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B. Lesson Two, James 1:13-27

Concerning trials and temptations, we see that sometimes they are testing on the outside. But we know that God tests us to prove our faith. Sometimes they are temptations on the inside.

Temptation is not from God (1:13). No person who sins can evade guilt by throwing the blame on God. God may test us in order to strengthen our faith, but never with the intent of leading us to sin. God’s nature demonstrates that He cannot be a source of temptation to sin.

In every temptation, Satan tempts us to destroy our faith. Patience is the key to our victory. If we are not careful, tests from the outside may become temptations on the inside. So, we must maintain a proper attitude and perspective. We must not become anxious or impatient. During the difficult circumstances, we must guard against complaining and questioning God’s love for us. If we do not, we may begin to resist God’s Will, and Satan will then quickly provide an escape, a “temptation.”

Israel, in the wilderness, often turned testing into temptations and tempted the Lord. When their water supply vanished, they began to murmur and blame God. They turned their testing into a temptation and failed the test. It is our reaction to troubled times that determines the outcome. We must count it all joy, not because we love trouble, but because we realize that God’s grace will prevail in us.

1. God has a way for us to overcome temptation.

First of all, we realize that the temptation is not from the Lord (vs.13-16). God does test us, as He also did Abraham (Ge. chp.22). Yet, He does not and cannot tempt us (Ja.1:13). We turn occasions of testing into temptations. “Let no man say, when he is solicited to sin, to take any evil course, I am solicited to sin by God; For God cannot be solicited to sin, neither does He solicit any man to sin.” We must not imagine that God lays upon us the inevitable necessity of sinning. James does not mention Satan’s role in temptation. His purpose is not to discuss the origin of sin but to explain that enticement to evil is not from God.

God cannot be tempted. There is nothing in evil that can make an appeal to God. If sin is produced by our own lust and affinity toward evil then God had no lust. To make God subject to sin is to make the Creator subject to the creature. God is infinitely above His creature and therefore He cannot sin.

2. There is a process of sin, in four (4) phases.

a. Desire is the first phase.

Lust is defined as any abnormal, sinful, or immoral desires (v.14). Normal desires, when abused, can become sinful. Rest is a normal, required part of life, yet laziness is sin. Seeking to satisfy normal desires, out of God’s Will, leads to trouble. We are to control our desires, and not allow them to control us.

Man misleads himself by his own evil desire (1:14). Temptation essentially comes from our own inward desires or inclinations (Mt.15:19). If evil desire is not resisted and purged by the Holy Spirit, it leads to sin and then to spiritual death (v.15; Ro.6:23; 7:5,10,13).

b. Deception is to be drawn away, as with bait (v.14).

No temptation appears as it truly is, for it is always disguised. The beautiful people, sitting around having a beer, laughing and enjoying fellowship cannot suffice in portraying the truth of the pain of alcoholism. The first drink is what begins an alcoholic on the road to alcoholism.

To be drawn away, in the Greek, is to “bait a hook.” No fish intends to bite a hook. In fact, they will not bite if they see the hook. However, with a worm on it, they will gladly swallow it whole.

To be “drawn away” is a proposal of pleasure or profit, made to a man’s mind. Man is pleased with it. Instead of resisting and rejecting the motion made, he acquiesces, receives it, and clings to it in his mind. Every man is successfully solicited to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust, or inner craving. When giving way to the evil propensity of his own heart, he does that which the enemy of his soul solicits him. In each case, and in every form, the power of the temptation is laid in some inclination of our nature, some desire that we posses. The seat of all wrongdoing lies in human selfishness. Men seek their own pleasure, desire, cravings, gratification, and fulfillment from their own motives. Herein lies the basic contention involved in spiritual living. Man’s ego must be overcome, abnegated, and brought under subjection to the will of God. In instances where this is not done, sin dominates men’s lives. From this it is clear that within mankind are all of the propensities leading to sin.

As holiness consists of two (2) parts, forsaking that which is evil and cleaving to that which is good, so these two (2) things, reversed, are the two (2) parts of sin. The heart is carried away from that which is good, and enticed to cleave to that which is evil. It is first by corrupt inclinations, or by lusting after and coveting some sensual thing, estranged from the life of God, and then by degrees it becomes fixed in a course of sin.

The power and policy of sin are as follows: We are drawn away, which signifies as being forcibly haled or compelled. The word translated “enticed” signifies being wheedled and beguiled by allurements and deceitful representations of things. The sin could never prevail, was it not for its cunning and guile.

Every temptation hides two (2) things, its true identity, and the fruit that will be produced if the bait is taken. In the case of that sinful act, it is spiritual death. Jesus always dealt with temptation on the basis of the Word. When tested severely, He said, A...it is written...” (Mt.4:1-11).

3. Disobedience begins when there is a conception (v.15).

It has now moved from the “emotions” to the “will” of the individual. We do not walk by sight, feelings, etc.... in the sense realm, but by faith.

4. Death, the spiritual separation (v.15)

The result of disobedience is always spiritual death. So how do we guard ourselves from failing the test? We can learn Biblically from some who failed and also from those who did not.

When this breach, of the Law of God and of innocence, has had sufficient time mature, it brings forth death. The imagery used here is vivid. The desire conceives and from this conception, sin is born. The unmentioned father is most certainly evil. The grotesque child, sin, then matures and produces its own offspring, death. This is the law of sin and death. The steps are all too clear: Unchecked lust yields sin, and unconfessed sin brings death. How strange that sin gives birth to death. It may seem strange, but James warned his dear brothers and sisters who were to read this “genealogy” not to be deceived or led astray. Just as a right response to trials can result in growth to full spiritual maturity, so a wrong response to lust will result in decline to abject spiritual poverty and ultimately to death itself. Sin is a small matter in its commencement. But by indulgence it grows great, and multiplies itself beyond all calculation. Habitual sin creates a path of continuity for death to flow through. It is strengthened by frequent acts and settled into a habit. This law has been in effect since the fall of Adam. Only in Messiah are we liberated from this dreadful law (Ro. 8:2). Death begins in the soul. Final death will be separation from God. This separation from God begins with the drawing away of the soul. Habitual separation will result in the death of our desire to live uprightly before God or to have any kind of fellowship with Him. How interesting that sin should produce death. Is this not the Law of God?

Whatever is good is from God. Whatever is evil is from the enemy of God. The design of all this is to show that sin is not to be traced to God, the giver of good things, but to man, himself. In order to do this, the Apostle says that there is enough in the heart of man to account for all actual sin, without supposing that God causes it. Adam tried to blame his sin on God by saying, “...the woman you gave me...” God cannot be an origin of what is abhorrent to His nature. Those who lay the blame of their sins, either upon their constitution, upon their condition in the world, or who pretend they are under a fatal necessity of sinning, wrong God, as if He were the author of sin. The blame for sin lies strictly with the sinner. Man’s sin is the result of his own “desire.” If we are to overcome sin, we must accept the blame for our wrongdoing and change or deal with the evil desires of our soul.

a. Let us look at Eve's temptation in Garden.

Satan’s line was, “God does not want you to have knowledge and be as He is.” In other words, God is withholding something that is beneficial to you. God’s goodness never changes He is always consistent. “Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father” (v.17). God only gives "good gifts." We must never question Him on it.

We can learn from the sundial. When the sun moves, the shadow moves. No shadows move with the Father of lights, for He is always the same (He.13:8). He cannot change for the worse because He is holy, and He cannot change for the better because He is already perfect.

b. David was tempted by seeing Bathsheba naked.

If David had remembered the goodness of God, he would not have sinned. It was plain that God had "...anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul..." Not only that, if David had needed more, God said that "...and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things" (2Sa.12:7-8).

A fear of God is a healthy attitude, but it must be balanced by the love of God. We can obey Him because He may chasten us. Or, we can obey Him because He has already been so generous to us, and because we love Him.

c. Joseph recognized that God had given him much.

In his temptation with Potiphar’s wife, he told her that Potiphar had kept not "...back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Ge.39:9). Joseph recognized that though it had come through Potiphar’s hand, it actually came from God. Therefore, he dare not sin against God, or his master.

The next time we are tempted, we need to meditate on the goodness of God in our life. If we need something, we should wait on the Lord to provide it, which is patience.

David refused the temptation to kill King Saul. He refused to harm Saul, even though he knew that God had given to him Saul’s throne.

5. God’s Divine Nature is in us (v.18).

The greatest of all gifts given by God is new birth into eternal life. This was the promise of the ages and the purpose of the coming Christ. It was His Will and good pleasure that we should not perish but come to repentance (Ep.1: 5; 2Pe.3:9). The ability to overcome sin is in our rebirth. Having been born again, we have the inherent abilities to overcome sin. If any man is in Christ he is a new creation (2Co.5:17). We are not under the control or dominion of the old nature. Sin brings forth death, however God, brings forth creatures with natures capable of being similar to His nature and abilities with regards to sin. Sin has no power over God nor should it have any power over God’s children. We owe our spiritual life and abilities to God.

The rebirth by the Word of God is an incorruptible seed (1Pe.1:23). The truth of the Word is a liberating agent. By our knowledge of truth, we are not ensnared in the web of sin. By knowledge of the true nature of sin, we are free from the deceit that would allure us away from God and our spiritual potential.

Keeping in mind to whom the Book of James is written to, we can see the Gospel is written to the Jew first, a type of first fruits (Ro.1:16; 11:16).

We have been made partakers of His Divine Nature (2Pe.1:4). It is this experience of the new birth that allows us to overcome temptation. If we allow the old nature, which was ours from the first birth, to take over, we will fail.

The Holy Spirit used the Word of God to birth us spiritually (v.18). He also uses the Word to give us spiritual strength. Jesus told Satan that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Mt.4:4). This was a quotation from the Old Testament, which is the Word of God that has power to overcome the temptation.

God leads us “...not into temptation...” (Mt.6:13). God is not to blame, for His desires for us are good. Jeremiah tells us that God’s “...thoughts that I think toward you..." are always beneficial, "...thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Je.29:11). His desire is that we may become people of substance. This all comes about by receiving and obeying God’s Word (vs.19-25). As one man of God said, "We pray, and we obey."

6. James lists several qualities that must be present during testing times.

a. We are to be “swift to hear” (v.19).

Often, when facing difficult times, there is the tendency to complain, grumble, and become angry. We have to recognize that there is a way out that has nothing to do with our flesh or ourselves. James’ instruction is for our benefit, for our coming out of the situation we find ourselves in, without a lot of fuss or bother.

We are to be swift to hear. We never learn anything while talking. We should think about every circumstance and consider the Word, for it has the answer to every one of life’s problems.

b. We are to be “slow to speak” (v.19).

The Believer who attempts to pursue maturity will inevitably have the conquest of capturing and subduing his tongue. A rabbinical adage is, “talk little and work much.” (Pirke Abot, cap. 1.15.). The righteous speaks little, and does much. The wicked speak much, and do nothing.” (Bava Metzia, fol. 87). “Be swift to hear, and with a deep consideration give an answer,” the son of Sirach says, cap. v.11. Those who are hasty in speech are generally of a bad-tempered or angry disposition. A person, who is careful to consider what he says, is not likely to be soon angry.

If we were as swift to hear, as we are ready to speak, there would be fewer wraths, and more of profit in our lives.

Here James deals with the second table of the Law, mans relationship with other men. If we will correctly interact with other men, we will have to learn to bridle the tongue. Man is enticed to sin by the lusts of his heart; the same can be said of evil speech. Man can easily be led into sinful speech by swiftly speaking his untamed thoughts. Being given the capacity of speech like God, we must use our speech for constructive purposes. Men of maturity study God’s Word and speak it.

If we cannot control our tongue, it will cause destruction. James tells us that “...the tongue is afire, a world of iniquity...” This is not just the tongue of the person who is unregenerate, but in the Believer also. This tongue can defile “...the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature...” It is not an accident that our tongues will do this, for they are “...set on fire of hell” (Ja.3:6).

c. We are to be "slow to wrath" (v.19).

Anger is healthy, but not when it is out of control. Paul tells us to "Be ye angry, and sin not: Let not the sun go down upon your wrath" (Ep.4:26). Healthy anger is provoked by righteousness to righteousness. Jesus demonstrated this when He "...went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves” (Mt.21:12). His righteous anger motivated His righteous action. Jesus’ anger was a righteous anger. It was anger against the unrighteous use of the Temple. The fleshly anger of a man never produces God’s righteousness (v.20).

According to Jewish sources “There are four (4) kinds of dispositions.” First, those who are easily incensed, and easily pacified, these people gain on one (1) hand, and lose on the other. Secondly, we see those who are not easily incensed but are difficult to be appeased. These also lose on the one (1) hand, and gain on the other. Thirdly, those who are difficult to be incensed, and are easily appeased, these are the good. Fourthly, we see those who are easily angered, and difficult to be appeased. These are the wicked.”

d. We are to “lay aside all filthiness” (v.21).

The word here rendered “filthiness” occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means “filth” and is applied to “evil conduct” considered as disgusting or offensive. Sin should be contemplated as a wrongful thing, as a violation of law and as evil in its nature and tendency. Therefore, it must be avoided. It may also be contemplated as disgusting, offensive, and loathsome. When sin is seen as Joseph saw it as a “sin against God,” our disposition towards sin will cause us to be disgusted and offensive. This view can only be established by proper interaction with God and His Word. A corrupt mind, a mind full of sensuality and wickedness, is not favorable to the acceptance of God’s Word. It is not fitted to see its beauty, to appreciate its value, to understand its just claims, or to welcome it into the soul.

Those who practice the “evil” or “naughtiness” of this passage are those who are not ashamed to break the Laws of God. Some translations render this word as “overflowing wickedness.” This describes the nature of sin. It is not merely evil; it is the essence of evil.

The battle for Salvation is waged against the soul. In this arena we fight the greatest battles of life. If the battle is lost in the mind, it is lost in life. The Word restores and converts the soul (Ps.19:7). It does this by restoring accurate understanding of God’s Will and purpose for our lives. When we have victory in the converted soul, we will walk according to the desires of God. We must have a very particular attitude towards God’s Word. We must see it as an expression of God’s desire for good for us. We must not view it with a legalistic frame of mind. It must be viewed, as the “Express Will” of a God who loves His creatures and is trying to lovingly instruct them in the most beneficial way of life. By maintaining a proper perspective and attitude of God’s Word, we will reap its full benefit. The Word of God is the life-giving force to the “New Creature.”

All seeds come to fruition if nurtured properly. The same is true of the implanted Word. When the seed of the Word comes to fruition, it will bear fruit of its own kind. Line upon line, precept upon precept, a steady transformation and conversion will take place in the mind. By renewing our mind daily with the Word, we will be transformed day by day to be more like the living “Word of God.”

We are to rid ourselves of all moral filth (1:21). The Word of God, either preached or written, cannot effectively take hold of a person’s life if he or she is not separated from moral filth and evil. We are required to get rid of all filth, and lead Godly lives.

God commands Believers to set aside all the ungodly filth that permeates a corrupt society and seeks to influence them and their families. This filth defiles people’s souls and blights their lives (Ep.4:22, 25, 31; Co.3:8; 1Pe.2:1).

e. Scripture tells us what is improper for God’s holy people.

Accordingly, we must not engage in any kind of impurity or obscenity (Ep.5:3-4). We must be aware that allowing any kind of moral filth into our lives or homes, including filthy language or obscenity through videos or television, grieves the Spirit and violates God’s holy standards for His people. God’s Word warns us, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes...therefore do not be partners with them” (Ep.5:6-7).

f. We as Believers must take righteousness and holiness seriously.

Our houses must be swept clean and filled with God’s Word and the holiness of Christ (Mt.12:43-45). We are to “lay aside all wickedness” (v.21). The Word is to be planted in us.

Christians begin their new life in Christ by being born again through the Word of truth. A new life in Christ demands that we rid ourselves of all moral filth that offends the Holy Spirit and that we are steadfast in accepting God’s Word into our hearts. The term “planted” (Greek “emphutos”), implies that the Word must become a part of our very nature. The implanted Word brings us to our final Salvation (Mt.13:3-23; Ro.1:16; 1Co.15:2; Ep.1:13; Jn.6:54).

g. We are to “receive the Word of God with meekness” (v.21).

The word “meekness” in the Greek is “prautes,” which means, “mildness and humility.” It is not in merely receiving the Word, but it is receiving it with the proper attitude and receptivity. We are not to be striving with the Word, or trying to force the Word to work. The Word works! All we have to do is be faithful in our believing. Receiving the engrafted Word with meekness keeps our souls saved.

James uses familiar terms, as did Jesus in The Parable of the Sower (Mt.13:19-23). These terms are:

1) Man can have a hard heart (Mt.13:19).

When any one hears the Word of the Kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he, which received seed by the way side.

Hardness of heart is the product of religion. They hear and know the letter of the Law, yet have no comprehension of truth. They experience no growth, and no life, only death and dying.

2) Man can have a shallow heart (Mt.13:20-21).

“But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet he hath not root in himself but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”

3) Man's heart can have priorities out-of-order (Mt.13:22).

Notice that the seed was received among the thorns, in the person who hears the Word, but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke that Word out, causing unfruitfulness. We are to be “doers of the Word, not “deceiving our own selves” (v.22).

4) Man needs a fertile heart (Mt.13:23).

The one that “received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it;” notice that it is this ground alone which will “...beareth fruit... some an hundred-fold, some sixty (60), some thirty (30).”

The engrafted Word is to be received with a pliant and gentle spirit. When the Word is implanted in our hearts, it produces life.

7. Faith versus works is mirrored in the reflections of our souls (vs.22-25).

Salvation is for service to God. Service to God liberates us from servitude to the enemy. By serving God, we are liberated from dead works or works as acts of securing our own righteousness.

We must be ready and willing to implement the words of instruction found in the Word of God. Words spoken, by Ministers of the Gospel, will be just words beating the air if not put to action. We must respond to the Word of God with active obedience. One commentator says:

“The growing numbers of sermon-sippers who flit from one doctrinal dessert to another, like helpless hummingbirds, are deceiving themselves.”

The Word is given for our benefit and advancement, not destruction. Those who know how to walk in the fullness of God’s truth will be genuinely happy people. Deception is often because we lack understanding of God’s Word. This was the root of Eve’s deception. The serpent questioned the Word of God. Clear, accurate understanding of God’s Word will maintain our walk of liberty. Those who are actively involved in living out the truths of the Word will not be deceived by the enemy’s’ false claims.

Purity of life is not a quest for perfection as much as it is a quest for liberation from those things that may inhibit effectiveness and reduce power-filled living. The call is not only to pay attention to what we read, hear, and accept of the Bible’s corrective instruction, but there is also an unwritten lesson here. We should avoid the temptation to see and judge others, analyzing what we feel they ought to do. Instead, we should focus on what we need to do. The focus here is on our personal application of the Word, not forcing it on someone else. The Arabic Version here reads, “...a hearer of the law.” Paul admonishes his readers in the Book of Romans, “...not the hearers of the Law, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Ro.2:13).

The Mirror is a type of the Word, which has a purpose. It reveals the truth about us and teaches us where changes are necessary. Prior to entering the Holy Place, the Old Testament Priest had to look into the laver, a mirror, so he could see himself as he washed (Ex.30:18-21). This revealed to him, and reminded him, of his faults. As he washed, it revealed to him and reminded him of God’s cleansing power.

The purpose of the mirror is so that we can see ourselves, as we are in relation to the person that we are trying to become. The Word of God presents the mature creature that we can become in contrast with the creature that we are. We will be changed into the image of the Son if we realize the areas of our life that need changing (Ro. 8:29). Periodically, we forget what we are and what we are trying to become. When this happens, we need to refresh our memories with the Word.

The presentation of God’s Word portrays an accurate picture of whom and what we are, in Christ, as opposed to what we think or what the devil says we are. Forgetting that we are New Creatures in Christ will cause us to return to old patterns of living. The Word reveals our full potential and ability as a New Creature. The mirror of the Word reveals the need for change, and who we are to us. We are becoming more like Jesus. “But we all, with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Co.3:18).

Paul told us that we must “...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God...” By this action, we are becoming the people that God wants us to be. This is reasonable service or spiritual worship for us. In this process, we are to be changed, that is, “...not conformed to this world: But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...” (Ro.12:1-2).

We are to be a doer of the Word and not merely a hearer only. It is not enough to look into the mirror without allowing what we see to provoke the proper changes. We must continue to look into the mirror. The idea is as a person who stands at the mirror preparing himself until every part of his/her appearance is perfectly right.

8. The law that gives freedom is the internalized Word (1:25).

The term “perfect law” means the whole Law, intending the goal that the Law tried to accomplish. The word used here is “teleios” mentioned in verse four (4). This can better be seen as the intent or spirit of the Law. We must also keep in mind that this includes the New Testament “Laws” given by Christ as well. The Law is often seen as restrictive or legalistic. However, this is not the case. The best translation of the word “Torah” which is generally translated “Law” is instruction. The purpose of the Word of God is to bring instruction into our lives. The “Law” is a ”Law of Liberty” not bondage. The liberty provided is freedom specifically from sin and death. The Law teaches men how to walk free from sin. Infantile mentalities will resist instruction, but this is not the case with those who are in pursuit of maturity.

We must do more that just admire the Word for the things we enjoy. We look in the mirror to repair some defect, not just to admire ourselves. This must be the case with God’s Word. We must do more that just adore it. We must practice it. If we do not repair the blemish while we are before the mirror, we will forget about that blemish when we walk away.

This law (2:12), is the Will of God internalized in our hearts by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ezk.11:19-20). Through faith in Christ, we receive not only mercy and forgiveness (2:12-13), but also the power and freedom to obey God’s Law (Ro.3:31; 8:4). It is the Law that gives freedom, because the Believer desires to do God’s Will (Ps.119:45). It must never be viewed as a freedom to violate Christ’s commands, but rather as the freedom and power to obey them.

This will produce faithfulness in the Christian life and walk (vs.26-27). Some practical applications we might see are:

a. Do not deceive yourself by failing to control your tongue (v.26).

b. Practice pure religion by caring for those who are forgotten and unfortunate, and by keeping ourselves unspotted from the world (v.27).

9. Our religion is to be pure and faultless (1:27).

James gives two (2) principles that define the content of true Christianity.

a. We are to have genuine love for those in need.

In New Testament days, orphans and widows had few ways to support themselves. They often had no guardian or helper. Believers were expected to show them the same care and love that God shows toward the fatherless and widows (De.10:18; Ps.146:9; Mt.6:32; De.24:17; Ps.68:5). Today, among our brothers and sisters in Christ, are those who need loving care. We should seek to alleviate their distress and thereby show them that God cares for them.

b. We are to keep ourselves holy before God.

James says that love for others must be accompanied by a love for God expressed in separation from the world’s sinful ways. Love for others must be accompanied by holiness before God or it is not Christian love.

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