Text: Matthew 4: 1-11 

Our text here is usually seen from the angle of the devil tempting Christ - and by extension, tempting Christians to sin. Indeed, the passage is commonly given the appellation ,"The Temptation of Christ". While there is no denying of the veracity of such a perspective, there is more to the message of this scripture, which we shall now consider by God's leading. 

Let us first realise that the nature of sin the devil is tempting us commit is for us to tempt God. Whatever the appearances, when we succumb to satanic temptation, what we have actually done is tempt God. And that is a grievous sin. (Deuteronomy 6: 16). But then, what is it to "tempt"?

What Does The Word Tempt Mean?

In its most basic form, tempt means to make proof of, or to try something or someone. Therefore, the same word can also be rendered as "test". It has both positive and negative connotations. 

Positive
This refers to situations when God places His children in circumstances that give them opportunity to prove and establish their faith and loyalty to Him (Genesis 22: 1; Deuteronomy 13: 3; John 6: 6). It makes no difference whether God personally does the placement or mere allowed it to happen via the agency of some people. The goal is always to make the believer become better (Job 23: 10). Typically, the positive sense is called "testing" or "trying" while the term "tempt" is reserved for the negative. God tests people in order to grant the crown of life (Revelation 2: 10) but He never tempts anyone to sin (James 1: 12-14) 

Similarly, man, or more precisely, believers an also test or try God positively (Malachi 3: 10). As a matter of fact, we are admonished to confirm for ourselves practically by personal experience, the validity of God's claims and promises. We are not to be robots but loyal children who by faith and obedience have found God to be real and true. On the other hand, the scoffer hears God's word and despises it. He does not even bother to believe talk less of practice it. 

Negative
One type of the negative sense of tempting is the enticement of luring of people to sin. The purpose is not establish faith but to rebel against God. Only the devil (and his demons) does this, which they effect by exploiting man's sinful desires (James 1: 12-14) 

The second type of negative tempting is to act in such a way as to try to put God on the defensive. This is a gross sin committed by both the devil (Job 1: 9-11) and human beings alike and it is the subject of the sermon which Jesus referred to above. (Matthew 4: 7). As the passage shows, there are three ways in which this may be done as follows: 

1. Doubting God's Ability (Matthew 4: 3-4)

Often, believers act out of deep seated unbelief while facing challenges of life. Jesus did not fall into the tempter's suggestion because He had settled assurance of God's faithfulness and provision - and does not require the prompting of the enemy to dictate His relationship with the Father. This is in sharp contrast to the behaviour of the Israelites when they lacked water in the wilderness. The Bible clearly shows us that they doubted God's ability to provide and were actually challenging Him to prove His divinity, in effect, tempting Him (Exodus 17: 2, 7). Their heart was wrong. This is to be contrasted with the fleece of Gideon whose heart was right before God although he was unaccustomed to spiritual things - so he wanted to be sure that it was really God and not an impostor trying to lure him into an improper mission. 

Look again at the language of the tempter, "IF You are REALLY the Son of God..." Such words are obviously designed to stir up the works of the flesh! How many times have we too, as children of God, made similar statements to God, thus tempting Him? Consider the following:

"If you are really God You will make me have blessing *a, b, c* this month!"
"If You are really there for me, You won't let that man go scot free from the insult he gave me."
"If You are really a faithful Father, You will turn my lack of study for my school examinations in outstanding success. Afterall, I am born again and therefore the head and not the tail."
"If You are the Son of God, You will turn my job interview to employment (So I won't have to sleep with the employer as I am already considering doing if You fail to show up for me.)"

In these and similar situations, we sin by challenging God to prove His worth according to our own self-prepared "tests" which He must pass! 

2. Engaging In Unwarranted And Unnecessary Risks (Matthew 4: 5-7)

Sometimes we tempt God by engaging in reckless exercises contrary to God's pleasure and direction, just to show off our presumed spirituality. Such spiritual pride is especially common among Pentecostals and Charismatics. Just as the devil asked Jesus to jump down from a height, wrongly applying God's promise of protection, so do many believers today tempt God by willfully doing things that are outside the will of God for them. There was a certain brother in Nigeria years back who overcame all safeguards and boldly entered the lions den of the Ibadan zoo, claiming his God was the God of Daniel. Of course, he was promptly killed by the lions for his sin of tempting God. 

Similarly, many young and overzealous believers venture into enclaves of satanic operations without any instruction from God and without any proper preparation. Such is not ministry but tempting God. Other situations include: 

- Refusal to flee scenerios that could lead to fornication or adultery, believing you are too spiritual to fall for any sexual sin. I am aware that no genuine Christian who fornicated started out with a plan to fornicate. All they did was place themselves in conducive situations and refuse to flee until it was too late. 

- Deliberate planlessness, saying that "The Holy Spirit will direct my steps as I go." The Bible is clear about the need for prayerful, God-led planning of everything that we do as believers. (Luke 14: 28-30) 

- Of special importance nowadays, especially among leaders is tempting God through the reckless spending of God-given resources. Instead of repenting, we often excuse our wastefulness by claiming that we can spend anyhow as we are kids of the King of kings. We imagine that the promise of God to reward our faith with provisions gives us the licence to waste kingdom resources and merely apply more faith to get more resources to waste again. Such tempting with impunity is a willful sin before God. 

3. Bowing Down To Idols (Matthew 4: 8-11)

Worshipping idols is the ultimate tempting of God. God hates idolatry perfectly. He is a jealous God who will not condone or excuse our bowing down to any other being we treat as god. Sometimes, idolatry is not in the direct act of worship but by a subtle recognition of their claim to divinity e.g. by supporting or appeasing them. A believer who worships in a temple dedicated to a being other than Jehovah (e.g. for the marriage of a friend or family) has implicitly bowed to the spirit of that place even if he/she does not recognise such a being as his/her God. In some cultures, it could also take the form of fellowshipping through partaking in covenanted meals especially during their festivals. (1 Corinthians 10: 21-22). 

Whatever the situation, any form of idolatry is tempting God. 

And Now...

Would you now take some moments to consider these words and what God may be telling you through them? The sin of tempting God is not as far from us as it may seem! But if we choose to be humble before God and confess our errors in this regard, we have the assurance of His forgiveness and leading against every future tricks of the enemy. 

I pray that the Lord release His grace afresh on each of us that we no longer fall prey of the temptations of the evil one and that we too would not in consequence be found guilty of tempting God. 

It is well.