This week, Tiger Woods has had rough week—to say the least. When I think of this instance, I am reminded that temptation promises to make things better, more fun and much more exciting.
This week, Carlos Dunlap (defensive end for the Florida Gators) has had a rough week. He was suspended from the football team because of a DUI he received earlier this week.
Columnist Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinal writes,
If Gators lose today, Carlos Dunlap will go down as one of biggest goats in history.
This might be the biggest regular-season college football game in state history — a de facto national championship semifinal pitting two unbeaten teams against each other — and the Gators will arguably be without their most talented defensive player because he was arrested for being drunk and asleep at the wheel at a Gainesville traffic light earlier this week.
Can you think of a more glaring example of an athlete so selfishly letting down his team in the week of a big game? I can’t. Carlos Dunlap better hope his teammates pick up the slack today and win the game. If not then one of the most talented players in UF football history will go down as one of the most selfishly stupid players in UF history.”
Many already know, but the Gators lost last night…badly. It was by far their worst defensive performance of the season. Carlos was the backbone of their team’s defense.
Temptation tells Carlos Dunlap, “It’s no big deal.”
Temptation doesn’t say, “You will probably loose your chance to play in one of the biggest game of your career.”
Temptation doesn’t say, “You will probably not be the #1 draft pick in the NFL.”
Temptation doesn’t say, “Because of your actions, the Gators will not play in the National Championship Game.”
Temptation doesn’t say, “Continue doing what you’re doing so that pastors can use you as failure-illustrations during their sermon on temptation.”
A truth we must know is that our hearts are very wicked and actively seeking to worship ANYTHING for hope, fulfillment and contentment.
Temptation is what throws our heart out to these various hobbies, friendships, power trips and material goods seeking to find ANYTHING but the real hope…namely, Jesus Christ.
I remember being a sophomore in Bible College. I was concerned with being cool…girl friends, Dawson’s Creek, dorm life, fishing, hanging from highway bridges, etc. I did not want to study, but I needed to do well on my tests and papers. Due each week were 18 three page papers covering Plato-this and Aristotle-that…Well, I didn’t have time to write all my papers because of the fun I was having outside of class…much less the time to read all that I was supposed to! So I cheated. I would copy my roommate’s papers and hand them in as my own.
Some people call this plagiarism, I called it desperate.
Temptation says, “It’s no big deal. You need to pass your Bible College classes in order to go preach to the world and be used by God. That is important you know!”
Then it says, “It’s just one paper you’re referencing…two…five…ten.”
Temptation doesn’t say, “Jeremy, you will expelled from Bible College.” They graciously allowed me to stay enrolled but under academic probation. I couldn’t get my grades up. I had to transfer out.
Temptation never will say “God is bad; Satan and sin is good.”
Temptation will always try to get you to ignore God—to overlook God; to pretend He isn’t concerned.
James knew this better than most.
Check out his words.
James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Here James begins by defending the character of God. “God cannot be tempted…He tempts no one.”
Remember, earlier James enforces a truth that God is GOOD. He would not lead you to sin…or death.
We must never say, or even imagine, that God is tempting us. He never has and he never will.
God has never been tempted (he is untemptable). God tempting is a moral-impossibility.
…HOWEVER…
When we experience guilt, our default setting is to blame God. We see this with Adam in the Garden (Genesis 3:12…The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit of the tree and I ate it.)
Here are important distinctions between temptation and testing…
-Temptation leads to sin…death.
–Testing leads to being proven…life.
-Temptation leads to despair.
–Testing leads to a more pure worship of God.
We all experience trials. I see trials as a large umbrella-term for “tough times in life.” These tough times, or trials, are either temptations or testings. God will test us. Just like He tested Abraham in Genesis 22. God tests us to prove or improve our character.
So if not from God, where does temptation come from?
“…each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”
This is fishing language.
What causes a fish to get caught?
The right depth of the lure. The right slant of the sun. The right speed of the lure. The right temperature of the water. The right time of day. Their own appetite. All of these things entice a fish.
Just like for David, Samson, Adam & Eve, Carlos Dunlap, Tiger Woods, Jeremy Rose…When temptation comes, we are all too often drawn away from the things which keeps us safe and protects our soul. Then all of a sudden, we are forgetting who we are and what we are as we throw caution to the wind…all the while, striving for contentment, hope and satisfaction in something other than Christ.
That is so wicked…yet so easy.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,
With irresistable power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. . . . It makes no difference 
whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money. . . . Joy in God is . . . extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature. At this moment God is quite unreal to us, he loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; . . . Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but forgetfulness of God. . . . The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in the deepest darkness. The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us. The questions present themselves: “Is what the flesh desires really sin in this case?” “Is it really not permitted to me, yes — expected of me, now, here, in my particular situation, to appease desire?” . . . It is here that everything within me rises up against the Word of God. (His book Temptation, 1961 pg.33)
RADIO v/s TV
The problem with temptation is that it’s fruit or it’s result is usually rather tangible. I consider obeying God and resisting temptation to be like a radio. Disobeying God/giving into temptation is like Television…on HD. Or to consider it another way is, giving in to temptation is video…resisting temptation is audio. TV is much cooler than radio…but for years, radio was the only thing there was. TV doesn’t teach us to hate radio…only to forget it. Or that it’s just not as cool. Oh that we would be satisfied with the still, quite voice of God.
The root of our temptation is our own evil. Romans 5:12 teaches us that we all sinned through Adam.
Romans 3:23 teaches us that all have sinned.
The source of temptation is not God, nor Satan…but our own hearts. If we are in the grip of lust, it’s our own fault…ALONE.
“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
Evil gives birth to sin…Sin gives birth to death. Romans 6:23
Temptation never leads to life…of any sort—ONLY death.
Once the hook is in there is a dreaded three-generational course: evil desire – sin – death. But the cycle can be broken through submission to, the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous: (Romans 5:19) Jesus is the source of victory over sin and temptation! (K. Hughes James pg.49)
This is the glory of the gospel. It breaks the power of sin and halts its inevitable train. If you are in the grip of temptation, take the eternally healthy step of admitting that you are to blame and no one else. Then, having confessed your responsibility fully to God, thank him for forgiveness and appropriate to yourself the life-giving unity you have in Christ.
Beyond this powerful truth, what do I think we all need to walk away with?
POINTS OF TRUTH TO WALK WITH…
- Outside of Christ, you are helpless in the grip of temptation. Only Christ can liberate you from it’s vice-grip. Christ defeated the root of temptation—evil—on the cross. Christ became sin for us.
The Bible teaches that Jesus took our place on the cross. “God made Christ Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor.5:21).
Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God IN HIM.
This is justification, and it is a free gift of God for those who are humble enough to recognize that they can never become righteous enough to meet God’s holy standards.
Don’t just believe this in theory…you must believe this in your inner core—in your soul.
- The devil doesn’t make you sin. Your friend doesn’t make you sin. Your circumstances do not make you sin. God doesn’t make you sin. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE.
This is why it is imperative that you follow Christ personally. That you confess personally. That you repent personally. That you see that Christ died for you personally.
It doesn’t matter what your mom/dad/grandpa/grandma or who ever did for Jesus.
It only matters what you do with Jesus.
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in the darkness) we tend to recluse ourselves from the needy because we have genuine fear and intense anxiety when around the needy.