The Book of James: The Origin of Trials and Temptations

James 1:13–18 KJV 1900

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I. Temptation is not of God. v.13

James 1:13 KJV 1900

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

A. God is never tempted.

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV 1900

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Hebrews 12:14 KJV 1900

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

James 4:1–3 KJV 1900

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Psalm 99:9 KJV 1900

9 Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at his holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy.

Jeremiah 23:6 KJV 1900

6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

B. God tempts no man.

II. Temptation is of man, and his own lust. v.14-16

Matthew 5:28 KJV 1900

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

A. There is lust and enticement.

Mark 4:19 KJV 1900

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Romans 1:26–27 KJV 1900

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

B. There is the conception of lust and the birth of sin.

Colossians 3:5 KJV 1900

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

James 4:1–4 KJV 1900

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

C. There is a result: Death!

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 2:16 KJV 1900

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

III. Temptation is not of the nature of God. V.17-18

A. God is only good.

Deuteronomy 32:4 KJV 1900

4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: For all his ways are judgment: A God of truth and without iniquity, Just and right is he.

Psalm 18:30 KJV 1900

30 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 KJV 1900

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Psalm 25:8 KJV 1900

8 Good and upright is the Lord: Therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

Romans 2:4 KJV 1900

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

B. God gives only good gifts.

Psalm 27:1 KJV 1900

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 84:11 KJV 1900

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Micah 7:8 KJV 1900

8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: When I fall, I shall arise; When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

John 10:28 KJV 1900

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Hebrews 13:18 KJV 1900

18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

C. God wills only to see us born again.

John 1:12–13 KJV 1900

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:3 KJV 1900

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 5:6 KJV 1900

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

Ephesians 4:24 KJV 1900

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:10 KJV 1900

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

1 Peter 1:23 KJV 1900

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.