Welcome to the Blame Game

And everyone else does to. You sin ! And everyone else does to.

Thesis #1 : No one can blame God for any sin he commits. Thesis #2 : No one can blame anyone else for any sin that he commits.

I. God has never and will never tempt anyone to sin.

James 1: 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

God hates sin so He would not solicit the commitment of that which he hates.

Psalms 5: 4-6 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. 6 You destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. Psalms 11: 5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.

Colossians 3: 5-6 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.

It is God’s eternal desire that men will turn from sin and be saved from it.

II Peter 2: 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

I Timothy 2: 5 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I Peter 1: 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead …

John 3: 16-17 For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Thus : It would be totally illogical for God to tempt anyone to sin.

II. No one can make another person sin, each one sins because he wants to do it.

Every sin is the product of a person’s own desires. James 1: 14-15 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

I John 2: 15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. ( All earthly desires are temporary )

Temptation to sin transpires the same way as it has since the beginning of time.

Genesis 3: 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Satan tempts us to sin in the same way we catch fish. “carried away” ( exelko ) 1 to draw out. 2 metaph. lure forth: in hunting and fishing as game is lured from its hiding place, “enticed” ( deleazo ) 1 to bait, catch by a bait. 2 metaph. to allure, entice, deceive.

III. People have always attempted to escape responsibility for their failures.

We play the blame game. 1. Some blame their circumstances. 2. Some blame their friends. 3. Some blame their family. 4. Many even blame God. * It started with Adam and Eve

Sin is a personal choice I Corinthians 10: 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. The devil is not allowed to fish with dynamite.

IV. We all fight the battle against sin every day and sometimes we lose.

We will never mature to the point that we are beyond temptation.

The Apostles The Apostle Paul Mark 14: 38 Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The Apostle Paul Romans 7: 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

God warned us never to take temptation lightly. I Corinthians 10: 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

It is not sinful to be tempted if we do not allow it to become lust.

James 1: 14-15 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Hebrews 4: 13 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 2: 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

From the time we get up every morning we’re at war with Satan and even in our dreams.

Ephesians 6: 11-12 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

We can’t stop birds from flying over our head, but we don’t have let them build a nest in our hair. ( cf – Col. 3: 1-3, Rom. 8: 5-7 )

Commitment involves a surrender of one’s self. Mark 8: 35-36 whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

Romans 12: 1-2 I urge you, brethren, …, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice , … 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Galatians 2: 20 – I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, …

* The point is … Total surrender to Christ ( to God ) is the key to overcoming temptation.

You are tempted every day … admit it … deal with it.

Every soldier loses some battles and so will you. Own your sin and repent of it.

Do not allow yourself to be tempted. Romans 13: 13-14 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Have you surrendered to Him ? Have you strayed ? He will forgive if you come.

Remember what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Never forget God loves you !