Thursday Thought - Desire and Temptation...what's the big deal?
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
— 1 Corinthians 10:31
Where does temptation come from and why is it so bad?
What temptations do you face in life and how well do you do in not succumbing to them?
Are you tempted by things of a sexual nature? Are you tempted by things of a financial nature? Are you tempted by things that your neighbor has or the way a person on TV looks or is treated? And if so, do you act on it?
Do you have communication or physical activity of a sexual manner with somebody who isn't your significant other? Do you sacrifice your time and health to chase more money and more things? Do you rationalize buying more stuff because the person in the apartment next to you has them or the person at the church you attend has them? Do you buy more clothes, more makeup, more hours with the trainer at the gym so that you can look like person on TV? And if you do act on these temptations, what then? Is it a big deal? Does it matter? Who really cares if nobody knows my inner desire that is driving these decisions...right?
Where do these temptations come from? Is it Satan testing us, or God Himself?
The answers to all of this can be found in the Bible in the book of James, chapter 1.
13 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. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[a]18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Summary
- Temptation doesn't come from God.
- Temptation comes from THE LURES OF THEIR OWN DESIRES! We do this to ourselves!!!!
- Acting on the evil desire is the birth of sin, which when (not if!) it grows brings forth death.
- The way to act is to TURN from your evil desires and RUN TO GOD, who made us and made us to be firstfruits (the best!) of all His creatures.