Two Paths, Two Destinies Series

Introduction: The Finish Line

Many of us know the feeling of a great test. Perhaps it was a final exam in university that determined your grade for the entire semester. Maybe it was a major project or presentation at work, with your career on the line. Or maybe it was a physical challenge, like a marathon, where every muscle screamed for you to stop, but you kept pushing toward the finish line. In all those scenarios, what keeps you going is the promise of what lies on the other side: the diploma, the promotion, the medal. The reward makes the struggle worthwhile.

For the past few weeks in our journey through James, we have been talking about trials. James has commanded us to find joy in them, to ask for wisdom during them, and to see them from God’s eternal perspective, whether we are rich or poor. Now, in verse 12, he takes us to the finish line. He shows us the graduation ceremony, the victor's podium for the believer who endures.

But in the very next breath, he pivots and issues one of the most serious warnings in his entire letter. He knows that every external trial comes with an internal battle. There is a world of difference between a test of faith from God and a temptation to evil from within our own hearts.

James lays out two paths that are set before every Christian in every struggle: the path of endurance that leads to life, and the path of temptation that leads to death. Understanding the difference is a matter of eternal significance.

I. The Champion's Reward (Verse 12)

James begins with a powerful promise, a beatitude. Look at verse 12: "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

1. Notice who the blessed is

It is the one who "endureth temptation." Now, the word here for "temptation" is the same Greek word used for "trials" back in verse 2. He’s talking about persevering through the difficult tests of life. The blessing is not for those who avoid hardship, but for those who go through it with their faith intact, demonstrating steadfast, loyal endurance.

2. Notice what the reward is

When that faith is tested and proven genuine—"when he is tried," or more accurately, "when he has been approved"—he receives a reward. And what a reward it is: "the crown of life." This isn't the crown of a king, a symbol of royalty. The Greek word here is stephanos, which was the victor's wreath in the ancient athletic games. It was a garland of leaves woven together and placed on the head of the champion who had run the race, fought the fight, and crossed the finish line victorious. This crown, then, is a symbol of victory, honor, and triumphant joy. It represents eternal life in its fullest, richest, most glorious sense.

3. Who gets this crown

It is "which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." This is so important. We don't endure trials to earn our salvation or to make God love us. We endure trials because we already love Him. Our love for God, born out of His love for us, becomes the fuel that keeps our faith burning in the midst of the fire. The path of endurance is a path of love, and it leads to the victor's crown of life.

II. The Blame Game's Rebuttal (Verse 13)

From the glory of the victor's crown, James immediately turns to a dark and deceptive human tendency. He addresses the blame game. Verse 13: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God..."

1. James shifts the meaning of the word "tempted." He's no longer talking about an external test of faith; he’s talking about an internal lure toward sin and evil. And he confronts the oldest excuse in the book. It started in the Garden of Eden when Adam said, "The woman you gave me, she gave me the fruit." He was blaming both the woman and God. It’s in our very nature to shift blame for our sin. "God, why did you put me in this frustrating situation? You know I have a problem with anger." "God, why did you let me be around those people? You know they're a bad influence." We try to make God the author of our sin.

2. James slams the door on that excuse with a foundational truth about God's very nature: "...for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man."

a. "God cannot be tempted with evil"

This means there is nothing in God that evil can appeal to. He is perfectly, absolutely, and eternally holy. He has no flaw, no internal weakness, no selfish desire that sin can hook onto. You cannot entice a perfectly good and righteous Being with evil.