Who s To Blame? (James 1:13-18 February 5, 2017)

Transcription

1 Who s To Blame? (James 1:13-18 February 5, 2017) I want you to imagine you are at work and Jim, the guy at the next desk, leans over and slips you a flash drive. If you are guy imagine Jim whispers this these are the favourites from my porn collection enjoy. Ladies I want you to imagine he says hey Lana, our boss, left her phone unlocked you won t believe the texts here are the screenshots enjoy. I want to ask you three questions. First who put this trial in your life? Was it Jim, you, Satan or God? In other words was it the world, the flesh, the devil or God? Second question who is responsible if you fail the trial? You feel that temptation grow in you. You know it is wrong but you are having a bad week. Later you look at what is on the flash drive. You sin. Who is responsible if you sin in the face of temptation? Is it Jim, you, Satan or God? Third question who is responsible if you pass the trial? You feel that temptation grow in you. You know it is wrong and you are having a bad week. But you say to Jim Jim, I m a Christian thanks but no thanks and hand the flash drive back. Who is responsible if you gain victory in the face of temptation? Is it Jim, you, Satan or God? 1

2 Now, it may not be readily apparent but the answers to these questions are not that easy and they lead us into some very deep theological waters namely the question of the origin of sin and the relationship between the sovereignty of God and man s free will. We are in the book of James and in verses 5-18 of chapter 1 James tells us when you struggle to find joy in your trials, consider these encouragements from your faithful God: The promise of wisdom through faith 5-8 The promise of reward after trials 9-12 The promise of gifts from God We have looked at the first two encouragements in previous sermons. Now we come to the final encouragement: The promise of gifts from God Our passage this morning, teaches us this truth: Every trial, every temptation is an opportunity either for growth and life or for sin and death. This morning I want to use the three questions I asked in our opening illustration to help us understand our passage. 2

3 We begin with the first question: Who puts trials in your life? James does not directly address this question. But his answer is all throughout this passage. When you read through the Scriptures it is made very clear who the ultimate source of trials is. The One who sends trials and temptations is God. Isaiah 45:7: Job 2:10: I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive calamity? In Matthew 4:1 Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil but it is the Holy Spirit God who leads him out there to face temptation. James understands this. In our passage this morning we will see it is God who sends trials and temptations and James even calls them good gifts from above. Scripture is very clear. God sends trials and temptations into our lives. However, the Bible is also clear that while God is ultimately sovereign in our trials that does not negate the responsibility others bear when it comes to sin and temptation. What do I mean by this? Christians often talk about the world the flesh and the devil. This is drawn from the first three verses of Ephesians 2. So, in terms of the scenario I gave you at the opening Who put that trial in your life? Was it Jim, you Satan or God? The Bible makes it clear. Jim bears responsible for his actions and he is culpable for putting that trial before you. You also may bear some responsibility. If you knew Jim was a bad influence and you developed that relationship and gave him reason to think you would enjoy what he put before you you may bear some responsibility. 3

4 And Satan He may well have been involved as well. He is the Tempter. He is often involved in our trials and temptations as we saw in Job. It is hard to know his involvement in each scenario but he may well have had a role. However, as I said before, the ultimate guiding hand here is God s. Joseph s brothers put the trial of slavery into Joseph s life but God s guiding hand was behind it all. Satan put it in Judas heart to betray Jesus but in Acts 2 Peter says God s guiding hand was behind it all. The point is that God sends trials and temptations our way. Now, many Christians feel a profound sense of unease at that statement. I suspect quite a number of you squirmed a bit and have questions about it. You even feel this unease come out in the way chapter 1 of James is usually translated. If you were reading your English Bible you would most likely think that James has come to a new section in verse 13. James 1:2 12 seems to deal with trials: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:13-15 seems to deal with temptations: 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. 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. However, the words translated trial and the words translated tempted are the same root word. So why don t the translators stay consistent and use trial or test in both sections? A major reason is that while most of don t like the thought that God sends trials we can accept it but many of us struggle to say that God sends temptations. To many, saying God sends temptations is akin to saying God is tempting me to commit sin. 4

5 Add to that the fact that if you look at verse 14 we read this God Himself tempts no one. To them this is saying God does not send temptations. The result is that many commentators and preachers will say something like this: The trials in our life come from God the temptations in our life do not. God sends trials God does not send temptations. A trial like an illness is more neutral. While we don t like it we can accept that it comes from God. A temptation like enticement to adultery that leads to sin so we want to say that does not come from God. So, that is why verses 2-12 they translate it trial but verses they translate it temptation. However, if this were what James is saying it opens up its own can of worms. For the theologians out there it leads into the whole peccability of Christ issue. Was Jesus not able to sin or was He able not to sin? To talk about this now would be a serious rabbit-trail so I won t. It also raises questions about the extent of the sovereignty of God. Is God only sovereign over trials and not temptations? But the question I want to look at is this what is the difference between a trial and a temptation? Since James uses the same root word we really have to conclude that there is no real difference. It seems clear from the way James uses these words that He intends us to understand that God sends both trials and temptations into our lives. This shouldn t surprise us as we do see this in many other places in Scripture. I think what will help us is to grasp that: Every trial is a temptation and every temptation is a trial. I want to say that again: Every trial is a temptation and every temptation is a trial. From our own experience, we understand that the line here blurs. 5

6 Every trial is a temptation. You are 40 years old and the doctor tells you it is bowel cancer it has spread to your liver your chances are That is a trial. But then you feel the temptation to become angry at God. Great! I serve You faithfully and this is what I get thank You so much. You feel a temptation to abandon the faith. And every temptation is a trial. The pretty secretary sets her sights on you. Dealing with her every day, deciding if you will give in to temptation that is every bit a trial. So in summary when we ask who puts trials in my life we can say the world, the flesh and the devil can all bear some responsibility for my temptations and trials but the ultimate responsibility for both is God. This brings us to the second question: Who is responsible if you fail the trial? vv For many the answer is straight-forward: If God is sovereign. If God sends trials and temptations my way. If I fall into sin. Then it has to be God s fault. I have heard every variation of this: God gave me these desires. God put that temptation in my way. God could have strengthened me to resist He didn t. God ordained my sin. I have heard so many ways to blame God for our sin. James will have none if this. I don t think he can be clearer. Look at James 1:13: 6

7 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God. If you only take home one thing from today take home this. Never, ever, ever say my sin is God s fault. There is a big, big part of me that wishes James left it here. But James knows that if he just said Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God that while some would say awesome I accept that there is another group who would say hang on not so fast James I have questions. Some Christians have these inherently logical minds that would be screaming out but, but, but if God is sovereign over all things if God designs the beginning from the end if God sends our trials and temptations then surely He has to bear at least some responsibility if His trials result in sin? I know because for a time that was me. In the early 1990s my whole theological framework began to shift. I was reading books by men like John Piper and Don Carson and Martin Lloyd-Jones and the Puritans. I became what is generally called Reformed or a Calvinist. But, early on I entered a period many young Calvinists go through. Today, it even has a name cage stage Calvinism. It refers to a time where young Calvinists would be better off locked up in a cage than let loose. They understand some facts like the sovereignty of God they just don t have the maturity to apply those facts wisely. Their zeal means they take some truths too far. They are more danger than benefit. In my case, I had begun to understand that God is absolutely sovereign over all things. Salvation belongs to God. He decides the beginning from the end but it just blew my mind what the ramifications of this were. It seemed to me that the logical outflow of this is that God was must be responsible for everything good and bad. It seemed logical to me that if God sends trials, if He decides everything, if nothing is outside of His control then if I fall into sin it has to be God s fault. 7

8 If God ordains all things surely He ordained my sin. If God is sovereign then: When I sin God has to be the author of my sin. If someone ends up in hell God chose them to be there. God created Satan so He must have created evil. However, it took me many years to come to grips with the fact that what might seem logical to me is not necessarily logical to a Being who in fact knows everything. What we find is that Scripture is completely consistent in teaching two truths. God is absolutely sovereign and He is also in no way the author of sin. The Westminster Confession puts it about as well as you can. It says that God neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin (5:4). If you come to my office I have several shelves of books trying to explain how those two truths can possibly co-exist. Yet, the writers of Scripture don t try and explain these truths. They know that our minds are not equipped to reconcile these truths. We simply can t understand how they can both co-exist as being true but God is far greater than our understanding and both are true. It is simply one of a long line of truths that our minds just are incapable of grasping that we are asked to accept. James just says it as it is. God who is completely sovereign neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin. James then gives us a theological reason why at the end of verse 13: For God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. One level this sounds simple God is beyond temptation and God tempts no one. The problem is the one I alluded to earlier. If God sends trials and temptations then how do we understand James statement that God tempts no one? I think the way we translate this verse is crucial. When we look at our passage there is one word that in my mind is very key. 8

9 James 1:13: 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. Suffice it to say that the particular grammar of this sentence means that we can translate it in a wide variety of ways that have quite different meanings. Here are just a few of the many ways this verse has been translated: God cannot be tempted by evil. God is inexperienced in evil. God is not able to be tested by evil persons. However, in the context, I have come to believe that the best way to understand what James is saying is the translation that reads: God cannot be tempted towards evil. In other words there is no trial, no temptation, no circumstance that can move God one millimeter towards sin and evil. God is perfectly holy He is completely without stain or sin and nothing can stain that holiness in any way. If we then understand what James is saying from this perspective we could translate verse 13 like this: Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted (towards evil) by God, for God cannot be tempted towards evil, and he himself tempts no one (toward evil). God never sends trials with the intention of them leading us one millimeter into sin. However, since trials and temptations can lead us to sin the question becomes why send them? To help answer that let s go back to the very beginning the Garden of Eden. God placed Adam and Eve in the garden. Then in Genesis 2:16 17: The LORD God commanded the man, saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Every tree you can eat from except this one. And of course you know what happened. The serpent turned up and got in Eve s head did God really say that? Nah you won t die it s just that you will be like God! 9

10 So Eve ate, Adam ate. They knew it was wrong. They hid from God but God found them and asked them? Did you eat from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? What you do not hear is yes Lord I did I sinned and it is my fault. Adam spoke up It s not my fault the woman she made me do it. Eve hears this. Me? it s not my fault it s the serpent Satan he made me do it. They blamed the world and the devil. But more than that who are they ultimately blaming? Adam said The woman You gave to be with me she made me do it. God You gave her to me she tempted me so really it s Your fault. Eve said The serpent Satan he made me do it. God You created all things including him so really it s Your fault. They blamed the world and the devil but especially God. About the only good thing in this scenario is that Adam and Eve did not explicitly say something like this Really God? You ask us why we sinned? Come on You put this incredibly tempting tree here and You wonder why we ate from it? We re only human! I say this because there is another question that is implied in this whole scenario and I suspect you have asked yourself this question and if you haven t this one will now bug you I m telling you. Who puts a tree that leads to death in the middle of the Garden and says don t eat from it? Why put that tree in the garden if they can t eat from it? Take your five year old to a buffet then tell them you can eat anything you want anything including every desert except one. No peanut butter-chocolate cake. I trust you. Daddy is just going to talk with Mummy now enjoy. What is the first thing that kid is going to do? He is going to turn around Dad s not watching cake time. Many picture the fall like this. 10

11 God specifically tempting them beyond what they can endure. To them God is at fault. As well, they want to know how could a loving Father put a temptation that leads to death before His children? Surely if your kid is allergic to peanuts you take the cake away or you at least stand guard. At the very least why didn t a loving God put an electric fence, a moat and a guard dragon around that tree? I mean where was the Cherubim with the flaming sword before the fall? Why? Here is my imperfect understanding. If there was no tree no way to disobey God then there is no real way to choose to obey God. And if there is no way to choose to obey God then there is no way to grow and become what God created us to be. Every trial, every temptation is an opportunity either for growth and life or for sin and death. Real choices mean real consequences. Every time we are confronted by a trial or a temptation we have a choice. We can obey the instructions God gave us about how to endure the trial, resist the temptation and we can grow in maturity. And when that happens we find joy and the true pleasures of life. Or we can disobey grow angry at God give in to temptation and we will find ourselves in sin and that leads to a world of pain. So why did God put the tree in the garden? 11

12 God believed the tree could be a source of profound good in Adam s life. Obedience, growth, spiritual fruit, joy. But Adam chose another path. Unfortunately, that path has become a very well-worn path. James describes this well-worn path that leads from the trial all the way to sin. James 1:14 15: 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. The key word here is desire. In Scripture, you can desire something good, something neutral or something evil. But most of the time this word is used of sinful desires. The context here is clearly sinful desires so many translations add the word sinful or evil. James knows that even in Christians because we are fallen there is still this beast within this passion, this lust, this desire that thirsts for sin. From the moment Adam sinned our whole race was cursed with this inner compulsion to sin. Before we were Christians we really had no ability to fight sin. It is as if we were chained and unable to fight back this does not mean that non- Christians always sin. It means when sin gets its hooks in them they don t have the arsenal to fight it. Salvation changes that. The Bible speaks of us as free from sin. But I need to be very clear this does not mean freed from sin it means free to fight back against our sinful desires. Unfortunately, we do not always win. James paints a vivid picture of the path to sin and death and the path to fruit and life. 12

13 Death Sin Lure & Persevere Fruit Life In our lives we encounter trials and temptations of various kinds. Death Sin Lure & Persevere Fruit Life Our evil desires react to the trial. Understand, the trials that God sends are neutral. They are an opportunity for good or for sin. Imagine you are a loving, generous parent who decides to give your 18 year old son a new car. Let s not talk about the wisdom of giving an 18 year old boy with under-developed frontal lobes a car but you are generous and you do. You gave him a good gift knowing full well he may use it for good or for evil. He may choose to use it for good. To drive to work and university. To pick up his younger brothers and sisters. To help mum do the shopping. Or he may choose to use it for evil. Hooning. Drunk driving. Committing a crime. The gift the car itself is neutral. You gave it to your son and encouraged him to use it for good. If he does not it is not your fault if he used it for evil. God sends trials and instructions on how we should respond to trials so that they can mature us. However, James understands full well that a divinely designed trial sent to encourage endurance and maturity can also be an occasion for temptation and sin. James just lays it out there. 13

14 If that trial leads to sin it is your fault. No one else. Don t blame God. He then outlines the paths we can chose to take. Sin Death Endure Fruit Life One path is the path that begins by enduring by saying no to the evil desires in our heart. Fighting those desires clinging to what is good and pure and true. But, there is another path. In verse 14 James begins with a fishing metaphor to describe the other path. Sin Death Fruit Life Our evil desires lure and entice our hearts. The first word lured means dragged out. The picture is a fish hiding in the rocks and then he sees it. The juiciest looking worm just wiggling right there. This word describes moving toward the bait. This is the time when we see temptation and strong passions being stirred in us. This is King David up on his roof he looks out and sees a most beautiful woman bathing on a rooftop. He moves the edge of his building for a better look. The second word enticed speaks of being enticed to swallow the bait. You feel the power of sin growing. You just want to give in. You are being tempted to lose control. This is King David continuing to look and his lust is beginning to boil. 14

15 Now this is important. In this process, at this point you are still moving toward sin at this point you may not have yet sinned. It is possible to experience profound enticement to sin while not sinning. Yes, King David s evil desires began to entice him. But, at this point he could still look away. He could say walk down the stairs now David before it is too late! Sin Death Endure Fruit Life At this point you can call on the spiritual resources of God and fight the enticement and move on to the path of endurance. However, the longer you allow evil desires to play with you the enticement grows in its power and strength. The evil desires feed the enticement and once it gets a head of steam it quickly becomes an unstoppable monster. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book titled Temptation. I don t believe anyone else has described the rising power of enticement better. He writes: In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smouldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. At this moment God is quite unreal to us The lust thus aroused envelopes the mind and will of man in deepest darkness. The questions present themselves: Is what the flesh desires really sin in this case? Is it really not 15

16 permitted to me, yes -- expected of me, now, here, in my particular situation, to appease desire? 1 You have all been there. When temptation comes and the enticement to sin grows in strength and power till it reaches a point where you cannot fight it you don t want to fight it it even seems wrong to fight it. Brothers and sisters, James cries out that we need to deal with desire early before we lose control because there comes a point where we are just steamrolled down the path to sin. James then switch metaphors from fishing to birthing. Sin Fruit Life Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin. When a woman falls pregnant the child in her grows. Finally, it reaches a point where birth is inevitable. No choice that kid is coming out. ment, lust fans our desire until there comes a point when sin is inevitable. Please listen. Do not think you actually have to do something to cross the line to sin you can sin in your mind well before you act. Greed, anger, lust, hatred these are sin. And unchecked they will manifest in sinful actions. But my point is you cross the line in your mind before you cross the line with your body. As you approach that line the line of sin you lose all rationality. David kept looking at Bathsheba and this godliest of men lost control was consumed by lust and he sinned in his mind, then with his body and then through ordering a murder and cover-up. Everyone here this morning knows exactly how easy it is to march down this path. This is tragic but it need not be the final chapter. 1 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Temptation (London: SCM Press Ltd., 1961), p

17 Christians sin. We sin in shocking ways. Terrible as it is the good news is that we can still repent. Sin Endure 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We hate our sin. We ask God for forgiveness and the power to endure and we choose to endure. Robbie Burns was a great Scottish poet. Much of his poetry describes a struggle to know God and understand why he struggled to obey God. He certainly did not lead a godly life. He led a wild life filled with every kind of sin. In his poem In the prospect of death he writes this: Thou know st that Thou hast formed me With passions wild and strong; And list ning to their witching voice Has often led me wrong. He seems to be saying God You made me. You gave me these passions wild and strong. They keep leading me astray. So, he seems to really want to say it is Your fault. But, he can t. He just can t go there. So, he writes: Where with intention I have err d, No other plea I have, But, Thou art good; and Goodness still Delighteth to forgive. 17

18 Much as I want to I can t blame You God the sin is mine I know my only hope is grace. I don t know if Robbie ever listened to his own advice but that is pretty close to what both John and James are saying. However, James wants you and I to know that if we choose not to repent if we love our sin if unrepentant sin becomes the hallmark of our life then James says this: Sin Death There is always a hook in sin and the hook is death And sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Brothers and sisters: There is always a hook in sin and the hook is death. You keep heading down the path of sin and the hook which is spiritual death will get you. Before we leave these verses, I don t want to give you the impression that the trajectory of sin is always straight forward. It isn t and you know it isn t. Sometimes the same trial finds us going down one path or the other and then sees us switch back and forth. Sometimes there is victory and sometimes there is sin. Endure You know how this works. For example, oftentimes we start down the path of endurance. Consider if you have had a problem with drunkenness in your past. You know it is a weakness. 18

19 Your mates turn up and say we are just going out for a few quiet ones why don t you join us. You tell them thanks but I better not you know that has been an issue in the past for me. Endure But then your friends stop at the door come on you can drink your Diet Coke we just want your company. Your evil desires seize on that. Diet Coke yeah I can handle that. You go to the pub but after a round or two you feel that enticement growing further. Your depraved heart your sinful desires whisper one drink is not getting drunk. Sin Endure But eight drinks later you are drunk and it is sin. Sin Death Endure And if this becomes a pattern if there is no repentance and calling on God for endurance you may be on the road to spiritual death. 19

20 If your trials only lead you to sin and not to true repentance and endurance then you may well not be Christ s your faith may not be real and your journey may end in death eternal death. Brothers and sisters if there are patterns in your life that only look like this. If desire always ends up in sin. If there is no spiritual strength to fight enticement then you need to make sure you are His. Verse 16: Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. It is deception. It is a lie. It is a monumental falsehood to think Christians will sin repeatedly without any struggle and resistance. It is deception. It is a lie. It is a monumental falsehood to ever think that God is the real problem. It is so convenient to keep claiming grace, to blame God or think the devil made you do it. David got it right in Psalm 51 I sinned I did what is evil in Your sight. I need mercy because I am the problem. Brothers and sisters, before we move on I want to point out a few ramifications that flow from this passage. While James uses a fishing analogy there is a big difference between you and a fish. A fish does not know the hook leads to death we should know we have to know the hook leads to death spiritual death. God told Adam eat that fruit and you will die. He knew it but ate it anyway and death physical and spiritual followed. You know where unchecked desire leads you know it. So, call on every spiritual resource to kill it. The hook in sin is death. Again James is not saying Christians don t sin. They do sin. But, they have the desire and power to fight sin. Jesus told us to pray like this: Lead me not into temptation. Don t lead me down the path that leads to death. 20

21 1 Corinthians 10:13 is an incredible passage: No trial no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the trial and temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. This is not a promise that a true Christian will never fall into temptation. It is a promise that there will be a way of escape provided by God. Let me put it this way. Think about the times you have fallen into sin. Do you really want to say that you had absolutely no choice you could not have endured, called a friend for help, prayed, taken a cold shower, found a way to say no? There is always a way. And for Christians the power to endure is always there. Having said this. Please do not think that James or I am saying the normal Christian life looks like this. Endure Fruit Life That we always fight temptation and endure and grow. That if you ever fall into sin you are lost. No. If the Bible teaches you anything it is that the normal Christian life looks like this: Sin Endure Fruit Life Messy really messy. 21

22 Times of victory hallelujah but unfortunately also painful, terrible times of sin. But our sin is followed by repentance and restoration. Having said all of this James now wants you to know when there is victory and growth who gets the credit? Remember our third question?: Who is responsible if you pass the trial? vv Verse 17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. The old hymn tells us to count our blessings count them one by one. You will be counting for a very long time. I started counting: Jesus, salvation, heaven, Dena, kids, Elders, church family, Australia, house, dog, car I would still be counting. But James wants us to know even things we do not readily think of as good and perfect gifts trials and temptations they are good gifts from our good God. Sin Death Endure Fruit Life s will either kill you or make you stronger. God sent them not to kill you but to lead you to the fruit of maturity and Christlikeness and ultimately to prepare us for the crown of life. The flame shall not hurt you; I only design Your dross to consume and your gold to refine Whatever the trial there is a way of escape a way of endurance and they lead to life that is why they are good gifts. 22

23 They may not feel like good gifts that is why James tells us consider them good gifts consider them joy. They can feel like punishing flames but eternity will show the truth. James wants us to know this truth: The antidote to deception the path through trials is a deep-seated conviction of the absolute goodness of God. How do we know these gifts are good? Because they: Come down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James says everything changes. Even the stars and heavenly bodies that we rely on for navigation they move. How can we tell? You stand there and the movement of your shadow shows the earth is moving. Ben Franklin was wrong everything changes. Even death and taxes are not certain. Only one thing is truly unchanging. God. There is no variation in Him. He does not move so the shadow He casts does not change. And this is good news. Why? We need to change. God does not. He is already absolutely perfect. You cannot improve on perfection. This perfect being sends these gifts so that we will change. He gives them to us and encourages us use My gifts for good and not for evil. Verse 18: Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 23

24 Sin Endure Fruit Life He loves us. He brought us forth. He sends trials not to cause death but to make us firstfruits to work good in us. Firstfruits are the taste of what is to come. God sends trials to make us more like Christ a taste of what we will be when He is done with us and we receive the crown of life. Every trial, every temptation is an opportunity either for growth and life or for sin and death. James has told us: If a trial leads to sin it is your fault. Don t blame God. Don t blame the devil or someone else. Blame yourself for wasting the gift that could lead you to maturity. Here, James also says: If a trial leads to fruit it is God s doing. If you say no to the temptation Jim puts before you James says give the credit to God. If you pass the trial it is God who enabled you to do so. We talked earlier about a wrong view of Calvinism. 24

25 Here is the right view. Of His own will he brought us forth. He did it. We didn t do it. If He had not chosen us we would never choose Him. Not because of anything in us just because of His will. He chose us. He sent the gifts of trials to mature us. He leads us to fruit and ultimately to life. He gets the glory. s lead us down one of two paths. Oh those paths are never as direct and neat as it might seem. But here is the truth. I cannot explain how God is absolutely sovereign and the responsibility for sin is all yours and the credit for your righteousness is all His but that is what the Bible consistently and clearly teaches. I just accept it. If you can t understand this then James would say go back to verse 5 and ask for wisdom. Ask God to enlarge your understanding of Him until you can accept that while our minds cannot grasp how He could do this our hearts do know this is truth. So, when trials come when temptations howl know this: Every trial, every temptation is an opportunity either for growth and life or for sin and death. Brothers and sisters choose growth and life and joy and peace. 25

26 Who s To Blame? (James 1:13-18 February 5, 2017) Main Point: Every trial, every temptation is an opportunity either for growth and life or for sin and death. General Questions: 1. Do you agree that God sends trials and temptations into our lives? Why or why not? 2. In what ways can the world, the flesh and the devil can bear responsibility for our trials and temptations? What does it mean that the ultimate responsibility is God s? 3. What does it mean that if a temptation leads us to sin then the responsibility is ours and ours alone? 4. Do you agree that when we do right the glory belongs to God and God alone? 5. Discuss the statement Every trial is a temptation and every temptation is a trial. Do you agree or disagree? What are the implications? 6. Why does saying God is sovereign lead many to blame God for our sin? Why is James so adamant that this is deception? 7. The Westminster Confession says that God neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin (5:4). How can God be sovereign and in no way the author of sin? Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted (towards evil) by God, for God cannot be tempted towards evil, and he himself tempts no one (toward evil). How does this translation help us understand the Confession s statement? 8. Why did God place a tree that could lead to death in the garden? 9. How can trials be both an opportunity for growth and life or for sin and death? 10. When does enticement become sin? 11. What does it mean There is always a hook in sin and the hook is death? 12. Why is the Christian life so messy in regard to sin? 13. How can you tell if you are a struggling Christian or actually on the path to death? Application Questions: 26

27 (Only if the group is appropriate and you feel comfortable otherwise answer these in private) 1. What are the trials or temptations that are the biggest struggles for you in regard to enticement to sin? 2. Discuss ways to move from enticement to endurance in your particular struggles. Are there any practical ways to be held accountable? 3. What are the ways of escape that God has provided in your particular enticements? 4. What are the lies you tell yourself when enticement draws you away? 5. How can we take responsibility for our sin rather than blaming God or someone else? 6. How can we see trials as good an opportunity for growth? 7. How can you develop a deep-seated conviction of the absolute goodness of God? 27