Does The Devil Make You Do It?
Preaching
Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
And 149 Other Sermon Ideas
Purpose Statement: Who is responsible for the temptations we face?
Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13 report the Devil tempting Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. Our lives seem to be filled with temptations; food, sex, fame, wealth, indolence, and a host of other desirables reach out and beckon us. To have temptation necessitates having a moral order where there is a right and a wrong. To be tempted means feeling desires to do the wrong. Who is responsible for these temptations?
a. The Devil? As is so often true in our scriptures, we have here another example of hyperbole for the sake of emphasis and remembrance. There is no such creature in a red suit with horns and a tail, despite the fact that so many Christians speak of the devil as an actual person. It is amazing we haven't grown theologically beyond such childlike concepts. Two ways the devil can tempt us are totally superfluous. The devil puts temptation in our path? No, our natural environment confronts us with lots of good food to eat and beautiful things to crave that are out of bounds. We don't need the devil for that. The devil puts desires in our minds? Again, "no." When confronted with hard work or an unpleasant task, it comes naturally to want to be lazy. There is no need for a devil.
b. God? Nor can we blame God. James 1:12-13 clearly states that God doesn't tempt us. God has created a world where it is possible to have temptations (see C-1 for related ideas!), but doesn't step into history and place specific temptations before us. The prayer, "Lead us not into temptation," does not mean that God will lead us into temptation unless we make it a point to ask God not to. It means help us through these temptations.
c. Ourselves? The buck stops here. The only one responsible for my temptations is I. I am not responsible for placing them before myself (unless of course I do go looking for trouble), for nature does that part (James 1:14-15). I am responsible for how I handle the temptations. That goes for you too.
Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13 report the Devil tempting Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. Our lives seem to be filled with temptations; food, sex, fame, wealth, indolence, and a host of other desirables reach out and beckon us. To have temptation necessitates having a moral order where there is a right and a wrong. To be tempted means feeling desires to do the wrong. Who is responsible for these temptations?
a. The Devil? As is so often true in our scriptures, we have here another example of hyperbole for the sake of emphasis and remembrance. There is no such creature in a red suit with horns and a tail, despite the fact that so many Christians speak of the devil as an actual person. It is amazing we haven't grown theologically beyond such childlike concepts. Two ways the devil can tempt us are totally superfluous. The devil puts temptation in our path? No, our natural environment confronts us with lots of good food to eat and beautiful things to crave that are out of bounds. We don't need the devil for that. The devil puts desires in our minds? Again, "no." When confronted with hard work or an unpleasant task, it comes naturally to want to be lazy. There is no need for a devil.
b. God? Nor can we blame God. James 1:12-13 clearly states that God doesn't tempt us. God has created a world where it is possible to have temptations (see C-1 for related ideas!), but doesn't step into history and place specific temptations before us. The prayer, "Lead us not into temptation," does not mean that God will lead us into temptation unless we make it a point to ask God not to. It means help us through these temptations.
c. Ourselves? The buck stops here. The only one responsible for my temptations is I. I am not responsible for placing them before myself (unless of course I do go looking for trouble), for nature does that part (James 1:14-15). I am responsible for how I handle the temptations. That goes for you too.
