Temptation SIN LEADS TO SINS
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4.
There is a difference between temptation and temptations. It is the same difference as that of sin and sins. Sin is living apart from God. Sins are the results of that--the doing of wrong things, the acts of transgressions. Jesus never lived a life apart from God, although there was evidently some appeal to Him to be independent and trust His own power. As a result of His not living life apart from God, but living a life of constant dependence upon God, sins or temptations had no appeal to Him. He was repulsed by them.
If we are in total dependence upon God's power at any given moment, and Satan hits us with one of his temptations to sins, we are repulsed by it, just as Jesus was. The victory comes spontaneously, because we don't even find the offer appealing. We don't find the wrong act desirable.
But when we are depending upon ourselves, we will find ourselves responding to Satan's temptations, at least internally. Temptations come in the following sequence. First, the temptation is presented. There is no sin in being tempted. Then we recognize the temptation, and have a chance to consider it. This still is not sin, for Jesus in the wilderness recognized that He was being tempted, and knew what the issues were.
The third step in temptations comes only for those who are not depending upon God's power at the time of the temptation. That is, they consent to it in their minds. There is an inward response of "Yes, that sounds like fun!" It's sort of like an inward jack-in-the-box getting its lever pushed, and up pops the little man. But for the one who is in dependence upon Christ, this inner response, this finding the temptation desirable and appealing, does not take place.
At any time that we give inward consent to a temptation, we have already sinned. Because sins always begin on the inside (whoever hates his brother is a murderer, whoever looks on someone with lust is an adulterer). For the one who is depending upon his own strength, this consent is given every single time. It is only when we are depending upon God's power that we are enabled to have the victory even at the point of desire.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4.
There is a difference between temptation and temptations. It is the same difference as that of sin and sins. Sin is living apart from God. Sins are the results of that--the doing of wrong things, the acts of transgressions. Jesus never lived a life apart from God, although there was evidently some appeal to Him to be independent and trust His own power. As a result of His not living life apart from God, but living a life of constant dependence upon God, sins or temptations had no appeal to Him. He was repulsed by them.
If we are in total dependence upon God's power at any given moment, and Satan hits us with one of his temptations to sins, we are repulsed by it, just as Jesus was. The victory comes spontaneously, because we don't even find the offer appealing. We don't find the wrong act desirable.
But when we are depending upon ourselves, we will find ourselves responding to Satan's temptations, at least internally. Temptations come in the following sequence. First, the temptation is presented. There is no sin in being tempted. Then we recognize the temptation, and have a chance to consider it. This still is not sin, for Jesus in the wilderness recognized that He was being tempted, and knew what the issues were.
The third step in temptations comes only for those who are not depending upon God's power at the time of the temptation. That is, they consent to it in their minds. There is an inward response of "Yes, that sounds like fun!" It's sort of like an inward jack-in-the-box getting its lever pushed, and up pops the little man. But for the one who is in dependence upon Christ, this inner response, this finding the temptation desirable and appealing, does not take place.
At any time that we give inward consent to a temptation, we have already sinned. Because sins always begin on the inside (whoever hates his brother is a murderer, whoever looks on someone with lust is an adulterer). For the one who is depending upon his own strength, this consent is given every single time. It is only when we are depending upon God's power that we are enabled to have the victory even at the point of desire.
RSS Feed
