Enduring Trials and Avoiding Temptation

Good Morning!

I hope all of you had a great week and I am glad that you are here with us this morning.

We are continuing on in our study of James.

Our goal is to develop True Faith.

True faith develops as we encounter the truth of the gospel and apply its teaching to our daily lives as we abide in Christ.

All of us want a deeper faith and that is why we are here.

The thing about True Faith is that it never stops growing.

Last week we looked at verses 9-11 where James speaks to both those that are poor and those that are wealthy.

He offers encouragement to both by taking the focus off of their earthly status.

He instead reminds them that when they pass from the earth to Heaven, none of that will matter.

Life is short and death is the great equalizer.

Regardless of our financial or social status, all of us are in the same position of being completely dependent on Jesus for our salvation and eternal status.

Knowing that all of us will one day lose what we have on earth requires that we ask the question of where are we putting our faith.

Have we placed it in our status and ability to provide for ourselves or have we put our faith in Jesus?

Jesus promises that we can count on Him to provide all that we need.

The chief problem we face is that we look at that promise from the world’s perspective.

God isn’t talking about huge homes, new cars, or anything of the sort.

Also, we aren’t the first to wonder what it means.

If you will remember, the disciples asked Jesus about this too.

They left everything to follow Him and wanted to know what they might expect in return.

Matthew 19:27–30 CSB

27 Then Peter responded to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

God can and will provide all that we need.

And not just the basics, but all that is necessary to enjoy life.

1 Timothy 6:17 CSB

17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.

We must be careful though, not to define the ideals of American culture.

Joy is not found in the things of the earth, but in the Blessings bestowed upon us by God.

In these first twelve verses, the first section of Jame’s letter, he is helping these followers of Jesus to understand their newfound life.

When God begins working in a person's life, immediately they begin to see the sin in themselves and around them.

James wants them to understand the truth about what it means and looks like to be a follower of Jesus.

How does a person endure the trials of life, learn from them, and become a mature believer?

James says that we are to endure with joy.

By doing so, God reveals Himself to us and to the watching world.

Look with me at our text for today and let’s see how James wraps up this first teaching.

James 1:12–15 CSB

12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

In these verses, James deals with yet another area of theology that many struggle with.

We experience this culturally when we hear people say things like, “the devil made me do it”.

Today we are going to define and see the difference between trials and temptations.

We are also going to talk about how we should approach each and more specifically how our approach determines if it is a trial or a temptation.

You may not realize it, but the two are closely connected and how we respond will determine which we face.

In fact, the word that James is using for “trial” is also translated as “temptation”.

They are the same word in Greek, peirazō.

What does this tell us?

It tells us that James is talking about something that can be either a trial or a temptation.

The difference between trials and temptations comes down to where we put our focus.

Let’s break this down a little further and you will see this in your own life.

Have you ever noticed that when we focus in the wrong place, everything else becomes distorted?

The ability to focus is an incredibly useful tool.

For example, if you are trying to work on something difficult, the ability to train your eyes and mind to focus on the small details can mean the difference between success and failure.

On the other hand, taking a step back and un-focusing can also help.

I love to hunt squirrels and if you focus on one particular part a tree or branches for too long, you will miss the squirrel.

I have found that if you intentionally un-focus your eyes you can see much more movement in the trees and catch a glimpse of the squirrel as it moves, then you focus in on it.

Having the ability to choose where we focus and on what we focus is an incredible gift.

However, that physical ability can also betray us sometimes.

Bethany shared a video with me this week that proves this idea.

I can send it to you if you want, but the video has a cross hair in between two sets of rapidly changing pictures.

It instructs you to focus on the cross hair as the images change.

What you notice and what the video points out is that when we focus on the cross hairs, the head shots of the famous people on both sides become distorted.

They appear almost alien like.

The reason for this phenomenon is that your brain, when it isn’t focused on something, fills in the gaps with what it remembers.

Those things in your peripheral vision aren’t what we are really seeing, but rather a distorted resemblance of what your brain thinks they look like.

I have noticed in my own life, that when my focus isn’t in the right place, the things around me become distorted.

There are certain aspects of my job that require an incredible amount of focus.

For example, if I’m ordering dispensers for a new gas station, I have to shut my door to my office and give it all my attention.

Why, because there are so many different options that have to be ordered and if even one of them is wrong, it would cost us thousands of dollars.

If you mess up just one option on a set of dispensers that cost half a million dollars, well, that’s not good...

There have been a few times where I went through this procedure too quickly and made mistakes.

As a result, the project was delayed while we corrected the mistake.

All of us face, as James says, “various trials”.

Our focus during those times is vitally important.

Look what James says about this in verse 14.

James 1:14 CSB

14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.

The difference between a temptation and a trial is how we respond.

NT365 Book Study: Letter of James Suffering

Now James changes very quickly from a trial for the believer to a temptation of the believer. In this word group of trial is the idea of temptation. James says, “When tempted.…” It’s the same word for “test,” but now it’s different. You see, a temptation is that which comes from our own sinful nature or from Satan himself. A test can come from God, and even though it’s the same Greek word, we must understand the difference, because there’s the testing of the believer in verse 12, but there’s the temptation of a believer in verses 13–15.

You see, James uses the same word but is using it to mean two different things.

Knowing and being able to distinguish between the two is of vital importance.

James James 1:13–18

In the very midst of a trial, when I am feeling fear and sorrow and pain, if I am asked by a friend, “What danger or threat is there in your life now, that I may pray for you?” I would probably answer, “Pray for the deadly disease to be healed, or for my financial needs to be met, or for the people to stop doing the things that are injuring me.” In other words, I would think of the chief injury being inflicted by the trial, and my foremost concern would be for the trial to be stopped. Now, in 1:13–18, comes a word of God that requires a radical change in our thinking. The Bible says that the trial itself is not the most seriously life-threatening factor. The greatest danger to me is not the wrong being done to me, but the wrong that may be done by me. The real threat is that when wrong is done to me, I may be tempted to fall into sin myself.

Let’s be REAL honest for a moment.

Trials are hard.

Legit hard, I don’t want to be here in this moment a second longer, hard.

When we find ourselves in that moment, our next thought and/or action will determine if that difficulty is a trial or if it will evolve into a temptation.

I try not to talk about this a lot.

People get tired of you playing the cancer card, but I could not think of a more relevant example in my life.

We’ve heard the story of Job before, in fact we heard it in the kids story time last week.

I hope that Bethany having cancer a few years ago is as close to Job’s experience as I ever have to endure.

When she had her initial surgery and the doctor told me he was pretty certain it was cancer I was devastated.

If someone you know has had cancer, you know exactly what I mean.

I can tell you from experience, it was a daily struggle for me to keep that a trial and not let it develop into a temptation and then sin.

If I allowed myself to get angry, blame God, and resent Him, what I was meant to endure would have been transformed from a trial into temptation.

Literally, the only way I was able to keep that from happening was to worship my way through it.

That may sound odd or even cliche, but when those feelings hit me, I would open up a playlist of songs that Bethany, I, and some friends assembled and I would worship until I felt better.

By putting my focus on God instead of my feelings, I was able to endure.

Let’s look at a great example in scripture of how putting the proper focus on things changes them.

There is a fairly well-known story of someone facing temptation and by putting his focus on God rather than the temptation, it is transformed into a trial.

You may have heard this one before as well.

Luke 4:1–13 CSB

1 Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone.” 5 So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 The devil said to him, “I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. 7 If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” 9 So he took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you, 11 and they will support you with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God.” 13 After the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Jesus transformed Satan’s attempts at temptation into a simple trial by taking the focus off Himself and putting it on God.

Do you see how incredible this information is?

I don’t think you see it yet.

When you face a trial, if you put your focus on God, it stays a trial and you don’t have to face the temptation!

Church! You can apply this to any place in your life where you are struggling.

Is there a trial or temptation that you are constantly fighting?

When those feelings start to show up, put your focus on God and they will have no chance at progressing!

Do you realize the power you have been given?!?

name the temptation - put your focus on Jesus and it can progress no further!

Gossip

gluttony

lying

lust

trust

fear

Capturing our thoughts and feelings as we begin to feel the temptation creeping in means the difference between walking in power or walking in sin!

And what does a person gain when they are able to call on Jesus and endure?

James 1:12 CSB

12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Blessed is...

Where have we heard that before?

Oh yeah, the beatitudes.

Matthew 5:3–12 CSB

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

With joyful, faithful endurance comes Blessing.

There are a few translations that use the word “happy” rather than blessed at the beginning of verse twelve.

The Letter of James James 1:12

The tendency to translate with the word “happy” (e.g., TEV, REB) is a misguided effort to avoid unclear “religious” language and should be resisted. A person who is “blessed” may not be “happy” at all. For our emotional state may and will vary with the circumstances of life. But we can be assured that, whatever those circumstances, if we endure them with faith and commitment to God, we will be the recipients of God’s favor.

When we endure, we are given God’s favor.

We will certainly experience that blessing in heaven, but also here on earth, by maybe not how you think.

Look at what Jesus goes on to say.

Matthew 5:13–16 CSB

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Our blessing is being made like Jesus and therefore pointing others to the goodness that is found in a relationship with Him.

We have a choice when it comes to how we move forward in our trials.

Joyful endurance leads to blessing.

Falling into temptation leads to death.

James gives yet another graphic illustration of what lies ahead when we choose to fall into temptation.

James 1:14–15 CSB

14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

As we move through life and experience various trails, consider the consequences or the benefits of your choice.

When I was struggling as Bethany endured cancer, the temptation that I faced was my desire to just be mad about it.

I wanted to be made, specifically at God.

I wanted someone to blame.

However, that wasn’t from God.

That was my sinful nature enticing me to seek out some distorted since of justice.

James tells us that when we face a trial, we have a choice to make.

One leads to joy, maturity, and Godly wisdom.

The other leads to doubt, selfishness, and eventually death.

God has given us the power and authority, through the Holy Spirit, to endure and concur our trials.

We have the opportunity to completely avoid those trials becoming temptations if we will take the focus off of ourselves and put it on God.

This is a simple, yet often overlooked truth.

God has given us all that we need to endure and He has done that by giving us the Holy Spirit.

It is only by going through the effort to focus that we can successfully endure.

The difference between trials and temptations comes down to where we put our focus.

If you are struggling right now with some trial, take this time as we close in worship to re-center yourself on God.

Allow the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do.

Let Him lead you through that trail.

Ask Him for the power, wisdom, and courage to endure it joyfully.

Let your trial have its full effect and bring you to greater maturity.

By doing so, you will be blessed and the watching world around you will see the glory of God shining through you.

Let’s pray.

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