Title: Who Did This to Me?

Text: James 1:12-15

FCF: We often struggle wanting to blame shift when we experience temptation.

Prop: Because God isn’t the problem, we are, we must not say when we are tempted that God tempted us.

Scripture Intro: CSB

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 1.

James is in the midst of sharing with his audience some ways their faith may be lacking. Ways that they still need to be perfected through trial.

First, he suggested that perhaps they lacked wisdom. Since wisdom from God is integral to being able to grow in faith, perhaps that is one area in which they lack. If they do – and their faith is genuine – they must simply ask believing that God is a good Father and He will give it to them.

Second, he begins a larger discussion about perspective. Perhaps they are lacking in that their perspective has shifted to a view of the world that is out of step with the way God sees the world. The first of these perspective problems might be in how they view earthly wealth and status. Last week James pointed out that earthly wealth and status is nothing in the Kingdom of God. To the extent that when that great Kingdom arrives, all the earthly wealth and status that you have – or do not have – will be completely irrelevant. The solution then, is to turn your eyes toward the Kingdom of God. As a poor person on earth – they must glory in their wealth in Christ. And as a rich person on earth they must glory in their spiritual poverty without Christ.

Today, James is still dealing with their lack of the proper perspective. But with verse 12 he makes a distinct break from the last point to introduce two more points that I would call sister points. Both perspectives that may need adjusting deal with both the nature of God and the nature of man. The first that we will cover today will deal with temptation and sin and the second that we will deal with next week will have to do with the human condition and God’s sovereign generosity. We’ll see next week how some of what we discuss this week will bleed over into that topic -but let’s not go down that road just yet.

So, let’s look at the text this morning. I am in James 1 and I’ll begin reading in verse 12. I’ll be reading from the CSB again this week but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Ok. Lot’s to get to today, so let’s dive in.

I.) God never tempts us to sin for he is untouched by evil, so we must not say when we are tempted that God tempted us. (12-13)

a. [Slide 2] 12 – Blessed

i. To be blessed is to be given fortune, happiness, or favor.

ii. In a very real way we could say that to be blessed is the aftermath of receiving God’s grace.

iii. In our current culture to be blessed is to be fortunate because of some financial or materialistic benefit we have inherited.

iv. This is not a wrong way to use the word, especially if someone is using it of God’s common grace to give good things, even physical things, to all people.

v. However, when Jesus uses the word blessed, as when James uses the word blessed, it takes on a particularly spiritual meaning.

vi. Such a person has been given special grace of God receiving power, passion, or help from the Lord in order to do something.

vii. The result of that is the fortunate or happy state the person finds themselves in – having been propelled by the Lord beyond the point that their human effort could take them or even would want to take them.

viii. We see this most clearly in the sermon on the mount where Jesus begins several statements with the word “blessed” but finishes the statement with paradoxical endings of people who clearly should not be happy but because of some spiritual reality the paradox stands.

ix. We should read this passage in a similar light. There is a redemptive tone here, much like in the sermon on the mount. And also, there is a paradox that follows this word. Blessed…

b. [Slide 3] Is the one who endures trials

i. And there it is.

ii. Happiness and fortune would not be first on the list of responses when we are called to endure trials.

iii. The word “trials” is again the broadest possible application of the word.

iv. What I mean by that is that this includes not only sickness, heartache, persecution, and ridicule but also temptation and battles with our flesh and with other people.

v. Enduring through to the other side of these things means we are blessed.

vi. But why?

c. [Slide 4] Because when he has stood the test

i. This statement sharpens the concept of those who endure testings.

ii. The word for “test” here is the same word from verse 3. This is not the word for trials, temptations, but the word we translated last time as proving. This is a word of authentication and purification.

iii. In other words, it is those who endure testings to the end of the authentication and purification process. It is those who have had their faith proven to the point that they arrive at verse 4 having been completed and lacking nothing.

iv. Well, what is the promise for the one who endures his proving to the end.

d. [Slide 5] He will receive the crown of life

i. Pastors have been guilty in the past of venturing off into a grand discussion of all the crowns the bible lists for us and what we must do to earn them.

ii. But two questions need to be asked here.

iii. First, is this crown an actual crown or is this metaphorical language?

iv. Second, are we really earning it?

v. As to the first question, since James is writing to Jews and not Gentiles, the Pauline use of the word to refer to the Olympic games and the wreath that would go to the victor would, perhaps, be a bit of a stretch. Such an image would not connect readily with Jewish believers.

vi. However, the crown of a person’s head for a Jew would still convey honor and glory.

vii. And so, to be crowned with life would be a life of honor and glory.

viii. More likely then, this is not referring to a literal crown but rather a crowing with life at the end of all life’s tests.

ix. As for the second question – the fact that they receive their crowning of life after their gifted faith is proven to be genuine, indicates that this is not given BECAUSE they stood the test but simply AFTER they stood the test.

x. Standing the test is the finish line. And those who do not stand the test, do not finish and do not receive the crown.

e. [Slide 6] That God has promised to those who love Him.

i. Our findings are confirmed when read these words.

ii. The origin of the crown of life is in the promise of God.

iii. God has promised – to all those who love Him – a crowning with life eternal.

iv. Again, it is not in the loving that we are awarded life eternal. Rather it is the evidence of loving Him that confirms our inheritance in the promise.

v. Why?

vi. Because we only love Him because He first loved us. If God did not love us first, we would not love Him. If God did not give us faith, we would not believe. If God did not bring us to life we could never receive faith from Him.

vii. And so, James communicates a similar concept to verse 4 here in verse 12 – that testings when endured proves we have genuine faith and that faith completes us unto life and life eternal.

viii. But why does James repeat this concept? Is this a bookend?

ix. I don’t think so. Instead, I think he is purposefully bringing his audience back to the subject at hand.

x. Not that he ever left – but he wants to be sure that where they go next is linked to what he said in verses 2-4.

xi. So where does he go next?

f. [Slide 7] 13 – No one undergoing a trial

i. Although the CSB does translate this “trial”, it does not translate this word as “tempted.” And that is exactly what we need to avoid.

ii. It is difficult to know exactly how broad to use this word. Up to this point in the text, there has been no need to confine testings to either of its extreme meanings which are trials of hardship or temptations to sin.

iii. The very next time this word is used it has an obvious intended meaning. But contextually it seems like we should leave this broad for now.

iv. Another point to understand which is not clear in the CSB is that this testing is coming from an outside source.

v. Other translations say “let no one say when he is tempted” or “when you are being tempted”

vi. This passive voice indicates at very least that the action is being emphasized over the subject doing the action. But in Jewish writing especially, when the passive voice is used it is often suggesting a outside agent doing the action and that agent is usually God. It is a concept called “The Divine Passive.”

vii. We’ve seen this in the context going all the way back to verse 4. God is the one who providentially brings testings on His people.

viii. I think that is James’ exact meaning based on where he goes next.

ix. James suggests caution.

x. No one who has been providentially brought into a test by God…

g. [Slide 8] Should say, “I am being tempted by God,”

i. Here is the only command in this text.

ii. No one should say and if they should not say it, they should not think it, and if they should not think it they should not believe it, and if they should not believe it then it most certainly is NOT true that…

iii. God is tempting him.

iv. The word here is the same broad word for testings – but given the context that follows we must translate this a tempt and not simply test. James is making a context-clear use of this word.

v. In other words, if in the midst of a test which God arranged for us, we experience temptation to violate God’s laws – NO ONE should say that such a temptation’s origin was with God.

vi. Just because He leads them into a test, even if that test is specifically for them to be tempted, it does not mean he is the one actually doing the tempting.

vii. But why must we not say that God tempted us?

h. [Slide 9] Since God is not tempted by evil,

i. To tempt another to go against the moral will of God is an act of evil.

ii. To encourage others to sin is itself an act of sin.

iii. God has never experienced the slightest inclination to draw away or entice any creature to violate His own will.

iv. Why?

v. Because He has never been and never will be tempted by evil at all.

vi. Evil and God are diametrically opposed. Not as two equal forces in the world, but because God is Good, meaning He defines what is good– He also, by default, defines what is evil.

vii. Good being defined by God’s character means that God could never be tempted with Evil for Evil is, quite simply, what God is NOT.

viii. Oil could never be tempted to be mixed with water. It is impossible down to the chemical components of the two substances that oil could ever be water or vice versa.

ix. Magnets of the same polarity will never be attracted to each other. No matter how close you shove them, they will never gravitate to one another. And the more powerful the magnet the more force required to even try to get them close.

x. These two, crude examples paint a picture for us with things we can understand to help us as we attempt to grasp God which we cannot understand. God’s goodness is magnetically, chemically, it is ultimately and wholly opposed to evil.

xi. To the extent that Evil could never get close enough to God to tempt Him.

xii. The closest this came was in the wilderness when a tired, hungry, sleep deprived Jesus, whose human nature was at its weakest, was tempted by the master deceiver. Satan gave three of his best shots across the bow of the God-Man, and JESUS DID NOT FLINCH.

xiii. After the last temptation He commanded the devil to BE GONE!

xiv. We dare not suggest that God is the tempter of any of us. For God to even consider a thing like that – would mean He was not God.

xv. The conclusion then, is inevitable.

i. [Slide 10] And He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.

i. There is no other conclusion that we could reach.

ii. If God is not tempted to do evil, and tempting others to do evil is in itself evil, then logically – God CAN not and further DOES not tempt anyone.

iii. God never tempts us. His very nature and character could never allow this to occur.

iv. He certainly may lead us into times of testings where we will be tempted. He may even lead us into times of testings so that we will be tempted.

v. But in our testings one thing we must NEVER do, is to say He has tempted us. Such a statement is blasphemy.

j. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: James insists that God, although being the providential author of every test we face in this life, although in those tests we may be tempted to sin, although those tests may be intended for us to grapple with temptation, He is NEVER the one who tempts us because Evil is not able to touch Him and therefore He tempts no one.

k. Passage Application: With all this truth of God’s character and works, James’ audience is given a strong negative command. They are commanded to NOT say God has tempted them. Such an act would be pure blasphemy.

l. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: But is all this true? Does the bible as a whole teach us that although God is the providential author of every test we face including temptations to sin, that He is still not tempted by evil or the tempter of any of us? Well, next week we will focus on God’s providence in arranging all our tests, even the ones in which we are tempted to sin. Such a conclusion is inescapable in this text. It is the very reason we are tempted to call God our tempter because we recognize that He put us in a spot where we are being tempted. But focusing on the latter half of all this – the bible clearly teaches that God and evil are absolutely separate. We see it as early as the 3rd chapter of Genesis where the first two beings created in God’s image are cast out of His Garden and told never to return. We see it in the threat of God to bring death upon Adam for sinning. We see it in the spiritual death that comes upon all men at their conception. And because spiritual death reigns over men, physical death becomes the pit to fall into eternal death. But we see God’s hatred of evil most at the cross. Where God the Father forsook the Son, pouring His wrath upon Him for the sins of His people. And we will see it one day when He casts sin, death, hell, and all the wicked into the lake that burns forever which is the second death. God cannot tempt us… For evil cannot touch God. He is beyond its reach.

m. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be very careful when we experience testings of all kinds, that we do not do as Adam and Eve did in the garden. This woman that you made for me convinced me to eat. This serpent that you created deceived me so I ate. Although true that God providentially allowed the serpent to go into the garden and tempt Adam and Eve – although He could have stopped this from happening altogether – He did not – but He was not the tempter. Indeed, He was the Savior. He killed an animal in their place and clothed them with its skin, and gave them a promise of His Son.

Transition:

[Slide 13(blank)] If not God, then who? Who is responsible for our temptings? Who do we have to blame for the pull of our hearts to sin? Whoever they be, let them be crucified yes?

II.) We are tempted by our own evil lusts, so we must not say when we are tempted that God tempted us. (14-15)

a. [Slide 14] 14 – But each person

i. Certainly, in the context of James’ writing we could limit this “every” to Jewish Christians.

ii. But when we look across the context here and even to the New Testament as a whole it becomes obvious that this is the human condition to which James is referring.

iii. This is not unique to Jewish Christians and it isn’t even unique to Christians.

iv. This is the plight of all mankind.

v. EVERYONE…

b. [Slide 15] Is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed

i. Here James again deemphasizes the subject by using passive voice in these participles.

ii. Meaning that the agent who is responsible for us being drawn away and enticed is not yet readily apparent.

iii. To be drawn away has the idea of being dragged or led by force

iv. And enticed has the idea of luring or bait.

v. Thus, the temptation that comes upon us seems to make us the prey. We are the victim.

vi. We are being hunted.

vii. But by what?

c. [Slide 16] By his own evil desire.

i. How is that for a reversal?

ii. We are being hunted by our own evil desires? We are being lured or baited by our own lusts? We are being dragged off by our own evil passions?

iii. Yes.

iv. Not only can we not blame God when we are tempted in a trial, we can also not blame any person or outside entity for our temptation either.

v. But systematic thinkers will immediately take issue with James here.

vi. Don’t we have an outside tempter? Do we not have an outside agent that draws us away? Are we not shot at with fiery darts from the wicked one?

vii. James isn’t denying that at all. In fact, James will later call on his readers to resist the Devil after submitting themselves to God.

viii. James’ point is, however, that we have no one to blame but ourselves. Certainly, Satan tempts us – but since the fall there has never been a human being tempted by Satan that is not predisposed to come along easily and merrily.

ix. And if a victim is willing – well, they are no longer victims are they?

x. We must then strike the balance between both extremes.

xi. We cannot be so foolish as to dismiss Satan’s part in pursuing and roaring after us, attempting to take us down or severely wound us.

xii. But on the other side, we cannot say with the comedian, “The devil made me do it.” For such would be a lie… and a flimsy one at that.

xiii. The Devil’s power over us would be all but defeated if he didn’t have so much to work with when weaving together temptations. He knows just what buttons to press. They are well worn and oftentimes we make sure they are easily accessible.

xiv. But even now, James has not left the realm of temptation.

xv. Temptation to sin is not sin itself.

xvi. So how do we go from temptation to actually sinning?

d. [Slide 17] 15 – Then after desire has conceived,

i. So, our own lusts bait, lure, and offer to lead us away from righteousness.

ii. That baiting or luring is the source of our temptation – whether or not there is an outside contributor.

iii. But when those baits begin to actually draw us away, when that lure captures our attention like a fish watching closely the bobber going up and down. When we do not resist and when we do not reject its pull, then our desires have conceived.

iv. James uses birth language to speak of a particularly terrible family.

v. Our evil desires within us are a mother. And when we are drawn away by our evil desires, those desires conceive. They become pregnant.

vi. But what is the offspring? What if our unresisted evil desires remain unresisted…

e. [Slide 18] It gives birth to sin,

i. The mother of our evil desires, when not kept in check, conceives. And when she conceives and goes to term – she gives birth to sin.

ii. It is in this time after we have not resisted our evil desires and continue to entertain them and pursue them that temptation finally gives birth to sin.

iii. Even failing to resist our temptations at first does not necessarily lead to sin.

iv. Being tempted to steal a candy bar to the point that you reach out your hand to pick it up, has sin been born? I think not. But certainly, sin would be born when you eat it having not paid for it… yes? But there are small movements, small steps that still may not yet be sin.

v. This isn’t true of every sin. Some sins a single step is too many. As Christ tells us hatred is murder and lust is adultery. Such sins we need not carry all the way to their ending to have completed them in our minds.

vi. But one thing is true of all sin. If we do not resist and reject these evil desires quickly, they only become more and more difficult to deny.

vii. Eventually we will succumb to sin.

viii. So, our evil desires are the mother and its child is sin. But our evil desires are a grandmother as well. Not only producing sin if we allow it – but…

f. [Slide 19] And when sin is fully grown,

i. Here we see another failed attempt to reject and to repent.

ii. When sin is allowed to fester and continue in our lives, without repentance, without turning back, without confession and forsaking… when a professing believer is comfortable allowing sin to continue in their lives without correction…

iii. What is the outcome?

iv. What does sin give birth to?

g. [Slide 20] It gives birth to death.

i. It doesn’t matter what prayer you’ve prayed.

ii. It doesn’t matter what decision you’ve made.

iii. It doesn’t matter if you believe Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross for your sins and was raised again the third day and is coming again.

iv. It doesn’t matter whether you attend church, partake in the sacraments, read your bible, never drink, smoke, chew or run with those who do…

v. If you go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin for you. All you have is a terrifying expectation of judgment and death.

vi. And if you are arguing with me on that last statement – I am quoting from Hebrews 10:26-27. You are arguing with God – not me.

vii. Sin gives birth to death. If you allow sin to go unchecked in your life. If you go on sinning thinking, “well I said a prayer. God saved me. He will forgive me.” You are woefully and pitifully deceived.

viii. Raw belief… raw confession… devoid of a repulsion of sin… is not belief that saves you. The Christ you are confessing as a Savior only… if He is not also Lord – He is not Savior either.

ix. And so, we see the second reason it is blasphemy to say that God is the one who tempts us.

x. Why is it so great a blasphemy to accuse God of tempting us? Not only is it not in His character and nature… but friend… as you point your finger accusing God, there are three fingers, three little witnesses pointing back to identify the true mother of your sin.

h. [Slide 21] Passage Truth: James asserts that God although the providential author of each of our tests is never the author of our temptations. He says this with confidence because the true author of our temptations are our own evil lusts within us.

i. Passage Application: So, James’ audience must not say that God is the one tempting them.

j. [Slide 22] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true in the rest of scripture? Does the bible as a whole teach us that we are the culprits of our own temptation? From the garden we see the commentary by Moses on the temptation of Eve. Certainly, she had an outside tempter. But what is said after the temptation was done? She looked at the fruit and saw that it was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and able to make her wise. My friends this is her lusts in the process of being drawn away. I am reminded of the historical account of Nathan the prophet where he crafted a story about a rich man with many sheep who stole a sheep from a man who only had one. David was so incensed by this that he demanded to know who the man was so he could give him the full weight of the law. Nathan, pointing to David said, “You are the man.” My friends, in our attempt to find fault with God for leading us into a situation whereby we are tempted, as we accuse Him of tempting us… He points His finger back and says YOU are the man. YOU are the woman. YOU have tempted yourself. And Jesus said that defilement does not come from without but from within. A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit or a bad tree good fruit. What is within us already defiles us. We produce what we are.

k. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, no matter what trial or test we find ourselves in – we will be tempted to forsake what God has said. But in the midst of that temptation, while enduring the test of our faith and striving for the finish line so that we may be given the crown of life, may we not for one moment blaspheme our God. May we not accuse Him of tempting us. For our temptation is from within. I am the man. You are the man. You are the woman.

Conclusion:

[Slide 23] So, CBC, what have we been taught today by James? Well James, through a negative command, has corrected our perspective on God and on ourselves.

We have learned that although God providentially authors every test we face, even those designed to tempt us, God is never the one who tempts us because He is never tempted by evil.

In fact, in attempting to identify the culprit of our temptations we must look no further to our own lusts and passions that lure us and draw us away from God’s will and ways. We are the ones to blame.

With all this as the backdrop – what must we never do?

We must never accuse God of tempting us.

In what situations may we find ourselves where we may desire to blaspheme God in such a way?

In times of sorrow, deep despair and loss – we may be tempted to spiral into deep depression, refusing to consider even such a trial as joy. We may be tempted to doubt that God is working in this particular situation to grow us. And in the midst of that we may cry out to God and say something like “You brought me here to toy with me! You are taking everything I hold dear out of spite! If you had left my family alone, I wouldn’t be here! “ And so we have gone too far. We have accused God of sinful motives and simultaneously have assumed that we have none of the blame.

In times of persecution, we could be tempted to retaliate and to return evil for evil. We might be tempted to steal, harm, or even kill to get even or to simply survive. And in the midst of that we cry out to God “You did this to me! How can you expect me to follow your law when you have put me in this place! You want me to fail You don’t you!” And we have blasphemed… for God never tempts us.

And certainly, and more obviously in times of temptation. When that very attractive woman starts working at your job. And for some reason you can’t quite get her out of your head. You might say to God “Why did you bring this seductress to me. You know my wife and I are doing great! Do you want me to lust all the time!” We were not drawn to these thoughts by God but by our own desires.

We are coming up on tax season. Many of us will be tempted to fudge the numbers just a little so we can stay ahead. And we might say “If you hadn’t put your judgment on this nation and raised inflation, I wouldn’t be in this mess. You are the one who allowed that thought to come into my head to cheat on my taxes! Why haven’t you given me a better job yet!”

Many times our perspective of God and of ourselves is consistently wrong. We see God a lot like a human. And we see ourselves a lot like God. And when we are put in various tests that put us through the wringer, we may be tempted with a great many ungodly reactions. And in the midst of those temptations we may forget that those temptations have arisen from within us. We may even forget that God is Good.

My friends we are going to be tested. I think we are keenly aware of this even more after the events of this week. We need to make sure that our perspectives are correct. Our flesh is weak… but we serve a Good God who loves us and desires for us to be perfected so that He may crown us with eternal life when we have finally reached the end of our tests. May we keep these things straight in our hearts so we will not be guilty of blaspheming the Lord.