Temptation

James: A Faith that Works  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 views

Temptation is the beginning of the sin process, but self control in the midst of temptation though good is not enough. Saying no to temptation while also saying yes to the new life God wants to give us will keep us from sin.

Notes
Transcript

Intro

If you are just joining us, we are in part 2 of our series on the Book of James: A Faith that Works.
Last week we started this series looking at the reality of the trials, tribulation, and even suffering that we will endure in this life.
In fact, it is through these trials that our faith is tested and allowed to grow. Without them, our faith would be weak and disingenuous; a counterfeit if you will.
But remember, James was not writing about this from a hypothetical, rather he was writing to Christians who had be scattered due to a great persecution that had broken out in Jerusalem.
These people were suffering, and he is trying to get them to understand that this is normal. In fact, as followers of Jesus we should expect trials and tribulations.
And he says that if you endure you will receive the crown of life. However when he says this he mentions something else when he talks about testing.
James 1:12 NLT 12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
He mentions temptation. Now, this is not something we have talked about yet. Trials, testing, suffering, yes. But temptation, well that is something different altogether.

Power in the Text

Let’s see what James says next about temptation.
James 1:13-15 NLT 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
James is saying listen, not only are you going to have to endure testing, but you also have to overcome temptation. But there is a key difference between the two.
While testing does come from God, temptation never does.
Have you ever heard someone say, “the devil made me do it”? Well there were some among James’ audience who were starting to blame God for the temptation they were facing and James is very clear here. Temptation never comes from God.
God cannot be tempted and therefore God never tempts.
It is beyond his character to do so.
It would be like a personal trainer tempting you to eat unhealthy foods. It wouldn’t make sense for them to do that, especially if their employment hinges on the results.
Coworkers, friends, and family may tempt us to eat bad. But the personal trainer never would, it would be outside of their character to do it.
Instead James says that the temptation they are facing does not have its origins in God, but in themselves.
We don’t like that. We don’t want to acknowledge that temptation and evil desires come from within, we want to blame them on everybody else. We don’t want to take responsibility, we would rather be the victim.
But James is saying, STOP! You are not a victim, your temptations are not from God and they are not forced on your by some outside force, they are coming from with in the evil and wickedness that already exists within your own hearts.
He is saying that our own evil desires within entice or lure us away like a fish chasing after bait.
But we have a choice. He says when these desires or temptations come, we can either resist them and persevere and receive that crown of life.
Or, we can give in and verse 15 says that when we do, the temptation gives birth or conceives sin. And if that sin goes unchecked, it will grow and increase in frequency and severity until it eventually gives birth to death
James is using this language to paint this really terrible picture of giving birth to a stillborn child.
He says that when temptation, which is not in of itself sin, is given into then this conception takes place, and like a child, sin is birthed in the womb.
And like a baby it grows and develops and matures. And we look at our temptation and we give in to it because we think it will make us happy and we think it will bring us joy.
We think it will bring us satisfaction and meaning and all the good things we want in life. Only to find that when it is born it is like a stillborn baby. And all that anticipation and joy that you thought the sin was going to bring you, leaves you broken and depressed because rather than joy, it brought you death.
It really of horrible picture James is painting, but a necessary one.
And this death that it brings you is used to describe the soul leaving the body, but here it illustrates a soul that is cut off and separated from God.
And nobody wants to hear this. This isn’t uplifting. This doesn’t leave me feeling too good inside. Listen, I want you to be uplifted. I want you to experience joy in the Lord. I want you to be blessed. But what is more important than all of those things is that I leave you with the truth.
And the truth says that as a follower of Jesus, you have to make a choice about what you are going to do with temptation. You can make choices that lead to life, or you can make choices that lead to death. All choices are leading to one or the other.
He goes on to say...
James 1:16-18 NLT 16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
This is important Church. Don’t be deceived. The world is trying to deceive you. He says temptation does not come from God. Temptation leads to sin, which leads to spiritual death.
God on the other hand is where all good and perfect things come from. Where life comes from. He says that as followers of Jesus we are his prized possessions. So we cannot afford to believe the lies of this world regarding temptation and sin.
Rather than allowing sin and death to be birthed in us, look at verse 18. Rather than those things, God chose to give birth to us through the truth of his word.

Big Idea/Why it Matters

This is about more than just having more self-control. Certainly learning to say no to temptation is important, but it is about more than that.
I mentioned that our choices either lead to life or death. We should be saying no to sin, but more than that, we should be saying yes to the life God wants to give us. The life Jesus is showing us how to live.
James 1:19-25 NLT 19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Application/Closing

Here James is telling them look, you are God’s prized possession, so live like it. Here is where James starts to make people nervous because he is putting responsibility onto us as followers of Jesus.
When we look in a mirror it shows us things about our appearance that are out of order. Likewise, God’s word sheds light on the areas of our lives that are out of order and need correct.
He says, get rid of the filth and evil in our lives. Get rid of it. Don’t put it in a closet out of sight but still available so that when temptation comes knocking you can dust it off.
Throw it out and get rid of it. For failure to do so is like someone who looks at himself in the mirror, walks away, and forgets what they look like… They are unable to see where they have gone the wrong way.
He says look carefully into the perfect law. Was he saying that we must keep the OT law to be saved?
No, but he is saying that freedom can only be found in the perfect law. In other words, if you want to overcome temptation and not be a slave to sin then the only way to experience genuine freedom is to live within the boundaries that Jesus gives us.
In doing so, sin loses its power over us and we are free to live righteously.
Don’t be deceived by those who want us to believe that sin has no bearing on our salvation. That how we live is of no consequence because of Jesus’ death on the cross has atoned for that sin.
James makes if very clear that while we are saved by grace and not by living perfect lives of sinless obedience. That continuing to live in sin and failing to live out the word of God in our daily lives will lead to death.
What that means for Christians who claim a faith in Jesus yet sin continues to reign in their lives is not for you or me to decide.
I know that it is by grace that I am saved. I don’t deserve it, I can’t earn it, and I can’t maintain it. It is all and act of Grace on Jesus part.
However, I must now choose to live a life of obedience not out of fear that if I mess up Jesus won’t forgive me, but because I owe my life and eternity to him and want to demonstrate my gratitude to him by honoring him in all I do as his Holy Spirit enables me.
Temptation as much as we may not like it, is part of the human experience. But we have a choice.
The choice is yours. Life or death, choose wisely.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more