Tempting Others

Luke 17:1 “And He said to His disciples, ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!’”

It is no secret that we as followers of the Lord must resist the devil and submit to the Lord. Indeed, we will be tempted throughout this life to think ungodly thoughts, say things that are not Christ like, and to sin with our bodies. Something that is not often considered is how we can be a stumbling block to others or even tempt others to sin.

For example, Jesus sternly warns of the punishment to those who would cause a child to sin. What about our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? What about those who do not yet know the Lord?

Do we invite others to partake in the sin of judging others with us by using slanderous words, gossip, or condemnation for faults we see? Do we invite others to fall into the sin of lust by how we dress? Do we encourage gluttony while at a party? Do we cause another brother or sister to be tempted to the sin of adultery in their minds by flirting with our words and eyes? By how we present our bodies, by how we flash our eyes, by how we phrase our words, we could be tempting others to sin. Of course, it is up to the other person to defend themselves against temptations, but let not these temptations be because of us!

Only let our manners in life be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27). If we are striving to present ourselves modestly, temperately, humbly, compassionately, then we should not feel anxiety about tempting others to sin. If you should sense that a brother or sister in the Lord is being tempted to sin by whatever means, earnestly seek the Lord in prayer on behalf of them that they would stand firm in their faith. We do not want our brothers and sisters to fall into the snares of the devil, but to be free from the bondage of sin. Let us pray for one another and strive earnestly to help one another on the path of righteousness.