Temptation to sin
"Temptation" is used in two senses: testing under trial, as we have seen in verse Jas_1:12, and now solicitation to evil, verses Jas_1:13-14. James is now going to talk about that temptation, which is temptation to do evil. People often say that the Lord tested them when it wasn't the Lord at all. God cannot be tempted with evil, and He does not tempt with evil. James deals with something here which is very important for God's children to understand, because we often blame God for a great many things in our lives for which He is not responsible (J. Vernon McGee).
James 1:13-21
Jas 1:13 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.
-tempt: in this context, it means a solicitation to do evil
-evil: wicked, injurious, destructive
The subject now shifts to unholy temptations (vv. 13-17). Just as holy trials are designed to bring out the best in us, so unholy temptations are designed to bring out the worst in us. One thing must be clearly understood. When we are tempted to sin, the temptation does not come from God. God does test or try men, as far as their faith is concerned, but He never tempts a man to commit any form of evil. He Himself has no dealings with evil, and He does not entice to sin (William MacDonald; The Believer’s Bible Commentary).
God tests us, but He never tempts us. Trials are meant to draw us closer to Him, temptation to sin is meant to draw us away from Him.
Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
-drawn away: to draw out; to lure from a place of safety as in hunting or fishing
-desires: lusts
-enticed: to catch by bait (2 Peter 2:14, 18)
The source of temptation is from within a person; it is his own evil desire, lust, or inner craving. He is dragged away and enticed. This inner craving draws a person out (exelkomenos) like a fish drawn from its hiding place, and then entices him (deleazomenos, from the verb deleazō“to bait, to catch a fish with bait, or hunt with snares”). So a person both builds and baits his own trap (Bible Knowledge Commentary).
Mar 7:20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
Jas 1:15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
-conceived: to conceive of a woman, to become pregnant
-birth: to bring forth, to produce from a seed (Luke 1:57)
-sin: to miss the mark
-full-grown: brought to an end
-brings forth: from the womb
-death: separation, loss of life
The word death can refer to physical death (John 18:32); eternal or the second death (John 5:24; Rev. 20:6, 14); but most likely means the spiritual death of the believer in loss of fellowship with the Father (Rom. 6:15-23).
Let’s be clear on some issues. First, temptation is not sin. Temptation is all around us and in order to avoid it, we would have to leave this world altogether. And even if all temptation were removed, we would still have our sin nature.
Second, the issue here is individual sins, not our sin nature (see 1 John 1:6-10).
Third, the imagery is very clear. When we allow ourselves in indulge in temptation, sin is born from our desires. The result of that birth is not life (as in regeneration), but death, or separation, from our Father and Jesus Christ and fellowship with them.
1Co 10:13 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.
The word ‘escape’ means egress or exit. This brings out the contrast between trials and temptations. Trials are those situations which we fall into and are surrounded for the purpose of trusting the Lord and remaining under. Temptations are those things or situations which are designed to produce sin in us and separate us from our heavenly Father. It is those temptations that we are to look for the exit and flee (physically or mentally).
1Co 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
1Ti 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
2Ti 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Jas 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
-deceived: to cause to be led astray
-present passive imperative (stop allow yourself to be deceived)
-good: beneficial
-above: things which come down from heaven
-variation: change
James describes God as the Father of lights. In the Bible the word Father sometimes has the meaning of Creator or Source (see Job_38:28). Therefore God is the Creator or Source of lights. But what is meant by lights? Certainly it includes the heavenly bodies—the sun, moon, and stars (Gen_1:14-18; Psa_136:7). But God is also the Source of all spiritual light as well. So we should think of Him as the Source of every form of light in the universe. With whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. God is unlike the heavenly bodies He has created. They are undergoing constant changes. He never does. Perhaps James is thinking not only of the declining brilliance of the sun and stars, but also of their changing relation to the earth as our planet rotates. Variableness characterizes the sun, moon, and stars. The expression shadow of turning may mean shadow caused by turning. This could have reference to the shadows cast on earth by the rotation of the earth around the sun. Or it could refer to eclipses. A solar eclipse, for instance, is produced when the moon's shadow falls on the earth. With God it is quite different; there is no variableness in Him, or shadow caused by turning. And His gifts are as perfect as Himself. Therefore it is unthinkable that He would ever entice man to sin. Temptation comes from man's own evil nature (BBC).
Jas 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
-will: purpose, deliberate will
-brought forth: from the womb
-by the word of truth: the gospel is the agent by which we are born again
He brought us forth—this describes the fact of the new birth. By this spiritual birth we become His children—a relationship that can never be changed since a birth can never be undone. By the word of truth—the Bible is the instrument of the new birth. In every genuine case of conversion, the Scriptures are involved, whether orally or in printed form. Apart from the Bible, we would not know the way of salvation. Indeed, we would not even know that salvation was available!(BBC)
1Pe 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
-firstfruits: Thefirstfruits of a harvest was the first sheaf of ripened grain. The Christians to whom James was writing were among the first believers in the Christian Dispensation of whom many would follow. It also can refer to the first of the crop which was set aside in dedication, so as believers we should be set apart to Him.
Jas 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
-swift: quick
-hear: to attend to what was said
-slow: slow to begin speaking
-speak: to declare one’s mind
-wrath: indignation, agitation of the soul
Ultimately the key both to responding to trials and resisting temptation is to be found in one’s reaction to God’s Word. Receptivity to the Word, responsiveness to the Word, and resignation to the Word are essential to spiritual growth. One must accept God’s Word, act on it, and abide by it (BKC).
Jas 1:20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
-produce: to result in
-righteousness: correctness of thinking and acting
Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
-lay aside: to put off, to remove as clothing
-filthiness: defilement
-overflow: residue, remains from a Christian’s state prior to conversion
-wickedness: malice, ill-will, desire to injure
-meekness: gentleness of spirit, the spirit which accepts God’s dealing with us as good without disputing or resisting (Jam. 3:13)
-implanted: sown into the heart as a seed
-able: capable, strong and powerful
-save: to keep safe and sound, deliver from danger
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness"—that is, put away all filthiness of the flesh. "And superfluity of naughtiness" is better translated as "abundance of wickedness."
"And receive with meekness the engrafted word." The word engrafted should be "implanted"—the implanted Word of God. In other words, you are to receive the Word of God. I believe the Word of God is the greatest preventive against the sins of the flesh. The old Scottish preacher said, "Sin will keep you from the Bible, or the Bible will keep you from sin."
"Which is able to save your souls." James is speaking to those who have been saved. You have received the implanted Word—it has been planted in your hearts. The Word has already brought salvation to you, but you have a life to live as a Christian. Salvation is in three tenses: I have been saved; I am being saved; I shall be saved. James is speaking here of salvation in the present tense (JVM).
James speaks of the Scriptures as the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The thought is that the word becomes a sacred deposit in the Christian's life when he is born again. The margin of the RV reads “the inborn word.” This word is able to save your souls. The Bible is the instrument God uses in the new birth. He uses it in saving the soul not only from the penalty of sin, but from its power as well. He uses it in saving us not only from damnation in eternity, but from damage in this life. It is doubtless this present, continuing aspect of salvation James is speaking of in verse 21 (BBC).
Sin separates us from the fellowship of our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. It robs us of the benefits of enjoying eternal life such as joy and peace. It disrupts the training process that the Father is attempting to implement in our lives to produce Christ in us. But the solution is not to embrace a system of rules or regulations in order to keep from sinning. It is our occupation with Jesus Christ and abiding in His love that will keep us from giving into temptation. And if we do, we confess it and let Him restore our fellowship (1 John 1:9)
Joh 17:26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
Eph 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
Eph 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
Eph 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Eph 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Eph 5:4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
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