Confusion of Temptation: Minimize the Consequences of Sin

Confusion of Temptation: Minimize the Consequences of Sin

Read Genesis 19:1–29 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.Genesis 3:3 Charles Spurgeon wrote about the godly influence his mother had on him as she diligently taught him the Bible and prayed for him. “I remember on one occasion, her praying...
Subtlety of Temptation: Half-Truths

Subtlety of Temptation: Half-Truths

Subtlety of Temptation: Half-Truths Read 2 Corinthians 11:1–15 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals that the Lord God made.Genesis 3:1 Last October a church janitor opened fire on the Atlanta congregation where he was once employed, killing the...
Source of Temptation: Our Enemy

Source of Temptation: Our Enemy

Read John 8:39–47 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.John 8:44 The tactics and strategies of warfare need to evolve as enemies change. In the jungles of Vietnam, the United States faced a different kind of enemy than...
Anatomy of Temptation: How Desire Gets Corrupted

Anatomy of Temptation: How Desire Gets Corrupted

Read Genesis 3:1–24 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was . . . desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.Genesis 3:6 Augustine, the fourth-century theologian, stated, “He is a man of a just and holy life that . . . keeps his affections under...
When Rules Don’t Work: Fighting Temptation the Wrong Way

When Rules Don’t Work: Fighting Temptation the Wrong Way

When Rules Don’t Work: Fighting Temptation the Wrong Way Read Colossians 2:16–23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom . . . but they lack any value. Colossians 2:23 Some churches teach abstention from alcohol, enforce strict dress codes, and forbid...