On Our Side

Sunday Sermons

Mark Dunagan
03/25/07 - Sunday Morning

On Our Side

James 1:13-17

Temptation is something that all of us encounter and it is a struggle that we do not always win (Romans 3:23); and even the most mature among God’s people are not immune (1 Corinthians 9:27). The purpose of this lesson is to see all the advantages that we have in resisting temptation, and to discover some tools that we may have been overlooking.

“Let no one say when he is tempted”: James 1:13

In Jewish thought, there were many ideas concerning the source of temptation. Some said it started with Satan, or that fallen angels were responsible. Some even argued that since God was the Creator of all things, that God must be responsible for evil. “Even though God is not usually blamed directly there are subtle ways in which the blame is shifted elsewhere, often to God. The frequent heard defense, ‘I’m only human,’ implies that the sinner could not help himself, and thus the blame is shifted to the Creator” (Kent p. 49). The Greek word rendered here by is usually translated from in other passages. “He meant that it is not enough merely to avoid blaming God for being the direct instigator of some temptation. We must not even imply that He is remotely responsible” (Kent p. 49). As previously noted there are many modern ways of blaming God for our moral failures; including attitudes such as:

· “God, why did you create me with these passions?”

· “How can you expect me to resist temptation when I am surrounded by it?”

· “How can you expect me to resist when I am only human, fallible, and imperfect?”

· “The body that you gave me cannot abide by the lifestyle that you demand”.

“He Himself does not tempt anyone”: James 1:13

· God is definitely on our side in every temptation, wanting us to succeed. This means that when God allows temptations to come into our lives (1 Corinthians 10:13), the purpose is not to trip us up. God is not worried about heaven becoming too crowded, and He is not trying to disqualify people.

· God’s offer of salvation is not like a modern “rebate” which is covered in fine print, and almost seems designed to guarantee that most people make a mistake somewhere. God wants us saved (1 Timothy 2:4,6)!

· The rules in the Bible were not designed to “weed people out”, rather they were designed to keep us from harming ourselves and others.

· This verse also throws a refreshing light on why God “tested” Abraham (Genesis 22). There is nothing sinister in God (1 John 1:5), and God does not play games with our salvation. He is not experimenting on us, rather the purpose of any “test” is our salvation, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life” (James 1:12). Now someone might argue that even a “test” can turn into a temptation, this is true, yet anything, even prosperity, blessings and a wonderful day can be tempting if our attitude isn’t right. Thus, a temptation is a deliberate attempt to cause someone to fall, while a “test” is a deliberate attempt to bring about something good.

“When he is carried away and enticed by his own lust”: 1:14

· This is a crucial verse and very encouraging for the Christian, for it reveals that what responds to temptation is not something that God created in us.

· We are born into this world pure and innocent (1 Corinthians 14:20).

· No man enters this world with two strikes against him or with a personality or nature that just can’t live the Christian life.

· Neither is anyone born with a fornication, adultery, homosexual, dishonesty, selfish or greed gene. Thus overcoming a temptation is not a fight against nature, genetics, or ancestors.

· Now and then I see a bumper sticker that reads, “Born right the first time”. This is an obvious swipe at the biblical doctrine of the necessity to be born again, yet the bumper sticker is true in one important respect. We are born “right” the first time. Nothing was morally wrong with us when we entered this world, rather years after our birth all of us have moved on to the wrong path.

· Notice the emphasis upon the “lust” in the above passage being “our own”. This means if our anger is out of control, then this is something that we created. Solomon noted, “Behold I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices” (Ecclesiastes 7:29), and Isaiah defines sin as when, “Each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Paul observes in Romans 1:26, that sinful or degrading passions are not inborn, rather they arise when men and women turn away from God.

· Consider the progression in Romans 1:21ff. Man is born with the ability to recognize God’s handiwork in creation (1:20,21), and the capacity to honor God and express gratitude (1:21). When man opts for another path in life, then we see the emergence of arrogance (1:22), lust (1:24), and all sorts of depravity (1:28). Yet all these lusts did not exist at the beginning of life, rather they are the product of a deliberate attempt to rebel.

· The good news is that if I am responsible for the things in me that find temptation alluring and enticing, then I can equally overcome such things, because “I” created them. And if I created them, I can also uncreate them. This is one reason why the New Testament writers place the responsibility upon us to “remove” or “put off” the old man (Ephesians 4:22).

· This equally means that becoming a Christian and living God’s lifestyle is nothing more than getting back in touch with the way that one was originally designed (Ephesians 4:23-24). Or, as Jesus put it, “become like little children”, or be “born again” (Matthew 18:3; John 3:5).

“Do not be deceived”: James 1:16

Verse 16 is a transition verse between 1:13-15 and 1:17. “God cannot be the author of temptation, which thus leads to sin and death, because all good and perfect gifts, and these only, come from Him” (P.P. Comm. p. 4). “Only good comes from God; all good originates with God. Do not be deceived into thinking there can be anything fulfilling,anything worthwhile, anything good or proper anywhere else but with God” (Draper p. 45). “This command is no less valid for every modern reader. Our efforts to blame environment, poverty, bad luck, circumstances, or our humanness (which comes from God) have not enabled us to solve our sin problem. The reason is told to us by James we have deceived ourselves by looking in the wrong direction” (Kent p.54).

“Every good thing and every perfect gift”: James 1:17

· “Every beneficent gift and every perfect present” (Ber). The term good, means something that is useful, being good in its character or constitution, beneficial in its effect. “Fit, capable, useful” (Arndt p. 2). The word perfectmeans complete or without defect. In addition, this also could mean that what God gives us, is perfectly suited for us and the stage in our life when it is given. “Appropriately suited to the person or the occasion. It is all that the gift should be” (Kent p. 55).

Previously, James noted that sin brings forth death (1:15). We need to remember when we are being tempted that sin will upset the harmony in our lives. Sin will destroy peace of mind, unity in relationships, harmony between us and God, the unity and the healthful interaction between soul and body. Sin will only bring temporary pleasure with a lot of disruptive side effects.

By contrast, what God gives is perfectly suited for our lives and has no “nasty after-taste”. If this is true, if God is the giver of all good gifts, and these gifts or blessings are perfectly suited for man, then God is truly taking care of all our needs. This means that yielding to temptation is completely unnecessary. When I believe that God’s blessings are complete and good, sinful alternatives will never be considered. I have everything I need in Christ to feel fulfilled and happy, and I do not want to mess up this wonderful and harmonious relationship.

“No Variation”: James 1:17

“As constant as the heavenly bodies are, they do exhibit changes as man perceives them: Seasonal variations, eclipses, phases of the moon, clouded skies, and the shifting shadows seen hourly on the sundial, but God’s character and nature are unchanging. He does not shift from good given to occasional evil giving” (Kent p. 56). Do we ever thank God for not being moody? Are we thankful that God is always the same, that He is consistent, and that He does not keep changing the rules on us? “For one thing, this means that God is always approachable. We can always find Him” (Draper p. 47). God is always pulling for us and wanting us to resist and overcome temptation.

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017