TEMPTATIONS [I]
TEMPTATIONS [I] - DECEMBER 15TH, 2023
Genesis 22:1-3
[1]And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
[2]And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
[3]And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
James 1:12-15
[12]Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
[13]Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
[14]But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
[15]Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Meditation
Let us consider the scriptures above, the one from Moses and the other from James.
One may be tempted to say “I see a contradiction”.
Moses in the OT
[1]And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham,
James in the NT
for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
What do you think?
John 14:15
[15]If ye love me, keep my commandments.
1 John 5:2-3
[2]By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
[3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
God does not tempt us, but in his love we are called to fulfill his WORD.
The journey to fulfilling God’s Truth attracts attacks from the devil, that is, the devil rises to RESIST us. Such resistance comes out as temptations.
We express the love of God when we love one another.
In trying to love your brother you may be exposed to grief because Satan tempts us by showing the fault of the brother.
Your stopping to consider his fault is your temptation. It is an arrangement between you and Satan.
(To be Continued)
Prayer
* Heavenly Father, help me see things the way you show them.
* Remove me from the dark road of confusion.
* Let me not grope in the darkness of suspicion and hatred.
* Open my eyes in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen
God bless you richly in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN
SHALOM!