Untitled Sermon

3. The Solution To Temptations (v.17-18)

We need to be in a closer relationship with God. (v.17)Instead of falling into temptation and instead of thinking that God is the tempter, we need to have a right perspective of the God of the Bible.God does not give us temptation. Sin and temptation are not gifts from above. Rather, the gift is referring to the wisdom that comes from above. When you are facing temptation, you can always go back to verse 5 and ask God for wisdom…because wisdom is the gift from above.

​ ESVBut the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

James is reminding the Jewish Christians that God grants wisdom to His people to discern the will of God in the midsts of trials, and even in the midsts of being tempted by our own desire. We need God’s wisdom, not our own wisdom and desires. And there are two truths that we can learn about God:First, God is the Father of lights. The word lights simply means heavenly lights. It means that God is the creator of the starry universe, such as the sun, moon, and stars. Second, with God, there is no variation or shadow due to change. James is making a point here in comparison to the universe that God created. Just as the starry universe is constantly moving, God does not move or change like the sun, moon, and stars do. The point is that God does tests and refines us through trials, but God never switches from doing good to doing evil. He never changes from being Holy to unholy. Again, God has the single intention to give wisdom to His children when we ask Him in faith. Our God never changes, and He will give generously. We need to be close to Him. We need to know Him better Never forget that you can always come to God as the solution to temptations. We need to avoid blaming God for the temptation that we experience in our daily lives. We need remember how God saved us (v.18)How did God save you? There are four lessons from this verse:1. God saved you by His own will. Salvation is not accomplished ultimately by your choice, but salvation is God’s choice. You did not save yourself; it’s God who saves you. 2. God saved you by giving you a new birth.James uses the phrase “he brought us forth.” That phrase carries the idea of the new birth. The concept of the new birth is found .The new birth means that a person experiences spiritual transformation only and solely by the work of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual transformation brings the person from being spiritually dead to becoming spiritually alive.3. God saved you by the word of truth - the gospel.How God gives you is through the word of truth, the message of the gospel.

​ ESVFor I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

4. God saved you to be His new creation. Since God gave you a new birth through the gospel by His own will, you are firstfruit of his creatures. You are His new creation. There is no reason why one of God’s new creation has to yield to temptation. He must learn to resist its deadly force, or he can never grow into the spiritual maturity God desires of His children of light.