Proverbs 17:3
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts. 1 Chr. 29:17; Ps. 26:2; Prov. 15:11
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Have you ever wondered why God leaves us here to be tempted by the evil in this world? I know I sure have. I have come to understand that God never tempts us!
James 1:12-15
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Job 5:17; Luke 6:22; Heb. 10:36; James 5:11; [1 Pet. 3:14; 4:14] [1 Cor. 9:25] Matt. 10:22 Job 15:35; Ps. 7:14; Is. 59:4 [Rom. 5:12; 6:23] The New King James Version
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God does allow us to be tempted and even sometime fall to show us our hearts condition and where He needs to clean us up. It is good to know where you are weak – in order to prepare to stay away from it – out of obedience and faith. Remember that you don’t put down the tent peg during the storm. You secure them before the storm! You must be prepared and do specific things to keep sin away from you. Jesus spoke of this principle in the gospels when He speaks of plucking out your eye or chopping off the hand that offends. We are to do things that will keep sin out! Blocking anything that will tempt you to sin.
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I believe that Satan can tempt us to evil in hopes that we will fall – burning up our joy in the Lord – but God tests our hearts to reveal to us our weak points of sin – demonstrate His great Love in providing Grace for me.
John MacArthur stated it this way:
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In his fierce opposition to the ungodly rationalization of blaming God for sending enticement to evil, James gives four strong proofs that He is not responsible for our temptations and even less responsible, if that were possible, for our succumbing to them in sin. He does so by explaining the nature of evil (1:13b), the nature of man (v. 14), the nature of lust (vv. 15–16), and the nature of God (v. 17). MacArthur, John: James. Chicago, Ill. : Moody Press, 1998, S. 47
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I am responsible for my Choice. I can choose to not sin by believing the truth and submitting to God – or I can – always in Disbelief – choose sin and its temporary pleasure (which is very very fleeting) and by so doing – sin is conceived and death results.
Death is sometime not physical death right away – but most often it begins with the death of our joy in the Lord. No wonder so many Christians are depressed. They have had their Joy Evaporated by their sin and disbelief.
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Specific things we can do:
1. Know the truth – by studying it
2. Submit to the truth God has revealed
3. Block anything or anybody that will lead you away – into sin. ( Seek godly scripture based counsel – if this is a spouse)
4. When you sin – repent right away and change the thing that lead you to it. It is our to fix – or leave the same.
5. Pray – always rejoicing that Heaven is our home.