The Life Cycle of Temptation and Sin
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Intro:
Scripture Intro:
Scripture Reading (“Please stand…”)
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.
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.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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.
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Pray...
Intro:
Intro:
(v. 12)
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.
As we draw from (v. 2-4)...
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds”
“trials” - difficulty, hardship (those are obvious)
From v. 5...
“lack wisdom”
From v. 9...
“low status” in this life.
In v. 12...
the word “trial” shows up again.
And it may seem that v.12 functions as a bookend of this section.
v. 2 opens the section
v. 12 closes it....
and v. 13 goes on to a new topic (temptation and sin).
But that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
B/c in v. 13...
“tempt” is the same word as “trial” (v. 2, 12)
“trial” is the noun form
“tempted” is the verb form
So temptation is yet another form of trials that we face in this life.
The Fatal Attraction of Sin
The Fatal Attraction of Sin
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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.
“lured and enticed”
(v. 16) “don’t be deceived”
Ex. Fishing… on the end of the hook is a “lure”
Tempted by our own desire
“desire”
“hunger or longing”
Usually evil desire as Jesus used it in the Sermon on the Mount
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“impulse, lust, or anxious self-seeking”
It’s not that desire is bad (in and of itself)
Desire becomes an issue when it is out of control.
And over-abundant desire.
Tim Keller
The way sin works, the essence of sin, is not that we want bad things, but we want things so badly, too badly. (Tim Keller)
Summarize Keller:
it’s your overdesires that seduce you.
Sin is more than simply breaking God’s rules.
That allows us to detach our heart from it.
It is us desiring something more than Him.
In a relationship (when someone chases after another love)...
we call that adultery.
So sin is far more than rule breaking.
It is loving somethin else more than God.
Idolatry.
But (v. 13) helps us understand our own denial.
We blame other people for our sin.
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.
“our own desire”
But we want to blame God
Quite honestly, we’ll blame anyone for our sin in order to not have to take responsibility.
Ex. Adam in Genesis 3 when he sinned and did the very thing God said not to do.
The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Eve follows Adam’s lead of putting blame somewhere else than herself.
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Nobody can make you sin.
You sin b/c you want to sin.
Ex. Tim Keller (informed by Jonathan Edwards’ writings)
“Oh, my boss said that if I didn’t lie and falsify that document, I would be fired.”
But what is actually going on?
Your boss didn’t make you lie and falsify.
You desired you job and your security more than truth and righteousness.
You did what you desired the most.
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 Life Cycle of Temptation and Sin
Desire
Conceived - something small, new beginning, hidden
Birth - the hidden becomes seen and known
Fully Grown -
Death
App. Desire - Little kid wants a toy
Conceived - when his brother gets that toy first...
anger, resentment, hatred
Birth - Yell, call him names, hit him,
Fully Grown - shun him, arrange it so that his brother will never get it, manipulate
Death - He learns how to destroy someone else.
He learns how to harm them… murder them in his heart.
Why pick a little kid?
B/c we can see it so easily.
His anger is a problem,
but it is not his biggest problem.
It’s the over-desire for his toy (his desires, his wants, his pleasure, his enjoyment).
App. Anxiety...
What makes us anxious?
When something that we love/desire is threatened.
Will it be taken away?
Will we never get it?
We are riddled with anxiety b/c we value that desire too much.
It’s as if we can’t live without it.
“I can’t lose that.”
For God’s people,
what in your life has such a hold on you that grips you with fear?
Conceives, birth, fully grown, death.
What do we do with this?
Run to Jesus
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus - sinless
Sacrificial death
Pleading before the Father for us...
understands temptation.
Resisted sin.
ILL. CS Lewis
Power of temptation as you endure.
We - “give up at the 5th minute”
He - endured for all time.
The Gift of the Unchanging God
The Gift of the Unchanging God
(Timer: How much time left?)
This passage is full of contrasts.
The process of spiritual death contrast with that of life.
Sin brings death, God gives life.
God is not the author of temptation, or of anything evil.
He is, rather, one who gives good gifts to his people.
Temptation - appears like a gift.
"don't be deceived"...
“Do not be deceived (lured) by temptation.”
Everything good come from above
Contrast of “bring forth”
(v. 16) Our desire and sin “brings forth death”
(v. 18) God… “brought us forth”
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Our work...
gives birth to death.
God’s work...
gives life.
How does God give life?
“by the word of truth”
His word is powerful and effective.
His word brings eternal life.
His word brings his power into our lives.
Have you come to the place where you have surrendered to the word of God?
Can’t find life on your own.
Sin - I have chased after other loves
Faith - I bow before you, God.
Forgive my sin (my idolatry).
I look to the cross of Jesus to pay the penalty for my sin.
His death for what I deserve.
Give me life (eternal life).
But it is also the way to live as a believer.
“by the word of truth”
Rather what you may be deceived to chase after.
(v. 16) “Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers...”
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.
God gives good gifts.
But we think he’s holding out on us.
We think there is better options out there.
We think there is something beyond him.
Everything we are looking for...
“is from above”
“good and perfect gifts”
“from the Father of lights”
God… the creator of everything (sun, moon, stars, light itself)
Do we think he’s unable to give us good things?
“no variation or shadow due to change”
He is who he says he is.
He never changes.
In terms of temptation,
it is always changing and shifting.
It promises one thing,
and delivers something else.
It looks good,
but it actually destroys us.
The Proverbs powerfully depicts this...
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
Temptation shifts and changes.
God will never change.
From v. 2-4,
we learn that trials (“temptations”) produce
“testing of your faith produces steadfastness”
“let steadfastness have its full effect,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
“remain steadfast”
“stood the test”
“remain steadfast” - endure, persevere
“courageous endurance”
“to stay alive” (in some contexts)
One author noted about the steadfastness of believers in the Bible...
“Over against a hostile world, they wait confidently for the fulfilment of the kingdom and their own salvation.” (Gerhard Kittel)
There is more to this life than getting out of the trial I am facing...
There is more to this life than chasing after the temptation that is right in front of me.
Am I willing to stand firm (hold on, endure)?
Ex. James later uses the life of Job to help us understand “steadfastness”
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Why endure?
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.
“firstfruits of his creation”
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
This is the good news.
This is the new creation.
Close in Prayer
Close in Prayer
Closing Song:
Closing Song:
“God Be Merciful to Me”
The reality of our sin...
Yet, the grace of our Savior and Lord.
“Wash me, make me pure with—in;
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.”
“From my sins O hide Thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.”
“Thy salvation’s joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.”
Benediction:
Benediction:
Romans 8:1...
There is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.
