Temptation

The very word has several other words attached to it. Lust, attraction, wanting, fulfillment, craving, these are but a few words that are associated with temptation. Christians are not immune to temptation and we need to know how to respond to it when it rears its ugly head in our lives. At this time in our history, there is not a more powerful and divisive word that shapes people's lives. There is a mindset held by many that "if it feels good then do it" or "no one can get hurt by giving into my feelings". Both of these thoughts while giving the promise of immediate satisfaction, usually are not true and can be more destructive than one would first think. What's important to realize about temptation is that at its base it is the same for people, in that the desire, the pull, the attraction is there. What is different for everyone is the kind of temptation that each person experience. What we must first realize though is that even though your temptation might be different from someone else around you, it is in no way unfamiliar to others in this world either in present day or in all of history. But let's explore some aspects of temptation a little further before going forward. First, we need to realize that we are tempted because of our own desires that stem from our hearts and fallen nature. God does not tempt anyone, James 1:13 says:

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; (NIV)

We have to realize that temptation starts with us, deep down we have a desire, a desire that is contrary to God's, and that desire wants us to act upon our heart's whim and live without inhibition. This can be seen plainly by us because if we are tempted by something it is obviously attractive to us, we can't be tempted by something that isn't attractive to us, otherwise, it's not a temptation. Also as I stated before, your temptation, my temptations, are not uncommon and are not to first to be seen, but have been around since the history of man came into being. I Corinthians 10:13 (partial) says:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. (NIV)

Did you catch that, there is not temptation around today that wasn't around 100, 200, 300, or 1,000 years ago! What does this tell us? Well, it tells us a few things. First, it tells us that we all have a common problem, we are fallen and imperfect. It is because we are imperfect that we give into our temptations. We need to remember thought that just because we are tempted it doesn't mean that we have sinned, no no no, temptation doesn't equal sin, giving into temptation is where sin comes into play. We also need to remember that Jesus himself was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 says:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (NIV)

See that? Jesus was tempted in every way, EVERY WAY! What does that mean? Well it means that we have a savior who is sympathetic to our struggles, he knows what we are going through and he knows the temptations that we face. Secondly, it means that he was able to overcome the temptation without giving in, therefore we can put our hope in Him to help us get through and overcome our temptation. We do not have a savior who doesn't know what we are going through, he knows because he lived it and he overcame it! So what do we do when we are faced with temptation? Well the second half of 1 Corinthians tells us, it says:

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV)

There is always a way out, just like the scripture says, God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can handle, He always provides us a way out so we can overcome the temptation and not fall into sin. The key to everything is vigilance and making sure that you are looking for a way out in those moments when you are tempted because they are there, we all have a choice, we just need to look for it and take it when is comes. In your family times, this week really look at these verses and discuss what they mean to you personally and to your family. In what ways might you and members of your family be tempted? How can we put more of our trust in Jesus knowing that He was tempted to sin just like us?