Tag: temptation

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Bible

Three Things About Temptation

In Three Things About Sin, the prescription for sin is to deal with the temptation before it gives way to sin. It’s like getting a vaccine; preparing now to avoid a bigger problem later.

The Bible teaches us three things about temptation; they’re in the form of promises that we can claim and rely on.

1) Our temptations are not unique to us: Others have struggled with the same issues in the past.

2) God will limit temptation to what we can handle: God doesn’t tempt us and he does limit the enemy’s power to do so.

3) God will provide a way out: We can ask God to enable us to see the way out, give us the will to take it, and the strength to persevere.

And then we can withstand the temptation — just as he promised.

[1 Corinthians 10:13]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Three Things About Sin

The book of Genesis in the Bible gives a concise three-point teaching about sin. This was written about Cain, but equally applies to us.

1) Sin is crouching at our door: The word “crouch” reminds me of a cat getting ready to pounce on its prey. The situation is ominous.

2) Sin desires to have us: Once the cat leaps for its quarry, there’s little doubt over the outcome. Sin is crouching for us; it is getting ready to leap and destroy us. There’s little we can do — or is there?

3) We must master it: Sin is much easier to master beforehand rather than in the midst of it. When it is crouching, the potential for sin is there, but it’s not actual sin; it’s temptation. We know what to do with temptation and the devil who promotes it; we are to resist.

[Genesis 4:7 and James 4:7]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible

Responding to Temptation

The Bible says that when we are tempted to do wrong, God will provide a way out so that we can avoid it.  That is an encouraging promise, but does that really mean that every time — or just some of the time?

I think it is every time — really, I do.

The challenge is to be able to recognize the alternative and then to go down that path as soon as we see it.  So, in anticipation of this, I ask God to give me the eyes to see the way out that he will provide — and then to have the will to take it.

In that way, with his help, we can stand up under the temptation — just as the Bible promises.

[See 1 Corinthians 12:13.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.