Disciples are going to be tempted to sin after conversion. Those temptations are going to be appealing so that they entice disciples to sin. This devotion looks at advice Solomon gave to resist the temptations.
Nuggets
- The enticers were those people who have not made a genuine profession of faith — who have not sincerely ABCDed.
- However the temptations come, they are going to be appealing.
- When temptation turns into sin, it will turn from appealing to deadly.
Proverbs is an interesting book. My Ladies and I will be studying it this quarter (and we hopefully will get to start meeting together soon to do that!).
We know the writer of Proverbs was Solomon. He was King David’s son. The advice he gives is addressed to someone he refers to as my son. We don’t know if the son he was addressing was his biological son Rehoboam or some other youth.
Regardless of his intended audience, we all can find good council in the verses.
Let's Put It into Context
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines sin as “actions by which humans rebel against God, miss His purpose for their life, and surrender to the power of evil rather than to God.”
We have been defining it as when we disobey God and break one of His laws and commandments. I like the reminder that it is because if the influence of evil.
Because of Adam and Eve’s original sin, we all begin as sinners. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3: 23 CSB).
Believers admit they are sinners, believe Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer, and confess God as our Sovereign Lord. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2: 8 ESV).
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, entice means “to attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire.” Isn’t that an accurate definition?!
Don’t Be Enticed
“My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded” (Prov. 1: 10 CSB)
The sinners Solomon is referring to, according to Newton, was “all persons who are not true Christians.” The enticers were those people who have not made a genuine profession of faith — who have not sincerely ABCDed.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
While believers still have the capacity to sin, Solomon was addressing the temptations faced when we associate with those who are not following the laws and commandments of Sovereign God. Temptation is that period of time between conception and execution of doing what is sinful.
Newton details three reasons why disciples should resist the enticements of sinners.
- “Because when we begin to sin it is hard to stop.
- “Because it is dangerous.
- “Because it is disgraceful.”
I would add the term of devious. Sin, although black and ugly, is often hidden in something shiny and attractive. We should resist those too-good-to-be-true temptations.
Birchan described vice or moral corruption as “the natural product of a tainted heart.” Since we originally are all sinners (Rom. 3: 23), that is the original condition of our hearts.
Ways of Enticement
“If they say — “Come with us! Let’s set an ambush and kill someone. Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun! Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol, whole, like those who go down to the Pit” (Prov. 1: 11-12 CSB)
Temptations can take several different forms, as listed in The Southern Pulpit’s The Personal Element in Temptation.
- Personal authority.
- Personal affection.
- Personal attractions.
- Personal influence.
Think about it.
- We can get into situations at work where our supervisors may require us to do something sinful, like portray a situation in a different manner than it happened.
- Our friends may continue to try to talk us into doing something that breaks God’s laws and commandments.
- We already talked about bright and shiny. Bullar also suggested that flattery could be used.
- Status and influence and be used to tempt us.
Why do sinners want to entice disciples? Matthew Henry wrote, “sinners love company in sin.”
To me, sinners don’t always start a temptation in order or trip up disciples. Sinners don’t routinely say, “I am going to make that disciple do what they don’t want to do so they can sin.” Some do.
In reality, they probably don’t see something as sin. They can see it as inconsequential. They can soft peddle it while putting our conscience at ease.
Because they don’t see it as wrong, they aren’t purposefully trying to get us to do wrong. They just want us to do it — they want the company.
A lot of times sinners try to get that company by ridiculing disciples. Or they give sly innuendos. Or it may be they inundate disciples with debate.
Birchan argued that it is a natural impulse for sinners to entice disciples to sin. He, too, felt it came from sinners’ principles and habits.
Johnstone reminded us that sinners can entice us to sin by example. How many times have we heard, “Well, everyone is doing it?” Familiarity goes a long way to whitewash a sin.
But always, Satan’s reason for enticement is to trip us up. His goal is to get disciples to turn away from God, usually through misinterpretation. He is wanting us to break God’s laws and commandments.
Ooo, baby. Did Arnot have to add his two cents worth? He wrote, “The sinners that entice from within are the man’s own thoughts and desires.”
Ouch! Don’t we want to blame someone else. It’s Tom’s or Sally’s or Elaine’s fault. Anybody’s but mine!
Some of us have so much trouble corralling our thoughts. We get to a place where we can do a lot of thinking, and off our thoughts go to the races. “I deserve …” “I should be able to …” “What would it hurt?”
And we’re sunk. The temptation becomes a committed sin.
The Allure of Sin
“We’ll find all kinds of valuable property and fill our houses with plunder. Throw in your lot with us, and we’ll all share the loot” (Prov. 1: 13-14 CSB)
However the temptations come, they are going to be appealing. Look at verse 11 again. “… Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!” (Prov. 1: 11 CSB). Verse 13 says, “We’ll find all kinds of valuable property …” (Prov. 1: 13 CSB).
Many times we think of temptations sneaking up on us and taking hold of us unawares. We forget that, as Taylor put it, “the nature of sin [is] to be aggressive.”
There is going to be an allure set to hook us in. We’ve got to stand firm.
When temptation turns into sin, it will turn from appealing to deadly.
Taylor gave us a list of what those allures could entail.
- Increase of knowledge
- Pleasure
- Love of liberty
- Lack of discovery
Making the Connections
If Solomon was talking to his son, he was probably talking a young person. Temptations don’t have an age limit.
So, young or old, we are going to be tempted. No one is going to be exempt.
It was written in Weekly Pulpit’s Enticemerits and Enticers that this testing is necessary. They wrote, “There is no possible culture of moral character without such testing.”
The thing we have to remember is free will. Free will is the ability within us to make decisions that determine actions that produce character.
We have to choose to sin.
Sin isn’t just going to happen.
Satan isn’t going to make us sin with no input from us.
Yep, if we sin, it is because we have chosen to disobey God. There isn’t anyone else we can blame. It is us.
Birchan put it this way. He wrote, “… neither sin nor sinners can prevail against you without your own inclination.”
We have to remember that the temptation itself isn’t the sin. Let’s say we were tempted to cheat on our spouse. It isn’t a sin until we actually give into the temptation.
Reid reminded us that “temptation is mighty, but it is not almighty. No one has power over our will so that we must yield.”
How Do We Apply This?
- If we know something is going to be a tempting situation, don’t put ourselves in that situation.
- Make sure we have mortified sin.
- Just say no.
- Always say yes to God — even if we would rather not — seek Him.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
- Keep self-evaluating.
- Watch who we let into our inner circle.
- We have the armor of God — use it.
To read devotions in the Armor of God series, click the appropriate button below.
Resource
Taylor had one other piece of advice that I didn’t want to get lost in the bullet points. If we know something is a sin, we shouldn’t be debating ourselves whether we should do it or not.
Yes, it is the just say no and say yes to God. But focus on the don’t debate. Don’t negotiate. Don’t whine.
Submit.
Loving Heavenly Father. Satan will throw all he can at us to get us to disobey You. He will send the shiniest, most appealing thing to tempt us. May we daily tighten Your armor around us. May we be buried in Your Word to comfort us and strengthen us. It is our prayer that we are totally submitted and obedient to You. Amen.
What do you think?
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