“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”-{James 1:14-15}
The sentence begins with “But” as means of contrast. In the previous verse regarding temptation, some wanted to blame God for the temptation to sin. Blame-shifting. In other words it’s not my fault it’s God’s fault! Just like Adam wanted to shift the blame off of himself and ultimately unto God when he was confronted by God regarding his disobedience to the Word of God when he said, “The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”-{Genesis 3:12}. It was God’s fault because He gave him Eve… so he does all he can to put distance between him and his sin. He does not want to take personal responsibility and blame others, Eve and ultimately God. for if He had not given him Eve, this would not have happened! He would not have been put in this position. The blame-shifting can be extensive all to protect himself as we also do at times. Anyone else’s fault but mine!
James says God cannot be tempted because of His nature and He does not tempt anyone to son as that is not in alignment with His character. There is nothing in God that sin finds acceptance, delight or desire in! It is not in His nature. He is impenetrable to the solicitations of evil. Well if not God then who is to blame?
James answers this by saying “But” or “rather” here is the real reason why;
“Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”
Note the blame is laid squarely at the feet of the one who chooses to yield to sin.”Each one…” Note it is not God, the devil, others but self is responsible! So as James says in verse 13,” stop blaming God!”
“Each one…” without exception, no matter age, sex, color of skin, educational ability or lack, rich, poor, no stage or state of life is exempt from responsibility for one’s own sin. “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. “-{Ezekiel 18:20}. In other words each person is responsible for their own sin! Stop blaming God and take personal responsibility for your own yielding to sin, is what we all are to do. “It is me. I am responsible. I choose to yield to sin. I desired it more than His Name and Fame. I chose myself over the Savior in the temptation. I rejected him and His Word to help me!”-{Read 1 Cor 10:13}. Each of us is drawn away by our own what? “Lust!” I remember trying to explain sin to my youngest son when he was very young. We were out driving. He thought a while and then said,…
“It’s an inside job!”
That’s correct there is something in me that is enticed, desires something that God forbids, or is legitimate but goes about getting it in a morally wrong way. Sin is an “inside job!”
“But” the fact is there is no one who is continually tempted, be they various types who is not enticed drawn away from obeying the LORD and instead choosing to yield to sin for which Christ does to deliver us from that is not enticed by his or her what? Lust!
“Carried away…” {dragged away}… It is a participle and is a “hunting” term. It is used of luring an animal into a trap. The verb means to be drawn by an inward power, something within them it means to be led, compelled, impelled, lured into a trap. Lured and caught!
“Enticed” {Deleazomenos} is a “fishing” term. Literally means to capture or catch and it’s literal use was to catch a fish with bait! To put something on a hook and catch! The purpose of a lure or putting something on a hook to go fishing is to catch a fish! The purpose of the temptation to you, me and everyone is to entice us, fish with the intent to capture us through yielding to sin! The Greek word translated “entice” means – to catch a fish with bait!
The problem is we are tempted and we fool with it and are interested and deceived by it’s promises and choose to yield and are entrapped and caught like an animal in a trap or a fish on the end of a bait and are caught, entrapped, in sin! And It is our fault…alone! We chose to give the temptation on time in our mind and we are the one who gave our emmotions to it and we are the who yielded our will so as we chose it and in doing so rejected God, His Word and Wisdom imparted from it and instead of fleeing temptation pursued after it and ended up a captive to…sin!
Think about it, the reason animals and fish are hunted and captured is because of the allurement, enticement of the trap or bait. There is something in them that is attracts their attention to the end they feel they must have it and in the end it has them, CAPTURED, TRAPPED! They only see the bait not the hook behind it which causes immense pain. So with sin, it finds something in us to attract us and if not resisted and renounced and replaced with a higher allegiance to the LORD Jesus then we choose the temptation believing it will satisfy us when indeed it appeals to do so but places us in bondage, enslaves!
Whose fault is it? God’s ? No. satan? no, he can as it were set the trap and make it appealing and bait the hook so as it is desirable, but no, it is not his fault. The world system that opposes God, they too can entice with all kinds of promises and rewards and set the trap and bait the hook but they cannot make you enter the trap or take the bait, no they are not responsible. Who then? You and me when we choose to do so and what causes each of us to do so? James tells us it is because of the “lust” within each of us! Note it says “his OWN lust.” Each of us with our own particular bent toward a lust for something even someone, are the ones responsible. “His own lust” speaks about each individual has a particular drawing, attraction to certain things.Some lusts may repulse us and we would never go near them, other things we give attention to perhaps, each has his or her own weakness in this area which must be guarded and understood that we must fear only ourselves in this area. We can be tempted and temptation is not sin, only when we choose to yield to it is it sin!
“Lust“-{Epithumia}. It means the desire of the soul, a strong passion. The problem as my little boy so eloquently put it is that it is an “Inside job.” It is the traitor within us is the problem not the tempter without, no matter who or what that form comes in. For example the church in Corinth was in a place where sexual sin was rampant and this is where they are warned against it. it was cultural, the norm. But “in Christ” was a new relationship, power to choose His way and not submit to the temptation of the culture. All around us are temptations of the culture whatever they may be and we as His people need to renew our minds so as to align ourselves up with Him and live loving Him which is the first and greatest commandment and is evidenced by living in obedience to His Word.{Read Romans 12:2; Phil 4:8; Luke 10:27; John 14:21}.
We are new creatures “In Christ” but we still have an enemy within us the passion of lust, and by saying lust I am not speaking of sexual lust only. For indeed sex is good within the confines of God’s realm for it. It can be the “lust” for power. The “Lust” for recognition, prestige. a high place in leadership in the church. not to serve others but by way of self promotion and recognition. It can be lust for money, materialism. Scripture says God gives the capacity to make wealth. Wealth in itself is not a bad thing, indeed much good can be done with it, and God gives us all things ruchly to enjoy. but when the end is for self satisfaction and the goal at the expense of all others, God included, to achieve it by any means then the lust for it is not good, God honoring. “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”-{1 Timothy 6:10} Indeed Paul says, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”. But when the “love of money” which Paul says in 1 Timothy 3 will characterize people more and more in the last days rather than Lovers of God then the trap has been set and the bait has been successful then the “lust” has led to captivity, bondage, pain. It does not do what it advertises. It promises, pleasure freedom and ends up imparting guilt, bondage and pain!
Lust can come in many ways and forms, but in yielding to it brings about sin.
James says “Stop blaming God”- {v13} and start taking personal responsibility for your own sin! Start watching and guarding your own heart knowing you are not so “spiritual” that you cannot be tempted in certain areas, that you are beyond temptation to yield to sin. But know if you do, you and you alone are responsible as am I !
How can we be wise and not succumb to the temptation?
” Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. “-{James 1:16-18}
- Don’t be deceived. Stop blaming God, take responsibility. Know the traitor within is the problem, not others, not God!
- Know God gives good gifts, not things that would enslave but liberate you. Why gab for thing, pursue things that will ensnare, bait you, hook you and seek to hurt you when God;s gifts are good because HE IS good!
- Acquaint yourself with God, His character. He is Creator and Gives every good and perfect gift, therefore don’t yield to those things that are not good from His perspective, or in the way He provides them in His time. Know HE does not change, He will never tempt you to sin or put you in a place that the only way out is to sin against Him. {Read 1 Cor 1o:13}
- We are new Creatures in Him with new Power and precious and magnificent promises to live by -{Read 2 Peter 1:3-4}. We have access to God through Prayer, we have His indwelling Holy Spirit to enlighten and empower us and we have His Word to guide us, all of these are part of HIS GOOD Gifts to us!
WHEN TEMPTATION COMES ASK YOURSELF,
“WHAT WILL THIS COST ME? WHAT WILL I HAVE TO GIVE UP TO OBTAIN IT?
” Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. “-{James 1:16-18}