When something goes wrong, we often ask: who’s to blame? Ever since sin first entered the picture, that’s been our natural response. Confronted by God over his blatant sin – the world’s first ever – the man blamed “the woman whom you gave to be with me” (Gen. 3:12 ESV, emphasis added). That’s even two-for-one blame, holding both his wife and God responsible for the choice he made: a choice that brought sin and death into God’s very good world.
For her part, his wife did no better, giving us the first instance of “the devil made me do it” in history. “The serpent deceived me,” she said (Gen. 3:13). That was true: Satan had manipulated and lied to her (cf. Gen. 3:1-5, Rev. 12:9). Yet, the choice to listen to him instead of God was hers to make. Motivated by the cravings of her body, eyes, and ego, she chose wrongly (cf. Gen. 3:6, 1 Jn. 2:16).
So do we: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). And just like they did, our sinful nature inclines us to look for someone to blame. Sure, we did wrong, but only because of what they did first. We look at the world’s misery and question why God allows it.
Yet, sin and all the ruin it causes results from our own choices.
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’” James wrote, “for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (Jam. 1:13-15). When our desires take control, sin follows. Blinded by what we want, we act, speak, and even think in ways that miss the mark of who God created us to be. Continual misuse of our lives in that way will ruin us.
But it doesn’t have to. “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). We are not helpless victims of others’ actions: God lets us choose who we listen to and how we respond.
Even more, God gave us His Son Jesus, “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He shows us who we are meant to be. When we choose to follow Him instead of our own desires, the whole direction of our lives changes.
Explore more in our serious lesson series on Sin.