The essence of TEMPTATION

[rizen1]

Neil Anderson

The essence of temptation

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin


I have found that many Christians struggle with the distinction between temptation and sin. Bombarded by tempting thoughts, they conclude that there must be something pretty sick about them. But even Jesus was "tempted in all things as we are." But finish the verse: "Yet without sin." As long as we are in the world, we are exposed to temptation just like Jesus was. But He didn't sin, and we don't have to sin either (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The basis for temptation is legitimate human needs. We will either look to the world, the flesh and the devil to have our needs met, or we will look to Christ who promises to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19). The essence of temptation is the invitation to live independently of God.

The power of temptation depends on the strength of the strongholds which have been developed in our minds as we learned to live independently of God. If you were raised in a Christian home where magazines and television programs of questionable moral value were not allowed, the power of sexual temptation in your life will not be as great as for someone who grew up exposed to pornographic materials. Why? Because your legitimate need to be loved and accepted was met by parents who also protected you from exposure to illegitimate means of meeting your needs. The person who grew up in an environment of immorality may experience a greater struggle with sexual temptation simply because that stronghold in the mind was well-established before he was born again.

Jesus was tempted to meet His own physical needs by using His divine attributes independently of the Father to turn a rock into bread. But instead He responded, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). We also must respond to temptation by relying on God to meet our needs.

 

[Richie]

Dear Sister,

Thank you so much for sharing this article. It is very much true. To get tempted is not a sin, but to give into the temptation is a sin. It entirely depends on our mind, the choice we make, whether to fall into the temptation or not.

God bless you.

 

[Hislovendures]

Thank You Lord Jesus for allowing Your Word and Truth to bring freedom to those enslaved in the enemies lies. John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.(Bible Gateway)NIV

 

[rizen1]

May we walk in the light of the Lord and resist the enemy.

God bless.

 

[Achr]

I belive that thinking can be more sinful than doing. Sinful thinking comes from knowing that something is bad, without actualy understanding why. For a spiritual path thoughts are as important as deeds. Forcing such thoughts away with willpower is just self-denial.
From my perspective, only the thoughts and deeds that are harmful to others or yourself are sins and rejecting your own nature is also painful. Its a struggle after all. It is not possible to live without hurting someone, therefore everyone sins. Its only possible to overcome harmful thinking by understanding the reasons behind it and not denying it. Strenght is not the answer.
So whats the reason for sin and temptation? I think its denial. Denial of your life and the world around you. People often are unhappy with something or someone, want more than they have. Denial causes ignorance. Ignorence of all the beautiful things God is offering to you. If you accept yourself and the world as it is, without judgement, you will come to see wonderful things everywhere. What is will be enough.

If temptation comes, dont run from it. Just observe it. It will get bored quickly go away. You dont have to obey everything your mind wants, but fighting back with strenght or ignorance will just make it worse.
I don't resist the devil, i just laugh at his attempts.

P.S. I know this somewhat contradicts the part about sacrafice, but then im not a "good" christian and don't agree with Jesus on everything... or maybe i just don't understand it yet.

 

[rizen1]

Grace and Peace

I enjoy your input the only thing I disagree on was this.

If temptation comes, dont run from it. Just observe it

Thats very dangerous if the temptation is lust, drugs, or alcahol to a drunken. Some situations call for us to run. Continuously the bible says " Flee"
Sometimes we have to put down the pride and run, To run does not mean we're spiritually weak, it means we're being smart.

Look at Joseph this lady throwing herself at him

Genesis 39:1-11-12
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

( You can find the whole story here....Genesis 39:1-23 )

P.S. I know this somewhat contradicts the part about sacrafice, but then im not a "good" christian and don't agree with Jesus on everything... or maybe i just don't understand it yet.

There's alot to learn, all you need is a willing heart.

So whats the reason for sin and temptation? I think its denial. Denial of your life and the world around you

Yes denial is one reason, people deny the fact that they are living in sin and try to find excuses, therefore they keep repeating the habit over and over instead of observing their weakness and trying to find an exit.

Here are some other verses on the topic.


18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.1 Corinthians 6:18

14Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry...
1 Corinthians 10:14

1 Timothy 6:11
11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (NASB ©1995)

 

[SpiritLedEd]

If temptation comes, dont run from it. Just observe it. It will get bored quickly go away.

For about thirty years I observed the temptation to drink on a daily basis. It never got bored and left, it won me over every time. It wasn't until God intervened powerfully in my life on a summer night in 1983 that my drinking stopped.

To observe temptation is to give it opportunity to take root in the mind and cause you to fall into sin. Jesus' teaching on adultery gives an example:

"You have heard it said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has commited adultery with her in his heart." (Mt 5:27-28)

SpiritLedEd (SLE)

 

[lindadc]

Relying on God

[ We also must respond to temptation by relying on God to meet our needs. QUOTE]


Interesting and very true . GBU

 

[Achr]

Let me explain what i mean by the word „observe”. There are many ways to look at something. Its not just about directing your eyes and focusing them on a certain point, not just the movement of some muscles. Its the processing that matters, its what you and feel about it and i don't mean emotionally. There is so much information comming trough our senses, yet we don’t process it all conciously, but what we do, is always subjective. When we look at a thing and process them, we mostly think in symbols(abstractions), meaning we compare the object to a simplified version of our previous experiences and knowledge(what someone told us), give a label to it and mostly leave it at that. But when i say observe, i mean looking at something without „judgement”, without comparing. Observing is a skill. It can be trained. When looking at something without presumptions, its possible discover many new things, you never knew to be there. About a few weeks ago i was crying for the first time in many years. I have never cried at funerals or weddings, never out of joy. But i did then. So what was so good/bad that made me cry? Its a thing so simple and usual, i still feel amused whenever i remeber it. It was snow. I cried, because i saw snow falling. It was the most amazing thing. I have „seen” this uncountable times before, without feeling anything in particular. I always pretended to know what snow is and how it all works, but for the first time i dropped the act and allowed myself to feel wonder, without presumptions, without pretension.
Back to the topic. When you truly see sin, as it is, without labels, good, bad, evil and so forth, its just not possible for it to take over you, to gain control. It actually find its very funny, how it tries to trick me, by promising things that don't exist. Next time you will have a much more profound understanding of it(not just knowledge) and it will go away quicker or not come at all. Of course in practice its not as easy as it sounds, in fact its very difficult. Before observing something, it must first be identified and we can only identify things with labels. But how do we drop the labels after the identification? The Bible tells of of things when have to beware of, helps us identify them. I belive that most people just take sin too literary. I see dropping presumptions and stopping the rumblings of your mind as letting God speak to you, not just in words, but something much more profound, something that can’t be misunderstood.
To put it in context with my previous post - Thinking that what you know is true is ignorance. I always say – The intelligence of a man can be measured by what he knows, but wisom – by what he dosnt.
And to put it in one word, its meditation. Its really not something alien.
Here is quote on meditation from an abot i once met - „The only difference between us and the Buddhists, is that while they fill their minds with the void, we invite Jesus into our being.”
When i first heard that, i thought it was very foolish. At that time i was a convinced atheist. I took me a few years to understand that its actually looking at one thing from different sides.

I don't think that is in conflict with any of the verses you mentioned. I see them as warnings, so we would know what things we should be aware of(as in observation). Taking every word literary would be very dangerous. Words are just symbols for something we can’t comprehend. I hope you understand what i mean, after reading this. But then im human and beliving me would only mean falling in the same trap twice. I avoid anyone who tells me the "truth".

 

[solidsnakeslug]

I truly can relate to this. When i was in my flesh state, i had an inpure relationship and God was last in my heart. It even affected my family and schoolwork. Truly i was an addict for the wrong girl and God forced me into rehab for my selfish actions. Great post sister, thanks