Christian morals

24. Does a person who is tempted sin?

No, because to be tempted does not mean to sin, for Jesus was tempted but He did not sin, as it is written: “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” (Hebrews 4:15).

Let me explain to you what happens when we are tempted. It happens that the devil, who is the tempter, tries to induce us to sin (and the devil uses our own desires to tempt us, that’s why James says that “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:14), but we can resist him and in this way we will not fall into temptation, for James says: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). According to the Scripture: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Obviously, if we reject the way out that God provided for us in His faithfulness, we will fall into temptation and we will sin, even though the temptation is common to man.

I conclude reminding you of the following words of James: “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” (James 1:13).

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