James 1:12-18

Series

++ Wonder Woman. // Ares is behind all war and evil and people would be good if Ares was gone. 

“I used to want to save the world… [realized that all people have a struggle w/in themselves]

A choice each one Must make for themselves. Something No hero will ever defeat. 

Something No hero will ever defeat. 

“Now I know, that only love can truly save the world” 

++ Ever noticed how we blame others and shift responsibility easily.

If someone else is late for a mtg, we say “their irresponsible.” If we are late, we say “I had a very busy day, doing alot. I’m productive not irresponsible.

Someone else doesn’t smile warmly “they are cold” but when we don’t we are just “tired.”

We aren’t quick to anger in traffic or with our kids, we are just exhausted after the day.

We aren’t gossipping, we are venting.

We aren’t bitter and self-focused, we are hurt.

We aren’t critical and judgemental, we are observant, or have a strong sense of justice.

What does it look like to take responsibility for our issues and recognize our own lack?

(ESV)

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.

We face trials and tests but when we stand firm in God and trust him then we will receive the crown of life.

James has been talking about trials and now he talks about temptation. Here is the thing, it is the same Greek word: test, trials, temptation. One has an external nuance and focus and now moves to an internal focus. Temptation is coming from within.

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.

God will test us. He allows trials to occur. His desire is to shape us through the trials to lead us to life. But God DOESN’T tempt with evil, he does not lead us to death.

James knows that people will blame God. Adam blamed Eve (). We are mad (God didn’t heal my relatives sickness). We get bitter (God didn’t give me that job, that promotion, a spouse).

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

James makes it clear, temptation occurs because of our dark desires. We sin because we want to sin.

We aren’t victims, we are responsible. This is a part of our humanity. To say “I couldn’t help it.” “It’s God’s fault” - to remove the responsibility is to remove humanity and be like an animal, a machine. I was forced.

logos image of magnet.

logos image

Our dark, deformed desires lure us, they seduce us and drag us away.

“The devil made me do it!” Certainly, devil is at work but James is emphasizing human responsibility.

If our boss tells you to lie to a client and we do it. We can say “the boss made me do it.” But that’s not taking responsibility. We chose to. We had a desire for job security, a desire to not upset, a desire to be liked that was bigger then our desire to tell the truth.

Big Idea: We Wreck. Jesus Rescues

15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

See the flow: seduction + conception. Desires tempt and seduce, then when given into they conceive sin. Sin grows up and leads to death.

“Desire” can also be translated lust. It is wanting something w/ passion. Lust isn’t necessarily wanting something bad, it is wanting something badly. Lusting after money, security, a spouse, a child, the weekend. Desire is a lusting, an overdesire. James is a Jew and he knows the OT scriptures where rebellion against God isn’t just about breaking rules, it is about committing spiritual adultery. It is desiring another instead of God.

desires tempt and seduce, then when given into they conceive sin.

Contrast w/ verse 12 where God wants to give his people the crown of life but some of us are choosing death. Big Idea

Note temptation isn’t sin. We will face temptation by desires. It is when we nurture that desire and make-out w/ it that sin is born.

Need for God.

Diagram: curve (we must go downward to death, then thru trust/cross have new birth, then mature to the crown).

SIN

Sin is the recognition that the world is not as should it be. How do we explain that? If we remove God then where does our sense or morality, of justice and injustice come from?

Sin means to miss the mark. What mark? Not about rules but relationship. The first commandment “have no other gods before me.” Sin is about displacing God from his right place and that disrupts our relationship with him. It disrupts where we look to for identity. Big Idea

Sin then, is seeking to define and create a sense of self based on something/one other than God.

Augustine, hundreds of years ago recognized that we need a re-ordering of our loves.

Augustine, hundreds of years ago recognized that we need a re-ordering of our loves.

++ Atypical. Netflix show of a family and the main character is an Autistic teenager. At one point, his mom has an affair w/ a bartender. This is sin, but is about primarily about her breaking a rule of marriage? No, a desire, a craving was nurtured in a time of temptation and sin was born. Guilt plagues her and haunts her. Death is born. Why did she do it, she was trying to find something for herself. Her life was wrapped around family and she, her sense of identity, got lost - she went looking. The character is a picture of the desire to find oneself, to discover significance, purpose, happiness…apart from God. //James

Rocky: his girlfriend asks him why it is so important to "go the distance." He answers "Then I'll know I'm not a bum."

Rocky:

In chariots of fire, one the runners for the 100 yard dash works so hard. He says when the race starts "I have ten lonely seconds to justify my existence."

ers for the 100 yard dash works so hard. He says when the race starts "I have ten lonely seconds to justify my existence."

We all live for something, for someone. We do. The top things in our lives give us a sense of identity, significance and security. It becomes our love and lord. We miss the mark.

Augustine, hundreds of years ago recognized that we need a re-ordering of our loves.

Sin is displacing God and trying to find identity which relates to our purpose apart from him. We put other loves first: our managed comfort, our spouse, sex, career, the weekend, kids, security, dream vacation, position.

We take something that isn’t necessarily bad, but we want it too badly. We make a good thing an ultimate thing and create a functional god that we have put before God.

God calls us to recognize our sin. Our desires, our overdesires, wrong focused desires dragged us and seduced us to sin. It’s us.

If we want to know God, know freedom, know change, we must take responsibility for our actions and recognize our lack. /// We Wreck. Jesus Rescues

Our Responsibility.

God rescues but we get to mature, we get to participate.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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.

Contrast. God is not bringing temptation and death. He gives good gifts.

James uses astronomy imagery. “Father of lights.” No variation or shadow. The stars come and go, the moon moves, there are shadows. But he is clarifying, God doesn’t change. The night may turn to day, the light may turn to night, the sun may rise and set. But God is light and he never changes, no shadows, no shifting.

the gifts change, they are like the moon, they reflect light but aren’t light themselves and the light reflected shifts. But God is light. A lover, a song, a house on the beach, a view, a sunset, a hike - it draws us in to something supernatural, a deep yearning. It’s a gift. But it is light reflecting. Get married, build the house, retire, get the job, scale the mountain, buy the album…it fades. It’s a taste without fulfilling the hunger.

Need for God.

2. Motivation for God.

Good gifts and ultimately the gift of himself, eternal life, the crown of life ()

all the good gifts point us to the Giver.

Repent - change directions and focus. Seek the Giver. Let the gifts lead us to Him.

Take responsibility and allow new motivation to change the way we live.

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.

We are the first of his creation. New creation. Through the word of truth (the good news of Jesus, who is the true Word). God creates physically by his word and he creates us spiritually w/ his word. Spiritual rebirth.

Diagram (post cross). We start at the start, a spiritual baby. // humbling // babies are cute but we want them to grow up // +++ smashing head at grocery store, at 2 you can chuckle later, at 8 you see a counsellor /// God offers rebirth // He changes us = power.

3. Power to follow God.

GOSPEL - This is Us. Perfect Husband.

Diagram (post cross). We start at the start, a baby.

GOSPEL - This is Us. Perfect Husband.

“firstfruits” term speaks to more harvest to follow. More to come. What God does in the lives of his people, he is going to do with all creation. He is going to make all things new! Hope. Sin will be dealt with.

Recap:

Need for God.

2. Motivation for God.

3. Power to follow God.

Our desires need to change, we all sin, we doubt and we have our loves messed up.

Motivation = God. Father of Lights. Crown of life (v.12). If there is no God, why morality? what is “good”? If its true, then it is worth everything, every test, it is worth enduring to the end. The Father of lights is going to bring a new day!

Our desires need to change, we all sin, we doubt and we have our loves messed up.

We all see the dark. We see it as plain as day.

We see the dark, in the manipulation of a two year old who shows that we aren’t just good.

We see it in the words we say, in the judgemental thoughts that surprise us, the selfishness that grows so steadily from the soil of souls.

Desires so dark you can’t see the path ahead,