Temptations are one of life’s most riveting tests or enticements that we face diurnal. Moreover, it causes us to yearn for something that we do not necessarily need or it causes us to sin. Furthermore, if we give into temptation, we may be blissful, but it will only be ephemeral. It is because of “The Fall of Man” that sin is second nature for us, which in turn makes it facile to give into temptation. In other words, as the verbal expression goes “we were born in sin and live therein.” As a result, our temptations can either make us or break us. The Bible states in Romans 7:19 that “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (King James Version). Strictly speaking, albeit we aspire to do good, because of our sinful nature, it becomes a struggle. However, it is for this reason, our nefarious nature that God sent down his son from Heaven, to give us hope. My definition of hope is “a positive anticipation of God’s promise.” It is this hope that gives us a reason to live, a reason to go on and vigor to surmount these temptations. Moreover, it is his death, burial and resurrection that gives us the hope of his saving grace. Nevertheless, despite the fact that hope is inexhaustible, temptation is inevitable, therefore, the Gospel according to Matthew 26:41 states” Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (King James Version).
What is Temptation?
Temptation is a vigorous compulsion or longing to do something. It is a form of inducement, most often leading to unscrupulous or nefarious behavior. According to (“Bible Teachings about Man,” n.d., para 1) temptation is defined as “a state experienced when a person thinks thoughts, consider...
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...ess. The hope of a better life and eternal happiness gives us the reason to go on. Nevertheless, despite the fact that hope is inexhaustible, temptation is inevitable, therefore, the Gospel according to Matthew 26:41 states” Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (King James Version).
References:
Towns, E. (2007). Core Christianity: What Christianity Is All About? Tennessee: AMG Publishers
Etzel, G. & Gutierrez, B. (2012). Praxis: Beyond Theory. Virginia: Academx Publishing Service, Inc.
Bible Teachings about Man. (n.d.). - In Bible Education: (Searching for The Truth). Retrieved from: http://www.bibleed.com/bibleteachings/aboutman/temptation.asp
Towns, Elmer. Theology for Today. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Group, 2002.
Keathley, J., III. (2005). Hope: Retrieved from: https://bible.org/article/hope
If your thirst for material goods is never quenched then you will not reach salvation.
The Theme of Temptation in “Where Are You Going , Where Are you Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates
Throughout biblical history , the idea of hope morphed. It began as confidence that God would provide the necessities of life - food, water, and land; protection from danger - not only as an individual but also as a group; justice - the righteous would be rewarded and the wicked would be punished; and community – God would always be there for His chosen people, and they would live in peace with other humans. However, the ways in which God would provide these four parts of hope changed in the New Testament. Characterizing this change, the Oxford Companion to the Bible says,
NLT). We are not to walk away from sin we are to run! God makes it clear. Sin is not a bargaining tool that we allow certain sins to be more deadly than others are. Sin is sin.
Lust, one of the deadly sins, is viciously immoral and tempting. It is described as a strong desire for something or someone, mainly sex. In C.S. Lewis’s astounding novel, The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape explains that, “The Enemy’s demand on humans takes the form of a dilemma; either complete abstinence or unmitigated monogamy. Ever since our Father’s first great victory, we have rendered the former very difficult to them” (Lewis 93). Basically, this means that due to our own sexual desires, we have purposefully ignored God’s demand that we stay chaste and faithful. Lust is about getting the personal satisfaction of what you want while ignoring the feelings of others, which can lead to destroyed relationships.
Looking first to James 1:18 we see who is actually responsible for our salvation. James answers the question, “Was it God or was it me?” The answer of course is that it is always God. One hundred percent of the time God is responsible for our salvation by the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ or as James states it “fulfillment of his own purpose.” Based on that then, through faith in God and trust in the purpose, it is that we receive salvation. Only God can give us new birth by knowing the true condition of the heart that makes the salvation real and true. Allowing us to become born again, regenerated, and the first fruits of His harvest.
is said that the only way to fight a temptation is to succumb to it
No matter who you are and what your status is in the world there will always be something you desire that you can’t have, it’s about being happy with what you are given, or taking action and getting what you desire. Temptation goes along with that in a sense of it being someone or something you want, usually there is a reason you don’t have it or a reason why you shouldn’t have it. Both of these rolls take place in The Ramayana and Siddhartha.
Maddix, M. A., & Thompson, R. P. (2012). Scripture as formation: the role of Scripture in Christian Formation. Christian Education Journal, S79-S93.
...t addresses the mission of the Church, saying Christians do not only have a future hope, but a present hope. Jesus “was not saving souls for a disembodied eternity but rescuing people from the corruption and decay of the way the world presently is so they could enjoy, already in the present, that renewal of creation which is God’s ultimate purpose – and so they could thus become colleagues and partners in that larger project” (p. 192).
The first temptation, turning a stone into bread, is believed to cause Jesus to doubt himself and to doubt his sonship. However, this temptation is really to tempt Jesus to use his own power to comfort himself and to betray the Father. If Jesus had turned the stone into bread he would have been doing the exact opposite of God’s will and would not have been showing the true character of God. Jesus needed to resist this temptation and look to God alone, not turn to his own “powers” to feed himself. This temptation provides a slew of learning for Christians. We need to evaluate ourselves and remember, that just because we have the power to do something, does not mean God wants us to do it. Jesus did exactly what his Father willed him to do.
Once a person agrees to accept the entire Bible as God presents it in the Bible, the test of faith (or mere hope) comes. A mere hoper won't bother (or dare) to keep exactly what God says; a person with true faith will not only try but succeed when he does. Because I have faith in Christ, have escaped the corruption that is in the world, am a partaker of the Divine Nature, and have received many great and precious promises from God Himself, my goal in life is to be diligent in my service of righteousness to God. The society we live in, like any that has seen the noonday sun since the day God spoke it into existence, is utterly depraved, and I am too. It is God himself in my life who works in everything in my life that may seem to be faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.
Theopedia, an Encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity." Theopedia, an Encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. (Theopedia) (Theopedia)
Once we confess Him as Our Lord and Savior and Believe in Him then we are not dominated by the sin nature any longer. Sure we will fail from time to time because we are human and not God, and that’s when the devil tries to step in and confuse us or tempt us with something that Lord has delivered us from. Always remember this scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Very Clearly He says He will make our way of escape. Isn’t that great? One time after I was just delivered from alcohol I met a person who invited me to ride 4 wheelers and hang out, so I thought yes that sounds fun because my son was 12 at the time and loved riding his 4 wheeler. He used to ride a lot before I had chemo treatments. I would take him and my girls sometimes too with other friends and family members so I wanted him to continue to do what he loved doing as a kid, even when I didn’t feel like
...es us how to free our minds from these negative desires. In order to free our bodies from karma attached to us. We have to realize the purpose of our lives and what we have to do in order to please God. Finally, in the Book of Job, Job eventually lets his desire take over his mind and turn down his trust in God. Desire is a feeling that’s naturally in human beings and if an individual can rid themselves of the negative desires. It will ultimately benefit that individual but in the Book of Job, The Letter of Abelard and Heloise, and The Bhagavad-Gita. Desire is presented not only as a bad thing but a desire can ultimately ruin our life.