The Bend Root Test

This article was published in the October 1994 issue of the Trumpeter under the title “Deliver Us From Temptation”. We believe it is more relevant today than it was back then. The illustration is added. It shows how welds are tested to determine if the joining of two metals was successful. During this test, any defects will be magnified and clearly evident. Can you take the pressure of temptation?

Certain words bring specific thoughts to our minds when we hear them. Perhaps the thought will be an experience we had, perhaps a verse of Scripture, or maybe something we were taught as a child. What thoughts enter your mind when you hear the word TEMPTATION? For me, it is a whole series of thoughts, depending upon which Scripture I dwell upon.  If it is the Lord's prayer, then I equate temptation with sin. "Lead us not into temptation" just naturally sounds like "Do not lead us into an area where we could be overtaken by sin".  I am not saying that is exactly what it means, only that that is what I think of when I hear it.  If on the other hand I hear I Cor. 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man etc", I do not equate it directly with sin, but only with the possibility of failure in some test of faith.  This represents a major difference in the meaning of the word, and I would want to be certain that such an interpretation is a valid one before I dogmatically teach on it. My next thought when I hear the word temptation is centered on Christ, as he was 'tempted' of the Devil in the wilderness.  Just what was the nature of this temptation? Can we have any understanding of it from Scripture? I think we can, and I believe we find some clarification in the Epistle of James, Chapter one. You see, the Apostle Paul in the I Cor. 10:13 passage is teaching a specific point, namely that temptation is universal, and that while we remain in the flesh upon the earth we will encounter trials of our faith.  James on the other hand takes it for granted that temptations will come, but he wants us to see 1. Where it comes from. 2 The reasons for it. 3. The results of yielding or not yielding to it.

I would like to take a closer look at these passages in James with you to see if God will grant us some insight and additional understanding of this subject.  My text is James 1:13 "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"

Now if this verse is taken absolutely, just as it stands, then we must draw two conclusions from it: The first necessary conclusion is that God does not tempt men under any circumstances. No ifs, ands or buts, God does not tempt men! The second conclusion that must be drawn is that men cannot tempt God. This part of the verse is somewhat qualified by the word 'evil', and leads us to say only that men cannot tempt God in a negative way. (Whatever that means).  If we are going to agree with this interpretation just as I have stated it, which is the traditional interpretation, then I must ask how do we explain Deut. 6:16 which says "Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah"? (Note that Massah is a play on words, since the place name means 'Temptation' in Hebrew). Also, how can we maintain that God does not tempt men when Gen.22:1 clearly says "that God did tempt Abraham"?  The plain teaching of these and many other Scriptures is that God can indeed be tempted and also that He tempts men.  Our mission is to reconcile James 1:13 with the other verses that touch upon the same subject. 

Since the last clause of James 1:13 presents the problem, let us take that verse first.  When it says 'neither tempteth He any man;' James is using what is called an elliptical statement or clause. This means that a word or words has been left out by design, and that it is therefore necessary to add that word or words to complete the meaning. Those words that were elided or left out are “with evil”. Adding the omitted words makes the verse clear and collates it with the clear teaching of the other Scriptures that we referred to above.  That this is the correct meaning follows from the first clause, that 'God cannot be tempted with evil'. It would be the same in the sentence "I am not going to jump in the water, and neither may you." Now no person skilled in English would contend that the speaker means to tell the listener that they may not jump in the air or jump in the summer or jump over a candlestick.  He only intends that the listener does not go into the water even though it was not necessary to repeat the part about the water. This is an elliptical clause, and we use such a construction every day without confusion. Just so, when James says God cannot be tempted with evil, he wants us to know that He also does not tempt us with evil. This becomes obvious when we take the verse in context.  James is concerned with the source and purpose of trials and testing. James wants us to know that every time we are tried, God is there, looking for the saint to succeed for good!  The purpose of such testing from God's perspective is that He may grant His approval after the trial and that our faith may be strengthened.  In theology, this kind of temptation is called 'TENTATIO PROBATIONIS' and Gen. 22:1 is an example where we read And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham.  And what a temptation or trial it was!  Another example is Deut. 13:3b which reads The LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

But James also wants us to know that there is another being interested in the saints when they are tempted. That other entity is none other than our Adversary the Devil. He is interested in us all right, and that only for bad!  He wants us to fail by submitting to his evil seduction to sin. This kind of trial is called 'TENTATIO SEDUCTIONIS' in theological terms.  cf. Mat. 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Now we begin to see why we can count it a joy when we fall into different kinds of temptations, trials and tests. It is our opportunity for spiritual growth and blessing. James 1:12 says that a man is blessed when he endureth temptations. That word endureth here is the same Greek word used in Heb. 12:2 where Jesus is said to have … endured the Cross, despising the shame … etc. It means to out-last the trial or temptation. Next James tells us that when this man is tried, … he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love Him. The Greek word translated here as “tried” is DOKIMOS, and it is word #1384 in your Strong’s Concordance, and is associated with the discipline known as Metallurgy i.e. the study of the properties of metal.  It represents the end result of the various tests that an assayer would use to determine the purity of an ore sample. It is not so much the physical and chemical procedures that are in mind, but rather the declaration of 'approval' resulting from a positive test. Do you understand the significance of this word? When the old man who has been prospecting for gold in the wilds for years brings that small sample of rock to the assayer's office, he is not at all concerned for the value of the gold in the sample. He could care less what the assayer does with the few milligrams of gold in that sample. What he wants is the paper from the assayer saying that the gold has been tried and tested according to the laws of metallurgy, and it is found to be pure gold!

Now the prospector runs out in the street yelling “eureka! I have found it!”  He doesn't need the gold sample because he has the paper of approval, and he knows where the Mother Load of Gold of the same quality is located. This is the real stuff, not fools gold!  Can you see now how God desires to find you faithful in every trial so that he can say "Well done?" Can you also see how the Devil grinds his teeth every time you resist him by the power of the Holy Spirit and how he rejoices if a saint falls? 

Another aspect of temptation should be examined, and it is just below the surface in James one. This is the idea of the SUBJECTIVE and OBJECTIVE influence inherent in every temptation or trial. This is exactly what James 1:14-15 deal with. Objective temptation occurs whenever anything which could pull you into sin crosses your path. It comes from outside of you.  It is the initial confrontation with the trial. You are hungry for example and you have no money. You see an apple stand filled with beautiful delicious fruit, and no one is there to see what you do. This is a classic case of Objective temptation. The purity of your life in Christ depends on what you do next. Will you resist the Devil until he flees from you?  Or will you go ahead and make his day?

Then verse 14 introduces the Subjective element in temptation and trial. This is when you let the desire for that fruit become the internal controlling factor. This is that side of the trial you are in that does not come from God. God wants you to see the apple, consider your hunger, and then act in accordance with His will and His Word. This may mean that you ask the grocer to satisfy your hunger with his generosity, or perhaps you must delay satisfying your hunger until you can earn some money, or maybe you will go away hungry and relate to the Apostle Paul in II Cor. 11:27 where he tells us that he was often hungry.  The point is that you need not allow the temptation to become a subjective one. Again, refer to Mt. 4:1 and the following verses where Jesus was tempted by the Devil. These were real trials, but Objective trials, originating in the eternal purposes of God. The Devil wanted Jesus to give heed to his human needs and desires. But blessed Lord! Holy Jesus! "He was tempted in all manner like as we are ... but without sin". Jesus never allowed an Objective trial to develop into that Subjective desire. cf. Heb. 2:18, 4:15.  Notice please, that it is not wrong to be hungry nor is it wrong that you see the apple and would like to eat it to satisfy that hunger. It is not even wrong if you take steps to gain possession of it by appealing to the generosity of the grocer or working for the reward. It is only wrong when you do not proceed lawfully.  Now once again you see the apple. James 1:15 springs to mind, and you know that there are several levels or degrees of progress in every temptation and that God has graciously given opportunity at each level for you to make the right choices to cut off sin.

The first opportunity to avoid sin is at that place when lust tries to entice you. You can stop the process right there! But if you begin to entertain this lust it will certainly lead to sin. Repent and end it right there and be victorious!  But if you allow it to continue it will bring forth nothing but death. Amazing grace isn't it? God not only warns us about sin, but He gives us so many opportunities to halt the process of destruction.  Why should He love us so? He knows us doesn't He? But thank God He also sympathizes with us.  Not only because He created us, but because Jesus became one of us.  He knows how weak we are. And instead of our just desserts, He grants us the Crown of Life in His presence forever!  Hallelujah! What a Savior who can take a poor lost sinner, lift him from the miry clay and set him free.

Let us learn to resist the Devil that he flees from us. This is a two-fold flight that results in victory. We flee from sin and the Devil flees from us.  May it be so Lord Jesus!  Amen.