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NASB | James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God" [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one. |
Subject: How does this verse apply to today? |
Bible Note: We may say that in some ways tempting and testing are opposites. Satan tempts people in order to entice them to sin’ to try to get them to sin. God tests us so that he and we can see what we are made of. The purpose of temptation is our downfall. The purpose of testing is to reassure us that we stand by faith, and to encourage us to continue. Satan tempted Eve (Genesis 3). God tested Abraham (Genesis 22). Satan tempted David (1 Chronicles 21) and God tested Job. We may see the hand of both God and Satan in these latter cases and note how God’s and Satan’s aims were different. Satan tempted Job to curse God to his face. God tested him so that he might come forth as gold. Satan tempts us to do evil (Matthew 4). God never tempts us to do evil (James 1). Satan promises us easy times if only we will serve him. God tests us by allowing us to go through tough times so we can know whether our faith is genuine (1 Peter 1). In some places, in some translations of the Bible, the words for tempting and testing may be used interchangeably, and we will need to examine the process and the results. We need to see from the context whether the initiator is God or Satan. Their intentions toward us are always quite different. Satan wants us to do evil and to fall. God wants us to stand and be strong. Therefore, in every circumstance, we must resist the devil and submit ourselves to God (James 4). |