Using a Bible dictionary is a great way to start understanding a word within the context of the Bible. With contributions by hundreds of biblical scholars, Bible dictionaries vary in the approach they use in defining a word and how easily they can be read. Consider using a few different ones to help you in your study!

Sin is one word that is difficult to understand, which can be seen in various Bible dictionary definitions. Is sin just the behavior or something more?

James sees sin starting with an ungodly desire.

When consummated with ungodly behavior ("fully grown"), its consequence is death.

Eve had a desire to be wise like God. James' comment about sin (Jas 1:14-15) appears to be derived from this event.

Birth of sin: desire for wisdom to be like God

Fully grown: "she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate." Death was introduced and was God's judgment for sin

Jesus indicates that sin depends on what you desire. An ungodly desire intitiates the birth of sin.

Note carefully that a sinful desire is the same as the act of commission!!

The Tenth Commandment prophibits coveting (the desire for) anyone else's spouse and property, which is what Paul is referring to. If it weren't for God's word, Paul would not have learned that God considered this as sin.

The Mosaic Covenant became the standard by which the Israelites lived by, and they made compliance to the law, as well as their additions, the object of desire for the faithful.

Instead of placing an emphasis on obeying God, Jewish religious authorities made compliance to the Law as the rule of faith. A good example is seen in Samuel when he confronts king Saul for disobeying God for failing to destroy all that Amelak had (1 Sam 15:1-17). Disobedience is rebellion and insubordination and seen as a rejection of God's word!

22) And Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23) For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king." (1 Sam 15:22-23, ESV)

In similar fashion, Jesus commended a scribe who understood that the greatest commandments, 1) to agapē love God and 2) to agapē love your neighbor, were "much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices" (Mark 12:28-34)

The desire to love God is manifested by obedience. Lacking a desire for God results in disobedience to His word, which is the real basis of sin from which all others arise!

At its very core, sin is lacking the love and desire for God.

Without this primary desire, all other thoughts and behaviors that disregard God's word results.

From desire to behavior, God considers anything apart from His word as sin.

A Hebrew lexicon is a dictionary that shows the Hebrew word that is the basis of the corresponding English translation.

The Hebrew word translated as "tempt" (Strong's number: H5254) means "to test" or "to try to prove."

A Greek lexicon is a dictionary that shows the Greek word that is the basis for the corresponding English translation.

The Greek word translated as "tempted" (Strong's number: G3985) means "to try to see if something could be done" or "to test and make a trial of."

Temptation is a test that is designed to reveal what lies in a person’s heart.

The Israelites went without fresh water for three days to humble them.

They were being tested to see what was in their hearts: did they have the desire and love for God so that they would obey His word?

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. (Deut 8:2, ESV)

Jesus is being tested to see:

a) if He has a desire for food vs His desire for God's word,

b) if He has a desire that God prove His love for Him, and

c) if He has a desire for wealth and power vs worshiping / serving God.

Temptation only tests the presence of certain desires.

Sin, and its moral equivalent evil, is the result of not desiring or having a love for God and disobeying His word.

Absent of any ungodly desires, both God and Jesus cannot be tempted!

Since They lack evil desires, They cannot test you for sinful evil desires!

When God tempts, He is testing only one desire: is your foremost love for God? This absolutely single test is why God could not tempt you to sin.

Tempting God is testing if He loves you by "making" Him prove His existence.

In this instance, the Pharisees are asking for a sign from heaven to prove that Jesus is the Messiah Son of God. Jesus refused to comply and elsewhere gave the following reasons, which still apply to this day:

30) "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31) If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32) There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33) You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34) Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35) He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36) But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37) And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38) and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40) yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41) I do not receive glory from people. 42) But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. (John 5:30-42)

Tempting God is testing if He loves you by "making" Him prove it.

Despite God expressing His love through the Exodus and His provision, the Israelites complained about their thirst and questioned God's love. Through their complaints, the Israelites were saying in effect, "prove your love by providing water."

7) Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice,
8) do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9) where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10) Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, 'They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.'
11) As I swore in my wrath,
'They shall not enter my rest.'" (Heb 3:7-11, ESV)

Note carefully that within this body of "Believers," a number were not, because they did not know God's ways and did not enter His rest!

God is testing if Abraham desires and loves God with all his heart, soul, and mind.

Does Abraham love his only son with Sarah more than his love for the Creator who promised and provided his heir?

Could you pass this temptation?

Do the Israelites love God, because He is God, ruler, and supreme authority over the universe?

Or do they desire God when needed, because they personally benefit from Him?

Why do the Israelites fear God? Do they fear the authority of God's supremacy and recognize His mercy and grace so that they would obey His word?

Or do they fear simply for their personal safety and self preservation?

Could you pass this temptation?

Why would God allow false prophets? Do the Israelites' desire and love of God compel them to study and know God's word well enough to discern falsehood?

Could you pass this temptation? Do love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and take the time to know God's word well enough?

God does not tempt or test you for evil desires. God only tests if you desire and love Him.

Jesus is saying, in our requests in the Lord's prayer, God please do not test our desire and love for You – instead save us!

The fear of the Lord is not of Him as a Person but of His authority. If you understand the implications of God's supreme authority, then you would understand the experience of His mercy and grace; this compels one to be obedient to His word.

Proverbs is speaking about the knowledge found in the Bible. God needs to instruct us on what and what not to desire for.

You cannot be tempted when you don't have the sinful desire being tested.

As you learn more about God and His lovingkindness in keeping His covenant promises, you gain a greater trust in the reliability of His word and recognize the goodness of being obedient and holy.

Observe carefully that godly wisdom is only given to those who have faith.

You cannot learn what godly desires are if you do not believe in the reality of God and place a confident trust in Him that engenders an obedience to His words.

The account of Job introduces the idea that God limits how Satan and his demons can tempt Believers (Job 1:1-12).

The first step in overcoming demonic temptation is to recognize that you cannot do this by your own efforts.

The second step is recognizing God's provision of "the way of escape" is by studying and knowing God's word. Jesus provided an example of this when He was tempted by Satan (Matt 4:1-11).

The English translation "examine" is from the same Greek word for "tempt" or "test," which is being studied throughout this slideshow. This highlights the benefit of studying the underlying Hebrew or Greek, because you might miss the subtleties lost in translation.

Another method in avoiding temptation is to test yourself and examine why you do what you do. What does your heart desire? Verifying if you are developing the right desires provides feedback on your progress.

Who helps the one who sins? Paul's "you who are spiritual" refers to those who have a genuine faith in God and abiding in Jesus Christ - those who are mature and have a good grasp of God's word.

What do you do when someone sins? Restore the person in the spirit of gentleness: with patience and time, not overlooking the sin nor publicly exposing in shame.

Restoring someone of their sin in the spirit of gentleness in the manner God desires poses a considerable temptation. It tests your desire to feel better about yourself by comparing, judging, and gossiping about others.

Your character and spiritual maturity is measured by sharing in another's burden.

Infants in Christ are Believers, whether new or not, who are still "of the flesh."

Their desires of the world compete heavily against their desire and love for God. This may be due to innocently not knowing or intentional disobedience.

Do either of these describe you?

It takes work. Reading and knowing God's word is how God instructs.

It takes practice. Practice is how you train to distinguish good and evil desires of yourself and of others.

The primary reason why people don't study the Bible and aspire to be a steward of God's word is simply because people do not desire Him; their disobedience to God is the outcome of not agapē loving Him and fearing His authority.

Note carefully Jesus Christ's expectation of us:

1) John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5) and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6) and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Rev 1:4-6, ESV)

The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

Will you be sober-minded, endure suffering, and do the work of an evangelist?

Salvation can be understood in stages:

1) From the Penalty of sin - this is when you first come to faith.

2) From the Power of sin - this is what you are attempting to do during your life in Christian living.

3) From the Presence of sin - this occurs after your death and resurrection.

To "grow up into salvation" is the second process of salvation - from the power of sin.

Becoming more "Christ-like" is learning how to be like Jesus by replacing your sinful desires with Jesus Christ's godly desires. This is freedom from the power of sin.