Published on
July 31, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“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”
with whom there is no variation
The light of God’s character and nature never changes. He is immutable.
“For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob” (Malachi 3:6).”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
or shadow of turning
The idea of a “turning” is a change, variation. God does not vary in His nature. There is no occasion where a shadow passes over God’s character. He has never had a single change in His character. We can render this phrase “a shade cast by change.” Shade changes with the movement of the sun and thus constantly changes. There is no mutation in God.
Principle:
God does not change so we can count on Him to be consistent with Himself.
Application:
God does not change. He does not have the capability to change Himself much lest being changed by someone else. We can therefore count on Him. He is always true to Himself.
Published on
July 30, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“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”
James now shifts gears and moves from evil to good, from the source of lust to God’s provisions for us. God is a giving God.
Every good gift
The word “gift” denotes the act of giving. The emphasis is on the Giver. God is the Author of each and every good gift. He never solicits us to do evil; He always does good. He always gives on the basis of His character. He does not stop giving to us just because we fail Him.
God gives to us on the basis of His character and not on the basis of our character. God never gives us anything on the basis of who and what we are. God does not bless us because we tithe, witness or pray. We never earn or deserve anything from God.
The word “good” means good of intrinsic value. God’s gifts to us are good because they come from His character and not from our performance. Because God is God, His gifts never lose their intrinsic value. God does not stop giving to us when we fail Him. To insinuate that God is not good or generous is to misrepresent who He is.
and every perfect gift
This second word for “gift” is different from the previous word for “gift.”It refers to the thing given, rather than the act of giving. This is a gift granted as bounty, benefaction. The first word for “gift” emphasizes the donation while the second word for “gift” emphasizes God’s generosity in giving to us. God is both the Giver and a generous source of “good” gifts. The word “every” emphasizes the all-inclusive nature of God propensity to give. Everything that God gives, whether it is spiritual, physical or social, is “perfect.”
is from above,
We do not merit God’s gifts. He gives His gifts “from above” as an act of His grace. The source of our gifts is in the person of God.
and comes down from the Father of lights,
“The Father of lights” is a reference to God as Creator of the heavenly luminaries, the sun, moon and stars.
Principle:
God is bountiful in His giving to us.
Application:
God never lets us down. We fail Him but He never fails us. None of us deserves the right to live on the face of this earth. We deserve death and Hell. The only reason God allows us to walk on this earth is because of His grace. He never charges us for anything. We do not pay Him for the sunshine we enjoy.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
“For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)
Some people have a high IQ. They did not give themselves this ability. God gave them the mental capacity. Everything that we have is “from God.” We love to take the credit for who we are and what we do. When we stop to think, we remember we operate by God’s unadulterated grace. Any prosperity that we possess came from God.
Published on
July 29, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren”
Verse 16 is a transition between the preceding and the following verses, linking the ideas together. Those who blame God for their sin need to understand something about the nature of God.
Do not be deceived,
We get our English word “planet” from the Greek word for “deceived.” A planet wanders in the skies. Deception makes us wander from the truth.
James warns believers scattered in the Roman world against a particular misunderstanding about the nature of God (v.17-18). The most fundamental error we can make is misunderstanding the nature of God. If we attribute evil to the nature of God (v.13), we commit the most egregious error. God is the source of good (v.17), not sin.
my beloved brethren
James clearly loves those to whom he ministers. It is wonderful to be the object of love. It is one thing to be in the family of God; it is another to be loved as a member of the family of God.
“Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved” (Philippians 4:1).
Principle:
The doctrine of God is the foundational doctrine of Christianity.
Application:
If we go astray on the doctrine of the nature of God, we will wander into error. People can deceive us about the nature of Christianity. We will move into all kinds of irregularities doctrinally.
Published on
July 28, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death”
and sin, when it is full-grown,
Sin produces something as well – death. “Full-grown” has the idea of bring to completion, finish, come to completion, be fully formed. The idea is that when sin has fully run its course, it will bring forth death. Sin develops like an embryo in a womb and has a way of coming to life.
brings forth death
As lust gives birth to sin so sin gives birth to death. It is ironic that birth brings death! If we allow ourselves to go through the full cycle of lust and sinning then we will die in our fellowship with the Lord. If we stay in a state of alienation to God in our time on earth [not in eternity], then God may kill us physically.
“For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [died]. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:30-32).
“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that” (1 John 5:16).
This “death” stands in striking contrast to the “crown of life” of verse 12. If we let sin dominate us, our spiritual life will be like a stillborn baby. Death is separation. Sin always separates us from God.
Principle:
The hope of sin results in stillborn satisfaction.
Application:
Our will is influenced by our desire. Sin is more than a single action; it is the result of a process. The sequence of lust, deception, choice and disobedience will produce spiritual death. The earlier we address ourselves in this process, the easier it will be to overcome sin. Conversely, the longer we wait in the process the more difficulty we will have in overcoming the sin.
Before we became Christians, we were enslaved to lust (Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19; 1 Thessalonians 4:5). Lust is morally neutral. It is an illegitimate desire. The hope of sin results in stillborn satisfaction.
Published on
July 27, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death”
James changes his metaphor to childbirth in verse 15. This verse tells us of the product of sin.
Then, when desire has conceived,
Literally, the word “conceived” comes from two words to take and together meaning to take together. It carries the idea of impregnation in the sexual sense. When the believer gives consent to temptation, sin forms a launching pad for action. Temptation evolves into the framework for sin.
it gives birth to sin;
Lust gives birth to sin. Just like a woman gives birth to a child so lust gives birth to sin. Sin is now in its embryonic form.
Principle:
We most effectively deal with sin at the point of temptation.
Application:
There is enormous power in a lustful thought. The Christian must deal with sin at the point of temptation, not at the point where we choose to sin. Once we choose to open ourselves to sin, the overt action of sin is almost inevitable. We most effectively deal with sin at the point of temptation.
None of us can avoid temptation. It is not a sin to be tempted but it is a sin to yield to temptation. Evil ideas will birth in our minds until we go to meet the Saviour.
The Internet, movies and television today present great temptation to the believer. Lust comes charging into our minds through these vehicles. It comes unexpectedly and quickly. That is why we must guard against temptation by first preparing our minds with the Word of God.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
Published on
July 26, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed”
and enticed
We have two sources of temptation – both from within and from without. The first temptation has its source in our sin capacity ["drawn away"]. Secondly, there is an external attraction that will pull us down – “enticed.” Our sin capacity is our internal foe and Satan is our infernal foe. He is the foe from without. We always face two foes, that is why we need to stand on guard against a fall. Satan could not entice us without co-operation from our sin capacity.
The word “enticed” is literally to lure with bait, beguile by blandishment as with fish. As a fisherman uses a lure to attract a fish, so our lust lures us from self-control. Temptation prods and baits us by appealing to our dark side. Sin looks so inviting but in the end we become enslaved to it. The bait looks so inviting yet we know the deadly result of biting it.
Knowledge does not seem to prevent us from yielding to temptation. Temptation is more powerful than our knowledge. Sin can “overtake” us by surprise (Galatians 6:1). This means that we do not know ourselves sufficiently and the capabilities that lie within us.
Peter uses “enticed” for people who have “eyes full of adultery” and who operate on “the lusts of the flesh.”
“…having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children…. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error” (2 Peter 2:14,18).
Principle:
Satan is the prod to our sin capacity.
Application:
We both set the trap and step into the trap of sin. First, our lust draws us away from God then we yield to Satan’s enticements to sin. Thus, in dealing with sin, we need to address it at two levels – from within and from without. First, temptation draws us away from God. Then once we are away from Him, then Satan entices us at a vulnerable point. As we come under attack at two points so we must deal with it at two points:
1) by forsaking sin and
2) by embracing fellowship with God.
Ultimately, we cannot blame God for our sin nor can we blame Satan; we must blame ourselves. Victim mentality always shifts blame to something or someone else.
Published on
July 25, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed”
Rather than blaming God for our sin (v.13), we must face the fact that sin comes from self (v.14).But each one is tempted
Temptation comes from the self, not God. Temptation comes when we allow our lusts to lead and entice us. There is no temptation without something within that is a catalyst for it.
“But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:17-25).
The Greek tense of the words “is tempted” refer to repeated temptations. There is no final victory over sin until we meet the Saviour face to face.
Temptation comes from a duo of sources:
1) from something within and
2) from something without.
Temptation is both internal and external. When temptation comes from within, it is lust; when temptation comes from without, it is lure.
“Each one” indicates the universality of temptation. No one is immune and there are no exceptions.
when he is drawn away
First, temptation comes from within – “drawn away by his own desires.” We would not succumb to temptation if there were no desire or capacity for the temptation. Inner desires propel us into sin. God did not put our sin capacity out of commission when we became Christians. That will happen when we meet the Saviour face to face. Jesus judicially defeated it on the cross but He will wipe it out of existence when we meet Him in Heaven.
The words “drawn away” mean to lure away, to pull out, to drag. Secular Greek used this word for animals lured into traps. The idea is to be lured away from a standard by lust. Temptation traps us by our own desire.
by his own desires
The word “by” in the Greek conveys the true source [agent] of our sin. The cause of sin lies in our own breast – from our sin capacity. As a seductive woman allures a man [or vice versa], so our sin capacity allures us from loving God and keeping a close relationship to Him. Our desires capture us and imprison us in them. The word “own” indicates that the nature of a lust pattern for each individual is different. One individual’s lust is another person’s aversion. Some of us would never be tempted to homosexuality because it is so repulsive to us yet others face this as a real temptation.
The word “desires” refers to strong lust to get something. Temptation primarily comes from a traitor within, not Satan or circumstances. “I have met the enemy and it is me.”
Principle:
Sin begins in the heart.
Application:
Sin begins in the heart. The true source of temptation is in the self – our sin capacity. Everyone, non-Christian and Christian, has a capacity, a proclivity toward evil. We can trace all acts of sin back to our sin capacity.
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?” ( Jeremiah 17: 9)
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
There is a depravity within that will drag us down if we let it. If we let it loose, we will develop compulsions that will gain even further control over us. Sin is always attractive, pleasurable and powerful. It deceives us because we always pay a price for sin.
Published on
July 24, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“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”
for God cannot be tempted by evil,
God is incapable of being tempted by anything or anyone. He cannot be tempted because He is absolute in His nature. Sin does not appeal to anything in the capacity of God. He has no vulnerability to sin.
Genesis 22:1 says that God tempted Abraham but the tempting there is proving rather than tempting. On another occasion the Israelites tempted God at Meribah by their unbelief. They tried his patience but they did not solicit Him to evil.
We cannot indict God for anything. Since God is absolutely free from the power of being solicited to evil, this precludes the possibility of Him tempting others.
nor does He Himself tempt anyone
God does not directly tempt anyone but He does allow us to be tempted. It would be evil for an absolute God to solicit people to sin. God cannot champion for others what is adverse to His character.
2 Samuel 2:1 appears to contradict the idea that God does not tempt anyone. However, the parallel passage, 1 Chronicles 21:1, says that Satan did it. The idea is that God allowed Satan to tempt David.
“Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah’” (2 Samuel 24:1).”Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1).
Principle:
It is not a sin to be tempted but it is a sin to yield to temptation.
Application:
No one can avoid temptation. It is not a sin to be tempted. The Devil tempted the Lord Himself (Matthew 4:1). It is not a sin to be tempted but it is a sin to yield to temptation. We cannot keep the birds from flying around our heads but we can keep them from making a nest in our hair!
Published on
July 23, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“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”
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”;
Out of trials come temptations. Trials come from God but temptations do not originate in Him.
We tend to cast blame on God for our sin. In this we avoid taking the blame ourselves. This is an attempt to manipulate God. We love to blame our environment, our genes, our tradition or even God Himself. All of this is the problem of transference. We want to transfer our responsibility to someone else. There is nothing in the character of God where we can cast blame.
Adam attempted to blame Eve for his sin. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. There is no place for “The Devil made me do it” attitude.
“Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’ And the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate’” (Genesis 3:12-13).
God did not design the tree in the garden as a point of solicitation to evil but as a point of testing or proving their faith. God is not the direct agent of temptation. The word “by” indicates that God is the indirect agent. God is not even indirectly accountable for soliciting us to evil. God tests us to approve us; He never tempts us to lure us into evil.
Principle:
There is a tendency in us to find excuses for our sin.
Application:
It is difficult for us to bear responsibility for our sin so we try to shift the blame to someone else or even to God. We make excuses for sin because we want to justify ourselves in the face of the facts.
Christians should not blame heredity, circumstance, our genes or the cultural situation. We take responsibility for our acts. We do not say, “God put me into these circumstances so it is His fault that I am in this situation.” The first tendency of the spiritually minded Christian is not to exonerate self but to accept responsibility for sin. It is hard to say to God, “I was sinfully angry with my wife.”
Published on
July 22, 2000 in
James.
Read Introduction to James
“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”
who love Him
The motivation of those who undergo trials is love for God. Their love carries them through the trial. There is a clear connection between our love for God and our willingness to persevere under trial. Love keeps the bond of love strong, not superficial affection. We love God for who He is, not for what we want Him to be.
God gives His crown to those who love Him. The Greek conveys this idea: “to those loving Him.” God does not reward those who on occasion love Him but those who love Him with continuity. These are people who love Him under any situation and until the end of their lives.
Principle:
Perseverance under trial is proof of a living and dynamic faith.
Application:
Those who love the Lord persevere through trial. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). If we do not love Him, we operate under a curse (1 Corinthians 16:22).
