The Chance to Do Good

Mark Dunagan
10/04/15 - Sunday Morning

The Chance to do Good

“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” (James 1:13).

 

It is easy to resent temptation and feel sorry for ourselves when we are being enticed.  I saw a bumper sticker recently that said, “I am too human to be like Jesus”.  Yet there is a far more positive, truthful and healthy view.  “Every temptation is an opportunity to do good.  On the path to spiritual maturity, even temptation becomes a stepping-stone rather than a stumbling block when you realize that it is just as much an occasion to do the right thing as it is to do the wrong thing.  Temptation simply provides the choice.  Every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ” (The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, p. 201).   

We are all in this Together

We will be tempted, even Jesus was tempted and yet never sinned (Hebrews 2:18).  So every time I am tempted, but I don’t yield, I am walking in the footsteps of Jesus.  Then if I remember what I really admire about the various heroes in the Bible, it is not that they had a problem free or temptation free life, but rather, they resisted very powerful and aggressive temptations.  I think of men like Joseph or Moses who said no to very enticing, pleasurable and lucrative offers (Hebrews 11:24-26).  In addition, the temptations that all of us face are not unique to just us.  Such temptations are very old, very common and very universal, “No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Real Direction of Temptation

Often the Devil packages sin with the supposed rewards or benefits of pleasure, ease, happiness, and fulfillment.  Yet that is not the right list that goes with sin.  The Bible says that the fruit, benefits or results of walking by the teachings of the Holy Spirit are:  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  This means that temptation is always luring us in the opposite direction.  The true result of yielding to temptation is strife, impatience, a lack of self-control, anger, selfishness and bitterness.

The Chance to be Good

“You can’t claim to be good if you’ve never been tempted to be bad.  You can’t claim to be faithful if you’ve never had the opportunity to be unfaithful.  Integrity is built by defeating the temptation to be dishonest; humility grows when we refuse to be prideful; and endurance develops every time you reject the temptation to give up.  Every time you defeat a temptation, you become more like Jesus” (Warren p. 203).

The Steps

Paul said that as Christians we are definitely no longer ignorant of how Satan works (2 Corinthians 2:11).  When it comes to the process of being tempted I find that often the following steps are involved:

Step One:  Desire

• “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6).
• “When I saw….I coveted them and took them” (Joshua 7:21).
• “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires” (James 1:14).
• “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16).

Satan equally seeks to focus our minds completely on the object of our desires.  To see nothing else, to start thinking that we cannot be happy or live without what is before us. 

Step Two:  Doubt

• “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not each of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).
• “Beware, brethren, let there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

Satan seeks to contradict what God says about the sin under consideration.  Is it really wrong?  Did God really say not to do it?  Didn’t God mean something else?  Maybe the way the Bible has been translated here is wrong.  Doesn’t modern science contradict the verses that condemn this behavior?  Didn’t God mean this prohibition for someone else and for some other time?  Isn’t this rather outdated teaching?  Hasn’t our generation discovered a different truth for our time?

Step Three:  Deception

• “Lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).
• “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
• “Let no one deceive you with empty words” (Ephesians 5:6).
• “You will not surely die.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

In the account recorded in Genesis 3 I am struck by the fact that the woman desired the fruit, for among other reasons, to make one wise (Genesis 3:6).  Yet the truth of the matter was that while she was trusting God (3:2-3), she was wise and when she no longer trusted God, such wisdom left her.  How often does Satan attempt to lure us into sin by claiming that the sinful experience will bring enlightenment, when the truth is we are already enlightened as Christians.  

Common Lies

• “It is just a little sin, God would not mind”.
• “Everyone is doing it”.
• “All the experts say that this is not sinful”.
• “No one will ever find out”.
• “God doesn’t want you to be unhappy.  This will make you happy.  So for you, it is okay”.

Warren notes that getting involved in a “little sin” is like being a little pregnant.  It will eventually show itself.   In like manner, one cannot remain a little pregnant and no sin persisted in remains small.

Being Victorious

“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).

• Refuse to be intimidated by temptation.  Yielding to temptation is the problem.  As long as we live we will face tempting thoughts.
• Refuse to feel sorry for yourself.  Everyone is being tempted, Satan leaves no one alone, he did not even leave Jesus alone.
• Refuse to believe those who want you to fail with them.  You can resist!
• Set yourself up to succeed.  Study often, pray often, ask for God’s help, spend time with God’s people, draw strength from those who are spiritually mature (Romans 13:14; 2 Timothy 2:22; Proverbs 16:17; 4:26-27).
• Understand that God indeed knows what we are facing here on earth (Hebrews 4:14-16).
• When battling a frequent temptation, recognize the pattern.  That is, are you most tempted when you are stressed, worried, bored, angry or alone?

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net