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What is Temptation?


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Author's Bias | Interpretation: conservative


Temptation

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (Jam 1:14-15)

The Bible often used the Greek verb for "tempt" in a form that conveyed an intensive act emphasizing the tempter's effort in tempting / testing with a sense of strong, forceful, and concentrated action.

In the gospels, this intensive form of the verb was used almost exclusively of Satan and Jewish religious authorities when they tempted Jesus.


James 1:14-15 makes clear that regardless of the intensity one may tempt another, it is the passion of one's desire that makes one susceptible to temptation. From a different perspective, temptation is outside of a person while a desire is created by a person; thus, guilt is determined simply by one's desire regardless of how much temptation is present.


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



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Satan Tempts Man


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