“James 1- 2:4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”” Sometimes people think that trials are the same thing as temptations. These are not the same thing. What is the difference between a “trial” and a “temptation”? According to the dictionary, a trial is “a test of faith, patience, or stamina by suffering or temptation.” A temptation is “an enticement to do something wrong by promise of pleasure or gain.” It is “the act of tempting, especially to evil.” Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, not from God. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. People who live for God sometimes wonder why they still have temptations. Does God tempt them? No. God tests people but he does not tempt them by trying to seduce them into sin. But God does allow Satan to tempt people in order to refine their faith and help them grow in their dependence on Christ. Don’t ever confuse temptation with God’s testing your faith (trials) as a way to strengthen it.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 18:26:29 +0000
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