Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Trials are to be considered JOY instead of hardships or punishments because of the positive effects produced: spiritual maturity, lacking nothing.
The end of this is the Crown of Life (reminder of the promise).
Wisdom of God in overcoming trials, proper trust in God which is complete trust in God / Perspectives on economic circumstances… boasting fixed on reliance on God...
Now Returns to Trials and endurance; flips the theme around to examine the underbelly.
[Tests (vs.
2,3) are opportunities for obedience;
temptations (13,14) are opportunities for sin.]
God does not tempt so as to destroy, but He does test so as to strengthen.
[peirazo] = trial --- test meant to strengthen.
James here says that God allows trials in life to grow our trust in him.
However tragic they may be, the paths we travel to get through them, by God’s Wisdom, brings us to a closer relationship with Him and makes us more useful to HIm.
Cancer diagnosis.
Lost job.
Death of a loved one.
Failed relationships.
Disappointment.
Persecution.
These are trials we must all face if we are to spiritually mature, and they can generally be described as external to us; things that happen that are beyond our control.
And The promise of the Crown of Life compels us to endure.
Now, contrast that with:
[peirazo] = tempt — so as to destroy.
The nature of temptation, however, is internal.
What is at stake with temptation is our decision to give in to evil… and that is something completely under our control.
James says, “let no one say that God would tempt you to give in to evil.”
That is simply and completely outside of God’s nature.
He has no part in evil; he has no association with it.
[reminds me of Paul’s use of the term “me genoitio” May it never be.
Don’t even let the thought of that possibility enter your thoughts.]
James addresses this, it seems, because of a long history of blaming God for our failures.
Genesis
Woman’s fault or God’s?
Blaming God for our moral temptations was not new in James’ day and it is certainly not new today.
Leaves us with the question of where our temptations to do evil things comes from?...
It seems natural then to blame Satan: “The devil made me do it.”
But James makes clear here that we bring this on ourselves because of our own sinful desires and our own bad decisions.
What of an alcoholic who needs to make change for a $20 and decides to walk into a liquor store to do it?
In the Bible 3 things counter God: Satan is an enemy of God, the World is hostile to God; The fleshy desires of man are opposed to God.
But James makes clear here that we bring at least some of this on ourselves because of our own desires and our own bad bad decisions.
What of an alcoholic who decides to walk into a liquor store to get change for a $20?
We often talk about sin as a thing, an event in our lives that happens… James, though, describes Sin as a process.
Thats what verses 14 and 15 show us.
understanding how the process of sin develops and proceeds gives us a lot of hope to combat it effectively.
He shows us our opportunities for escape.
Very serious.
That process starts with our own evil desires / lusts / craving / covetousness.
[epithymia]
For example, “I know this thing… whatever it is… isn’t right, but I really want it.
After all, God wants me to be happy.
Why would he give me this desire if he wasn’t okay with it?”
Paul alludes to this in .
His knowledge of God’s holy and righteous Law didn’t stop this covetousness; in fact, knowing the Law magnified it.
[Wet Paint.
Do not touch.]
[Stay off of the Grass!]
[epithymia]
James says that we are lured by our lusts.
We are dragged off by our evil desires… We think about it and we’re transfixed by it.
I know there are several fishermen here.
What is the purpose of a lure?
I know there are several fishermen here.
What is the purpose of a lure?
This is the point of Paul’s exhortation in ; the first imperative/command in Romans.
Romans 6:12-14
Desires of the flesh are the first battleground in our war against sin.
Temptations of course cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair.
What happens if we lose that battle?
What if we allow ourselves to be dragged away?
For example, “I know this thing… whatever it is… isn’t right, but I really want this.
After all, God wants me to be happy.
Why would he give me this desire if he wasn’t okay with it?”
ABC [antecedent (desire)/behavior (sin)/consequence (repentance or matured unto death)]
[B] Bouncing baby sin.
No longer is the battle with desire, it is now also with fleshly desire’s offspring: sin.
A second front in the battle is opened.
The second battle is this: what do we do with this sin?
Care for it, nurture it?
Allow it to grow in strength?
Encourage it’s maturity and its and completeness?
If that’s the case, there is one outcome from that: death.
The consequence of sin is death.
And James is speaking of our death.
3 ways the bible speaks of death: physical / spiritual / eternal.
And
Sin, allowed to mature, will take God’s place in our lives.
It will destroy our relationship with God; it will subvert our faith and trust in God.
Sin may well lead to physical death, but James’ emphatic warning here speaks of spiritual death, placing us outside of Christ and outside of the promises of life to those “in Christ.”
And if we should give in to our desires and sin as a result, what then?
We should repent, turning away from what we’ve done instead of continuing down that path.
But the important thing to recognize is that the battle is won or lost when we choose how to respond to the call of our desires.
The realization that I, not God, am the one to blame for giving in to moral temptation eliminates any possibility of claiming to be a victim of something beyond my control.
Remember Adam tried blaming his sinful decision on the woman God had given him.
The crux of the battle against temptation is to accept that it all originates with our sinful desires.
Repentance means placing God back in his rightful spot as number 1 in our lives.
Point to make regarding:
God may bring tests into our lives that build our faith, but we can be assured that he will never tempt us with evil.
It turns out we don’t really need any help in that area; our sinful desires do a pretty good job by themselves.
Point to make:
A strong figure of speech; indicates that what follows is a really important point to make.
That point is this: God gives Good things; NOT temptations.
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