Temptation, avoiding causing

Any behaviour which might cause others to do wrong is to be avoided.

Warnings not to cause temptation

Luke 17:1

Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!

Special care is needed to avoid tempting those whose faith is young

Matthew 18:6 See also Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Temptation is linked to passing judgment on others

Romans 14:13

Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

Allowance must be made to avoid causing temptation to those whose faith is weak

Romans 14:15, Romans 14:21

If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.

Avoiding causing temptation by exercising Christian freedom responsibly

1 Corinthians 8:9–13

Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.

Examples of causing temptation

Numbers 25:1–2; Proverbs 16:29 See also Habakkuk 2:15; Matthew 18:6

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab, who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods.

A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.

Examples of restraining sin or temptation

Genesis 37:21–22; Acts 20:28–31; Ephesians 6:10–13; Hebrews 12:1–3; 1 Peter 5:8–9; 1 John 3:7