James Message 2
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Real Faith That Works
Real Faith That Works
How to win the Battle over Temptations
How to win the Battle over Temptations
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Intro: last week we looked that being tested or tried by God. God will test our faith. These trails help to grow in our faith.
We can have joy during trails.
The testing by God can lead to temptations. Why is God allowing this to happen to me? There is nothing wrong with asking God why.
But if we are not careful temptation can cause us to give up of God. Temptations to give in to sin.
Today we are going to see how we can win the battle over temptations.
Sin is a serious business. I think too many times, Christians do not take sin serious. It ‘s not that bad of a sin. Times have changed.
The magazine “Discipleship Journal” asked its readers to rank the areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them. The results came back in this order:
1. Materialism
2. Pride
3. Self-Centeredness
4. Laziness
5. (tie) Anger and Sexual lust.
You can win the battle over temptations.
REAL FAITH THAT WORKS. If we are going to win the battle against temptation, we have to have a real faith that works.
Don’t be surprised when you are tempted.
Know where temptations come from.
Know the goodness of God.
I. Don’t be Surprised when you are tempted. VS 13
I. Don’t be Surprised when you are tempted. VS 13
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
Let no man be saying when he is being solicited to sin, By God I am being solicited to sin, for God is incapable of being solicited to sin, the source of the solicitations being evils, [such as soliciting man to sin], and He himself solicits no one to sin
The word tempted here is not (tested, tried like in VS 12, VS 2 KJV) its the same word, but in a different context. The context here is tempted to sin.
a. The first thing we must take to handle temptation is to always be ready
If we are going to win the battle against temptation, we can’t be surprised when it hits you.
Notice what James said, “When tempted”, he did say, “If tempted.”
We should never be surprised when temptation shows itself.
We need to understand some things about temptation.
Everyone is tempted. Even Jesus was tempted, and He did not sin.
Some say, if you are living spiritual enough you don’t have to worry about temptations.
Jesus was tempted. Luke 4 HW.
Here is what we do about sin. Blame it on someone or something else.
Family. Friends. The day we live in. Etc......
We even blame God. Why did God make me like this. Temper, lustful heart, anger, life style.
If you want to win the fight of over temptation you can’t blame God.
James say: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”
This is a commandment. There are commandment through out the book of James.
James is saying don’t blame God.
12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Adam didn’t say, yes God it was my fault, I ate even after you said not to.
Adam blames God. “You gave me”
Then Eve blames the serpent.
13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
The easy thing to do when it comes to sin is blame someone else. That is what Eve did.
We can sin without anyone else’s help.
We sin because we are sinner, God can not temp us to sin.
God is Holy. God had no needs. And He dose not tempt anyone to sin.
God will not let people blame Him for their sin. It is God is holy. He hates sin in all of its forms.
Know where temptations comes from. VS 14-16
Know where temptations comes from. VS 14-16
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
First, temptation beings with desire
James tells us that it is “each one is tempted by his own desire”.
This is the beginning of the process that can only be described as a downward spiral toward sin.
The desire to sin is in us all.
It is our own desires. The devil will temp us, but it is our own desires that causes us to give in to temptation.
Desire (craving). I love to eat. I have craving for food. Trying to loss weight, but my desire for food (craving) I give in.
This is what happens with the desire (own desire) to sin.
“Enticed” (lure into sin) Fishing, trying to lure in a fish. Turkey hunting.
Como, decoy, Turkey call.
The devil will put the temptation in front us, the sin entices us, but it comes from our own desires.
The teaching of James has to do with behavior for which we are responsible.
Sin begins with a thought. Then comes the desire.
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life.
Satan planted the thought. He got Eve thinking.
“She saw the the tree was good for food, that is was pleasant to the eyes” Lust of the eyes (desire)
“and a tree desirable to make one wise”
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Then when the aforementioned craving has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and this sin when it is full grown brings forth death.
Sin starts as a desire (thought) it grows, the desire gives birth to sin, sin leads to death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Don’t deceived about sin. Understand where it comes from (own desires) that leads yo to sin.
Don’t be deceived, it leads to death.
The wages of sin is death.
Know the goodness of God. 17-18
Know the goodness of God. 17-18
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
When, not if you are tempted, focus on the goodness of God.
VS 13. No temptations do not come from God.
But VS 17-18 tells us what does come from God. Goodness.
God gives only good gifts. All that is good in our lives comes from God. God is good, and He alone is absolutely good.
Far from being the source of temptation to do evil, God is the Source of all that is good
Praise God for Hi goodness. (Lost clipboard this week)
“Every good gift and every perfect gift His from above”
If we understand God goodness, and what all He does for us, that should help us to no give in to temptations.
“Father of lights” Sun, moon stars.
I think of a Father as a provider.
God provides a way for us to not give in to temptations.
“with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
Shadows change thought out the day. God never changes.
VS 18
The truth of Gods word.
All have sinned. Sin leads to death.
God gave His son so we can have forgiveness for our sins.
Things that will help win the Battle over temptations.
Prayer
Bible study
Being around Gods people
Avoid compromising situations
Look at your own life.
Maybe you have a hard time with temptations because you’ve never been born agian.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.