The Truth about Temptation

The Truth about Temptation

Temptation is a reality that every person is instinctively aware of and yet most of us give it little thought. When people act in ways once considered sinful, there is an excessive attempt to deny one's personal responsibility.

When society actually labels an action as wrong or sinful, how do they explain the cause? From a humanistic perspective, the problem must be their environment, education, or lack of resources. Humans are never responsible for their own bad decisions—there must be someone to blame.

Many Christians are not much better on the subject of sin and temptation. No decent Christian would deny that humans have a responsibility to avoid sin and live a life that honors God. However, that doesn’t stop us from minimizing our part in giving in to temptation.

Let me give you just three dominant myths about sin and temptation.
Myth #1- God made me this way. I didn’t ask for these desires and so it's really not my fault. If you believe this myth you are basically saying, “it’s at least partially God’s fault, not mine.”
Myth #2 - I Fell into Sin. I just minded my own business and boom I messed up. This myth says, “I took the bait but it was a trap.” I would have never taken the bait if it wasn’t there.
Myth #3 - The devil made me do it. It’s all the devil’s fault. This myth credits the devil with making you sin not just tempting you to sin.
There are many myths and misunderstandings about sin and temptation but what is the Truth about Temptation? A temptation is an enticement or invitation to fulfill a God-given desire in a God-prohibitive way.

In this message, we consider the Temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:1-13. We all know the danger and reality of temptation but Jesus alone knows the freedom of resisting the full power of temptation.