Weighty Matters: Trials and Temptations

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers." (James 1:12-16, ESV)

Before James leaves the subject of facing trials he gives another strong lesson on overcoming. Go back and read James 1:3-4. There he did not say "if" but "when" trails come. We are to count it a joy when they come because they strengthen faith and lead to patience and perseverance, as he has already noted. Now he says the person is "blessed"-happy-who remains steadfast and faithful through trials. The reward will be "the crown of life" to those who love God.

Then James moves to temptation, the urge to sin and fall short of God's expectations. He sought with this teaching to counteract the false teaching that God tempts us. Hear the strong "No, no!" from James on this issue. God would never tempt anyone to do evil. Only good comes from God. Any evil starts first with wrong desire in the mind and heart of the person. Notice the strong verbs: "lured and enticed." This indicates an inviting situation that has an exceedingly strong pull-and that is toward evil. Sin lurks as a heady allurement. But this sort of entrapment is far from holy God and His work. He does no evil, causes no evil, entices not to evil. It is far from His nature to do so. Eugene Peterson in The Message Bible translates James 1:12-16 so clearly that I give his version here: "Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, 'God is trying to trip me up.' God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes form us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. So, my dear friends, don't get thrown off course." The Christian, then, is to practice vigilance and not be lured and enticed into temptation. The consequence of sin is death. But to him who overcomes, both in saying no to temptation and not succumbing to it, and in bearing whatever trials come, he receives victory: the crown of life. This would have been a type of the victor's wreath, won after an athletic match. Paul called this over-coming "fighting a good fight, finishing the race, keeping the faith" (II Timothy 4:7) And when trials come, The Christian is to bear up under them counting it a blessing to suffer because of the love in his heart for the Lord. Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, October12, 2010