Whatever Happened To Temptation?

Whatever happened to temptation? Not the reality of its occurrence, but the preaching and teaching about it? For our Wednesday night Bible study on the life of the patriarchs I was preparing the lesson about Joseph’s being tempted by Potiphar’s wife. As I prepared, it struck me that, though the subject of temptation used to be a frequent topic of sermons, books, lessons, and devotions, it is rarely addressed today. Admittedly, my conclusion is anecdotal, but, as I began to ask folks and to do some searches, I became surer it is confirmable: Temptation as a matter of concern, discussion, and preaching is disappearing from the Church. Why? Is it because temptation is less a reality today? No, temptation today is more fierce and frequent than ever, because enticement is more ubiquitous, aggressive, and available than ever. Why then is there less preaching and teaching on temptation? Could it not be because of a shift in the emphases of the modern church? Before I explain, indulge me to revisit a brief description/definition of temptation: Temptation = the enticement of one’s lusts to do wrong by a promise of pleasure or gain. Apostle James succinctly describes it as follows: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (Jas 1:14). It is ludicrous to believe that what James described is no longer happening and, thus, the need to preach and to teach about it has diminished. What then happened to temptation? Could its disappearance be attributed to the Church’s no longer preaching anything as sin? Could it be attributed to the teaching of a warped concept of justification that all sin of a believer is automatically taken care of and that no sin can jeopardize a believer’s relationship with God, thus, he need not avoid sin? Could it be the belief that no desire is forbidden anymore because all desire is only an impulse of one’s uniqueness and an expression of one’s heart that should be followed? Could it be the constant denials that there is anything wrong with the things of the world—denials cloaked in the insistence nothing is worldly? If within us there are no lurking and lurching lusts to be encouraged and drawn, no world of wrong to woo, feed, and attract those lusts, no things done seeking to fulfill those lusts that can be labeled as sin, there is no such thing as temptation; and, there is no need to preach and teach about something that isn’t happening. More concretely put, if fornication, something constantly promoted by the world, is not sin, there is no incentive or need to resist the impulses to commit it. To preach and teach about temptation is to concede things that the modern church simply does not care to acknowledge: To preach about temptation is to assume that somethings are sin to commit, that the attraction of this world is harmful and to be resisted, and that lusts are to be controlled, harnessed, denied, and assassinated. If there are no sins to commit, no world to overcome, no lusts to which to say no, then there is no temptation of which to be concerned. It is important to anticipate the liberal, modern, rejection of the Bible’s description of temptation—of lusts, worldly enticement, and sin: The Bible description of temptation is not a contrived construct forced upon the world and human nature. It is an accurate description that any honest observation of the world and human nature would confirm. Humans have unholy, unhealthy impulses and desires. Much of the world targets and encourages those desires. Fulfilling those desires results in wrong done—the hurting of others, etc. As all truth does, what the Bible says about temptation corresponds to reality. There is so much more to be said, but, in my opinion, the Church must resist the temptation not to preach and teach about temptation, and believers must resist the temptation to ignore the temptation at work in their lives. The Bible not only reveals the reality and nature of temptation but also the way to victory over it—if it really exists, that is.

Whatever Happened To Temptation?

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