As a young Christian, when we don't know any better, we put ourselves into paths of danger, usually because of fleshly vanity.
But as we grow in way of God and know more scripture, if we deliberately go with evil, we tempt God and might even be destroyed in our pursuit of pride.
Jesus says:
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before MY Father, and before HIS angels.
This verse shows us that our names could be blotted out of the book of life.
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
As godly people we do not put ourselves into positions of temptations.
💥 A godly woman who is married would not "visit" with a man who is not her husband or do things like go to lunch of dinner with him. This could open a door to temptation and end up causing all manner of trouble and God might turn you over to a reprobate mind to be destroyed for all eternity. Personal vanity is not worth that.
Matthew 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Do not tempt God to cut you loose with the wicked.
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We had a pastor who deliberately walked into a temptation and was destroyed by such.
He wanted to be great. He told us he planned to be greater than Kenneth Copeland in radio and television. He had a goal and he worked to achieve that goal,
When he started ministry, we met in an old warehouse and had approximately 200 people in our congregation. Within a few years, the church building seated 8000 and was fully equipped to produce radio and TV broadcasts at the church.
Pastor had his own TV show and invited one of the prophets from the church to appear on his show. Before going on air, he said to this prophet, "Just one thing. Don't say anything about being a prophet because it's not popular." She was devastated and after the show, she called me. She was crying.
I saw a passage in Matthew 23 and knew this was going to happen to this pastor because he "killed a prophet". I told him because he did this, His house would be left to him desolate. (Mt. 23)
This was in approximately 1982.
By 1991, ABC Primetime Live did an expose concerning this pastor. At that time his offerings were reportedly as much as $80 million dollars a year. A big part of his fund raising was based on asking people to send their prayer request to him. (Along with the prayer request they often put money in the envelope.)
He also offered a hundred-fold-return on offerings given. After the Prime Time TV expose, offerings fell to 2-million a year, still a lot of money but not nearly as great as 80-million a year.
His empire was set to crumble. Many terrible things happened.
* He and his wife divorced. He remarried another woman and she as a lawyer filed suit against him and they divorced. He then married a third woman.
* One of his powerful church members had given him a great deal of money expecting 100-fold return as this pastor said would happen. When it failed, the man sued the pastor.
* His 8,000 seat church building was taken over by the city of Farmers Branch, Texas. Today there is no evidence that a church ever met on that piece of ground in Texas.
* He moved to Florida and tried to build another church. He tried to start another big-time TV ministry.
* At last report, he bought a hotel in Culver City, California.
His desire for greatness ate him alive.
A man at that church taught the singles class. He had 2 separate lives which he kept hidden from the church. At church he was viewed as a respectable Bible teacher. Away from the church he frequented bars, picked up women, indulged in fornication.
I really loved both of these men but they crossed over a line and refused to correct themselves and their demise was no shock but sad to see.
I believe each of these examples are "tempting God".
Either we are godly or ungodly. And the godly will deal with themselves making corrections for the sake of the scriptures and the Lord and the work of God.
Tempting God is a very evil thing and at some point destruction occurs.
Let us instead be godly. Conforming ourselves to instruction given in the Bible. Holding fast to the Word of God. Laying down our own lives for the gospel. Honoring God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all the days of our lives as our "reasonable" service.
And to the end of our time on this earth, upholding the Bible and ways of God. Refusing to let go of scripture. Loving God and forsaking our selves for the sake of godlessness.
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Proverbs 4
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Correct yourselves by the word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
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