temptation.
God is not affected by a
temptation to sin, nor will He ever sin; however, He will allow His children to
face trials and tribulations. Some wonder why God allows us to be put to the
test and consequently tempted to sin. He does this to show and teach us the
genuine quality of our faith. The only way we can ever understand, or the world
can ever witness our faith, is by our steadfastness during one of these trials
or tribulations. Also, these trials and tribulations help us to depend on God
more and ourselves less. They will mature us as Christians and help young
Christians, those new to the faith, understand why we must go through trials
and tribulations. Our dedication and perseverance while going through trials,
in turn, will allow us to tell the world of God and His kingdom work.
In this modern computer age,
temptation comes through the internet, television, and other digital media. The
lust of the world invades our homes and our minds through these modern forms of
communication; for this reason, we must keep our minds, hearts, and souls
filled with the Word of God. As Jesus proved in the wilderness, Satan cannot
defend or fight back against the Word. The Word of God is the Sword of the
spirit, a weapon that Satan not only does not have a defense for but will stop
him in his tracks.
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