A Life Of Works Produced by Faith
Part 5
“God Does Not Test With Evil”
Date: September 22, 2002
Place: Allendale Baptist Church
Text: James 1:13-15
Introduction
This is the 5th message in of series “A life of works produced by faith”, a study of the book of James. I have said this is a very practical book not on the great doctrines of Christianity, but on daily living of the Child of God.
I have read over my notes and “God does not test with evil”, seems to be a repeative theme of this message so that is what I entitled it.
The first four messages in our study dealt with the theme of the Christians attitude during the midst of the trail or trying time.
We have seen this, which is actually the same word, temptation, used in two senses; testing under trials, as we have seen in verse 12, and now solicitation to do evil in verses 13 & 14.
People often say that God tempted them to do evil when it was not God at all.
As we will see in just a moment God cannot be tempted by evil, and He never tempts us with evil.
There was a teaching in James time, which said all temptation came from Satan or the fallen angels, which is not entirely true.
Some Rabbis taught that since God was the creator of all things, He must have created evil.
Strangely to say, there was a teaching in those times, which I believe is still an idea today, that to fully understand sin, one must completely indulge oneself in sin.
James deals with a subject, very practical, that every child of God needs to understand. Because all of us, saved or unsaved, blame God for things in our lives that He is not responsible for.
It is from this kind of thinking that James addresses the subject, rebuking the idea that God is the source of enticement to evil.
In our text today first let’s look at …
I. A Distinct Reality
A. “Let no one say when he is tempted”
B. Certainly every one of us can bear witness that temptation and enticement to evil is ongoing, it is daily.
C. The reality is we are all tempted.
1. Sometimes during the midst of the storms, we are tempted to turn away from God. That’s sin
2. Sometimes our lack of faith in God causes us to doubt and trust Him. My friend that is sin.
3. Every one of us faces the temptation of anger, dishonesty, resentment, bitterness, immorality and impurity.
D. Even our Lord Jesus was tempted, Hebrews 4:15 tells us; “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Temptation will come upon each of but we should not have …
II. A Distorted Reasoning
A. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone ”. Verse 13
B. Listen to me real good: God by His holy nature has no capacity for evil or vulnerability to it.
1. Speaking of God, Habakkak 1:13 says; “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.”
C. Let me stop and ask this question; Why is it wrong to sin?
1. How many of you say its because its wrong
2. How many of you say because the Bible says its wrong to sin
The correct answer is because it is against the very nature of God.
God is holy. He cannot sin nor will He ever tempt you to sin.
And everyone said Amen…
Now let’s see …
III. A Direct Responsibility
A. Verse 14 “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”
B. Notice where James says these temptation come from; our own desires.
1. The King James Version says “by our own lusts”.
2. The actual Greek word for lusts means a driving passion.
a. It can mean passion for something good, but here it implies a passion for evil; an uncontrollable rage or desire to get something that we believe will satisfy us
b. We will look closer at this in a moment, but although satisfying at times, sin is devastating; it is dangerous and also deadly.
C. But James tells here “Sin is your own fault.”
1. Notice James did not blame Satan.
2. Since the beginning of time we have been trying to blame everyone else but ourselves for the cause of sin.
3. Jimmy Draper says, “Too often we allow our minds to dwell upon things that we know are not right. We allow our minds to dwell upon things of pleasure, immorality, and dishonesty, until having dwelt upon these things, our lusts bursts into action and then consumes. We need to realize that lust, our own passions, is nurtured by the things our eye see, by the things our minds think, by the places our feet take us, by the things our hands do, by the fellowships that we foster in our relationships.”
4. James tells us there is no excuse for this. We will be controlled by our lusts and desires unless Jesus controls our lusts & desires.
5. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says; “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
Some of us here today cannot and are not willing to live for God because we cannot be completely obedient to God.
One thing you are holding on to, one thing you have not allowed the Lord Jesus to control.
Maybe you’re here today and there is one sin in your life you are still holding on to
Would you let go and let God be God.
IV. A Deliberate Result
A. Verse 15 “Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.”
B. What James is saying here is evil thoughts lead to evil actions.
1. But are we helpless victims when we are drawn away by our desires and enticed?
2. Absolutely not. We can expel all thoughts of sin from our mind and concentrate on things which are holy pure & righteous.
C. But if this is available to us why do we sin?
1. Here is the answer; “Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin”.
2. Instead of expelling these lusts & desires, we encourage them, nourish them and enjoy them.
3. I do need to stop and say now that yes sin in enticing, it is satisfying.
4. But we also must understand that sin is devastating, and ultimately deadly.
D. “And sin, when it is full grown brings forth death.”
1. This statement that sin produces death can be understood in several ways.
a. The sin of Adam brought physical death (Gen 2:17)
b. Sin also leads to spiritual eternal death. (Romans 6:23)
c. There is also a sense in which sin can result to death in the believer’s life.
1. 1 Timothy 5:6, we read that a believing widow who lives in pleasure is dead while she is alive.
Some of you may ask “preacher what are you saying.
Listen and hear me real good:
A Christian that continues to live in sin, in the pleasures of sin is wasting their life and ultimately failing to fulfill the purpose for which God saved them.
God has save each of us for a purpose, and that purpose is to live a life that glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ and brings Him honor.
Sin in a Christian’s life takes them out of fellowship with God. And this for a Christian is a form of living death.
Invitation
