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i can't quite believe that at my age i don't have a ready reply to this, and all of the ones that come to mind seem to be arguable.
Is Temptation Evil?
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In itself, I would say, "no"! There is a tempter, whatever people say that he is and when we jump on his bandwagon with the idea of making something more substantial our of the temptation it becomes sin.
The letter of a law or laws may describe for us the black and white rules which when broken seemingly require atonement. While that may be true, just the contemplation of one or more of those rules with the established intention [in your mind and/or heart] is already sin requiring atonment according to the way Jesus explained it:
"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matt 5:28
The letter of a law or laws may describe for us the black and white rules which when broken seemingly require atonement. While that may be true, just the contemplation of one or more of those rules with the established intention [in your mind and/or heart] is already sin requiring atonment according to the way Jesus explained it:
"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matt 5:28
no temptation isn't evil, entertaining that which is against what God says is good in His Judgement is evil. just because the serpent said what he said isn't intrinsically evil. the entertaining of what he said is evil. what Satan said to Jesus when He was to be tempted wasn't evil and note Jesus never entertained what Satan said.
things of darkness that belong in darkness and are in darkness isn't evil no more than a dangerous criminal is incarcerated is evil. but what is evil is that what belongs in darkness is in the place for the Light, that is evil, that is very evil indeed.
hence we are given God's place in the earth and surly it is the place in the earth for the Light of God. anything other than that is evil.
Helen
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Agree with others...the Tempter is evil...we could say the temptation itself is intended to be evil.
But when we are tempted it is not evil...there can never be a victory without a test. From Eden there has always been a tester.
God tells us what the Wilderness was all about...The Test...
"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, "
Temptation..is in a way good for us..it shows us how focussed we are on our goal..or not.
The best way to overcome temptation is to look the other way. I can look at the ice-cream, or I can turn and look elsewhere...I don't have to eat 'the fruit'.
My two cents
But when we are tempted it is not evil...there can never be a victory without a test. From Eden there has always been a tester.
God tells us what the Wilderness was all about...The Test...
"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, "
Temptation..is in a way good for us..it shows us how focussed we are on our goal..or not.
The best way to overcome temptation is to look the other way. I can look at the ice-cream, or I can turn and look elsewhere...I don't have to eat 'the fruit'.
My two cents
I don't think that being tempted is evil within it'self. It needs to be triggered just like guns are not evil unless someone uses it inappropriately and it kills someone.... temptation comes in many forms but as C. S. Lewis once said, "Integrity is doing the right thing when no-one is watching"
Temptation is not evil. If temptation was evil then Jesus had Evil in Him when He was being"tempted" by the devil in the wilderness after His water baptism as given Him by John the Baptist. An interesting note here is that the Holy Spirit Led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Why would the Holy Spirit do that if temptation was/is evil, if the Holy Spirit's role is to convict us of evil?
And then again, why did God remove the hedge from around Job? The very first verse says:
"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." Job 1:1
More overcoming still needed is the answer I believe to your highlighted/underlined question as well as to why Job, a "perfect and upright" had the hedge removed.
I remember the Story of Job. Just as much as Job was righteous he was also a man who was very well off in financial assets and health and material belongings. But Satan made a bet with God. He said to God, that guy Job: He is only as righteous as he is because of all the weath, health material possessions ,etcetra that he had. Let me at him exclaimed Satan to God. I'll show you the real reason Job is so righteous. So God agreed under the condition that Satan not destroy his life. So Satan went at Job. Job lost his wealth, his servants died, his health deteriorated. But he did not stop being righteous towards God ,even though many encouraged him to do so so that his(Job's) misery would end. But Job remained righteous. So in the end satan found out that Job had the patience of Job. And Satan lost his bet with God. That is how I understand the answer to your question.
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The only person who never sinned is Jesus Christ. Righteous men sin. Thus Job was righteous when faced with the temptations of Satan.
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Good lesson here, we know Job was credited with righteous by grace through faith in God, (as all the saved are) but we can also see he sinned and repented. There are two sides of this good news story, when we only see the one side we miss half of the story.
Evil is the result of sin, and sin is succumbing to temptation. If someone tempts you to do something unrighteous, then I'd imagine the intent is to bring about evil. So indirectly, evil is the result of surrendering to temptation, but over-coming temptation is victory over sin, and thereby defeats evil.
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"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." James 1:13-14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." James 1:13-14
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb 4:15
Rather a hard act to follow... but there it is, to be tempted and not sin! Jesus provided that perfect example by doing in the flesh that which for our flesh alone is impossible.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
The Serpent was the TEMPTER.
The Serpent's "INTENT" was to "EFFECT" evil.
Already noted, Temptation is not EVIL.
The "INTENT" of a Tempter CAN BE EVIL or not.
One may tempt another, by showing the other, a big piece of chocolate cake, and even say, (as a tempter), can I tempt you to take and eat of this cake I just baked.
A tempter is involved.
The tempted is involved.
The intent is revealed.
And there is NOTHING EVIL about such a scenario.
Like I said:
Temptation is not Evil.
The INTENT of the Tempter can or can not be evil.
God Bless,
Taken
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Well, evil is not a force.....it is a lesser form or an incomplete or misuse of Good. So...intent and action are really the samething - Jesus confirms this in Mathew 5:28
You are off on a tangent.
Intent is effected by the TEMPTER
Action effected would be by the TEMPTED.
Two different parties. Have two different considerations. Not the same consideration.
God Bless,
Taken
