1. God is not to be Blamed for Temptation (1:13)

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Marjory Ray
5 years ago
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1 The Source of Sin and the Solution Behind the Book James 1: /9/18 Last week we learned that trials are any situations, circumstances, or temptations that test our faith. When we endure these we receive a steadfastness that leads to complete and perfect mature faith that lacks nothing. We also receive confidence in our eternal heavenly dwelling. James is now changing his focus from the rewards of enduring trials to the consequences of failing their test. He is particularly focusing on a blame game that fallen humanity has been playing since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve failed their trial and ate from the forbidden tree they played the blame game with God. When God asked Adam if they had eaten from the tree he replied, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree, and I ate (Gen. 3:12). He basically blamed both God and the woman. When God asked Eve she blamed the serpent (Gen. 3:13). Neither was willing to accept the fact that they were at fault. Proverbs 19:3 says, When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. This is a problem that we as Christians quickly spot in the unbelieving world but struggle to see that we do the same thing. We are slow to directly blame God, but like Adam, we often indirectly blame him for our failures during our trials. James wants to set the record straight. He tells us that God is never to be blamed for our failures in trials, we are the ones to be blamed, and the consequence of our failure is deadly. He concludes this section pleading with us to trust in God, who is our only hope. 1. God is not to be Blamed for Temptation (1:13) 13 Let no one say (no man should say or rationalize to himself) when he is tempted, (peirazo, verb tense of peirasmos, translated trial in verses 2&12 Its all about the context) I am being tempted (lured or enticed to sin) by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 1

2 John MacArthur points out in his commentary that the Greek preposition apo is used to translate the English word by, which carries connotations of remoteness, distance, and indirection. As opposed to the option of hupo, which denotes direct agency. This tells us that James is not only forbidding blaming God directly for tempting us but also indirectly, much like Adam and Eve did in the Garden. We tend to do this without realizing it. When we say things like, If my wife was I wouldn t do such and such. What are we saying? If God had given me another wife, or if he had made he differently, I would not be guilty of. God is not to be blamed for our temptations or our falling to temptation. It is not possible for him to tempt anyone to evil nor can anyone tempt him to evil. James is going to explain in the next verse why we are to be blamed for our shortcomings. He will tell us that is due to our sinful desires and passions. We are not more powerful than our own lusts, whereas God is not susceptible to his own desires and passions. God is the only being whose power reigns over his own desires. He is good and pure and righteous and therefore able to conform all his desires and passions to his good substance. That is not so with fallen humanity. 2. We are at Fault (1:14) 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Trails are born out of life, which are allowed to exist by our sovereign God. However, temptations are born inside of us when we are attracted to the wrong response in a trial. We are tempted when we are drawn toward and entertained by the thought of something that is wrong. The terms James uses are hunting terms. Exelko, which translates lured or carried away, is often used in reference to baiting traps in order to lure animals to their capture. Deleazo, which translates enticed is a fishing term used to describe bait, whose purpose is to lure and trap fish. Just like fish and animals we are overcome with our inability to say no to something that we know will hurt us because we are so drawn to its 2

3 beauty and lure. This is the source of our temptations, not God. It is in our fallen state that we desire things that we know are ungodly and detrimental to our well-being. John MacArthur also points out that it is hupo that is the preposition used here indicating that is directly our own lust that is the source of our temptations. We often speak of this inner conflict in terms of the old man verses the new man or spirit verses flesh. Paul describes this battle masterfully in Romans 7: For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. 3. The Consequence of Failure is Deadly (1:15-16) 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. It is important to note that temptation within itself is not sin. It is failed temptation that is full blown sin. Temptation is a wrestling with desire; desire to do good and/or desire to do bad. Sin is conceived when we give into our desire to do wrong. It is when we take hold of the bait. The idea of desire having conceived is when lust becomes impregnated by our approval. By the teachings of Jesus we learned that this does not merely happen the moment you sleep with a person you should not sleep with or 3

4 physically assault a person with whom you are angry. Jesus made it clear to us that our lust is conceived when we approve it in our heart. There it is sin. The acting out is referenced in James statement, when it is fully grown. James uses the warning, Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers, to be a way to transition from the problem to the solution. James main point here is not to teach a theology of sin, but rather to warn his hearers that sin originates in us and the consequences are deadly. When the sin child is fully grown it kills. I believe this is another warning from James to test your faith by your response to this truth. Paul tells us that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). This is the story for all mankind apart from the saving grace of Jesus. Paul says in Ephesians 2:3 we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. All mankind can produce within themselves is sin that leads to death and the wrath of God. This should leave us asking with Paul, Wretched man/woman that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Paul did not stop there. He declared the answer to that question which is the same thing James leaves us with. Paul said it like this: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! James says it like this: 4. God is the Solution (1:17) 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Contrary to the idea that God is the one who tempts us to sin, God is actually the only one concerned solely for our good. Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Instead of trying to entice us or lure us into sin, God is the only one seeking to persuade us away from sin into righteousness. He is the only one providing ways out of temptations. He is the only one who can and will provide strength to overcome temptation. 1 Cor. 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is 4

5 not common to man. 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. What is the Good and Perfect gift? It is his wisdom, especially as it is embodied in the person of Jesus our Lord. There is a reason James uses the title Father of Lights, which references the creation of light. The lights of Genesis 1:18, the sun and moon were given for humanities good. They illuminate the world to help us see and navigate through it. However, even with these there is shadow and variation due to change. However, Jesus who is the greatest gift from the Father, the True Light of the World that illuminates and directs us to the Father, there is no shadow or variation due to change. He is the sin solution and always has been and always will be. He will be the ultimate sin solution destroying it forever. 5

The Significant Themes of James

The Significant Themes of James A challenge to God s people to start acting like God s people. Quit being a PARTIALLY COMMITTED DISCIPLE, instead make a decision to become a FULLY COMMITTED DISCIPLE A