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Tempted to do Good / Evil?

Loyal
Tempted to do Good / Evil?

Everyone knows the Devil (Satan, the serpent, the wicked one) tempts man to do “evil”. Very few know that God actually tempts (to test, to try) man to do “good”! Abraham was “tested” by God to do good by offering up his son Isaac as a sacrifice after the Lord God had told Abraham that it would be through Isaac that his descendants would come!! Abraham was ready to offer up his son before he offered him up!!!

Heb 11:17 GOD TESTED ABRAHAM'S FAITH. GOD TOLD HIM TO OFFER ISAAC AS A SACRIFICE. Abraham obeyed because he had faith. HE ALREADY HAD THE PROMISES FROM GOD. AND GOD HAD ALREADY SAID TO HIM, "IT IS THROUGH ISAAC THAT YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL COME." But ABRAHAM WAS READY TO OFFER HIS ONLY SON. He did this because he had faith. (ERV)

The Bible tells us a lot about temptations in how, and why they come.

James 1:13 NO ONE MUST SAY, WHEN HE IS TEMPTED TO DO EVIL, "I HAVE A TEMPTATION FROM GOD TO DO EVIL," for God cannot be tempted to do evil, and He never tempts anyone to do so.
James 1:14 But ANYONE IS TEMPTED TO DO EVIL WHEN HE IS ALLURED BY HIS OWN EVIL DESIRE and enticed by a bait. (Williams)

God tests us to do good, but never to do evil! The Lord knows what we will do in them before they come, so it is not for his knowing, but ours!! Temptations to do evil come because of “evil desires”

Temptations to do good come from good desires! Anytime we are tempted to do evil, we are also tempted to do good! When we do not do the evil it is because we choose to over come evil with good!

The Apostle Paul tells us,

Rom 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

The “man” Jesus was tempted to do evil after fasting for forty days in the desert. The scripture tells us that Jesus was “hungry”. (Matt 4:2) The word “lust” as it says in the KJV version means, “strong desire”. Jesus had a strong desire to eat food. Strong desires can be either good, or evil depending from where they come, and on who's time table, and method they are to be completed.

The first temptation the Devil tempted Jesus with was to “turn stones into bread”. Jesus over came evil by NOT doing his own will, but by desiring to finish his father will which he quoted! (Matt 4:4)

Jesus had a strong desire to show himself to be the Son of God. Jesus never told anyone he was the Son of God, he told them he was the “son of man” which connected him to the human race. God the father would be the one to show, and reveal that Jesus Christ was not only the son of man but truly the “Son of God.” Jesus was tempted to prove he was the Son of God by throwing himself down so his angels would catch him up. Jesus overcame evil with good by reminding the Devil, “you shall not tempt the Lord thy God...”(Matt 4:7)

Jesus had a strong desire to “destroy the works of the Devil” (1 John 3:8) and to take back what Adam and Eve had forfeited to the serpent in the garden of Eden.

1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the SON OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED, THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.

Jesus was tempted to take back from the Devil what Adam had given up by worshipping the Devil thus making him a slave to the Devil. It is always a temptation to go the easy route of the flesh instead of following God's way!
Jesus overcame evil with good by continuing to do his fathers will which was his mission that would lead him to the cross by which he would disarm the Devil.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; THAT THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL;

Col 2:13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
Col 2:14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. THIS HE SET ASIDE, NAILING IT TO THE CROSS.
Col 2:15 HE DISARMED THE RULERS AND AUTHORITIES AND PUT THEM TO OPEN SHAME, BY TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN HIM.

What are the results of NOT overcoming evil with good?

Rom 2:9 THERE WILL BE SUFFERING AND DISTRESS FOR EVERY PERSON WHO DOES EVIL, for Jews first and Greeks as well.

The results of overcoming evil with good.

Rom 2:10 But THERE WILL BE GLORY, HONOR, AND PEACE FOR EVERY PERSON WHO DOES WHAT IS GOOD, for Jews first and Greeks as well.
Rom 2:11 God does not play favorites.

When being tempted we should be well aware that temptations come as a result of strong desires we might have. "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own strong desires." (James 1:14) Adam and Eve were tempted because they had a strong desire to eat from a three that would make them wise!!

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and A TREE TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and GAVE ALSO UNTO HER HUSBAND WITH HER; and he did eat.

The Apostle Paul claimed every time he wanted to do good, evil was present with him! (Romans 7:21)

Temptations to do evil also brings temptations to do good or else how could anyone overcome evil with good?



https://www.facebook.com/ufi/reacti...GJhY2s6MTAyMTQ5NzI5MTYyOTg2MDM=&av=1299818391
 
Moderator
Staff Member
Greetings,

good message Curtis
{i will delete this bit as per your reply, but thought you ought to know your link goes to a log in page. maybe me as i don't do facebook so i don't have any idea?}

About your message, can you clarify one point please?

you wrote:
Jesus was tempted to take back from the Devil what Adam had given up by worshipping the Devil thus making him a slave to the Devil.

sorry but i am a bit thick at times and couldn't directly see the connection with the other things you wrote.



And do you think it would be correct to say that when God offers/tempts. tells us. instructs us, the devil tries to ruin it with a temptation to do evil against what God asks?

if so, which it may well be, the question is raised as to why Jesus went out into the wilderness to fast. Was that for a specific purpose which aligned with the asking of God and was then challenged by the devil with temptations to go against the will of God and as a result, to do evil?

-------------------------
Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.....

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:9


Bless you ....><>
 
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Active
@Curtis Sounds as if you are making obedience to God just the flip side of the temptation of the Devil. Sounds strange to me.

Nor do I believe that Adam and Eve's motive was to worship the devil when they fell. It was nothing but simple obedience or disobedience to what they knew.

Quantrill

P.S. Sorry, I just saw this was in the devotional area or I would not have responded. Feel free (Mods) to remove it if it is not appropriate.
 
Moderator
Staff Member
Greetings Quantrill, @Quantrill

first, i think it ought to be OK if we exchange some thoughts here [in Devotionals] so long as we don't get into long debates.

I think the point being made [and i am open to correction @Curtis ] is that The LORD gives instruction [and in so doing we have the good and the evil temptations to say yes or no to] and if we go against His will, we are in effect doing so via temptation to do rebelliously against His Way, which results in doing evil.

I must admit that the theory is good AFTER Adam and Eve, regarding Good and Evil [or choosing which way to go] but am a bit stuck at present about how Adam and Eve were faced with the same scenario, given that they had not yet eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. That could be my own brain blockage, not any more.


Bless you both ....><>
 
Loyal
Greetings Quantrill, @Quantrill

first, i think it ought to be OK if we exchange some thoughts here [in Devotionals] so long as we don't get into long debates.

I think the point being made [and i am open to correction @Curtis ] is that The LORD gives instruction [and in so doing we have the good and the evil temptations to say yes or no to] and if we go against His will, we are in effect doing so via temptation to do rebelliously against His Way, which results in doing evil.

I must admit that the theory is good AFTER Adam and Eve, regarding Good and Evil [or choosing which way to go] but am a bit stuck at present about how Adam and Eve were faced with the same scenario, given that they had not yet eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. That could be my own brain blockage, not any more.


Bless you both ....><>
The Lord did tell Adam to not eat from the tree making him well aware of the evil it would bring if he did. The good was in not eating, the bad was in the eating. Sometimes when we "don't" do something we know as evil that is actually doing the good by not doing.
 
Loyal
@Curtis Sounds as if you are making obedience to God just the flip side of the temptation of the Devil. Sounds strange to me.

Nor do I believe that Adam and Eve's motive was to worship the devil when they fell. It was nothing but simple obedience or disobedience to what they knew.

Quantrill

P.S. Sorry, I just saw this was in the devotional area or I would not have responded. Feel free (Mods) to remove it if it is not appropriate.

Rom 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Adam and Eve became slaves to the serpent because they obeyed what the serpent was telling them to do. How can a person overcome evil with good if they don't know what is good?
 
Active
The Lord did tell Adam to not eat from the tree making him well aware of the evil it would bring if he did. The good was in not eating, the bad was in the eating. Sometimes when we "don't" do something we know as evil that is actually doing the good by not doing.


Adam and Eve knew nothing of good or evil. They simply knew the command of God. Eve was deceived. She wasn't trying to worship satan. Adam ate knowingly. But it wasn't to worship satan. It was to identify with Eve.

Quantrill
 
Loyal
Adam and Eve knew nothing of good or evil. They simply knew the command of God. Eve was deceived. She wasn't trying to worship satan. Adam ate knowingly. But it wasn't to worship satan. It was to identify with Eve.

Quantrill
Would you consider sin to be evil? What is sin but transgression of the law, (1 John 3:4) or in this case God's command to Adam not to eat from one tree only which is how the knowledge of sin came to Adam.
God's command to Adam gave him the knowledge of sin which is evil. (Romans 3:20)



Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Rom 5:19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Did Adam cause all men to become sinners because he did good, or evil? Did Adam know what was good for him, and Eve in NOT eating from what was forbidden?
Would you consider "disobedience" to be evil? Did Adam know this? Of course, he did, in fact, God told him what would happen if he disobeyed.

Adam was given "dominion" over all of God's creation until he disobeyed, and then that power defaulted to the serpent who became the god of this world.
 
Active
Would you consider sin to be evil? What is sin but transgression of the law, (1 John 3:4) or in this case God's command to Adam not to eat from one tree only which is how the knowledge of sin came to Adam.
God's command to Adam gave him the knowledge of sin which is evil. (Romans 3:20)



Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Rom 5:19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Did Adam cause all men to become sinners because he did good, or evil? Did Adam know what was good for him, and Eve in NOT eating from what was forbidden?
Would you consider "disobedience" to be evil? Did Adam know this? Of course, he did, in fact, God told him what would happen if he disobeyed.

Adam was given "dominion" over all of God's creation until he disobeyed, and then that power defaulted to the serpent who became the god of this world.

Yes, sin is evil. But that doesn't mean Adam and Eve knew good and evil prior to the fall. They didn't.

Yes, after they sinned, then they knew good and evil.

God's command didn't give Adam and Eve the 'knowlege' of good and evil. God's command didn't give Adam and Eve the knowledge of sin. Their breaking that commandment did.

Is disobedience evil? Of course. That doesn't mean Adam knew it was evil. It doesn't mean Adam and Eve knew good and evil just because they were under a command of God.

Scripture is clear. Adam and Eve did not know good and evil until they sinned. (Gen. 3:22)

Quantrill
 
Active
It would be pretty unfair for God to let Adam, and Eve to be guilty over something they did not know to be wrong.

First of all, God is not unfair in anything He does irregardless how we may view it.

Second of all, don't mistake right and wrong as synonymous with good and evil. They are not the same.

Quantrill
 
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