James: Religion That Works
“The Common Struggle, Part Two”
February 19, 2006
Introduction: We started last week looking at the common struggle of trials in our lives. We talked about how the people that James is writing to were Christians who had left their homes under the threat of persecution. James wrote to them to stand strong in the face of trials and to allow the trials to bring them to new levels of maturity in Christ.
Today we want to look at the flip side of the trials of life and that is temptation. Trials are typically external to our lives. They come from the outside. Temptations, as scripture will show us, come from within and have very powerful consequences.
What is it that tempts you in life? Bring out the Box of Temptation
What is inside the box that so often lures us away from what we know to be right to what we desire with our flesh? (Chocolate, coffee, money, power, fame, physical pleasure)
James is going to write to us about how to deal with the temptations of life, and what the consequences are of not dealing with them properly.
I. The Source of Temptation
Obviously things outside of ourselves are tempting to us. But the power they have over our lives is dictated by the room we give them within ourselves.
“When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” James 1:13-14 (NIV)
It is very easy to blame God or someone else for our struggles. James makes it clear that we are the issue.
The first key to dealing with temptation is responsibility.
Temptation is fueled by our own evil desire. It is the desire of the humanness of our lives that drags us into feeding our temptation.
In the context in which James is writing, it is easy for him to be talking to the ones being persecuted about not seeking revenge or pain from those persecuting them. He is talking specifically about the inner condition of the heart in those he is writing to. The principle is the same in all forms of temptation.
Look at how scripture describes temptations:
“For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:16 (NIV)
Cravings of sinful man, lust of the eyes and boasting of what he has and does all comes from within the heart of man.
The very essence of temptation is satisfying self.
That does not originate with God. God’s nature is not that way. In fact, God is described as being holy and perfect and selfless in his love. There is no evil in God. Therefore, he is not responsible for the evil brought into the world.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalm 29:2 (NIV)
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5 (NIV)
God is the source of good, not evil.
One of the biggest dangers in our lives is not accepting the responsibility for our actions. We try to pass it off to our parents because of their influence. We blame our spouse because they didn’t meet our particular need or scratch our particular itch. The biggest lie of all is we blame God. If he hadn’t made me this way or if he had created her different I wouldn’t be in this mess. God is not the blame for evil in our lives. It is time we took responsibility for our own actions.
Application: Who are you blaming for the evil in your life? Who are you passing the buck to in order not to take responsibility for your sin?
II. The Process of Temptation
Temptation, like trials has a process in our lives. If you remember form last week we talked about the progression of trials in our lives.
Trail Testing Perseverance Maturity
In a similar format, temptation has a pattern of growth and development.
“Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:15 (NIV)
The pattern of temptation is as follows:
Temptation Sin Death
This has been the pattern God warned about form the beginning of creation:
“But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:17 (NIV)
God gave Adam and Eve everything else in the garden to eat, but warned them that the consequence for eating of this tree was death.
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Genesis 3:6-7 (NIV)
Do you see the progression?
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye”- Temptation
“she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it”- Sin
Then the eyes of both of them were opened- Death
They knew that they had violated God’s law and they were done for. This is the same pattern that James is warning of. It is the same pattern that Paul wrote of in Romans:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV)
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The consequences of sin is death; separation from God.
It comes about in many ways. For those who have never received forgiveness by the grace and mercy of the death of Jesus, it is eternal separation with no hope. For those who have received salvation form God, it is an emptiness of soul and an ache of the heart that our lives are not what they should be in light of Jesus.
The greatest death of sin in the life of a Christian is misery that comes from willful disobedience.
Application: Where are you in the process of dealing with the sin issues in your life? Has there been a temptation that you have given in to that you need to confess and receive freedom from? Do you feel trapped by the desires of your sinful flesh?
III. The Victory Over Temptation
God does not desire us toe live in bondage to our sin. He desires for us to be free from the entanglements of the temptations of this life.
“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” James 1:16-18 (NIV)
Look at the contrast in the opening section of this passage and verse 16.
“When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” James 1:13
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” James 1:16
God does not temp us to sin, but he provides for us everything necessary to overcome the bondage and death that sin causes in our lives. He did so through the power of the cross of Jesus. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for sin and paid the price for our sin so that we do not have to be trapped in the cycle of temptation, sin and death.
“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Romans 6:22 (NIV)
We do not have to live under the power of temptation. Jesus Christ gave us the freedom to choose to live by the power of God instead of the power of sin.
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
Practical Ways to Deal with Temptation:
1) Know the Word of God.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Tim. 3:16 (NIV)
Jesus combated the temptations of Satan in the wilderness by quoting the scripture.
2) Live in accountable relationships.
“If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Eccles. 4:10 (NIV)
3) Exercise the power of God.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.”
Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
Jesus is able to give us the strength to overcome all temptation.
Conclusion: How are you doing at dealing with temptation in your life? What areas are bogging you down? Where do you need to come and seek out the power of God to overcome the pattern of temptation sin and death in your life?
