November 4, 2007 FB
This discussion came up in a recent Bible study on James chapter 1, which concerns trials and temptations. Basically the passage boils down to this; trials are from God, temptations are from man.
This discussion came up in a recent Bible study on James chapter 1, which concerns trials and temptations. Basically the passage boils down to this; trials are from God, temptations are from man.
The passage on temptation says that God does not tempt, however the problem arises when a set of circumstances comes into our lives and how we are to determine if it’s a trial or temptation.
If we respond wrongly to a God given circumstance, does that mean that it becomes a temptation instead of trial? The answer is an emphatic NO because if we decide whether circumstances become trials or temptations we control if God is tempting or not, and it has already been shown that God cannot tempt.
So how do we resolve this problem? Well, it is difficult to see how it all works, and actually this is cannot be fully explained. Our responsibility is not to distinguish between a trial or temptation and then proceed. No, our responsibility is this: In every circumstance that arises we are supposed to respond the way that God wants us to. In every circumstance there is the possibility of being taken away from fellowship with God by our own fleshly desires.
Trials and temptations: Since temptation comes from three different sources (the world, our own flesh, and the Devil) we must be conscious to not let them pull us away from God during a trial. If temptation happens in a God given trial we must respond properly and turn back to God. But, when the temptation is over and we return to God, the trial is not over. We have only postponed the continuation of the trial until our own temptation is over.
Stewardships and temptations: God gives us stewardships in our lives (i.e. possessions, money, relationships, health) and we are supposed to be good stewards are take great care to obey God’s rules for overseeing what God has given. And God can change a stewardship at any time. Stewardships are not trails because trials are to test the strengthof our faith. Stewardships are to test the reliability of our faith.
Within these stewardships, as with trials, we have the possibility to give in to our own temptations for greed, pride, etc. With this sort of temptation it is obvious that God has not brought the situations to us, but that we have proceeded to give in to our own lust or worldly and Satanic suggestion.
The final answer is not that our response dictates if a circumstance is a trial or temptation, it is that every circumstance can lead you closer to God or further, and we must choose to trust and obey God in every situation.
Nehemiah Ryan © 2007
If we respond wrongly to a God given circumstance, does that mean that it becomes a temptation instead of trial? The answer is an emphatic NO because if we decide whether circumstances become trials or temptations we control if God is tempting or not, and it has already been shown that God cannot tempt.
So how do we resolve this problem? Well, it is difficult to see how it all works, and actually this is cannot be fully explained. Our responsibility is not to distinguish between a trial or temptation and then proceed. No, our responsibility is this: In every circumstance that arises we are supposed to respond the way that God wants us to. In every circumstance there is the possibility of being taken away from fellowship with God by our own fleshly desires.
Trials and temptations: Since temptation comes from three different sources (the world, our own flesh, and the Devil) we must be conscious to not let them pull us away from God during a trial. If temptation happens in a God given trial we must respond properly and turn back to God. But, when the temptation is over and we return to God, the trial is not over. We have only postponed the continuation of the trial until our own temptation is over.
Stewardships and temptations: God gives us stewardships in our lives (i.e. possessions, money, relationships, health) and we are supposed to be good stewards are take great care to obey God’s rules for overseeing what God has given. And God can change a stewardship at any time. Stewardships are not trails because trials are to test the strengthof our faith. Stewardships are to test the reliability of our faith.
Within these stewardships, as with trials, we have the possibility to give in to our own temptations for greed, pride, etc. With this sort of temptation it is obvious that God has not brought the situations to us, but that we have proceeded to give in to our own lust or worldly and Satanic suggestion.
The final answer is not that our response dictates if a circumstance is a trial or temptation, it is that every circumstance can lead you closer to God or further, and we must choose to trust and obey God in every situation.
Nehemiah Ryan © 2007
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