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THE NATURE OF TEMPTATION. James 1:12-15. 7/21/2024. #03.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 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. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
1. The crown of life
a. There is a special reward for those who endure temptation
a1. Enduring is not simply bearing up under a load, but actually being victorious through the trial (not being broken or demoralized)
a2. Eph. 6 the victorious believer triumphs in the battle without fear or retreat
b. There are 2 categories of temptations
a1. The word trials & the word temptation are translations of the same Greek word (the context determines the meaning)
a2. Trials are difficulties that come into a believer’s life, taking many forms (health, relationships, financial, circumstantial…)
a3. Temptations are trials that entice us to sin due to our own internal desires
c. A trial becomes a temptation only when we desire to do something other than God’s will
a1. Adam & Eve were tested, but the test became a temptation when Eve desired the forbidden fruit
a2. Joseph was tested but refused to be tempted by Mrs. Potiphar’s advances
d. Those who resist temptation are given the Crown of Life (stephanos = victor’s crown; used of champions)
e. The believer choses to obey or not
2. Most holy God
a. God tests his servants
a1. Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden
a2. Abraham on Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22)
a3. Job with great trials (Job 1)
a4. Gideon before a great army
b. God can’t be tempted with sin
a1. Dt. 6:16-18 you shall not tempt the Lord your God
a2. Mt. 4 Jesus wasn’t not tempted to yield to Satan’s enticements
c. God does not tempt anyone to sin
a1. God does not entice anyone to lie, cheat, lust, abuse, overindulge, fornicate, or steal
a2. 1 CR. 10:1-13 God not only does not tempt us to sin, but gives a way out of temptation
d. If man falls into temptation, he alone is to be blamed
3. 4 steps to falling into temptation
a. Drawn away by own desires
a1. Drawn away = a hunter’s term meaning to bait a trap (bait hides the danger)
a2. Unless one has an internal lust for the bait (sexual, gluttony, power, fame, thievery…), the bait would be ineffective
b. Enticed
a1. Enticed = to bait a hook (no fish strikes at a plain hook (the bait hides the snare)
a2. Our temptations come from within us
c. Conception
a1. When internal desire yields to external temptation, sin is conceived
a2. Unless one commits to serving the Lord only, one will fall to own lusts
d. Death
a1. When one yields to temptation, the baby sin grows into a monster that brings death
a2. Through falling, there are grave consequences reaped (as with David’s sin)
e. Unless lust is under control via Spirit, we will fall
Key passage: 1 Corinthians10:1-13
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.