Tempting by God? No

Created Date: 21-Jan-2018
Testing by God allowing Free-will and Consequences? Yes

Last updated: 21-Jan-2026
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Sections

1 Do We Have Free-Will?
2 Harding of the Heart (Our Mind)
3 God Does Test Us
4 We are NOT to Test God Except in One Area
5 Temptation that We Will Receive in Life

1. Do We have Free-Will to Sin?

Do we truly have free will to do good and evil?  The obvious answer is yes. 

There are only two people that have been perfect without sin that walked on the Earth.  Adam and Eve before eating the Forbidden Fruit were perfect without sin. 

Jesus Christ walked on the Earth as a Theophany and also when entered His Creation as he Lamb of God that lead to the predicted to the day and year event of the Crucifixion.  Jesus Christ could NOT sin as He is God even when Jesus Christ was presented temptation.

The more thought-provoking question is if our decision making can be influenced or taken over by God or maybe Satanic Forces?  Absolutely, the Holy Spirit influences us when we are a Christian, and we want the Holy Spirit to influence us.

When we are not thinking and acting as we should be as a Christian:

  1. God absolutely does NOT cause us to think or act on our evil thoughts, as we can do that very easily without intervention from God.  Some Biblical Scholars, including this author, state God cannot be evil where from our limited view of events on the Earth should recognize the negative consequences of sewing and reaping evil which demonstrates God's Righteous Judgment. 
  2. God's righteousness requires judgment,  which is why having Salvation through Jesus Christ is the most important thing in everyone's life that has the payment for sins that separate us from God.
  3. For those who have Salvation through Jesus Christ then Grace and Mercy operate.
  4. For those who do NOT have Salvation through Jesus Christ, will have the negative consequences of sewing and reaping evil.

God will at the final Judgments, show that even Lucifer and all evil actions done by everyone, will be used in many ways to God's Glory by God working through the Christian to have the Christian better off by suffering with rewards in eternity that makes evil actions have the opposite affects when we respond correctly. 

It is amazing how often we will see Christians who experience hardships, that were not caused by something they had done, end up being blessed by them when not seeking revenge.  Those who did evil enjoy their fruits for only a short period before repercussions occur, where if the evil was done by a Christian then the Christian should/will recognize the negative consequences are designed by God to make positive changes in their life.

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

It will be amazing what the Christian will learn at the Judgment Seat of Christ and also at the Great White Thrown of Judgment.  Part of what will be learned is all suffering, even unto death, will work for God's Glory, even those that are destined to the Lake of Fire. 

The difference is the person who has Salvation through Jesus Christ will be rewarded in many areas.  There are many aspects of compensation or restitution as rewards in eternity that God will give those who have earned them based on.

  1. Our develop relationship with God during our life,
  2. Activities in God's Service,
  3. Faithfulness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
  4. Righteously suffering, and
  5. Overcoming sinful areas and obstacles in life through the Holy Spirit.

2. Hardening of the Heart (Our Minds)

When someone, that is against God and Godly principles which can be a person with Salvation, is acting on their selfish desires, then the person WILL have the consequence of their desires to become very difficult to ignore and not act on them.

The consequences of all evil actions that are:

  1. Against God,
  2. Against people,
  3. Against animals, and
  4. Against God's creation

require consequences, repentance and when possible restitution.

One of the most remarkable examples of consequences for actions against all the four areas just mentioned is Pharaoh when he oppressed Israel in slavery and then would not let Israel leave under the increasingly punitive punishments against the entirety of Egypt.  Note that when Israel did leave, they were given the wealth of Egypt which was God's reward and part of the consequences of Pharaoh and the Egyptian people's action against Israel.  Every Egyptian family that did not protect and honor the true God of Israel, had the following righteous consequences:

  1. Loss of their oldest son or daughter.
  2. Loss of their oldest farm animal of every species.
  3. Loss of their personal prized possessions.
  4. Loss of their food provisions.

Notice in Exodus 9:12, the familiar scriptural passage that often is misunderstood by many Christians.  Pharaoh's heart of decision making that was against himself and the Egyptian people was a consequence that God applied as punishment.  God did not randomly and without provocation have this happen to Pharaoh.  The same thing that happened to Pharaoh also happens as a consequence to absolutely everyone that refuses repeatedly to follow God's mandates in life.  The worst consequence is summarized in Romans 1:28.

Exodus 9:12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
Romans 1:28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

3. God Does Test Us

God does test us for our benefit.  Testing builds our character and makes us love God more by what happens after testing, even when we fail.  At the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be happy to have gone through testing which leads us to greater victories and more opportunities to do tasks for God which gives God Glory and rewards in eternity for us.

Psalm 11:4-5 4 Jehovah is in his holy temple; Jehovah, his throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psalm 66:10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; But Jehovah trieth the hearts.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 12 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 each man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.
James 1:2-4 2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; 3 knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. 4 And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

One of the wonderful examples of testing is in Genesis 22, where God puts Abraham to the "test" to see if Abraham will go through the human sacrifice of Isaac.   It evident from the scripture, that Abraham knew it was a test, as God had promised Abraham that he would have an heir, which would come through him and Sarah. 

Anyone who is parent knows the love for a child where everyone has heard it said "I would die for my son or daughter."  In the scriptural versus of Genesis 22, we do read that Abraham tried to take his son's place, which is more evidence that Abraham knew it was a test that either:

  1. God would stop Abraham, or
  2. God would have to raise Isaac from the dead in order for the promises God made to Abraham would happen.
Genesis 22:6-8 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together."

We know that Abraham was acting out prophecy for a future event as a model or type of a foreshadowing of a plan of God.  God was going to provide a substitute for Isaac which points to prophecy of God doing that very thing through our Savior Jesus Christ (Himself).  This could not be an accident of scripture or speaking by Abraham.   Abraham did not withhold his son just as our Father does not withhold His Son Jesus Christ!  Romans 8:32.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

4. We are NOT to Test God Except in One Area

We are not to put God into a specific type of test that indicates we are judging God.  Our Faith and Hope in God will be there for us in all areas of our life, even unto death.

Deuteronomy 6:16 You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.
Luke 4:12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Psalm 95:8-9 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, “When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work.

There are two examples that scriptures mentions which are not about testing God:

  1. God let us know that we are to bring our "whole tithe into the storehouse" and we will be blessed as God will be no debtor as read in Malachi 3:10.
  2. In the Old Testament period of the Judges before the time of the kings, Gideon was praying and asking for a sign that a Fleece being wet and dry under two conditions on two days as read in Judges 6:33-40.  This was not a test but for Gideon's verification on his guidance from God.  
Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.
Judges 6:36-37 36 Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, 37 then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”

We can test God in a good way on His Word concerning tithing as read in Malachi 3:10.  In some Biblical Scholars opinions, including this author, that this is also works of compassion, charity, and anything done to for the benefit of Jesus Christ.

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

5. Temptations that We Will Receive in Life

We are sinful because this is our human-nature as a consequence from the Garden of Eden sin by Adam and Eve.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior then God begins a process of conforming us to the likeness of His Son.  We still have to contend with our human-nature, with selfish carnal appetites.  God is not doing the tempting as the source is ourselves with the possibilities of Satanic oppression or even possession. 

James 1:13-16 13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man: 14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death. 16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.
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.

What to read next?

What is Salvation?  Is it is possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?