“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ” James 1:13-14 (ESV)
God is holy and God is love.
The nature of God will not allow temptation to be an instrument of heaven. God cannot be tempted by evil because God is holy. As John MacArthur affirms, “God is aware of evil but untouched by it, like a sunbeam shining on a dump is untouched by the trash.”
God is not the originator of temptation. God does not tempt anyone because God is love. In His love, God does not initiate temptation, but God will allow temptation to come into a person’s life. The temptation provides the opportunity to choose the righteous path and to bring honor to God through the proper response.
When we choose to give in to temptation, we believe that it is the best option at that moment. Satan’s goal is to get us to doubt God’s Word and to doubt God’s best.
- “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?'” Gen. 3:1 (ESV)
God cannot be tempted by evil. God does not tempt anyone. How will you choose to respond to the temptation that God allows into your path? Will you take God at His Word and trust Him?
Drawing Near,
Stephen Trammell
Lead Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell