James 1:16-18

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 16-18. - The connection of thought with what goes before appears to be this. God cannot be the author of temptation, which thus leads to sin and death, because all good and perfect gifts, and these only, come from him. Verse 16. - Do not err; better, be act deceived; μὴ πλανᾶσθε. The same formula is also found in 1 Corinthians 6:9; 15:83; Galatians 6:7.

 Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Do not err, my beloved brethren. For to make God the author of sin, or to charge him with being concerned in temptation to sin, is a very great error, a fundamental one, which strikes at the nature and being of God, and at the perfection of his holiness: it is a denying of him, and is one of those damnable errors and heresies, which bring upon men swift destruction; and therefore to be guarded against, rejected, and abhorred by all that profess any regard unto him, his name and glory.

Good morning, Friends. Thanks for coming by today. God bless you!

James 1:15

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

The book of James gives us helpful insight into the source of temptation and its progression into sin. Then comes the warning that, left unchecked, “sin . . . brings forth death” (James 1:15, NKJV).

The passage begins with James’ teaching that God is not the source of temptation. God cannot be tempted by evil, and He does not tempt anyone to do evil (James 1:13). It is not God’s will that we sin. Then James explains where temptation actually comes from: “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14–15).

So, temptation occurs when a desire within us receives encouragement to act. The desire itself may not be sinful, but it can “bring forth sin” if acted upon. (Or, in the case of sins of the heart, the desire itself, allowed to linger, is sin. See Matthew 5:27–28.) Temptation is the first stage in the process James describes. Temptation bringing forth sin is the second stage.

The third stage is when sin brings forth death. This happens when sin is “full-grown,” indicating that death may not happen immediately (James 1:15). But it is sure to happen, unless something interrupts the process (see Romans 6:16 and Colossians 2:13).

The “death” James refers to seems to be eternal separation from God in hell. There is a sense in which death can refer to a more immediate, relational separation from God (see Genesis 3:8–10). And, of course, death can also refer to the cessation of physical life. But James’ reference is to sin that runs its full course—its ultimate end is death (see Revelation 21:8).

Sin brings forth death as a natural consequence. Death follows sin as surely as night follows day. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). God is life; rebellion against Him will naturally lead to death. In our natural state, we will reap the consequences of a sinful life: “Death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Sin brings forth death and is the only thing it can bring forth. In Paradise Lost, Book II, John Milton personifies sin as “The Snakie Sorceress that sat / Fast by Hell Gate, and kept the fatal Key.” Her son—she can only have one—is Death, “black . . . as Night, / Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell.” Jesus asked, “Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16), and that principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout Scripture. We cannot expect to sin and receive blessing. If we allow sin to become full-grown, death will follow.

Sin brings forth death as part of the judgment of God. In “the day of God’s wrath, . . . his righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). God keeps account, and His immutable law is that “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, ESV).

James’ purpose in detailing how sin brings forth death is to show that God is not the author of temptation or of sin (James 1:13). Rather, God is the source of life. The contrast is made in James 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” (NKJV). Sin brings forth death, but God brings forth life.

To the eternal praise of His glory, God has halted the process of temptation → sin → death. There is forgiveness available in Christ: “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in Thaheavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:3–8a).

“The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). Temptation may still bring forth sin, but sin, if cancelled by the blood of Christ, will no longer bring forth death. (gotquestions.org)

Hello Friends. Thanks for coming by today. Have a blessed day.

James 1:14

 

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

14. Every man, when tempted, is so through being drawn away of (again here, as in Jas 1:13, the Greek for "of" expresses the actual source, rather than the agent of temptation) his own lust. The cause of sin is in ourselves. Even Satan's suggestions do not endanger us before they are made our own. Each one has his own peculiar (so the Greek) lust, arising from his own temperament and habit. Lust flows from the original birth-sin in man, inherited from Adam.

drawn away—the beginning step in temptation: drawn away from truth and virtue.

enticed—literally, "taken with a bait," as fish are. The further progress: the man allowing himself (as the Greek middle voice implies) to be enticed to evil [Bengel]. "Lust" is here personified as the harlot that allures the man

(Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

My notes: It is better to stay close to our heavenly Father, so as not to be tempted to sin. because each time we sin and do not ask Him for forgiveness, we slip farther and farther away.....

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a blessed day!

James 1:13

 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

James 1:13 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” James then goes on to explain where the temptation to sin actually comes from: “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed” (verse 14).

Earlier in this passage, James explains to believers the purpose for “trials of many kinds” and “the testing of your faith” (James 1:2–3). Trials are an inevitable part of living in a sin-cursed world (John 16:33), and we should welcome tests because they produce perseverance (James 1:3), which can make us “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (verse 4).

The way we respond to trials determines their effect upon us. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). James is not saying that remaining steadfast under trials will result in the crown of life; rather, he is assuring those who have received the crown of life through faith in Christ that they will not be so overwhelmed by trials that they blame God for tempting them to sin. God, who cannot be tempted, tempts no one.

If the trial we face involves an inducement to sin, James says that we should not regard the inducement to sin as coming from God. God does not will anyone to sin, and He does not tempt us to sin. The trial, not the sin, is His aim. Trials are designed to refine us as gold is refined by fire: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6–7).

Unlike human beings, God cannot be tempted to sin because everything about God is the exact opposite of sin. Human beings are born with a sin nature inherited from Adam, and that nature is part of what entices us and drags us away from what is good. God has no sin nature; His nature is holy and righteous. He cannot sin or even be tempted to sin. The enticements that cause us to sin have no effect on God.

There is absolutely nothing in God’s nature that would make Him tend to do wrong, and there can be absolutely nothing offered to Him that would cause Him to do wrong. Internally and externally, God is immune to temptation. It follows, then, that God would not tempt any person to sin and thus make Himself the author of sin. The Holy One will not justify sin or excuse it, and He will not prompt it.

Because of this truth about God—that He cannot be tempted to sin—we can have confidence that the universe is in good hands. God cannot be persuaded, bribed, or in any way swayed from His perfect purpose and plan. He does not vacillate. No matter what, He remains Perfection. (gotquestions.org)

Thank you for coming by, Friends. I pray for you that your day will continue to be blessed!

James 1:12

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

Often when we are suffering through a difficult season, we can’t see the forest for the trees. We lose sight of the bigger picture. James urged us to open our eyes to God’s perspective so we might see the divine purpose behind the trials we face. That is why he wrote, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12, NIV).

The Greek word James chose (makarios), translated as “blessed,” means more than simply being happy or fortunate. It speaks of someone who has been highly favored with grace from God. The adjective describes an inner joy that is undisturbed by outward circumstances because it comes from resting and trusting in the Lord (Romans 15:13). Jesus used the same term repeatedly throughout the Beatitudes to describe the life of a citizen in God’s kingdom (Matthew 5:3–12). This person’s life is blessed and fulfilling because it is lived under the King’s rule and according to His kingdom’s precepts.

The verb perseveres in James 1:12 means “faces and withstands with courage, endures.” James is not saying that experiencing a trial is a blessing in itself. Instead, it is steadfast endurance through the ordeal that brings God’s blessed gift—“the crown of life.” God has reserved an extraordinary blessing for those who serve Him faithfully and suffer for Him (2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 3:11). Jesus Himself promised to give the crown of life to those who suffer persecution “even to the point of death” (Revelation 2:10).

The blessings gained through trials are not only for the distant future but also for the here and now. When we embrace problems from heaven’s viewpoint, we recognize the opportunities for personal growth and spiritual enrichment they can produce in us. Earlier in his letter, James wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2–4, NLT).

The author of Hebrews considered trials God’s way of disciplining us “for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). Discipline is unpleasant, but “later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (verse 11, ESV).

We can persevere through trials with a better, more positive attitude when we keep God’s end goal in view. The apostle Peter offered a similar incentive to persist: “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6–8, NLT).

The apostle Paul encouraged us by example to preserve through trials: “We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us” (2 Corinthians 6:4–7, NLT). With the laser-focused determination of an Olympian athlete, Paul set his sights on the goal of finishing the race and winning the heavenly prize (Philippians 3:12–14; 1 Corinthians 9:24–25; 2 Corinthians 4:8–12; 11:23–27).

As we struggle through hardships, we will do well to remember that “blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.” God is at work in us, imparting strength, character, endurance, and divine graces as He leads us toward the ultimate blessing of the crown of life in our eternal home with Him.  (gotquestions.org)

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a wonderful and blessed day!