A series on evil...numero dos

ME:

James 1:13
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Just clarifying, does this go back to sovereignty v. control?  I think the best picture of this would be with Job?  In Job 1:8, God offers Job up; have you considered my servant Job?  So, God’s not tempting Job directly, but he is directly allowing him to be tempted?

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

God lets us be tempted, but he knows what we can handle.  

Job 1:8
And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”

He knew Job was capable of being tempted and suriving the temptations.  I’ve asked myself some “why me” questions in the past month or so, and at one point, I heard, “because you can handle it.”  For a moment, I became a cocky: “yes, yes, I can handle this!”  That thought quickly fled as I aptly remembered I can only handle it with and because of the Lord.  

Which brings me back to the purpose of Satan and evil is to ultimately point us to Jesus and our need for Him.  God could defeat Satan at any moment, and eventually He will.  Yet, He has not done so already because God is using Satan’s evil for His (God’s) good?

TODD:

This taps a bit into your other questions, but bottom line is God cannot tempt because God has nothing in his “personhood” or “character” with which to tempt us. God cannot tempt us with His holiness, His goodness, etc. Anything that temps us is other than God. However, He can (and does) choose to allow the evils of Satan or the world to tempt us.

If I gave up eating donuts, it would be really easy to give them up if there suddenly were no more donuts in the world. The only way to know if I’ve truly given up donuts is to be around an occasional donut. God allowing us to be tempted is actually an important part of our sanctification.

ME:

Regarding the Lord tempting us...good insight.  Seems like I should go back to God's character more of the time.  It's almost as if I want to make it harder than it is -- thinking about God, rather than who He is.  Which, I think ties in to so many of our stories throughout Year Team -- getting bogged down in what's going on to us/around us/etc., rather than who we are.  Obviously, who we are comes from who God is.  But going back to the source of God's character helps other things "shake out."