Scripture: James 1:13-18
Speaker: Patrick Bowman
Short Background of James
- The Epistle of James may be the earliest book of the NT, possibly written in the mid-40s, though scholarly opinion varies. The author, dubbed James “the Just” for his holiness and faithfulness to the law, was a pillar of the Jerusalem church and a relative of Jesus. He considers himself a servant of God and Christ and addresses his letter to the twelve tribes scattered abroad; the recipients were therefore Jewish Christians who likely met in various synagogues. This would mean that the letter was circulated in different communities, read and passed on as needed. Many of the addressees are poor and had suffered various trials at the hands of the rich. A number of themes are present in the epistle (faith and works, joyful endurance in trials, control of the tongue and proper speech, the cultivation of godly wisdom, etc.), but perhaps central to the book is the call to spiritual wholeness, as opposed to attempting to serve the world and God simultaneously (chap 4). James, it may be noted, suffered martyrdom around the year AD 62.
- Sermon Synopsis
- James points out that God is not the source of temptation (v. 13 is a command for people to abandon such thinking). God does test us (see Gen. 22 with Abraham) in hopes of strengthening our faith, but he does not entice us to evil. The allure of sin, rather, comes not from without but from within: our desires lead to evil and, ultimately, to death (vv. 14-15). This process highlights the deceitfulness of sin, which promises pleasure but ends in our demise, and ends with a need for someone untouched by sin to come and save us. Thankfully, we have a God who chooses (v. 18) to bring condemned sinners to life through the word of truth (v. 18). We must, therefore, abandon the notion of blaming God for sin, acknowledging instead that he “every good and every perfect gift” comes from him.
Listen to the sermon:
- James points out that God is not the source of temptation (v. 13 is a command for people to abandon such thinking). God does test us (see Gen. 22 with Abraham) in hopes of strengthening our faith, but he does not entice us to evil. The allure of sin, rather, comes not from without but from within: our desires lead to evil and, ultimately, to death (vv. 14-15). This process highlights the deceitfulness of sin, which promises pleasure but ends in our demise, and ends with a need for someone untouched by sin to come and save us. Thankfully, we have a God who chooses (v. 18) to bring condemned sinners to life through the word of truth (v. 18). We must, therefore, abandon the notion of blaming God for sin, acknowledging instead that he “every good and every perfect gift” comes from him.