A Test Is Not Temptation!
"For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does
He
Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted
when he is drawn away by his own desires and
enticed."
James 1: 13-14
Late comedian Flip Wilson created fictional characters
for his comedy sketches—one of which was famous for
saying, “The devil made me do it!” While the devil can’t
make anyone sin, blaming him is more accurate than
saying, “God tempted me to sin.”
The apostle James made it clear: God does
not tempt anyone to sin. That is not to say
that God
doesn’t use tests in our life.
For instance, when God gave the Ten Commandments
to Moses and the people saw the thunder and
lightning
and were afraid, Moses told them, “God has come to
test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that
you may not sin” (Exodus 20:20).
While the same Greek word for “test” can be translated
“temptation,” a test from God is not a temptation from
God. As James wrote, temptation arises from within.
When you are tempted, “fear the Lord and depart from
evil” (Proverbs 3:7). Ask God to help you cultivate desires
from the Spirit rather than from the flesh (Romans 7:7-8).
"Temptation has its source
not in
the outer lure but in the inner
lust."
D.
Edmund Hiebert
