Can God be tempted?

No, because our text from yesterday morning’s sermon (James 1:13-18) says that He cannot be tempted.

Yet, we read in Matthew 4:1 that Jesus was tempted. Was it temptation? Yes, that’s the word that appears in Matthew 4:1.

So, how are we to understand this? Simply by acknowledging that God has absolutely no desire to sin so it is not a temptation to Him. In fact, even the smallest of sins appalls and angers Him. Sin is no temptation to Him at all.

But when Jesus laid aside much of what was rightfully His to come into our world (Philippians 2:5-11), He came to earth as fully God and fully man. While He maintained His complete deity, He lived out his life as fully man. He didn’t play the “God card.” He chose to grow up and live without taking any shortcuts (Luke 2:52) even though He was God in the flesh.

Why was it so necessary that Jesus live His life on earth as fully man without playing the “God card” (even though He WAS fully God)? Because God is just and will not take what does not legally belong to Him.

You see, when Adam and Eve where in the Garden of Eden, they had the right to rule everything on planet earth (Genesis 1:26). They also had unbroken relationship with God. But, when Adam sinned (Genesis 3), they lost those two things (among other things). So, to get back what was legally lost by the first man, Adam, Jesus came as a man to get it back legally.

So, since a man (Adam) lost it, a man (Jesus) had to get it back.

That’s why it is absolutely essential that we believe that Jesus is fully God but He also walked the earth as fully man and He died on the cross as fully man. A man had to legally gain back what a man legally lost. This truth is a non-negotiable for Bible-believing Christians.

(So, there you have it – your daily dose of theology for today. 😁)