Notes of Faith August 19, 2025
A Test Is Not a Temptation
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
James 1:13-14
The late comedian Flip Wilson created fictional characters for his comedy sketches—one of which was famous for saying, “The devil made me do it!” While the devil can’t make anyone sin, blaming him is more accurate than saying, “God tempted me to sin.”
The apostle James made it clear: God does not tempt anyone to sin. That is not to say that God doesn’t use tests in our life. For instance, when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and the people saw the thunder and lightning and were afraid, Moses told them, “God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin” (Exodus 20:20). While the same Greek word for “test” can also be translated “temptation,” a test from God is not a temptation from God. As James wrote, temptation arises from within.
When you are tempted, “fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:7). Ask God to help you cultivate desires from the Spirit rather than from the flesh (Romans 7:7-8).
Temptation has its source not in the outer lure but in the inner lust.
D. Edmund Hiebert
Rom 7:14-25
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Rom 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Phil 4:8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
We have an ongoing need to be transformed! Becoming like Christ, being holy, blameless before God, will not happen until Christ makes us new at His coming to take us to be with Him. But, in our daily walk in this world, transformation begins with the mind! We think an action before we do it. It may be infinitesimally quick, but we still think before we act. Let us pursue holiness, thinking on things of God and not things of this world, spiritual things, not earthly things. I pray for myself, that I may be given grace to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and present to you and others a reflected image of Jesus, that you might follow me as I follow Jesus!
Pastor Dale