I caused some trouble before, but now I come seeking answers. Is a life filled with temptation a sin? I ask this because of a video I saw with students burning their CD's and saying that they have become Christian. This, to me, is a form of weakness. Living a life without the daily struggle of being tempted seems so easy, with nothing to pull you down, while a life with constant obsticles would show a greater resolve, and ultimatley, show that one is truly capible of deciding what is right or wrong, instead of being told. Thank you for your time.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2001

Answers

So we should pack someone's bedroom who has a sexual addiction full of porno mags to see how great their resolve is? Or make sure the alcoholic's wet bar is fully stocked?

What those students did was very Biblical. In the book of Acts (19:19), when the people in Ephesus became Christians, a number of them who were into occultic practices gathered together and burned those things in their lives which were a temptation to them.

Jesus told us to pray lest we fall into temptation (Matt. 6;13, 26:41). Our prayer and our desire should be not to be tempted, not to be tempted more! Paul told us to watch ourselves, lest we be tempted (Gal 6:1). He told us to flee (literally run away from like a scared rabbit) such temptations, and Jesus told us that if anything (figuratively speaking, even something as close and dear to us as a body part) caused us to sin, we should cut it off and cast it aside. The weakness is not in casting it away, but in clinging to it.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2001

Dear Zero, You wrote, "I caused some trouble before, but now I come seeking answers."

I don’t know what this refers to, but I am hopeful that your words are true. In fact, I pray that I will always be open to teaching from God’s Word. For therein are all the answers that are necessary for life in Christ.

You wrote, "Is a life filled with temptation a sin?"

I suppose we should provide some qualifiers here. We are to be filled with a number of things that are spiritual in nature. For example: Eph. 3: 19 – with the fulness of God; 5:18 – with the Spirit; Col. 1: 9 – with knowledge…

Scripture teaches that it is God’s desire that we are filled with some specific things, however temptation is not one of them. The writers of the Bible accept that we will have temptation in our life. In fact, Paul assures the Christian that “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” NIV I Cor. 10:13.

Therefore, to be “filled” with temptation seems to assume that the way of escape has not been utilized, and therefore one is swimming (immersed or filled) in all manner of temptation. If that is the case, then where is the filling of the fullness of God? Where is the filling of the Spirit? It would give me cause to wonder.

You wrote, "I ask this because of a video I saw with students burning their CD's and saying that they have become Christian. This, to me, is a form of weakness. Living a life without the daily struggle of being tempted seems so easy, with nothing to pull you down, while a life with constant obsticles would show a greater resolve, and ultimatley, show that one is truly capible of deciding what is right or wrong, instead of being told."

If one continues to be filled with temptation, where is the evidence that he has decided to do what is right. It seems more logical to say, “As a person decides to do what is right, the temptations become fewer, if for no other reason than the person’s resolve is strengthened and what used to tempt him, no longer does. Therefore, as a person increases in the quality of his faith, they become less ‘filled’ with temptation.

An additional thought. I believe that the reason you stated is similar, if not the same, as the reasoning that Paul addresses in Romans 5:12 - 6:14.

Romans 5:18ff “consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 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. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life though Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Let me retype just a portion to show the reasoning,

“The law was added that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more…” “what shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?”

Here is the paraphrase: Because sin increases, grace increases, therefore: I am really doing God a favor because I am the cause for there to be more grace. Paul answers this with a hearty, “By no means!” In the King James it says, “God forbid!”

It may be that your reasoning is similar to the following: If constant obstacles show a greater resolve and demonstrate my ability to decide right from wrong, then satan is doing me a favor by filling my life with temptations. (By the way, James tells us that God is not the tempter of man, but satan is.) Therefore, let my life be filled with temptation. Do you see that faulty reasoning here?

If your not sure yet, consider these words from Jesus himself and let them settle the matter. They are also repeated in the posting just before this one. I will offer these partial words of Jesus. “After this manner ought you to pray.” Remember these words as He taught His disciples to pray, “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.

If it is Jesus' will, and if it is our prayer to not be led into temptation, then I draw from that the following; when it comes to temptation… less is better!

Learning as I go along with you,

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001

Was it Joseph who ran when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him?

KJV Genesis 39

39:1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 39:2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 39:3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 39:4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 39:5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 39:6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. 39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As it turned out, this evil lady lied and said Joseph had assaulted her, and Joseph ended up in prison.

But he was honored later for his uprightness and his obedience to God.

When confronted by sin ~ flee!

Respectfully,

-- Anonymous, May 05, 2001

This kind of thinking, that we need temptation in our life to know how "Christian" we are -- or to put it another way, that we need evil things to know we are good -- is a form of Gnosticism. Paul wrote against this when he said, "What then, shall we go on sinning that grace may abound?" Gnostics believed that it was part of our destiny to be both good and evil. We see this kind of thinking in the Yin and Yang of Eastern thought as well.

The Russian cult known as the Khylisti (of which the notorious Rasputin was a member) carried this dualism to its logical conclusion, claiming that one had to sin all possible sins in order to repent properly. And a central maxim of witchcraft is, "Ye must be willing to suffer in order to learn."

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2001

FireWyrm,

I'm glad to see you come back, seeking honest answers for an honest question.

I have to agree with most of what has been previously said. Scripturally speaking, what you saw in the video is proper. Acts 19 does stand as a good example of eliminating those things that hold you back from God. I believe it was James that wrote, "resist the Devil and he will flee from you"; and the best way to resist him is to resist and/or remove the things he tempts you with.

However, one can never "rest on their laurels" in this matter. Satan does "roam to and fro as a ravening lion seeking those he may devour" and we have to be up to the challenge. The minute you think you have beaten one temptation, Satan will find something else to throw at you.

I think this answers your original question, "is a life filled with temptation a sin?" It depends! Sin is something that you do or don't do - it is something within our control. Many circumstances in life are beyond our scope of control, therefore only our giving in to the temptation would be committing a sin. But intentionally placing yourself in a position to be tempted (i.e. a child molester walking into a Daycare Center) would be considered sin per Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In that passage, Jesus makes it clear that it is the intention of the heart that makes something a sin - not just the specific act.

You are correct in the fact that we need trials & temptations to test and temper our resolves and our faith. And I can assure you that those things will always be there. The only people who go through life without daily struggles are the dead - the rest of us have a lifetime of them to look forward to.

Hope this helps,

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001