James chapter 1 and at verse 12.
And so on.
I want to return to looking at this first chapter in the letter of James.
And we have noticed that the first part of this letter, James, is is dealing with how we need to learn spiritual wholeness and health and well-being in the best sense of the of the terms.
That is that we have a walking with the Lord Jesus, which is in commune with him and walking to learn from him and to thereby grow up in faith.
And we saw from verse 2 to verse 4, the way in which spiritual maturity comes by remaining steadfast in our trials.
And we notice the ways in which we all have our different trials, that God gives trials to us in order to build us up on the faith.
And we grow up as we remain steadfast in these trials.
And we saw from verse 5 down to verse number 8, the way in which faith responds to our trials.
And that is that we respond in prayer and we seek the wisdom that comes from God alone.
And we notice that the wisdom that comes from God is a wisdom that enables us to serve God.
It enables us to live the right kind of life.
It enables us to make right judgments.
And it even enables us to govern our own lives and for the church to govern itself.
Praying for wisdom in order to associate with our trials and to learn from them.
And at verse number 12, we see the way in which the people are once more encouraged in their trials and encourage that if they remain steadfast, then they will receive the crown of life.
And from verse 12 to verse 13, James changes his focus.
And he does so by moving from trials to think of temptation.
And in verse 13 down to verse number 15, this evening, we want to look at what James has to say and to think of the trial of faith and temptation to sin.
And we might be saying, why should we focus on sin?
And perhaps there are two simple reasons for that.
Because sin is something that we have to deal with ourselves.
And secondly, our sin is what God does deal with.
And the more we understand what sin means and the more we understand why God deals with us in the way that he does,
then that helps us on our journey to spiritual or Christian maturity.
And so we have the trial of faith and the temptation to sin.
Well, I notice first of all, that there is a pastoral concern.
And the pastoral concern, we have brought to our attention in that verse 13,
let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God.
He introduces the idea of temptation.
The word translated temptation here is from the same word group as the word translated testing earlier.
And there is that kind of double meaning in the terms.
And James is now focusing on the second interpretation of the term.
That is temptation.
When things cross our path and things work in our experience,
that that draws us away temptation,
which is the design to destroy our faith,
to lead us into sin,
and therefore lead us into separation from God.
And when we think of temptation in that way,
it reminds us of the importance of understanding something about the way in which temptation works in our lives.
Its goal is, its purpose is to sever us from God and for us to lose the assurance of our faith.
The pastoral concern here is that there are those who are blaming God for their temptation.
Let no one say when he is tempted,
I am being tempted by God.
Now perhaps we may say,
surely we don't do that.
But the reality is that we do that more often than we think.
In this letter here,
there are those who are facing poverty.
There are those who are rich.
There are challenges associated with poverty and with riches.
We may think of financial difficulty,
causing us to question God's providence.
We're blaming God for bringing us into financial difficulty.
When we are facing personal illness,
we begin to question the goodness of God and even the love of God.
When we see,
as we saw in Psalm 73,
the wicked prospering and the people of God suffering,
we may question the justice of God and blame God.
Why is God allowing this to happen?
In so many parts of life,
we blame God for the situations that we have arrived in.
When we suffer personal bereavement,
and we blame God for dealing with us so sorely,
we question the love of God.
And tonight,
if we have faith,
all of us at one time or another,
if we are honest with ourselves,
we'll have blamed God,
questioned God for what he is doing.
And at the very beginning of the Bible,
we see that blame culture emerging in the very first sin,
where Adam blames God for giving a wife,
Eve,
who led him into the transgression.
And that blame culture follows our own experience
and our relation with God time after time.
And one of the writers commenting on this
makes the point that so often,
when we sin,
we blame God in order to relieve our own personal guilt.
Instead of going to God with our sin
and confessing our sin,
if we can find some way of blaming God
in the midst of our sin,
then it tends to ease our guilt.
A pastoral concern.
Do you think that's a concern
that includes your own life,
your own relationship with God?
Does this speak into your heart
as it speaks into my heart this evening,
forcing us to think
of a response to our sin,
of a response to situations
where we actually blame God?
And James is very quick
to make it clear
that because of God's character
that cannot happen.
And in God's activity
that will never happen.
For God cannot be tempted with evil.
He is immune to that sense
of being tempted himself.
It just cannot happen
because of the God that he is
in all of his perfection
and in all of his holiness.
He cannot be tempted by sin.
It simply does not happen.
Sin is apparent to him.
And because of his relationship
with his people,
neither is he engaged
in tempting them.
And of course,
that's,
that leaves us
with a mystery.
A mystery that does not
lead us to blame God,
but it does
lead us to think
about the mystery
of our providence.
Where providence takes us
to different places.
and in these very places
that we face temptation.
And the God who is
the God of our providence
still cannot be blamed
for our temptation.
The pastoral concern.
Important for us to,
to consider
temptation
and to be on our guard
and to always ensure
that temptation
does not ever
have its source
in the reality of God.
It simply cannot
happen in that way.
The pastoral concern.
Secondly,
then we see
that there's a process.
If that's not the source
of our temptation,
what is the source?
The process.
We see in a version number 14,
but each person is tempted
when he is lured
and deticed
by his own desire.
Our personal desire.
The reality of it
is the source
of our temptation.
And that,
and the desire,
the way in which
James speaks of it
and the way in which
the New Testament
speaks of it,
it's something that
speaks deep
into our experience.
It's the longing
that we have
and the impulses
of our hearts
towards certain things.
The desire that we have
in our hearts
towards satisfaction.
And that desire
in our hearts
is something
that is a power
which draws us
to this object
in which we will
have satisfaction.
and such is the desire
that we suffer pain
and we feel a pain
if we cannot have
the satisfaction
that we can have
by embracing the object.
It is something
that's powerful
within us,
deeply rooted
in our being.
It is the tendency
to choose the things
that are all about
ourselves
and not about God.
Indeed,
it is the tendency
to choose
the very things
that God has
prohibited.
Temptation
from our desire.
We read Peter
in 1 Peter 2
speaking about
the way in which
we are to abstain
from the passions
of the flesh.
It's like a powerful
energy that builds
up inside of us
that leads us
to desire the things
that will satisfy
the flesh
and that will
separate us
from God.
And while
the New Testament
speaks of
that desire,
we understand
the diversity
of individual
experience.
we understand
tonight that
the things
that are a powerful
temptation to you
because of your
disposition
might not cause me
even to look
at these very things.
And all of us
tonight are made
in such a way
in the diversity
of our disposition
as God has made us
that there
we find ourselves
drawn to one thing
and not drawn
to another thing.
tonight we may
well be here
and in the
sacred of our hearts
tempted by the
things that
are attractive
to ourselves
and others
tempted by things
that are attractive
to them
and that would
be unattractive
to you.
and whilst we
understand that
we all have
the same sinful
heart
we understand
the diversity
of experience
your attractions
won't be mine
and your attractions
won't be those
of the person
next to you.
and that's why
in circumstances
circumstances
in temptation
are tailored
to suit
your personal
disposition
and it's
it's wonderful
and mysterious
and awesome
in so many ways
the way in which
the devil works
and the way in which
we find ourselves
in the very
circumstances
that are tailored
to our individual
passions
and to our
individual desires.
Our temptations
arise from
the reality
of the sinful
disposition
of our sinful
hearts
the power of
our passions
and because
of that
powerful
passion
of our hearts
the process
is explained
to us here
it's
if
there are fishermen
here
I'm sure
there are
explained to us
a process
here
which
highlights
how temptation
works
but each
person
is tempted
when he is
lured
and
enticed
there are two
things going on
there is
there is the
enticement
and there is
the attachment
and because
of
of our
sinful
disposition
we see
first of all
that we
are lured
we're
drawn
away
something
attractive
is presented
to us
that the
fisherman
will
bait his
hook
or the
fisherman
will use
a particular
kind of
fly
he will do
that in
order to
attract
and to
bring
the fish
out of its
hiding place
and to
bring it
and for
it to be
drawn and
attracted
to the
very thing
that's on
that
hook
there is
that
enticement
and it
is
an
enticement
that is
powerful
in the
sense
that we
must have
it
it's
delicious
bait
and we
must have
it
and we
think of
how that
works
and we
think of
how it
works
in our
personal
experience
and that
process
through which
the devil
will keep
presenting
the same
thing to
our minds
in order
to draw
us away
and there
are two
graphs that
we can
think of
and the
more the
devil
persists
in seeking
to draw
us away
the more
our
resistance
will
diminish
and as
our
resistance
diminish
the more
the bait
becomes
attractive
until we
reach the
point
where we're
attached
and that's
what
what James
is saying
here
lured
and
enticed
there is
the sense
of
being
dragged
away
that's
what the
word
means
that's
what the
fisherman
does
let me
get my
fish
on the
hook
and
no matter
how much
it struggles
it's
pulling my
line in
and do it
professionally
understanding
what's on
the hook
in order
to ensure
that the
fish is
landed
and that's
how temptation
works
once we're
enticed
once we
see it
as the
must-have
thing
then we
grasp it
and we're
caught
and we're
carried away
and
carried away
not like the
struggling
fish
but
carried away
because we
have now
come to
the point
where we
are willing
to embrace
the very
thing that
God
prohibits
and the
very thing
that in
the first
place we
knew
would affect
our relationship
with God
and would
bring about
some kind
of severance
in that
relationship
there is
that
process
the process
described by
one of the
writers in
this way
there's the
personal struggle
with evil
desire
it's not
usually one
of confrontation
with the
devil
but rather
a confrontation
with their
own worst
enemy
namely
our very
selves
that's where
temptation
works
the pain
of temptation
is a
self
inflicted
attack
it's our
fault
it comes
from the
reality of
who we
are
and this
this is the
sense of
being dragged
away
our own
desires
are like
a marauding
beast
that would
soon
consume
us
the process
do we
tonight
understand
how the
bible
describes
temptation
that leads
us to
sin
can we
allow the
bible
to give
us that
background
and to
give to us
the image
into which
we can
fit our
experience
and realise
even now
or tonight
or tomorrow
that's
temptation
and I'm
attracted to
it
and I have
to be
careful
that the
hook of
temptation
that I don't
bite it
and take the
bait
I need to
appreciate
what's happening
around me
in the realm
of my faith
and in the realm
of my relationship
with God
this is the
biggest threat
and the biggest
threat as the
writer said
it's not the
devil himself
the biggest
threat and
danger
is your
sinful heart
and mine
the process
and thirdly
there is a
product
then decide
when it has
conceived
gives birth
to sin
and sin
when it is
fully grown
brings forth
death
he changes
the metaphor
from the
fishing metaphor
and uses
the metaphor
of conception
and of birth
and as soon
as I'm
attached to
the temptation
then
sin has been
conceived
it's hidden
it's like
the conception
of the child
in the mother's
womb
it's hidden
but something
new
a new
person
has been
created
and it's now
in my Christian
experience
because of the
way in which
this process
has led me
to embrace
the temptation
because of that
something new
has taken
place
in my
relationship
with God
there is the
beginning
of the very
thing
that harms
my relationship
with God
the conception
and once
the conception
happens
and we
understand
that naturally
as conception
happens
it happens
where there is
a loving embrace
where there is
a relationship
where there is
a bond
and that's
what happens
with sin
as I embrace
it
there's a bond
there's a relationship
and my attention
and my desires
and my heart
is given over
to that sin
sin is conceived
and sin
when it is
fully grown
brings
forth death
the child
conceived
will be born
into
the visible
world
at the
appropriate
time
and there is
that process
that James
describes here
that the same
thing happens
with my sin
it's conceived
in my heart
and then
it will become
visible
in the first
place
in my relationship
with God
it brings forth
death
I begin to
realize
now that
the very thing
that attracted
me
that I embraced
with all of my
heart
has affected
the relationship
where my heart
should be
exclusively
it's affected
my devotion
to my
savior
and it's
brought about
a change
in that
relationship
and of course
it doesn't
bring that
relationship
to an end
but there is
a difference
between the
status of
that relationship
and the
experience
and the
enjoyment
of that
relationship
and as
soon as
conceived
it brings
forth death
in the sense
that in my
experience
I lose
every sense
of spiritual
well-being
I lose
every sense
of the
presence of
God with
me
and I'm
alert
immediately
to the
fact
that sin
has affected
my relationship
with God
think of
David
and Bathsheba
David
when other
kings were
at war
his guard
was down
David
saw
Bathsheba
David
desired
Bathsheba
David
acted
and brought
Bathsheba
to himself
and David
committed
adultery
there was
that process
through which
because his
guard was
down
he embraced
what God
was forbidding
him
and he took
someone else's
wife
and read
of David's
experience
in Psalm
32
he had
lost his
strength
his
relationship
with God
was turned
upside down
Bathsheba
was there
Uriah
was to be
dealt
with
the problems
mounted more
and more
all because
he embraced
the temptation
he endured
the pain
his heart
his experience
was like
the drought
of summer
he had
lost every
sense of
living with
God
and living
for God
that's the
death
that it
brings
about
and that's
the death
it brings
about
for you
and for
me
and tonight
it may be
the case
that in
someone's
heart
something
has gone
wrong
and someone's
heart
tonight
may be
like
David's
heart
and maybe
feeling
the pain
of that
disruption
in
your
relationship
with the
Lord Jesus
and your
sense of
experiencing
his love
and grace
has gone
it's
evaporated
your sin
has broken
has taken
that away
your sin
has brought
your heart
to be like
a desert
where there is
no water
and where there's
no sense of
the goodness
of God
and tonight
as we close
we
remind
ourselves
of the
importance
of being
on our
guard
Paul
prays for the
Philippians
in chapter 4
that the
peace of
God
would guard
your hearts
and minds
we depend
and trust
in God
through prayer
and the wisdom
that comes
through prayer
we depend
on God
for him
to guard
our hearts
and minds
there may be
situations
where we
can guard
each other
in certain
circumstances
and we
are Job
in Job
chapter 31
I made
a covenant
with my
eyes
we need
to ensure
that we
stop looking
at the
things
that we
know
lead us
into
temptation
but Jesus
of course
reminds us
as he
reminded the
disciples
that it is
what comes
from the
heart
that's what
defiles a
person
even
we may
shut
our eyes
and not
look at
anything
but it
doesn't
take away
the reality
of the
power
of our
lusts
and of
our
passion
that work
away
daily in
our
experience
as Paul
himself
discovered
and as we
do
discover
ourselves
we guard
our hearts
and it's
worth quoting
as we
close the
words of
Ralph Waldo
Emerson
who was a
19th century
philosopher
when he said
this
sow a
thought
and you
reap an
action
sow an
action
and you
reap a
habit
sow a
habit
and you
reap a
character
sow a
character
and you
reap a
destiny
what we
sow we
shall reap
says Paul
to the
Galatians
let's
ensure
tonight
and always
that we
are sowing
to the
spirit of
God
and living
a life
guarded
by God
himself
trusting
in him
and ensuring
that as
we realise
that the
power of
our own
sinful
hearts
are need
to be
under guard
against
anything
and everything
that will
seek to
disrupt
and destroy
our relationship
with God
may God
bless his
word to us
so we're
now going to
conclude by
singing Psalm
103
in Psalm