Does God tempt us to sin? What about Abraham in Genesis chapter 22?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Scripture draws a clear distinction between testing and tempting. While God tests His people to strengthen their faith or reveal their character (as with Abraham in Genesis 22), He never tempts them to sin. James 1:13 explicitly states that God does not tempt anyone, saying that temptation arises from within us. God's holiness precludes any involvement in enticing someone to evil.

Genesis 22 shows that God tested Abraham to prove He feared the LORD (Genesis 22:12). This test deepened Abraham’s faith and trust, revealing what was already in his heart. Similarly, God tested Israel in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2), not to cause failure but to humble and teach them dependence. In all such instances, the purpose was spiritual growth, not moral downfall.

When Christians face temptation, it is never God’s doing. Instead, the Bible says we are lured by our own sinful nature (James 1:14–15). Satan may be involved in the process, but the decisive cause of sin lies in us. God permits trials and even sovereignly ordains them, but He remains blameless. In fact, He promises that for believers, He will never allow them to be tempted beyond what they can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Everything God created was good. Seven times Genesis 1 says that God looked at what He created and saw that it was good (Genesis 1:4; 10; 12; 18; 21; 25; 31). God did not create anything evil. It was all “very good.”
• God is perfectly good. For example, Moses proclaimed, “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). By calling God, “Rock,” he declared that God is a solidly righteous foundation. Everything that God does is just and righteous.
• God tested Abraham in Genesis 22:1-2. The word translated as “tested” in Genesis 22:2 is nissah in Hebrew. It means, “to put someone to the test” and “to conduct a test.” It is an impartial word and does not inherently mean enticing someone to do evil. God’s intention was never for Abraham to kill Isaac (Genesis 22:12) but to reveal Abraham’s heart, to show that he would obey God even in the most heart wrenching request. This showed that he was obedient and deserving of the promise He had given to bless Abraham (Genesis 22:18).
• There are also other examples of divine testing in Scripture. For example, Moses reminded the Israelites that God “led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2). God’s testing is not to cause sin but to expose the already existing sin in men and women’s heart and to grow them spiritually.
• Job is another example of God testing to show one’s heart condition. He handed Job over to Satan to prove that Job, like Abraham, was righteous (Job 1–2). Though Job stumbled along the way, calling God’s character into question (Job 19:6-7), he ultimately passed the test by never cursing God despite both Satan (Job 1:11; 2:5) and his wife (Job 2:9) pressing him to do so. The account ends with God affirming Job’s righteousness while condemning those who falsely accused Him of evil (Job 42:7).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• James wrote, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one” (James 1:13-15). The passage shows that all sinful temptations arise from our desires, not from God. Therefore, God never tempts us to sin but may test us to show us what is in our heart.
• Regarding the test of Abraham, in the New Testament we learn that Abraham was willing to go all the way, knowing that God was righteous such that even if Isaac died, he would be brought back to life (Hebrews 11:17-19). Abraham did not see God’s test as evil. Rather, he trusted God’s righteous character despite what seemed like the end of God’s promise by killing his son.
• Paul notes that, rather than tempting us to sin, God always provides an “escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God permits temptation for spiritual growth but provides the ability and grace to stand firm and not give in.
• While we give in to sin, Jesus, as the perfect man, never did (Hebrews 4:15). He faced genuine temptation but never succumbed to sin because He was internally righteous. Between James and passages like this, we learn that God’s testing reveals that men and women are inherently sinful and need Jesus, the only One who passed every test of obedience.
• God works through our sinful temptations to spiritually grow us (James 1:2–4).
• Regarding Lot during his time living in the wicked city of Sodom, Peter noted, “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” (2 Peter 2:9). God never places His people in positions where sinning is inevitable. He provides strength (1 Corinthians 10:13) and correction (Hebrews 12:6) to guide them through.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

God is always perfectly good and never puts us into a position where we must sin, so we must reject any theology or experience that blames God for our temptation. The line between testing and tempting is clear: testing is for our good; tempting is from within. When we sin, the fault is ours. God does not delight in our failure—He calls us to holiness.

We also must rethink what it means to be “tested.” Like Abraham or Job, tests are not for God to learn something new about us (He already knows), but for us to learn what’s really in our hearts. Trials reveal us to us.

Additionally, we can find comfort in knowing that God allows no temptation without providing a path of faithfulness. We are never without resources. In particular, Scripture, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the church are all God’s provided means of escaping the sin that our hearts are drawn towards.

Finally, we must develop a posture of humility. When tested, we should echo Jesus by submitting to the Father’s will, trusting His goodness, and resisting temptation with the truth of Scripture. The Christian life is not one of blaming God for our failures but of leaning on Him for strength to endure when our inner self desires to sin (James 1:13-14).

UNDERSTAND

• God never tempts anyone to sin.
• God tests believers to reveal our hearts and strengthen our faith, not to cause moral failure.
• God always provides a way through trials.

REFLECT

• When you face a difficult test in life, how do you discern whether it’s a temptation or a test of faith?
• How have you responded in the past when you felt tempted? Did you lean on God’s strength or try to handle it on your own?
• What does your response to trials reveal about your trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness?

ENGAGE

• How does understanding the difference between testing and tempting change the way we view God’s role in our struggles?
• How can we encourage others to see trials as opportunities for spiritual growth rather than threats to our faith?
• What can Abraham’s trust in God during his test teach us about trusting God when His commands or plans don’t make immediate sense?