Playing with sin and temptation is like maxing-out credit cards on shopping sprees; the cycle of pleasure and pain ratchets ever higher until something gives.
Sin creates mess. Mess that takes ever increasing amounts of time, energy and emotions to keep the basics of life functioning. Relationships inevitably turn sour, and frustration sets in. It is then that God gets blamed for not caring.
He is accused of putting a person into situations that they can’t handle; suffering temptations beyond their ability to endure.James corrects this false notion:
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone” (Jm.1:13).Everyone loves feel-good sermons, and we wish we could live on them. But if our preferred feel-good sermons mask the real impact that sin and temptation is having upon us, we will be overcome.Temptations are not pitched at us one at a time that we might bat them off easily. I assure you, the devil is more into tsunamis than gentle waves. However, God strengthens us in our trials and sets limits on the devil’s ability to overcome our resolve:
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1Cor.10:13).It is impossible for God to tempt a person to evil.
John Staiger
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