What is the Source of Temptation?

August 14, 2026

Where does temptation come from? If we could find the answer to this question, it would help us to overcome sin in our lives. James addresses this important question in his letter. Interestingly, he speaks of both trials and temptations with the same root word. This tells us that trials and temptations are closely related.

I think we can understand this intuitively from our own life experiences. With almost every trial, there is also a temptation lurking. If I have financial trials, there is the temptation to love money. If my patience is tested, there is the temptation to sin with my tongue. If I face the trial of being mistreated by someone, there is the temptation to be unforgiving and bitter.

James tells us that God allows us to go through trials so that we will grow in endurance and become spiritually mature. But if God allows us to face trials, and if temptation comes with the trials, then should we conclude that temptation comes from God?

The answer to that is a resounding, “No!” Listen to the inspired words of James: “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. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:13-15 NASB95). God cannot be tempted and He does not tempt anyone. Yes, God does allow trials to come upon us. Trials that show the genuineness of our faith, that purify us, and that help us to grow spiritually. But God would never entice anyone to sin or desire that anyone commit sin. That is not in His nature.

So then, where does temptation come from? As we see in this passage, temptation comes from within us. It is born out of our desires. It comes when we respond with a poor attitude to the trials that we face. They do not come from God. This is important to realize because if we can win the battle against temptation, we can prevent sin from being conceived and the birth of sin and death.

The trials we face can either be an opportunity for our growth or a cause of sin. It all depends on our attitude and response. When we are tried, may God help us to turn away from temptation before it can overtake us. May we set our desires on His will rather than our own, ask for His wisdom, and rely on His strength to overcome.

—Scott Colvin  

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Saints with Struggles

March 17, 2026

When it is said that the church today should be more like the first century church, most people aren’t referring to the church at Corinth.  The church there had some very serious issues.  They were divided over their favorite preachers. There was jealousy and strife among them. Some were bringing lawsuits against their own brethren. Some arrogantly stood by while a man in the congregation had an ongoing incestuous relationship with his father’s wife. Some acted unlovingly toward one another. Some made a mockery of the Lord’s Supper with their unloving attitudes. Some of them even questioned the reality of a bodily resurrection. This is quite a list!

What would you say about a congregation with so many serious issues? Would you see them as brethren?  Would you associate with them?

What does the Lord say about them?

This may be a little bit shocking to our ears, but listen to the inspired words of Paul about the Corinthians: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours…” (1 Corinthians 1:2 NASB95)Listen to the words Paul uses to describe who these people are.  They have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) in Jesus.  They are saints (holy ones)!  They are a part of the universal church who call on the name of the Lord Jesus!

Paul goes on to describe not only who they are, but also what their future holds, reminding them that the Lord Jesus Christ “will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9) Jesus will confirm and establish them.  They will stand before the Lord blameless!

In these words, we have a beautiful reminder about why the Corinthians, or you or I, or anyone else, can be in right standing with God.  It is because of Jesus Christ!  It is because of what He did!  It is because God called us through the gospel into a relationship with Him!  The blood of Jesus is what has sanctified us, not our own goodness.  Not our knowledge.  Not our doctrinal purity. Not our morality. None of these is what brought us into right standing with God. Everything is because of Christ!

Are we saying that the Corinthian brethren didn’t need to repent?  Are we saying that they could defiantly go on in their sinful ways and still be right with God? Of course not! The promises are for those who are walking in faith. As one author put it, “We’re not talking about open decadents, but struggling penitents.”1 For such people—people like you and me—we can be assured that God will be faithful to His promises to sanctify us, establish us, and make us able to stand in His presence without blame.

—Scott Colvin

1. Jim McGuiggan, 1 Corinthians.

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Posted by Scott Colvin

If You Love Jesus…

February 17, 2026

Do you love Jesus? I mean really love Him? It is of utmost importance that we develop a true love for Jesus, because loving Him is the key to a deeper, more satisfying, more obedient spiritual life. Here is what I mean: Jesus said to His apostles in John 14, “…If anyone loves me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23 NASB95). What tremendous promises flow from loving Jesus! Loving Jesus leads us to obeying Jesus. Loving Jesus leads to receiving a special love from the Father Himself. Loving Jesus leads to the Father and Son coming into us to live within us. But it all starts with love!

Let us examine the first part of Jesus’ statement: “If anyone loves me, he will keep My word.” Notice that love comes first and obedience is the result. If we love Him, then we will obey Him.

And don’t we have every reason to love Jesus? We love Jesus because of what He has done. It was Jesus who loved us first. It was Jesus who sought us out while we were yet sinners. It was Jesus who gave His life for us when we had nothing to offer Him in return. His death on our behalf was the ultimate expression of love for us. Not only this, but we love Jesus because of who He is. We marvel at His power, His grace, His humility, His compassion. As we think of these attributes of Jesus, how could we not love Him?

And what does it mean to love Him? It may be helpful to think about what it means to love the special people in your life. We delight in the people we love. We are drawn to them because of their qualities. We want to be near to them. In a similar way, to love Jesus is to cherish Him for who He is, to delight in Him, and to desire a close relationship with Him.

And this kind of love for Jesus is the key to living a life of obedience. Think about this: the next time you are faced with temptation, think about your love for Jesus. Say to Him, “Lord, I will turn away from my sinful desires because I love you so much.” Say to yourself, “How could I hurt my Lord Jesus by continuing in this sin?”  Our love for Him is a powerful motivator to keep walking with Him.

Today, let us reflect on all the many reasons we have for loving Jesus. May our love for Him control every aspect of our lives and empower a willing, joyful obedience to Him that comes from the heart.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Freedom from Guilt

May 9, 2025

Unresolved guilt can be a terrible force of destruction in our lives.  We have all had a guilty conscience at one time or another.  We have all felt that knot in our stomach or faced a restless night because we have done wrong.  These are not pleasant feelings, but generally speaking, the feeling of guilt is necessary.  Our conscience creates guilt within us when we know we have done wrong, and this is a blessing!  Guilt is a signal to us that we need to confess our sin to God, turn from the path we are on, and seek forgiveness.  Thank God for a good conscience that warns us and calls us back to the right path.

But sometimes, people who have long ago been forgiven by God are still living their lives being pressed down with a heavy weight of guilt and shame. If our conscience hasn’t been fully convicted of God’s forgiveness, many serious problems will result.  A Christian who has been forgiven but doesn’t know it or believe it, can struggle with anxiety and depression.  They can struggle with feeling distant from God because they believe He is continually disappointed in them and frowning at them. And so, they stay away from God.  They may stay away from God’s people, or feel very uncomfortable around them, thinking things like, “If these people really knew who I am, they wouldn’t accept me.”  These kinds of feelings are very harmful for spiritual health and growth.

How can we overcome these feelings of unwarranted guilt?  We have to understand the nature of God and learn to trust in His forgiveness.  Listen to these words of David,

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.

 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12 NAS95)

Do you realize the nature of God?  He is compassionate!  He is gracious!  He abounds in love!  He will not stay angry forever.  He does not deal with us according to our sins.  No, He is gracious and forgiving.  Understanding these things about God will help us to trust in His forgiveness.

Do you realize the completeness of His forgiveness?  His love for His children is immeasurable, and as such, the completeness of His forgiveness is immeasurable.  He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  When God forgives you, He will never remember your sins against you again!  They are gone forever.

You and I have found complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ.  Let’s not let the sins of our past haunt us and weigh us down anymore.  If God has forgiven them, they are forgiven and forgotten forever!  And when we sin, let us confess our sins, turn back to the light, and trust that the blood of Jesus keeps us continually cleansed in His sight! (1 John 1:9) 

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Posted by Scott Colvin

You are Light in the Lord

January 1, 2025

When we came into Christ Jesus, each one of us was fundamentally changed.  We became new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17) There are many ways in which this is true:  We were freed from sin, we died to the Law, we became a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, we were transferred out of darkness, we were made alive in Christ.  And to me, one of the most profound things that happened to us is this: we became light.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” (Ephesians 5:8 NASB95)

We were formerly darkness.  Sin darkened our inner being and controlled our thoughts and actions.  But that was before we came to Jesus, the light of the world.  Now that we have been enlightened by Him, we have taken part in His nature.  We have become light. 

This is the reality of who we are.  Now we must ask ourselves what we are going to do with this profound truth.  Paul is urging us to be what we are—to walk (live our lives) as children of Light. 

How does one do that?  Paul goes on to say, “… (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them…” (Ephesians 5:9-11 NASB95) The fruit of the light is expressed in goodness, righteousness, and truth.  To walk as light, we must be about pursuing these qualities. This means we must live a life concerned for the welfare of others (goodness), we must pursue moral and holy behavior (righteousness), and we must relentlessly pursue what is true in a world filled with lies. 

What else must we do to walk as children of light?  We must stop participating in the darkness.  This world is full of darkness, and it is very easy to continue in it.  But now you are light in the Lord!  Don’t practice the things of darkness, but expose them.  Our new nature as light (if we will walk in it) will naturally do that as we light up the world around us with His light.  Some people will hate you for that, for darkness naturally hates the light. But others will see the light of the Lord emanating from you and move toward it.

You are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light!

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

The Deceitfulness of Sin

July 29, 2022

“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13 NASB)

Sin is deceitful. Sin promises pleasure and fun. Sin promises freedom and fulfillment. But Satan is the father of lies and he uses sin to lure souls into destruction. If we could only see more clearly the deceitfulness of it all! Sin may bring brief pleasure and fun, but in the end, it always brings ruin and death. Sin may promise freedom and fulfillment, but in reality, it always brings enslavement and spiritual poverty.

Not only does sin deceive, but it also hardens. Some may think that they can play around with sin, reap the temporary pleasures, and repent later. But this is a deadly game because sin hardens the heart and sears the conscience over time. Sin can harden the heart so much that a person no longer wants to listen to the word of God and no longer responds to it. Sin can make a person hostile to God and to the truth of His word.

Because of the great dangers of sin, we need to make sure that we are taking care of our hearts. We need to be very careful that our hearts don’t fall away from God. You and I can and should be helping one another with this. We need to be encouraging one another every day, urging one another to stay true to the Lord and to not be deceived by the temporary, deceitful pleasures of sin. We all could probably do a better job of this. It is an important job that each of us have from the Lord. We also need to make a commitment to be assembling with the saints on the Lord’s Day. We need to make that commitment for our own sakes as a way of strengthening our own hearts, and we need to make that commitment for our brothers and sisters. We need to encourage one another! And not just on the Lord’s Day, but every day!

Sin is deceitful. Sin hardens. Sin destroys. Would you reach out to someone today to encourage their heart? Would you reach out to give encouragement to your brethren throughout the week? Let’s strive to help one another in this way.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Russell Holden

Acknowledging Sin

June 28, 2022

Have you ever been engaged in sin but refused to admit it to yourself or to God?  We sometimes rationalize our sin, or make excuses for it, or pretend that it’s not a big deal.  This is a very dangerous game.  Unacknowledged, unforgiven sin in our lives will lead to feelings of guilt.  Unresolved guilt is a powerful force that can have a devastating effect on your life.

Listen to the experience of David when he refused to acknowledge his sin.  “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” (Psalm 32:3-4 NASB) What did David experience when he kept silent about his sin?  He suffered severe physical and emotional consequences.  The Lord’s hand was pressing heavily upon him, and it was causing his body to waste away and become weak.  It was causing him to groan all day long.  I am convinced that the Lord pressed His hand down upon David out of love for his soul—to try to get his attention and to get him to confess his sins and turn away from them before it was too late. 

It is interesting to note how sin can also have such a profound effect on our bodies.  Of course, it would be incorrect to think that anytime we have physical ailments it is because we have sinned.  This is clearly not true.  But if we are practicing sin and refusing to acknowledge it to the Lord, physical and emotional anguish can certainly come as a result.

What do we need to do?  Instead of justifying, excusing, or hiding our sin, we need to admit it to God.  We need to come to Him and confess our wrongdoing.  Sometimes this is not easy, but it will bring peace and joy back into our lives.  It will be a great relief to us.  As David says, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5 NASB)

Let us confess our sins to God and rejoice in the fact that they are covered by the blood of Jesus our Lord.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

War on the Soul

April 12, 2022

War is a terrible thing.  Some of you have experienced the ravages of war firsthand.  All of us have witnessed the terror of war through our television screens lately.  But realize this; the death and destruction caused by war is not only something that happens between men, but also within man.

Listen to the inspired words of Peter.  “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11, NASB) Fleshly lusts wage war on the soul!  They will wage an all-out assault on your inner being and destroy your soul just as surely as artillery shelling will destroy a city. 

What are fleshly lusts? They are sinful passions and desires that arise within us.  These lusts, if not dealt with, will lead us into sexual sin, greed, strife, sinful anger, and many other things like these.  When we indulge in fleshly lusts, they will do tremendous damage to our souls, and will eventually destroy us spiritually.  We need to understand this fact. 

Sometimes we entertain fleshly lusts.  We invite them into our living rooms, and then into our minds and hearts.  Sometimes we think that we can watch things, listen to things, and take part in things without being affected spiritually.  This is simply not true.  When we allow our lusts to be activated through what we see and hear, a terrible chain of events can begin.  As James writes, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15, NASB) Note the pregnancy analogy in this passage.  Once lust is conceived, it will give birth to sin, and sin will bring forth spiritual death.  How is lust conceived?  I believe it is by dwelling on our sinful desires and entertaining them in our hearts.

So, the key for us is to prevent lust from being conceived.  How can we do this?  As the Spirit said through Peter, we must abstain from fleshly lusts.  Do not take part in them!  Run from them!  Get them out of your mind before conception takes place.  And certainly, let us not invite sinful things into our minds that will stir up our lusts!  Doing so is like inviting the enemy into your city in wartime.  Nothing but death and destruction will come of it.  May God help us to abstain from fleshly lusts.  As we do, we will find peace and prosperity—not death and destruction—within our souls.      

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Just and Justifier

April 6, 2018

God forgives sins, right? The answer is, of course, yes. But I fear that many people have mistaken notions about forgiveness. One faulty idea is akin to balancing scales. If I have more good deeds than bad deeds, then the scales are in my favor, and God should forgive me. I’m a pretty good person after all. If my bad deeds outweigh my good deeds, then I’m in trouble and subject to judgment. But in this faulty idea, only really bad people have to worry about this.

The problem is that this is not the biblical view. Sin separates me from God. If I imagine my sin as a debt, then I must also imagine all of my good deeds as something I already owe. My good deeds are not extra credit that a teacher assigns to help students get a passing grade. My good deeds are not extra funds which I can place in an account that is overdrawn.

But the problem goes deeper. We must ponder how a just God can forgive sins. Is it as easy as we might first think? Imagine someone accused of a crime who opts to have the trial by judge rather than a jury. All of the evidence is presented, and it is quite overwhelming that the accused is guilty. But when the judge comes to sentencing, he declares the accused as not guilty. How would we respond to such a thing? Wouldn’t there be an outcry that justice had not been done? Wouldn’t the judge be accused of being unjust, and maybe the newspapers would investigate whether a bribe had taken place. The public would question the character of the judge.

In Romans 3:21-26, Paul uses three terms to explain the death of Christ. Justified comes from the realm of the law court. To be justified is to receive a favorable verdict, to be in right standing. Redemption is a marketplace word. It is to purchase something or in the case of the ancient world, someone out of slavery. The redemption in Christ is like a new Exodus from slavery — in this case slavery from sin. The third term is propitiation. It comes from the realm of the temple. It was a sacrifice that averts the wrath of God. Paul’s point is that Christ has done something in dying on the cross to make it possible for God to forgive sins.

This leads to Paul’s statement in 3:26: “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26, ESV). In other words, without the death of Christ God could not be the just judge and forgive sins. The penalty had to be dealt with. The redemption price had to be paid. The sacrifice had to be offered. But in doing this in Christ, God could maintain his justice and yet be the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. God could forgive. He could render the favorable verdict without it compromising his character as in my story of the unjust judge.

Popular understandings of forgiveness are faulty. We must learn the biblical view and help others to see this view. Forgiveness is not possible without the death of Christ, and receiving forgiveness is not possible without faith in Jesus and all that it entails (ponder “obedience of faith,” Romans 1:5, 16:26).

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Posted by Russell Holden

Bruises, Sores, and Raw Wounds

September 2, 2016

As Isaiah looked around at the people of his day, he saw a generation that was trusting in self not God. They were rebellious, abandoning God, and even despising him. While outwardly religious, they continued in an evil lifestyle. The result was a mass of hurting people. He addresses them as “a people laden with iniquity” (Isaiah 1:4).

Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.

From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil. (Isaiah 1:5–6, ESV)

Isaiah experienced the distress of trying to warn people who were going the wrong way. Immorality has a way of leading to pain and brokenness. How often his pleas seemingly fell on deaf ears!

Isaiah described the people of his day as “people who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). That has a very modern ring to it. While people declare that they decide what is right and wrong, violations of God’s moral will continue to result in brokenness.

But Isaiah also had hope. Though we may mess up our lives until we are like a wounded person there is still hope for us with God.

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18, ESV)

The message rings out loud and clear: without God there is brokenness, with him there is healing. When we find ourselves wounded and bruised by our own willfulness — sitting in the mess we have created, let us run to the Father just as the prodigal son did. May we find that in him there is forgiveness and healing.

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Posted by Russell Holden

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