Do Not Be Deceived!
Sanctified Faith: How trials mature our faith in Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 32:54
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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.
Three important lessons about desire...
First lesson… is about where are desires should be.
#1
Desiring God Leads to Life
Desiring God Leads to Life
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.
“Blessed is the man....”
Happy or Complete - Not just a man, but a person.
“… who remains steadfast under trial”
The word for steadfast literally means to stand in place. But hyper stand in place. Teeth clenched, fists firm, back tense, feet in place. “I’m not moving!”
They have kept their faith and confidence in God during the trial.
They have even resisted the allurement to forsake God and seek out idols like instant gratification.
They haven’t trusted in themselves or trusted in their possessions for deliverance.
“…for when he/she has stood the test...”
Remember, the idea of testing isn’t like an exam or school test.
It’s when a precious metal is refined by intense heat so that the impurities will rise to the top and get sifted away.
This person has been refined by fire. The impurities have been seared away by the refining fire of a trial.
“… for when he/she has stood the test he will receive the crown of life...”
You may think a kings crown with jewels, but James has in mind a wreath like crown made up of vines and flowers that were given to athletes who would win races or olympic games.
This is to give us a picture of God rewarding us for finishing the race of faith.
This a reward of faithfulness and endurance. A reward for perseverance.
“… for when he/she has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”
Notice how James says “for those who love Him/God”.
James is speaking of those who have a desire and attraction towards God.
Those who see God as the apple of their eye. The Jewel worth forsaking all for.
So, those who love God are those who remain steadfast under trial.
James is essentially telling us that perseverance through trials and resisting temptation is possible for those who’s gaze is set on God. Who’s desire is for God.
God is their most precious valued thing. He is the one their hearts are set on.
There is an important principle found here…
The possibility to resist temptation is built upon a desire for God that outweighs all other desires.
Simplified: The love of God leads us to not sin against God.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Remember, this isn’t saying “those who love God will never sin and live perfectly”.
It’s saying those who love God have in them the desire to resist temptation and live a life fighting sin.
Jesus and James are talking about the heart’s desire of a person.
This idea is going to make more sense in a few minutes, but before we examine it further, let’s look at our second lesson about desire. This pertains to God’s desires...
#2
God Doesn’t Desire Temptation
God Doesn’t Desire Temptation
For us, or for what they would offer him. Which means we cannot blame Him when we experience it!
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.
“…when he is tempted...”
Temptations are inevitable
In James 1:2 told us that trials are inevitable, and now, James 1:13 tells us that temptations are also inevitable.
Trials bring temptation
When a loved one is ill and dying -
You may be tempted to think God doesn’t love you or them. And that He is evil for allowing pain.
When financial stress is high -
You may be tempted to think that God isn’t going to provide for you and you better start scheming to survive.
When your child rebells and makes sinful choices -
You may be tempted to lose hope that God is working or will work in them for their good.
You may even want to blame outside forces for what your child has done forgetting that the capacity for evil is even found inside of you.
When you struggle to pay your bills and see corrupt people prospering -
You may be tempted to think God isn’t just and you would be better off compromising your convictions.
When persecution comes because of you confession in Christ -
You may be tempted to think the gospel isn’t worth the pain that believing it may bring.
Because we know that trials can intensify temptation, it’s natural, after knowing that God ordains trials, to conclude that God must also be tempting us. But, James is saying that is not really what is happening.
The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Sin and Temptation
The teaching here is God tests us, but he never tempts us.
God may have ordained the trial to come - But he is not the source of the temptation that came with it.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James E. While God Tests His People, He Never Tempts Them to Sin (1:13–18)
But while God may test or prove his servants in order to strengthen their faith, he never seeks to induce sin and destroy their faith
Blame is accusing - rather than taking responsibility for what we do or even have the capacity to do, we accuse God of being cruel.
Blaming and accusing God is an ancient evil...
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 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.”
If God isn’t to blame for temptations, then who is???
James is going to show us that our deceitful desires are to blame for temptation...
Which brings me to our last lesson… pertaining to our deceitful desires.
#3
Our Deceitful Desires Are Deadly
Our Deceitful Desires Are Deadly
This essentially shows us that the life of a christian is a life fighting off sinful desires that wage war against our desire to obey God.
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.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”
James is using language associated with sexual lusts.
Desire here is meant to be though of as “over-desire” This is the word “epithyma
The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Sin and Temptation
The essence of sin, an epithymia, means literally an “overdesire,” like an epicenter. It’s the ultimate center, the intensity.
The way sin works is not that we want bad things. That’s what’s kind of misleading about this translation. The way sin works, the essence of sin, is not that we want bad things, but we want things so badly, too badly
When we over desire things that are not God and that desire meets the temptation, James says, Sin is conceived and born into reality. “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin...”
Our “over-desires” deceive us into thinking that they are better than God. But, it’s not the things that we desire that are to blame. Some people blame things they desire and then just seek to rid themselves completely of those things thinking they will eliminate the problem of desire.
Colossians 2:21-23
“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James E. While God Tests His People, He Never Tempts Them to Sin (1:13–18)
The most we can say is that James, like other Jewish and Christian authors, wants to place the responsibility for temptation and sin squarely on the shoulders of each human being.
So, we are responsible for our sin because we desire things more than we desire God. But look where sin ends up taking us.
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Sin, when it reaches its ultimate form brings forth death.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
Death is the natural result of sin because sin is the antithesis of the Holiness of God. The holiness of God rightly affirms that God is the most precious and valuable being or thing in all of existence. To crave anything more than Him is lunacy and wickedness of the highest caliber. If God is the source of life and joy and peace, it only makes sense that sin’s result is the antithesis of those things. Death.
Listen to this illustration by Adrian Rogers...
Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive D. Completion
I heard of a man walking down a street one time. He had a basket on his arm, and in that basket were some beans. And, he was just throwing those pods of beans on the ground, and behind him were some pigs who were following along, eating those beans. Someone said to the man—said, “That’s a strange way to feed those pigs. Why don’t you feed them some other way?” He said, “I’m not feeding them.” He said, “I’m taking them to the slaughterhouse.” And, here they are just gobbling up those beans. Why, friend, the devil has a basket of beans, and we say, “Hey, that looks good. I like that. I enjoy that.” But, you see, “the wages of sin is death.”
So what!!??
Our misplaced desires are what lead us to death…
Sin fully grown gives birth to death.
But properly placed desires lead to life...
God has promised a crown of life to those who love Him.
This begs the question… How can I reshape my desires?
Do I just say no?
Because of the Gospel and God’s Spirit coming to you upon the moment of your conversion, you do have the capacity to desire and fight sin now. But, we don’t fight sin we a bee bee gun or a water gun. We need a nuke.
Just focusing on saying no will be like fighting sin with a toy guy.
Listen to this quote from an old Scottish Preacher, Thomas Chambers...
The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Sin and Temptation
“The only way to break the hold of a beautiful object on the soul is to show it an object even more beautiful.
In order to fight deceitful desires, you have to replace them by putting yourself in front of something that is infinitely worthy of captivating your heart…
You need to nuke it over and over with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So let me give you nuke.
Do you remember verse 12 - It says
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.
It says blessed is the person who “hyper-stands” during trial. are call is to hyper-stand during trials.
There is another place in the scriptures where this word, hyper-stand is used. It’s in the book of Hebrews.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
This is telling us to look at Jesus, who endured the cross. The cross is the place where he died for our sin.
But, that word “endured” is the same word as “steadfast” in the greek. It’s literally saying, Jesus, “hyper-stood” on the cross. What an amazing and beautiful act of love and kindness Jesus has done for us.
Our call is to “hyper-stand” in the one who “hyper-stood” for us at the cross.
I think Tim Keller puts it better than me...
The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Benefits of Facing Trouble
Do you know how you know that Jesus loves you and will always love you? Because you know that he hyperstood against all of hell. God dropped an atom bomb on Jesus, and now you know there’s nothing you can do to get rid of him
This picture of Jesus, is the beauty that can overcome your deceitful desires. Look to Jesus.