M11. Resisting Temptation to Sin. [Make a Comment]
We are to resist, & not yield to, temptation to sin.
This precept is derived from His Word (blessed be He):
Key Scriptures
THE ORIGINAL COMMANDMENT
Genesis 2:8-9, 2:15-17
ADONAI, God, planted a garden toward the east, in 'Eden, and there he
put the person whom he had formed. Out of the ground ADONAI, God, caused to
grow every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree
of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil ... ADONAI, God, took the person and put him in the garden of
'Eden to cultivate and care for it. ADONAI, God, gave the person this
order: "You may freely eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the
day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die."
THE OIRIGNAL TEMPTATION & DISOBEDIENCE
Genesis 3:1-7
Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which ADONAI, God, had
made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You are not to eat
from any tree in the garden'?" The woman answered the serpent, "We may
eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, but about the fruit of the
tree in the middle of the garden God said, 'You are neither to eat from
it nor touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "It
is not true that you will surely die; because God knows that on the day you
eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it
had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one
wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband,
who was with her; and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to
make themselves loincloths.
WARNINGS OF TEMPTATION
Luke 22:40
(NKJ, see also, Matthew 26:41)
When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter
into temptation."
1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive each other, except for a limited time, by mutual agreement,
and then only so as to have extra time for prayer; but afterwards, come
together again. Otherwise, because of your lack of self-control, you may
succumb to the Adversary's temptation.
1 Timothy 6:9
Furthermore, those whose goal is to be rich fall into temptation; they get
trapped in many foolish and hurtful ambitions which plunge them into ruin
and destruction.
REMEDIES FOR TEMPTATION
Genesis 39:7-12
In time, the day came when his master's wife took a look at Yosef and
said, "Sleep with me!" But he refused, saying to his master's wife,
"Look, because my master has me, he doesn't know what's going on
in this house. He has put all his possessions in my charge. In this house I
am his equal; he hasn't withheld anything from me except yourself,
because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin
against God?" But she kept pressing him, day after day. Nevertheless, he
didn't listen to her; he refused to sleep with her or even be with her.
However, one day, when he went into the house to do his work, and none of
the men living in the house was there indoors, she grabbed him by his robe
and said, "Sleep with me!" But he fled, leaving his robe in her hand, and
got himself outside.
Matthew 6:13
(NKJ)
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For
Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
(see also,
Luke 11:4)
Romans 12:21
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Galatians 5:16-17
What I am saying is this: run your lives by the Spirit. Then you will not do
what your old nature wants. For the old nature wants what is contrary to the
Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is contrary to the old nature. These
oppose each other, so that you find yourselves unable to carry out your good
intentions.
Hebrews 2:17-18
(NKJ)
Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might
be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has
suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted
James 4:7
Therefore, submit to God. Moreover, take a stand against the Adversary, and
he will flee from you.
1 John 2:1-2
My children, I am writing you these things so that you won't sin. But
if anyone does sin, we have Yeshua the Messiah, the Tzaddik, who pleads our
cause with the Father. Also, he is the kapparah for our sins - and not only
for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
ASSURANCE OF VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION
Romans 12:21
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God
can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On
the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out,
so that you will be able to endure.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who gives me power.
James 1:12-15
How blessed is the man who perseveres through temptation! For after he has
passed the test, he will receive as his crown the Life which God has
promised to those who love him. No one being tempted should say, "I am being
tempted by God." For God cannot be tempted by evil, and God himself tempts
no one. Rather, each person is being tempted whenever he is being dragged
off and enticed by the bait of his own desire. Then, having conceived, the
desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to
death.
Supportive Scriptures - Yeshua's Temptations
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a cohen gadol unable to empathize with our weaknesses;
since in every respect he was tempted just as we are, the only difference
being that he did not sin.
Matthew 4:1-11
(see also, Luke 4:1-13)
Then the Spirit led Yeshua up into the wilderness to be tempted by the
Adversary. After Yeshua had fasted forty days and nights, he was hungry. The
Tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, order these stones
to become bread." But he answered, "The Tanakh says, 'Man does not
live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of
ADONAI'" Then the Adversary took him to the holy city and set him on
the highest point of the Temple. If you are the Son of God," he said,
"jump! For the Tanakh says, 'He will order his angels to be responsible
for you ... They will support you with their hands, so that you will not
hurt your feet on the stones." Yeshua replied to him, "But it also says,
'Do not put ADONAI your God to the test.'" Once more, the
Adversary took him up to the summit of a very high mountain, showed him all
the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, and said to him, "All this I
will give you if you will bow down and worship me." "Away with you, Satan!"
Yeshua told him, "For the Tanakh says, 'Worship ADONAI your God, and
serve only him.'" Then the Adversary let him alone, and angels came
and took care of him.
Commentary
God's first commandment ever was His instruction to Adam and Eve to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat of the tree and she did, and she tempted Adam, and he ate as well. That is what is often referred to as the "original sin", and one of its consequences is that mankind has been plagued by temptation to sin ever since.
We have lost our innocence of not knowing evil and there is no longer the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to tempt us, but other temptations to sin abound. That's the bad news. The good news is that God has given us Yeshua, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the New Covenant which, together, are more than adequate to keep us from falling into temptation and committing sin. The two Scriptures that are most relevant are 1 Corinthians 10:13 and James 4:7. The first assures us that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to cope, and that He will, in addition, always provide a means of escape. The second Scripture assures us that Satan cannot lodge within us, or continue to harass us, if we summon the power given us by God and resist. Notice that neither Scripture calls us to passivity. The first requires that we search for and employ the means of escape provided for us, and the second requires that we actively resist the sin of which we are tempted, by emphatically saying "no!" to it. If we do those things we are promised victory, and even should we fail at times, 1 John 1:9 promises us:
If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.
Classical Commentators
This Mitzvah is not addressed by any of the classical commentators.
NCLA: JMm JFm KMm KFm GMm GFm