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To: James R. Aist
I reread the article once again. I hope I don't sound hung up on semantics but I guess I am confused by this statement:

I've never thought about an "experience of being tempted". Scriptures tells us we experience patience and hope. Either we succumb to temptation or we resist it by fleeing from it. I'm not sure what is meant by experiencing temptation.

Temptation is defined as "the desire to perform an action" contrary to God. At the risk of sounding like I'm splitting hairs, while our Lord Jesus was certainly tempted, did He actually experienced temptation (the desire to rebel)? I think we would both agree that our Lord never had a desire to perform an act contrary to God, even when tempted.

For sure, the difference between being tempted and experiencing temptation is subtle but important. Being tempted is external just as our Lord was in the wilderness. Experiencing a temptation would have to be internal. We would consider it, think about it, lust after it. This is part of our old nature. Consider the verse in James:

James tells us that a man is tempted WHEN he is drawn away by his lust. This is entertaining a temptation. After a time of lusting it brings about sin. And James seems to indicate this natural order of entertaining a temptation naturally will "conceived" sin-just like the birth of a child; just like Cain couldn't stop himself from murdering Able once he entertained the thought. If we entertain a temptation we have well gone down the path to sin. Satan never brought up the idea to Cain. He thought of it all by himself.

You asked the question, Did Satan’s temptations of Jesus lead to sin? Although tempted, do you think our Lord ever entertained any of the temptations of Satan in the wilderness?

40 posted on 09/25/2013 5:44:16 PM PDT by HarleyD
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To: HarleyD

Ordinarily, “temptation” means solicitation to that which is evil. Hebrews 4:15-”For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” I do not believe that your distinction is either real or biblical. If you have ever been tempted, then you have experienced temptation. If you nave never been tempted, then you are one of a kind. May the Lord bless you.


41 posted on 10/01/2013 7:04:33 AM PDT by James R. Aist
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