Tempted & Tried
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Introduction
Likely written by James the brother of Jesus.
James the Apostle was likely martyred before its writing.
It was likely an early letter due to its lack of mentioning several events that happen in the book of Acts.
James’ explanation of salvation seems to indicate he had interacted with the results of misunderstanding Paul’s teachings while not having interacted with Paul himself.
There were also economic crises in the mid 40s. This seems to be a good date for the letter.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings.
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord,
being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.
Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation,
but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.
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.
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.
But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Enduring through Trial
Enduring through Trial
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
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.
What is a trial?
Peirasmos -
1. attempting to find or determine true nature of something.
Testing to see if something is what it really says it is.
2. Temptation or enticement.
Being tempted with something that would be the opposite of what you should want.
Different Kinds of Trials
Internal
Conflict within
External
Conflict outside of yourself
Self-Inflicted
Things that we struggle with based upon our decisions and circumstances.
Other-Inflicted
People doing things that cause you struggle.
Consider it great joy
How is experiencing a trial joyful?
Because of what it will produce.
Consider it a great joy… because you know.
This knowledge about what will come from the perseverance from the trial is why we consider the trial a joy.
Testing Produces Endurance
When we go through trials we have two options
Overcome
Be Overcome
Overcoming adversity produces positive results.
The refining of Gold.
Failing should give motivation to do better.
“You, me, or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. It’s ain’t about how hard you hit, its about how hard you get hit and keep moving forward.”
-Rocky
Are you allowing yourself to be shaped and molded by what you experience?
Are you tossed about by the events of your life?
Or are you informed and growing because of what has happened in your life?
No matter what we may face, we all need the help of God to come through it.
Expecting God’s Blessing
Expecting God’s Blessing
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord,
being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.
If you lack wisdom - Ask God. He gives freely.
God is the one who supplies wisdom.
Specifically talks about asking for wisdom. Wisdom for what?
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight you.
Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you.
It will rescue you from the way of evil— from anyone who says perverse things,
from those who abandon the right paths to walk in ways of darkness,
from those who enjoy doing evil and celebrate perversion,
whose paths are crooked, and whose ways are devious.
Wisdom about who God is.
Wisdom about how to follow him.
Wisdom about how to overcome trials or what to learn from them.
God wants to give you wisdom.
God wants you to become more like Christ.
“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
Ask in faith, without doubt.
Ask Without Doubt
Doubt doesn’t reveal that we trust God to do what we ask.
When we doubt that the Lord will work on our behalf, James says that we are like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
That we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Doubt makes us unstable.
Free soloing. If there is any doubt, they will not succeed.
Faith is an anchor that keeps us rooted in Christ. It keeps us grounded and focused on what God would have us to do.
Don’t be Double-Minded
He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”
We are to love God with ALL we are. James makes it clear that doubt reveals a fracture in our desire. We aren’t loving and trusting God with all we are. There is some doubt.
Some level of trusting something other than God. Or at the least not trusting him.
James takes a turn here to focus on one of the things that might make people double minded.
Exaltation & Humiliation
Exaltation & Humiliation
Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation,
but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.
The poor will be exalted.
Those who are poor experience nothing but hardship and difficulty in this life.
How do you view the poor?
The rich will be humiliated.
Those who are rich pursue nothing but earthly possession and gain.
He will wither away while pursuing his activities.
How do you view the rich?
The story of the Rich man and Lazarus
The rich man in purple clothes who lived every day in luxury.
Lazarus, the poor man, lived in
All of these things will fade away.
Great empires have come and gone and faded away.
Examining our Hearts
Examining our Hearts
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.
But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
How do we deal with temptation in our lives?
God does not tempt us.
We should not say this.
This indicts God in our wrong doing which is not proper.
The Life Cycle of Sin
Tempted by:
Own desire is conceived.
It is essential that we understand that our desires are not right in and of themselves.
The world will tell you that if you desire something, it must be good.
“Follow your heart”
What does scripture say about the desires of our heart?
The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
While explaining about what defiles a person Jesus says this:
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.
For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,
adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”
The world even goes so far as saying that people are born with certain inclinations, so they cannot be wrong.
Look at what is being celebrated this month.
People say “alcoholism runs in the family”
Criminals complain they are predisposed to violence.
Desire has become identity. “This is who I am.”
Whether a person is born with their sinful desires, or aquires them does not matter. Christopher Yuan says this:
“Yet, for Christians, innateness doesn’t mean that something is permissible; being born a sinner doesn’t make sin right. We must point people to a far more important claim: Regardless of what was true or not true when you were born, Jesus says that you must be born again.”
Jesus says this in John 3:3
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
We must remember this. No matter other people’s sin, no matter our sin they can be redeemed because by the blood of Jesus they can be born again!
We also should take this as a measurement that we must be born again.
However, desire in and of itself is not sin. Instead it.
Gives birth to sin.
When you have desire for something, it grows and gives birth to sin.
You do not find yourself accidentally committing heinous acts.
“Whoops! I accidentally robbed a bank and killed 3 people. I have no idea how that happened!”
Desire, gives birth to sin.
When our desire is left unchecked, our sin will be out of control.
Leads to death
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We focus on the first part of this verse for a few moments.
The wages of sin is death.
There is punishment for our sin.
The last portion of this verse talks about the gift of God. James 1:17 reaffirms that...
Every Good Gift
Every Good Gift
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
We must remember at all times that every good and perfect gift is from above.
Not from us.
Not from others.
Our Everyday Blessings
The fact that we woke up today.
Our families and friends.
Our Salvation
We do nothing to earn or keep our salvation.
We must be grateful for our salvation.
We must be sure of our salvation.