Circumstances may bring a trial on a person. But the real test, that which induces one to sin, resides in the sinful human. The Christian, therefore, must guard his heart. The Scriptures say: “The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate. Who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9) This kind of trial, that is, the pressure to sin, bears down on the human weakness, and the real danger exists in an individual’s inner reaction to the circumstances. A particular situation may give rise to a wrong desire. This desire then serves as an inducement to commit sin. The person is thereby bringing himself into temptation. (Compare Matthew 26:41.) To illustrate: A Christian may be physically abused, even tortured, because of his faith. The purpose of the persecution is to break his integrity. This unpleasant circumstance may suggest to the Christian that he could escape further mistreatment and possibly even death by compromising. If the desire for relief continues to build up, he may choose to get out of the trialsome situation by breaking his integrity. The Christian who gives in to any wrong desire cannot excuse himself and blame God or anyone else. In the final analysis, he himself has let his own inward desire overcome him, when he could have resisted, just as Jesus did, and would have received God’s help. (Matt. 4:1-11)
Satan and the world under his influence try people with evil things or with evil intent. (2 Cor. 4:4; John 14:30) The world uses (1) the desire of the flesh, which is fallen, imperfect; (2) the desire of the eyes, with greediness; (3) the showy display of one’s means of life, a parading of glory, position, power, prominence, and so forth. (1 John 2:16) These things did not appeal at all to Jesus, because he saw how worthless they are; and he had no tendency to sin and no principle of evil in him to be incited by the temptation. (Matt. 4:4-10)
A Christian, therefore, is tried in this evil way only when he lets the imperfection, the evil in the members of his fallen flesh, become excited. If he does this, the sin finally gets mastery over him, as James goes on to show; and it controls his actions. (Compare Romans 6:14, 19.) This he would bring about by failing to dismiss immediately the evil presentation or thought from his mind. That is why we pray: “Do not bring us into temptation.” (Matt. 6:13) We ask God to guard our minds and hearts so that we will immediately discern the badness, rejecting it promptly. That is why we need constantly to study the Bible, its warnings and safeguards, keeping our minds on the worthwhile things. (Phil. 4:8)
You can't understand this verse without the ones that come before it. Overcoming temptation is how we are rewarded. Temptation is not, however from God, but rather because of our lust, or in other words our nature. Lust is a "soft" sin. Killing, stealing, harming others are sins that most of us avoid. No one else may know of our lusts, we have a hard time avoiding them. Acted upon, they will lead to serious sins.
Read vs 13 for context. People are tempted to sin. Every person on earth is tempted and sins. We are tempted ourselves....no one makes us sin - there is no supernatural devil out there making us sin. We sin of our own accord - we choose to sin or not.
When we folow God, we follow the path of rightousness, peace, and Love. We walk as Jesus did.
But when we want to indulge in lust, and cursing, bitterness and hate, we are drawn away and led astray from the path of rightousness God calls us to follow.
Answers & Comments
Circumstances may bring a trial on a person. But the real test, that which induces one to sin, resides in the sinful human. The Christian, therefore, must guard his heart. The Scriptures say: “The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate. Who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9) This kind of trial, that is, the pressure to sin, bears down on the human weakness, and the real danger exists in an individual’s inner reaction to the circumstances. A particular situation may give rise to a wrong desire. This desire then serves as an inducement to commit sin. The person is thereby bringing himself into temptation. (Compare Matthew 26:41.) To illustrate: A Christian may be physically abused, even tortured, because of his faith. The purpose of the persecution is to break his integrity. This unpleasant circumstance may suggest to the Christian that he could escape further mistreatment and possibly even death by compromising. If the desire for relief continues to build up, he may choose to get out of the trialsome situation by breaking his integrity. The Christian who gives in to any wrong desire cannot excuse himself and blame God or anyone else. In the final analysis, he himself has let his own inward desire overcome him, when he could have resisted, just as Jesus did, and would have received God’s help. (Matt. 4:1-11)
Satan and the world under his influence try people with evil things or with evil intent. (2 Cor. 4:4; John 14:30) The world uses (1) the desire of the flesh, which is fallen, imperfect; (2) the desire of the eyes, with greediness; (3) the showy display of one’s means of life, a parading of glory, position, power, prominence, and so forth. (1 John 2:16) These things did not appeal at all to Jesus, because he saw how worthless they are; and he had no tendency to sin and no principle of evil in him to be incited by the temptation. (Matt. 4:4-10)
A Christian, therefore, is tried in this evil way only when he lets the imperfection, the evil in the members of his fallen flesh, become excited. If he does this, the sin finally gets mastery over him, as James goes on to show; and it controls his actions. (Compare Romans 6:14, 19.) This he would bring about by failing to dismiss immediately the evil presentation or thought from his mind. That is why we pray: “Do not bring us into temptation.” (Matt. 6:13) We ask God to guard our minds and hearts so that we will immediately discern the badness, rejecting it promptly. That is why we need constantly to study the Bible, its warnings and safeguards, keeping our minds on the worthwhile things. (Phil. 4:8)
You can't understand this verse without the ones that come before it. Overcoming temptation is how we are rewarded. Temptation is not, however from God, but rather because of our lust, or in other words our nature. Lust is a "soft" sin. Killing, stealing, harming others are sins that most of us avoid. No one else may know of our lusts, we have a hard time avoiding them. Acted upon, they will lead to serious sins.
Read vs 13 for context. People are tempted to sin. Every person on earth is tempted and sins. We are tempted ourselves....no one makes us sin - there is no supernatural devil out there making us sin. We sin of our own accord - we choose to sin or not.
When we folow God, we follow the path of rightousness, peace, and Love. We walk as Jesus did.
But when we want to indulge in lust, and cursing, bitterness and hate, we are drawn away and led astray from the path of rightousness God calls us to follow.
No, I won't. You can't make me.
We are human.