Why doesn't God stop sin from tempting us?

[anonymous.]

A friend asked me “If God knows everything that we will do and every sin that we will commit, why doesn’t he stop the sin from ever tempting us,” honestly I didn’t know how to respond. It’s a complicated question but it has been stuck in my mind for a few weeks. Please answer if you can.

[Mike Miller]

First, if we never experience temptation to sin, then living for Jesus isn't really that meaningful. I mean, what other choice would we have? That would render our relationship with Jesus pretty hollow. However, to choose to follow Jesus over sin is what makes our decision significant. If we had no choice, would we really love Him? Really? Imagine that a young man and a young woman in different families are raised by their parents completely isolated from the rest of the world. They are told that they are to marry and make a family, but they are literally the only two people (aside from their parents) that they know. How special is that relationship? Neither decided to choose the other over other options. They had no other options. God desires a relationship with us, and for that relationship to be real, it cannot be automatic.

Second, if we do not face temptation, then we never learn about good and evil. As a parent, I did not shelter my children from everything that would tempt them. That would not actually be loving. They needed to learn--often the hard way--that there are consequences to disobedience. We could never appreciate God and how good He is and how wise it is to walk in His ways if we never faced other options with their negative consequences. God is actually kind and gracious in allowing us to be tempted so that we can learn the goodness of His person, will, and ways.

Another thing I should say, however, is that even though God lovingly gives us a certain amount of free will, and even though we all choose to disobey Him, He loves us and saves us from our own sin. He then gives us His Spirit to overcome temptation. So, knowing that we will sin, He still provides for our redemption through Jesus. So, He lets us make our own choices, but then He cleans up the messes we make by sending His Son to die for us. And that is a love we can hardly imagine.