Northminster Presbyterian SermonCast

Speaker: Rev. Mike Shirey

Temptation is always dangerous, but it is not always bad. Temptation can help us evaluate our spiritual walk. It can help us see what we are made of, in a spiritual sense, and where we need to grow. God allows us to be tempted because of this, but He never abandons us in the moment of testing. Instead, He is with us in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to help us resist the urge to do what we want to do instead of what God wants us to do.

If you stop to think about it, we are never tempted to do something good. It always has to do with doing something self-indulgent. We are tempted to eat too much, drink too much, sleep too much, or do something that harms another person. These are all things that feed our flesh – our base desires and passions. When we give into them we make an idol of the self and push God to the edge of our life and our awareness. The only way to combat this is to do as Jesus did: turn to the Word of God and find the strength to put God in His proper place in our lives.

Points to Ponder: Do you consistently struggle with temptation in your life? How do you typically deal with temptation?

Study Guide