The Slippery Slope
• Describe a time when you were tempted to sin.
• What is an example of one sin leading to another?
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
James 1:13 -15
God is 100 percent good. He cannot sin, and he cannot be tempted. Neither will he tempt anyone. When we are tempted to sin, it’s not God who is tempting us. He may allow the temptation to happen, but he doesn’t whisper “go ahead and do it” into our ears.
We are tempted by our own sinful natures. We tempt ourselves, and therefore, we are responsible for each of our decisions. We are responsible for our actions. It doesn’t do any good to try to blame other people, or God, for our sin. God knows the truth, and ultimately, so do we. If we don’t accept responsibility for our sins, then we cannot repent—and cannot be forgiven.
Sin is a slippery slope. If we don’t deal with it, it leads to death. Of course, not every sin will result in devastating consequences, but all sin is unhealthy and breaks down relationships (with us and God). Seemingly “small” sins lead to bigger, more dangerous sins. It is up to us to avoid this slippery slope. We need to deal with our sin, turn away from it and turn toward God.
PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for forgiving us for our sins. Thank you for setting us free from our sins. Please protect us from temptation, help us to make good decisions and help us to take responsibility when we do slip up. Amen.
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