The Truth about Sin: Lessons from James 1
Lesson One: Sin is not from God
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 (James 1:13).
God does not tempt his children to sin. In the same chapter of James, verses 2-4 say,
"count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
From these verses we can clearly see that God allows us as his children to go through various trials. Unlike sin which leads to death (v.15), these trials serve as an opportunity to perfect our faith. God has promised us that if we remain steadfast under our trials, we will receive the crown of life (v.12), and we know that God keeps His promises, unlike sin which promises pleasure, but constantly brings sorrow and pain.
Verse 17 of the same chapter says, "Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
God is a good Father who gives good gifts. Sin is not good, sin always wants to be appeased, sin clouds us with guilt and shame, sin isolates. Therefore, sin does not come from God.
Lesson two: Sin comes from our own desires
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires (James 1:14)
We may argue and try to justify why we sin, but the truth is that we sin because we desire to sin. We sin willfully. This is a truth that we are reluctant to admit, but a truth nonetheless. Sin clings so close to us and in order to overcome our desire to sin, we need a much greater and pleasant desire; we need to desire God and His Word more. Verse 21 says, "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." God's word is our shield against sin. God's word is pure, the more we meditate upon it, the more our hearts are guarded from presumptuous sins.
Lesson three: Sin is deadly
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (James 1:15)
James says, "when it (sin) is fully grown it brings forth death," in order for sin to grow, it must be fed. Sometimes we classify our sins as "little sins" and we tend to overlook them, or even think that we can control or manage them. But the truth is that there are no "little sins".
Firstly, God hates sin and He sees sin as sin, no matter how "little" it is in our eyes. Secondly, these "little sins" when they are fed, grow, and as they grow we start to realize that we cannot control or manage them. In their growth, they bring forth death. God warned Adam & Eve against the deadlines of sin, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16). But they disobeyed and ate, and through sin, death entered the world. Sin wants to master us, rule over us and kill us. We need to stop underestimating its destructive power over us. Sin is deadly.
Good News!!
On the cross, Christ defeated sin and death. We are no longer slaves to sin, because the power of sin has been broken. And death has no dominion over us because we are in Christ.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father – Galatians 1:3-4
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. But now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord – Ephesians 4:17 ; 5:8-10
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you : sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator – Colossians 3:5 & 10
