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“The Christian And Temptation” • 4.29.18
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- The book of James begins with the voice of a
sympathetic Pastor, speaking to members of his dispersed congregation, calling
upon them to endure the various trial that had befallen them.
- He understands their plight and promises a
blessing from God and the crown of life for those that endure to the end.
- As we come into verse 13, you'll note a significant change in tone. Some of his flock
looked at the same experiences and came to a different conclusion.
- Instead of an opportunity to grow
increasingly faithful, they viewed the moment as an opportunity to fly in
another direction. James won't have any of that! Verse 13.
Text
• James
1:13-15 : "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for
God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is
drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it
gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." : As with trials, so with temptations. You can be certain that
they will come. When you are tempted, beware that you do not say this. "I
am tempted by God!"
- What an interesting thing to have to say not
to say! The fact that James says it means that others had indeed said it,
though it's not likely that any would say it explicitly.
- Generally, this expreses itself through
subtle suggestion. I've heard it expressed like this: "God put me around
these people that act this way" or more commonly, "God made me this
way."
- Essentially, the person who embodies this
claim blames God for the sin that they are indulging in. They are victims of
circumstance, bound to a fate by their disposition.
- They have this desire, they are surrounded by
these type of people, so it must be that God at the very least, indulges their
evil practices, at the most, has engineered their temptation.
- This should come as no surprise. In the very first
story in which sin figures prominently, the key figures laid the blame on the
shoulders of others!
- Eve blamed the serpent that beguiled her only
after her husband Adam set the tome by blaming God for the woman that He had
given her! (Genesis 3:12,13) Nothing
is new under the sun!
- These words betray a false notion and a
misunderstanding of the nature of God, God cannot be tempted by evil. His
holiness will not allow for any presence of sin.
- He is untemptable and therefore, cannot be
the source of any person's temptation. James makes sure that we know: We are
the source!
- The Bible clearly conveys that every human
being is born in sin. We have inherited that from our original parents and have
all done our share of experimenting with it in life.
- Even in Christians, the penalty for sin being
paid by Christ, there must be a willing, overriding desire in the heart of the
Christian to mortify, to consider dead, the deeds of indwelling sin.
- Even as we recognize this truth to be
biblical and even know to agree in principle, some of us still cannot reconcile
that sinful temptation begins with us. James relieves us of such a notion.
- Every person is tempted from their own well
of wickedness! It begins when a person is "drawn away" by his own desires.
- The metaphor is akin to the fishing lure
which entices a fish from the security of their dens, out into the open water.
You know where it goes from there right?
- Before they are caught and dragged away by
the hook in their jaw, they are dragged forth by their own desire. It's what
they have come to want.
- The word refers to an intense craving,
especially for that which is forbidden. Often, we have limited this word to a
sexual connotation, but I'm afraid that it's not that narrow.
- This is any desire that rises against the
desire of God for a person's life. This can refer to anything that causes us to
run out from the safety of His will into the danger of the unknown!
- Maybe there is a position or station in life
that you are aiming at. It could be a desire born from materialism. It could be
a desire for justice that is bent around the wish for revenge!
- The desire might even be good, but when it is
in our heads and is more desireable than contenment with God, there is a
problem!
- When a person allows their desire to run
unchecked, it is certain that eventually, an opportunity will arise and when
that happens, the person is trapped.
- In the beginning, things are seemingly
harmless. This is just a "thought." Soon, it becomes a fantasy, which
leads to an obsession, which leads to a plan of action!
- Ultimately, generally speaking, the heart
will win out over the mind and the desire will soon be brought to life and when
the desire is fulfilled, it brings forth a missing of the mark intended by God!
- Sin will feel good at the beginning and seem
good as your are enjoying it, but sin can only produce death. What is James
saying?
- Whatever you desire outside of the will of
God seems satisfying and worth risking your reputation and family for. The end
of that temptation ends miserably every time!
- A desire fulfilled in my timing will bring
death to relationships, death to my peace with God, death to my finances and
perhaps even physical death!
- You are not the exception and you will find
yourself wishing that you had listened in the end! Follow this logic in verse 16.
• James
1:16-18 : "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes
down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning. Of His own will He brought us forth
by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." : Do not be deceived my beloved brethren. Don't miss that! He is
not talking to unregenerate heathen. Christian, don't be deceived! What is he
referring to?
- He could be referring to the fact that God is
not the source of temptation but that we are it's source. He could be inferring
that we might be deceived about the nature of sin itself.
- Certainly, we can be deceived about the
source as well as the intended outcome! Our sin is never as bad as another
person's sin and it can't yield the same power over us.
- Both of these statements are true and we
would do well to consider ourselves warned. But, I believe we have not yet hit
upon our author's intent.
- Don't be deceived about the nature of God,
who cannot tempt to evil, but does indeed exist for our good! With the Lord, there are only good and perfect
gifts available for His children!
- Think about the word "gift." It is
set apart for you and it is intended to be yours!
- It's good, in line with what is good for you
and it is perfect, complete, satisfying, in line with God's program for your
life!
- It doesn't come from this earth. It can't be
received from another source and it can't be taken.
- It comes down from the Father, the originator
of the lights of the heavens! I think this is wonderful! Remember what we
mentioned earlier regarding the "lure?"
- I can't be sure of what the fishermen used
back in biblical times, but scientists have sought to build better lures for
fishermen today. Listen to their own statement.
˚
"Lures imitate the bait that a
targeted species of fish prey upon. Anglers love lures because they work so
well, but they also help scientists better understand fish feeding behavior.
These days, lures look, smell and even reproduce the sound of live bait.
Abstract lures—like bucktails—show the science behind feeding instincts. Lures
like spoons, however, don’t have an exact resemblance to baitfish, but they
still work well. Why is this? It has to do with something in behavioral science
known as a
fixed-action pattern. Scientific findings show
that fish don’t recognize exact features in the baitfish they feed on. The urge
to attack and bite is triggered by simpler patterns such as color, size, shape
and motion. Lures like spoons that don’t resemble the actual look of a baitfish
work because they reflect light."[i]
: The lure from our own desires reflects light, but the gifts that God intends
for us are light!
- Everything He intends to give you is good and
you can trust Him! With Him, there is no variation or shadow of turning. What
does that mean? Variation refers to change in orbit.
- The metaphor, when it refers to character, is
fickleness. God gives gifts and doesn't quickly change His mind just to suit
your desire.
- He gives them according to His wisdom, when
your character is ready to receive them!
- He won't change and won't He surprise you by
being somewhere where you will not expect Him. He will be where He has always
been. There's not even a hint of his changing direction.
- In this case, whatever you are tempted to
follow, whatever desire you deem greater than your peace with God, cannot be
greater than what He has intended to give to you all along!
- James is reminding them that this has been
the case since their spiritual birth. He didn't wait for them to will
themselves toward Him! He, by His own will, brought them forth by the word of
truth!
- He brought them forth, as one who breeds a
stock of animals, by the preaching of the gospel message that they responded to!
He did that in our lives as well!
- These believers were literally the originals,
the first ones of this new type of creature upon the earth, who were saved by
the gospel of Jesus Christ and were granted God's redemptive goodness!
- If He did that for us, how can He not now
want to furnish a life that reflects that goodness!
• James
1:19,20 : " So then, my beloved
brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not
produce the righteousness of God." : James,
instead of using the popular "therefore," opts for the phrase
"so then," to convey the connection to what has just passed.
- Because God is not the source of our
temptations and because every good and perfect gift comes from Him, we need to
train ourselves to respond differently.
- Notice that he calls each to positive action.
We are to hear, we are to speak and we are express wrath when necesary, but
there is a path to each action.
- Only one path should happen quickly and James
commands them to run with all dispatch to hear. Run toward understanding the
person you are in conflict with. In this case, it's with God!
- What does it take then to understand? It
takes our full attention for as much time as we can allow. It takes a heart
that is seeking to avoid unnecessary conflict and that assumes the best.
- It takes a request for communication and then
for further communication in case there is still offense! How many times have
we become needlessly aggravated by miscommunication?
- I've found that if a person is given enough
time, they will choose the right words that will help them convey their
thoughts and our hearts will find a reason to relent. God is better at that!
- Once understanding has been reached, then and
only then, should you begin to speak, but James tells us, "be slow to get
there!" Don't be in a rush to speak. Think through your words.
- Consider what must be said, when it should be
said and where it should be said!
- Saying the right thing, the wrong way or at
the wrong time could lead to disastrous results! Speaking to another person
about a potential conflict requires great wisdom and patience.
- Think of our brother Job, who when he was
rebuked by God, immediately repented of having spoken against Him! Let us be
careful how we speak with regard to Him in our trial!
- Then, what if there isn't resolve? What if there
isn't agreement? James commands them to listen to him carefully: "Be slow
to wrath!" "Wrath" speaks of a teeming of emotion.
- When a piece of fruit swelled with it's own
juice, a person referred to that as "orge." Be especially careful of
your wrath!
- One might say, "I can listen and there
are times when I have to speak. There are also times to get mad!" These
things are true. One might even argue that God has wrath to expend.
- But there is a great difference between the
wrath of God and the wrath of man!
- God's wrath is in perfect proportion to the
crimes committed against Him and it is always righteous. Our wrath is always
greater than the offense that has caused it and it's never righteous!
- The wrath of man does not produce the
righteousness of God! No matter how justified, no matter how deserved, our
wrath cannot achieve anything godly!
- Do you desire to be godly and to see godly
results? Then, it's our business to avert ourselves from our own wrath. Verse 21.
•
James 1:21 : "Therefore lay aside all filthiness
and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which
is able to save your souls."
On the account of the unproductive
nature of our wrath, we must lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness.
Put away everything that defiles you and the excess of your sinful nature's
depravity.
-
There is a residue that comes along with us into our redeemed life. Make it
your aim to lay it aside! Don't give it room to grow. Don't make provision for
it.
-
Make a concentrated effort to see it decrease in your life. The Biblical
instruction doesn't end there. Whenever there is something to remove, the Bible
always speaks to what must be added!
-
In this case, those that are reading this are to take on a steady diet of God's
Word!
-
The picture that James is painting for us is simple. Weed out the garden, but
don't let the ground lay fallow! Plant something positive that will grow in
that space!
-
It's been said rightly that keeping from the Bible will lead to sin and that
keeping in the Bible will keep from sin! It's true! Receive the word!
-
As much as it is an action to lay aside, there is an equal action in receiving
the word with meekness, with a submissive heart! Both require a great amount of
energy!
-
To remove actions and attitudes from our lives requires painful discipline. To
accept, to take hold of God's Word with a submitted soul requires patient
discipline!
-
The combination of actions leads to the salvation of our souls, ultimately with
regard to heaven, but certainly now as we are sanctified by Him! Verse 22.
•
James 1:22-25 : "But be doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like
a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away,
and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect
law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of
the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." : The word that is implanted in our souls comes as a result of
hearing the word taught and from reading it ourselves. That isn't the purpose.
-
If it stays there, the word will not fulfill it's intention. James makes sure
that they understand this explicitly! Be doers of the word and not hearers
only!
-
To be a "doer" means to express through life the teaching that has
been implanted. The word is related to a poet performing his poetry. "Be a
performer of the word!"
-
In the same way that an artist would find expression through the medium of a
canvas, so also the Christian must let their lives become the medium through
which the world understands the word!
-
Your life is an artistic expression of what it means to be touched by divine
wisdom! This is an area of great concern for me as a Pastor.
-
If you spend a great deal of time hearing the word, but there isn't this
expression of what you have learned lived out in your life, you are a hearer,
but you are deceived about your position!
-
The idea here is vivid. "Deceived" is made up of two words.
Literally, the word means to "account beside." A person who hears the
word takes pride in their intake.
-
But when they are cavalier about expressing what they know to be God's Word,
when they are choosing to ignore or not prioritize obedience, they are adding
things up into a false category.
-
Their action or in this case, lack of action produces a truth that can't be
verified by their accounts. They do not belong to the Lord! This person is
completely confused!
-
He keeps looking in the mirror and sees the flaws that the mirror exposes, yet,
he walks away without dealing with what the mirror revealed!
-
Compare that with the man that continually looks into complete the law of
liberty, God's Word, and then exercises God's commands. That person can't help
but receive the blessing of the Lord!
-
Do you want to be blessed by the Lord? Practice what you know and when you
learn something new, make sure to practice that too! Verse 26.
•
James 1:26,27 : "If anyone among you thinks
he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart,
this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted
from the world." : James proposes a couple of
tests for them to examine themselves by.
-
"So, you say you are religious." You consider or account yourself to
be a "God fearer." That is your opinion and perhaps even how you
designate yourself.
-
If that is your confession, then your tongue will be the first part of your
body to be controlled. How you speak best indicates the condition of your
heart!
-
Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks!" (Matthew 12:33,34) If you think yourself
religious, put a bridle on that tongue!
-
James is the only author to use this word. It speaks of the horses bridle. A
person who fears God will begin by bridling his tongue. If you won't do that,
you're deceived and your claim is bogus!
-
Your have deluded your heart and your claim to be religious is empty! He moves
from speech to service!
-
A true fear of God is to look in upon the Fatherless and the widow in the midst
of their trials.
-
God has always had a heart for the orphan and the widow. Read the book of Deuteronomy from chapter 10 on and
you'll see! God is on the side of the one that is poor and disadvantaged.
-
Don't get caught up on the particular here. Understand the principle. When
James wrote this, these people were at the very bottom of the social ladder.
-
They had no future or hope apart from the charity of those around them. The
eternal principle is the goal of ministering to those that have no power to
return the favor!
-
Do you want to have a religion that God respects? Adopt His heart and look in
on those that He looks in on! And while you are at it, guard yourself from the
world's defilement!
-
Keep yourself from adopting the world's view regarding your life. Position,
justice, fulfillment isn't yours to seize, it's God's to give when He sees it
best for you to receive!
-
Don't let the world's attitudes cloud your judgment or defile your pure trust
in the Lord's character and intention to bless you!
Conclusion
- Temptations
are a part of Christian life. I pray that you hear the Spirit of God speaking
through James this morning.
- What you are
tempted by is fueled by your own desire. Recognize that you and I are the
problem. It's not our society or parentage. It's our hearts that are prone to
wander.
- What you are
tempted toward, in experienced before it's time, will lead to death. There are
no exceptions.
- Run to
understand these things and be careful of how you speak and how your respond,
knowing that your anger will always be counterproductive!
- Get rid of
every alien attitude that clouds your judgment. Submit your heart to the Word,
let your speech be seasoned with salt and let your service be to those that can't
pay you back.
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