Lesson 27: Diligence in facing temptation

Read 2 Peter 2:1-22- https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2pe.2
11 Whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.
12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,
13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.
14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!
15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,
16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

Our verses in this lesson speak about facing temptation, and how we are to be diligent to face it honestly before God. The chapter we are studying now is about how we teach or even understand Truth. The temptation to adjust Truth to fit what we want to believe, or even to what we can understand, may be the greatest temptation we face. It is the subject of these verses.


The first temptation here is that of pronouncing judgement. How often do we believe we know the circumstances in which another person has taken an action we find dishonest or wrong. WE are wrong when we jump in and pronounce judgement, because we cannot see the heart of the person – only God sees the heart.

The second temptation named is to teach what we understand rather than what is true as written in the Bible. We believe we do not have to study and learn what we already think we understand. We must continue to study, and always ask God to help us understand what He says in His Word.

 The third temptation is to believe that what we want is therefore right, because God would not let us want something wrong. We may even convince ourselves that what we are doing is not really wrong – it is not bad to eat, so we can have a party. The Bible says Jesus drank wine, so we can too. We deceive ourselves into believing what we want must therefore be right. The party may not be wrong, but getting drunk or using drugs (and other activities which often come with parties) are sin. The Bible says in James 1:14 that temptation begins with our own desires.

The fourth temptation is that of seeking power and recognition. We might tell ourselves we are doing this for God’s kingdom, but the truth is we seek it only for ourselves. Jesus said in Mark 9:35 that the way to be great in His kingdom is to be a servant.

Facing temptation diligently means to seek the cause of the temptation within ourselves and then ask God to help us become more like Him in this area of our life. Remember, being tempted is not sin – we only sin when we yield to the temptation. Jesus was continually tempted, but He never yielded to the temptations.

*Thought question: In what area of your life do you find most of your temptations starting?