Tempted by God?

Introduction

Well, good evening and welcome back!

And to all of those watching online, welcome to you as well.

This evening, if you will turn in your Bibles back to James 1.

Tonight we are going to pick up where we left off last week in our “Evening with James” series.

And if you recall, last week we discussed trials and temptations and how we can find the joy or the peace of God, even in the midst of these trials and temptations.

We left off really looking at and discussing how we really need to be firmly rooted in God and have an unwavering trust in God in order to endure and make it through all that life is going to throw at us.

In face we ended with these verses . . .

James 1:6–8 NIV - Anglicised

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

And that is not who we want to be.

We don’t want to be double-minded or unstable.

We don’t want to be tossed back and forth like the waves.

So, we have to have a resolve that we are going to trust in God for all things regardless.

No half in and half out life will cut it.

We are either all in or all out.

And James now uses this to sort of springboard us into another issue that causes us to waver and fall.

And that being money.

Not money itself, but the love of money.

Starting in verse 9, James goes on to state . . .

James 1:9–11 NIV - Anglicised

The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

And so, here he is contrasting the rich vs the “humble” or what I would call just ordinary folk.

And what he is really getting at is that the “humble” are far better off than the rich.

This is because the “humble” don’t have this false sense of security and hope that the rich place in their money and power, which can cause a great number of problems.

Because what happens when trials and tribulations come, the “humble” turn to God but for the rich, they many times, turn to their own selves and their own money in an attempt to solve their problems.

They have become so self-sufficient and self-indulgent that they don’t even consider that there are problems and issues that they cannot solve.

And the example that James is going to use is, none other than death itself.

Many of the rich think that if they throw enough money at it, they can defeat death itself.

And we see this still going on today.

People will do whatever they can to try and out buy death, when in reality all they can do is give their life to God and trust Him for all things.

So this is why James says . . .

James 1:11 NIV - Anglicised

For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

And this is true for us all.

This life will fade away, but what is really important is whether or not our soul will fade away.

So, James concludes this point by saying . . .

James 1:12 NIV - Anglicised

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Again, withstanding the trials, clinging to God, trusting fully in God.

Which brings us to the next point that James is going to make and where we pick up tonight.

Starting in verse 13, James says this . . .

Scripture Focus

James 1:13–18 NIV - Anglicised

When tempted, no-one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Tempted by God?

Now, like I said we see James switching gears here a bit moving from trials to temptations.

And I believe he put both subjects together because many times we confuse trials with temptations.

However, there are differences and they are significant differences.

Trials are those things that we face just in the normal course of life.

Everyday there is a new trial or new challenge that will arise that we must respond to.

And depending on our response, we are either successful in dealing with the trial or we are not.

However, temptations are things that we either develop based on our own flesh and our own desires or something that Satan dangles in front of us like a carrot that we choose either to give into or not.

Now, depending on how we respond to a temptation, it can lead to trials but the two are very different.

But the problem is we have a tendency to blame God for both trials and temptations, neither of which He is responsible for.

But this is why in verse 13, James says . . .

James 1:13 NIV - Anglicised

When tempted, no-one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

Just flat out, not really leaving any room for debate, James point blank says—it ain’t God’s fault.

And if it ain’t God’s fault, then who’s fault is it?

Well, like I said, thee are two possibilities.

Either we are being tempted by own own fleshly desires, or Satan is dangling the carrot in front of us.

But it is never God.

And the reason for this is because temptation is bread from sin—either the sin of the world that influences our flesh, or the sin that is dangled in front of us by Satan.

And God is not responsible for sin, we are.

And again, like we have said before, the natural consequences of our sin is what we have going on in the world today.

But we cannot blame God for it.

So, James goes on . . .

James 1:14 NIV - Anglicised

but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

And there it is.

James’ explanation.

Our own evil desires, drag us away and entice us.

But where do they drag us away from?

God.

What do they entice us to do?

Sin.

And that is where the power of the Holy Spirit is meant to come into play.

That is where we are supposed to be turning to the Holy Spirit and allowing the Spirit to guide and direct us.

That is where we call upon the power of the Spirit to not only help us to endure the temptation—but to OVERCOME it.

We invoke the power of God over the power of the flesh.

The war that wages inside of us that Paul talks about.

We can win the war, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

And the problem is, we try to fight our battles alone.

We try to go to war with the flesh and with Satan, under our own power, using our own weapons and not God.

And because of it, we are handily defeated.

We are frustrated and overwhelmed.

And we begin to lose hope and eventually many give up and go completely away from God.

And this is the process that James lays out for us in the following verses.

Look at what he says, again starting in verse 14 . . .

He says this . . .

James 1:14–15 NIV - Anglicised

but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

So, here the process:

We are tempted.

We are dragged away and enticed by that temptation.

That temptation turns into a fleshy desire, which we stew and ruminate on.

Then eventually we give in to that desire, which turns into sin.

And that sin pulls us further and further away from God.

And eventually, comes death—not necessarily physical death immediately, but rather spiritual death, which, if not rectified before we physically die, turns into eternal separation from God.

And it all started with our unwillingness to yield to the Holy Spirit.

Our attitude that we’ve “got this” and that we don’t need any of God’s help with anything.

Our feeble attempts to fight on our own without the Holy Spirit.

And our defeat because of it.

You see, sin is subtle—it sneaks up on you.

It slowly drags you away from God, first with just a fleeting thought.

Then dwelling on that thought.

Then acting on that thought—at first with the attitude of “I’m not hurting anybody, I’m just doing my own thing.”

But it corrupts our minds and leads us further and further down the path to Hell.

All the time Satan whispering in our ears, “it’s not so bad…it’ll be fun…God can’t tell you what to do....”

Sound familiar?

James warns us though . . .

James 1:16 NIV - Anglicised

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.

We must be careful as to not be deceived by the lies of Satan.

We need to stand our ground and stand firm.

And we need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit and listen to the Holy Spirit.

Because sometimes sin is disguised in such a way that it is so enticing.

It is disguised as the “acceptable” way of the world.

But know this . . .

James 1:17–18 NIV - Anglicised

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

In other words, God is constant.

The ways of the world change and shift as the times change and shift.

What is accepted today will be rejected tomorrow.

However, the promises and the gifts of God are eternal and non-changing.

They are constant.

And we can discern them, if we are in tune with God.

If we are under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.

If and only if those things are taking place.

Altar/Challenge

And tonight’s challenge is a simple one.

Are we willing to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit?

Are we willing to fall under the power and control of God?

Are we willing to go into battle with God and the Holy Spirit?

Or are we going to keep doing it all on our own?

Refusing to yield to God.

That’s what is before us tonight and that’s what we need to pray out.

So, tonight, what will it be, God or the world?

God or the flesh?

God or Satan?

Let’s pray . . .