Temptation/Sin (and) God/Devil

[Guest]

1. Does temptation start in the mind.
2. What does temptation look like or feel like.
3. Is temptation sin.
4. Does temptation bring death or does just sin bring death.
5. Can we avoid temptation or is that impossible.
6. What steps do we take to walk away from temptation.

7. Does the action of sin occur in the heart.

8. Does God tempt us through the devil or..
9. Does the devil tempt us through worldly things.
10. Does God use the devil to tempt us.
11. What changes can we see in walking away or falling in sin.

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. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

 

[smaller]

1. Does temptation start in the mind.

Of course. Jesus said evil comes from within, through 'evil thoughts' that defile us. The next 'step' in sin is by word. The final enslavement, by deed. And the likewise WOE and DIRE warnings by Jesus not to be hypocrites about being a sinner.

2. What does temptation look like or feel like.

Paul engages his 'personal' account of this matter in Romans 7 where the fire of the LAW meets the gasoline of indwelling sin, which he interestingly describes as 'NO LONGER I.' Paul practiced disassociation, even though it remained within him.

The intercept course is 'in the mind/thought' life.

3. Is temptation sin.

Absolutely it is! Jesus quoted Satan 'do not TEMPT!' To tempt is a violation and thusly a SIN.

4. Does temptation bring death or does just sin bring death.

However you want to track this subject in the end we all sin and the wages thereof is factual death. No one escapes this conclusion. Our wet dust piles are not going to be in heaven.

5. Can we avoid temptation or is that impossible.

No. If Jesus was tempted why would any of us be excluded?

6. What steps do we take to walk away from temptation.

I have found recognizing it is from the devil makes it easier to disassociate. But he is a most wily adversary. And will most often mask his temptations as 'this is only you' thinking.

If and when believers find this out they have a period of readjustments to find out who they really are as 1/2 the time their own thoughts were not even 'only theirs.'

It can be an interesting time.

7. Does the action of sin occur in the heart.

The term 'heart' is itself an allegory for the 'mind, will and emotions.'

8. Does God tempt us through the devil or..

God made the tempter and granted him both access to our minds and hearts and gave him power.

9. Does the devil tempt us through worldly things.

The 3 primary avenues of temptation are from Genesis and reiterated by John in the Gospel of John as A. Lust of the flesh, B. Lust of the eyes, and C. The Pride of life. And the steps of sin through this same avenues are sin in 'thought, word and deed.' And the 3 measures of sin are transgression of Law, anything not of faith and 'of the devil.'

10. Does God use the devil to tempt us.

The devil operates and does what he does. It is not a question of us. No person can alter what Satan does. He and his own are on autopilot sin mode regardless of any person.

11. What changes can we see in walking away or falling in sin.

The fall of every believer starts down the avenue of dishonesty about the subject matter and instantly we all have fallen headlong into LYING about these exact matters.

I also tend to distrust most believers because of this subject and the likewise inability to speak truthfully. That shows me they are presently engaged in an internal denial and cover up operation. So such have my pity.

When HIS WORD Light comes, things get interesting fast, every time.

and most often those who honestly handle HIS SHED LIGHT will be quickly ushered out of the land of the darkened ones because honesty is much too hard for those in the dark to bear.

There really are some hard lessons to engage in. Or one can learn from the darkness to wallow in hypocrisy. These are the more vile internal captors who will be the recipients of the worst of WOES.

s

 

[Guest]

Absolutely it is! Jesus quoted Satan 'do not TEMPT!' To tempt is a violation and thusly a SIN.

I agree and disagree. For example, if Joe tempts Bob, who is sinning..Joe or Bob. Bob isn't the one sinning. Bob still has a choice to walk away from Joe. no? In this case, Joe is the devil and I am Bob.

 

[smaller]

I agree and disagree. For example, if Joe tempts Bob, who is sinning..Joe or Bob. Bob isn't the one sinning. Bob still has a choice to walk away from Joe. no? In this case, Joe is the devil and I am Bob.

Sin is never ever an observation of people only.

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil;

Where there is any sin, the devil or his own are involved and implicated. Temptation is a sin of theirs every single time.

Mankind are caught in the matters like their prey.

We're dealing with internal predatory evil spirits aka evil thoughts. That's where they stake their claims on the pawns.

s

 

[Guest]

I agree and disagree. For example, if Joe tempts Bob, who is sinning..Joe or Bob. Bob isn't the one sinning. Bob still has a choice to walk away from Joe. no? In this case, Joe is the devil and I am Bob.

Sin is never ever an observation of people only.

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil;

Where there is any sin, the devil or his own are involved and implicated. Temptation is a sin of theirs every single time.

Mankind are caught in the matters like their prey.

We're dealing with internal predatory evil spirits aka evil thoughts. That's where they stake their claims on the pawns.

s

Show me scripture where it says Bob sinned because he was tempted by the devil. 1 John 3:8 speaks of committing the sin. I'm talking about being tempted but not committing sin. Therefore being tempted is not sin.

 

[Vaccine]

3. Is temptation a sin?

Absolutely it is!

5. Can we avoid temptation or is that impossible.

No. If Jesus was tempted..

I think that needs some clarification. I think there is internal temptation, which I agree with you is a sin. And there is external temptation, which I agree is also a sin but one of the temptor.
When satan (the temptor) tempted Jesus (temptee), there was sin on satans part but Jesus did not sin. Satan presented an external temptation, Jesus was God and therefore could not be internally tempted.
I think of it this way: the world around us will inevitably present us with temptation, if we are not tempted, meaning we do not want to do the thing that is presented to us, we did not sin. To me, contemplating it in over your mind isn't the sin, it's wanting to that is. And acting it out is another thing altogether.

 

[Guest]

When satan (the temptor) tempted Jesus (temptee), there was sin on satans part but Jesus did not sin. Satan presented an external temptation, Jesus was God and therefore could not be internally tempted.

 

[Slider]

Show me scripture where it says Bob sinned because he was tempted by the devil. 1 John 3:8 speaks of committing the sin. I'm talking about being tempted but not committing sin. Therefore being tempted is not sin.

You made some good points Urk.... I was thinking along the same lines. I liked Vaccine's clarification as well.

In any sense, thank God for grace!

 

[smaller]

3. Is temptation a sin?

Absolutely it is!

5. Can we avoid temptation or is that impossible.

No. If Jesus was tempted..

I think that needs some clarification. I think there is internal temptation, which I agree with you is a sin. And there is external temptation, which I agree is also a sin but one of the temptor.
When satan (the temptor) tempted Jesus (temptee), there was sin on satans part but Jesus did not sin. Satan presented an external temptation, Jesus was God and therefore could not be internally tempted.

I agree and have made that same conclusion many times in this forum prior and should have this time as well.

External temptation of the tempter for Jesus. Internal as sin is off the board for the 'Mind of God.'

I think of it this way: the world around us will inevitably present us with temptation, if we are not tempted, meaning we do not want to do the thing that is presented to us, we did not sin. To me, contemplating it in over your mind isn't the sin, it's wanting to that is. And acting it out is another thing altogether.

And I would disagree with that cop out. If temptation is of the tempter, which I believe it is, then it's sin regardless of how long one 'toys' with it in their mind. An instant flash of a nanosecond is in fact a sin and is so from the worst sinner that ever was, the tempter, Satan, the devil.

s

 

[gr8grace]

3. Is temptation a sin?

Absolutely it is!

5. Can we avoid temptation or is that impossible.

No. If Jesus was tempted..

I think that needs some clarification. I think there is internal temptation, which I agree with you is a sin. And there is external temptation, which I agree is also a sin but one of the temptor.
When satan (the temptor) tempted Jesus (temptee), there was sin on satans part but Jesus did not sin. Satan presented an external temptation, Jesus was God and therefore could not be internally tempted.
I think of it this way: the world around us will inevitably present us with temptation, if we are not tempted, meaning we do not want to do the thing that is presented to us, we did not sin. To me, contemplating it in over your mind isn't the sin, it's wanting to that is. And acting it out is another thing altogether.

Being tempted is not a sin. tempting some one is.

Jesus WAS tempted in the desert. Deity can NOT be tempted. Jesus in His humanity was able Not to sin. But His humanity was tempted and He felt the pressure in His humanity. 40 days with out food in the human body is a pretty good pressure cooker for temptation with the intake of bread.

That is why Jesus went in the desert 100% human, His humanity was tempted in all aspects, and he remained sinless because He relied on the Spirit of God and Gods word to get him through. Not His deity.

He is our perfect example. He was tempted just as we are and He did not "cheat" with His deity. He followed Gods will and was filled with Spirit and WON. And as believers we have the same power and Help as Jesus did in His desert experience. He can and does relate to all the temptations that we go through.

When temptation turns to Lusting it is sin. being tempted is not a sin.

 

[smaller]

When temptation turns to Lusting it is sin. being tempted is not a sin.

Temptation entails evil (DEFILING) thought.

Thee Tempter is also a sinner beyond any doubt as well as a liar, murderer and thief, his (and his ilk's) actions 'internal.'

Do the math.

s