Sermon Tone Analysis

Ulrich Zwingli

Ulrich Zwingli was one of the fathers of the protestant reformation, with the likes of Martin Luther and John Calvin.

The reformation was a movement of people who rebelled against the Catholic Church in the early 1500’s.

Reformation Day, October 31, 1517, is the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis on the door of All Saints Church in Wittenburg, Germany.

His 95 thesis was an objection to Catholic church practices such as the sale of indulgences.

Ulrich Zwingli, six years later, wrote out 67 thesis, beginning with this statement,

“All who say that the gospel is invalid without the confirmation of the church err and slander God.” Ulrich Zwingli

This was a declaration of independence in the Catholic churches eyes.

Zwingli was a strong student of the scriptures and advocated that the word of God was the ultimate authority.

Once again, this put him at odds with Catholic doctrines such as communion, marriage of priests, and mandatory fasting during lent.

Soon, the Catholic church saw him a threat just as they saw Luther and Calvin as a threat, and Zwingli quickly found himself in a fight with one of the most powerful institutions on earth at the time, the Catholic Church.

At one point, the Pope Leo the X, was advised to excommunicate Martin Luther.

Ulrich Zwingli boldly sought the ear of the Papal Legate to try to convince him not to excommunicate Luther.

He gives his account in a letter to a friend.

He says,

“Within a few days I will go to the papal Legate [Pucci], and if he shall open a conversation on the subject as he did before, I will urge him to warn the Pope not to issue an excommunication [against Luther], for which I think would be greatly against him [the Pope].

For if it be issued I believe the Germans will equally despise the Pope and the excommunication.

But do you be of good cheer, for our day will not lack those who will teach Christ faithfully, and who will give up their lives for Him willingly, even though among men their names shall not be in good repute after this life…So far as I am concerned I look for all evil from all of them: I mean both ecclesiastics and laymen.”

Ulrich Zwingli

He expects to evil to come upon him.

He assumes the meeting will lead to his own excommunication from the church.

He is aware he is entering into a season of suffering for Jesus, a trial, a testing of his faith as Jame describes in James 1:2-3.

Human nature would not fault Zwingli for being upset at his circumstances.

If Zwingli lived in our day, he might even be encouraged to be angry with God, even blame God, as if God himself was tempting him.

Follow the logic.

If God is sovereign and God is the one who brings or ordains trials in your life to test your faith, couldn’t he bear the responsibility of tempting you?

God designed the trial for Abraham to sacrifice his son (Gen 22:1).

God tested Israel by leaving them surrounded by pagan nations (Judges 2:22).

God designed these tests for Abraham and Israel to see if they will walk in the way of the Lord.

When Israel failed to walk in the way of the Lord, was God to blame for it?

When you fail to endure under trial, is God to blame for it?

James anticipates this problem.

He is well aware of suffering and persecution.

He knows the way of trials and tribulations, and knows that the human heart, in its sinful condition, will desire to shake its fist at God, and even indict Him for such evil.

I am reminded of Job’s wife's words to him when they hear that they’ve lost everything; health, wealth, and their children;

Job 2:9 (ESV)

“Do you still hold fast your integrity?

Curse God and die.”

Trials have a way of running your faith thin.

James says to you and I this morning although God uses trials to test your faith, he does not entice you to sin.

Instead, our unchanging God who is sovereign over all creation and sustains it with his perfect nature and power, actually gives you good and perfect gifts to help you endure, to receive the crown of life.

In other words,

Christian, endure your trial faithfully knowing that God does not entice you to sin, but instead gives you good gifts, especially the gift of eternal life.

As we have already seen, we know God designs trials for our maturity in verse 2-4.

His main goal is to conform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29).

God promises to give wisdom for the trial generously to anyone who asks by faith(James 1:5-8).

By anyone, James means the rich and the poor, and everyone who falls in between them are welcome to ask for wisdom (James 1:9-11).

God will give the crown of life, the resurrection life, to everyone who faithfully endures until the end (James 1:12).

In the midst of a trial, however, some will be tempted to think that God is enticing them to sin with trials, and they will blame God for it.

Consider for a moment how financial hardship may tempt you to question God’s providence in your life.

The loss of a loved one tempts you to question God’s love for you.

Watching the wicked prevail as the poor and the weak suffer at their hands, may tempt you to question God’s justice.

These trials bring with them a temptation to question God.

Is God tempting you to sin when he brings suffering into your life?

James says absolutely not.

He explains why in James 1:13-15.

God cannot tempt you to sin because God’s nature has no impulse toward sin.

God cannot be tempted to sin.

Dr. Robert Plummer translated the passive verbal adjective as “untemptable.”

That is He is “unable to be tempted.”

Why is he unable to be tempted?

Temptation is an impulse toward sin.

God does not have an impulse toward sin.

Evil is not desirable to God, in the same way cow manure is not desirable to people.

Listen to how the bible describes how God sees sin and wickedness.

David says,

and the prophet Habakkuk 1:13

Habakkuk 1:13 (ESV)

You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong...

The bible says that God hates the effects of sin, like idolatry (Deut 12:31; 16:22), child sacrifice, sexual perversion (Lev 20:1-23).

The Bible even says God hates those who do evil Psalm 11:5

Proverbs 6:16-19, lists seven things the Lord hates, pride, lying, murder, evil plots, liars, and troublemakers.

All of these things are the effects of sin, and God is repulsed by everyone of them.

Furthermore, the logic goes, if God has no impulse toward sin, then he cannot tempt anyone to sin.

He has no desire to see any man, woman, or child, sin.

Theologian Sophie Laws rightly says,

“What must be understood is that temptation is an impulse to sin, and since God is not susceptible to any such desire for evil he cannot be seen as desiring that it be brought about in man.”

Sophie Laws

You have no grounds to blame God for your sinful response to trials.

Wisdom says that when you heart is tempted to blame God for your sinful response to trials, you must remember that God himself is “untemptable” and in turn tempts no one.

Puritan John Owen has some incredible wisdom about temptation.

He says,

“Temptations and occasions put nothing into a man, but only draw out what was in him before.”

John Owen

There is no sin to draw out of God.

But you, however, are a different story.

If you are inclined to blame God for your sinful response to his designed trials in your life, the trial is not putting that rebellion into your heart.

The trial is exposing the rebellion that is already there.

Is it possible, friend, that God is has given your a trial to draw out your rebellious unbelief from your heart?

If that is so, isn't that loving of God?

He could look at your rebellious unbelief and let you perish.

Instead, he loving designs a trial to draw it out of you and grant you faith, saving faith.

If you have been angry with God because of a trial, repent of your anger.

It has no place in your relationship with him.

If God is all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, and good, how can any of his decisions for your life be misguided or detrimental to you?

If I were in charge of your life, you would have plenty of reason to be upset.

I’m weak and extremely limited.

But God is not like us.

He is never frustrated and works everything for your good, even things that seem crazy to you.

He hates evil and will never entice you to be evil.