Be careful not to cause another to sin.
He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard!” (Lk 17:1-3 – NASB 1995) (See also 1 Cor 8:7-13)
Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! (Mt 18:7 – ESV)
Sin is bad but causing another to sin, especially a believer, is even worse. It violates God’s command to love and brings consequences of sin on those you tempt to sin.
Another thing to think about when you are a temptation to others is this … when you tempt others to sin, you are acting like the devil who is a tempter.
Examples of Tempting Others
The Bible has many scenes of people tempting others – Eve tempted Adam to eat the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:6), Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph sexually with her words (Gen 39:7-12), Job’s wife tempted Job to curse God in her anger and grief (Job 2:9), Herodias and her daughter tempted Herod with provocative dancing (Mk 6:22-29), and the Pharisees were constantly ‘testing’ Jesus to trap Him (Mt 16:1; 22:15-22).
There are lots of ways you can tempt people to sin through your speech, actions, gifts, looks, and even how your dressed.
You can cause people to sin by starting a gossiping conversation or using foul language or coarse joking since they may join into your sin. Females can tempt men by dressing inappropriately. You can sin by doing wrong things or going to bad places sending the message to other believers that it is okay. You can be a snare by having a bad attitude and making it look okay. You can even be a tempter by serving alcohol at a church function, as I hear some small groups do, because without knowing it you might be tempting ex-alcoholic in the group to start drinking. Live carefully so you are not a snare to others.
Guidelines to Help You Not be a Temptation
- Make loving other believers a top priority (1 Jn 2:10)
The one who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. (1 Jn 2:10)
- Make up your mind never to put a stumbling block in a believer’s way (Rom 14:13)
13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way. (Rom 14:13)
- Make sure you have nothing in your life to cause others to stumble (Lam 3:40)
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord. (Lam 3:40)
- Ask God to search you and reveal things in you that cause stumbling (Ps 139:23-24)
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. (Ps 139:23-24)
- Focus on building others up (1 Thes 5:11)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up … (1 Thes 5:11)
Think about it:
Examine yourself to see if you ever tempt or lead others to sin (Speech, actions, dress, other).
Can you think of ways you might be tempting or influencing others to do wrong?
Think hard about how you speak. Could you be leading other believers astray with what you say or how you say it?
Name some problems caused by tempting others.
Have you ever considered that when you tempt others to sin that you are acting like the devil?
Name some ways or mindsets to not be a temptation to others.
What areas in your life do you need to change to not tempt others?
BIBLE DEVOTIONS FOR LIVING 