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James 1:13-14
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: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Test or tempt? Sometimes the same greek word is used for both. The difference is in the motive. Satan tempts to evil, God tempts (better translated tests) to show the inner quality.
Ephesians 4:13
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Test or tempt? Sometimes the same greek word is used for both. The difference is in the motive. Satan tempts to evil, God tempts (better translated tests) to show the inner quality.
ALL TEMPTATIONS ARE TESTS. ALSO CALLED "THE TRYING OF YOUR FAITH".
God does not "tempt" (incite to evil) as note in James. But He constantly tests His children, and also has a furnace of afflictions for those who are selected for that, e.g. Job. Just as a physical furnace purifies gold, God's furnace purifies the believer and his faith.
ALL TEMPTATIONS ARE TESTS. ALSO CALLED "THE TRYING OF YOUR FAITH".
God does not "tempt" (incite to evil) as note in James. But He constantly tests His children, and also has a furnace of afflictions for those who are selected for that, e.g. Job. Just as a physical furnace purifies gold, God's furnace purifies the believer and his faith.
That's correct. And Christians are warned several times to be on guard against the wiles of the devil. Satan cannot compel anyone to sin, but he can and does deceive people in order to achieve his goals. And deception is his primary weapon.
A good example is when David numbered Israel in violation of God's commandments. Scripture says that Satan was responsible, but we also see that God was testing David at the same time.
Satan 1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1 KJV
God 1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 Samuel 24:1 KJV
It appears that God was also behind this, but we see from David's words afterwards that it was his own sin and foolishness (2 Sam 24:10). But this had some serious consequences.