James 1:13-18
Today we pick up our study with verse 13 and this begins a somewhat confusing teaching. I say it is somewhat confusing because it seems to contradict other passages in the Bible. We will examine why it does not.
Verse 13 begins “No one undergoing a trial should say ‘I am being tempted by God'”. Once again we need to see the assumption that we will face trials. We must not say God is tempting us because 1) God is not tempted by evil and 2) God does not tempt anymone.
The first reason is not an issue for us. God is not tempted by evil. Evil tests God’s patience but He is not tempted to succumb to it. It is the second reason that needs more discussion.
Does God tempt people? James says “no” but other verses in the Bible say “yes”. Gen 22:1 speaks of Abraham being tested by God in regard to Issac. Judges 2:22 explicitly says that God tested Israel by leaving the other nations in the Promised Land. Which is it? Does God tempt or doesn’t He?
When we look at the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which the authors of the New Testament were familiar, we see that the same word is being used. It is not an issue of a difference between temptation and testing. The difference is found in the expected outcome. God does not tempt His people so they fail but rather so they will persevere. The KJV rendering of the Judges passage is helpful when it says God seeks to “prove” Israel.
Prove in King James English meant to ascertain a truth by an experiment or to come to a conclusion of the validity of something. God wants His people to succeed and not to fail. When God’s people hold fast to His promises, He is proved faithful and true. The problem is not the trials but our own desires.
In verse 14 we see the real problem is our wants and desires. I like the KJV here where is says our lusts are the problem. The problem begins when we want something contrary to God. What do we do to get our wants? This leads us back to James’ previous discussion of being double-minded.
Verse 15 tells us that what we want consumes us and that consumption leads to sin which ultimately leads to death. It is vital to notice who James does not blame here – Satan. He will acknowledge an indirect role of Satan in chapter 4 but the main culprit is us. When our desires take precedence over those of Jesus it leads to sin and death.
Verses 16 and 17 tell us to no be deceived, anything that is good comes from above. Instead of sending trials to break people God sends us good gifts. These gifts come from the Father of Light – a likely nod towards God as Creator – who is from above, not below. This Father of Light, the Creator, is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Contrast that with our desires. The thing we want most in this world is forgotten tomorrow and something else takes it place.
Verse 18 is a beautiful picture of who our God is and how He views us. “By His own choice”, nobody made God do anything. Nobody made Jesus go to the cross. Nobody make Jesus pay the price for our sins. Nobody made God the Father accept that payment. He did all of this by His own choice.
By His choice He gave us birth by the word of truth. The word of truth is Jesus and it is only through Jesus that we have life and life eternal. Because of this, we are a kind of fristfuit of all creation.
The Israelites gave their first fruits of all they owned. It didn’t matter whether it was livestock or crops or whatever, the Israelites gave the best of what they had to God. Through Jesus we are the best of all God’s creation. Think about all that God made, the furthest reaches of the Universe, the depth of the sea, the angels before the throne, and through Christ you are the firstfruit.
Therefore, we must not give into temptation, thereby lowering ourselves, but to hold firm to the word of truth that He has freely given us. This is why we don’t follow Jesus out of fear of going to Hell. That misses the point of the Gospel. Jesus did not die just so we could avoid Hell but so that we could enjoy life as it was meant to be lived. Because we are the firstfruit of His creatures we should desire to live for Him and not for our own wants and desires.