The Impulse to Sin: Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Impulse to Sin
James 1: 13 – 18.


I. Introduction.

It always seems to happen at the worst possible time. Those dark, unspeakable thoughts move from the back of your mind to the front.

For example, when you are standing at the edge of a bridge or the side of a mountain drop off, you think about falling or jumping off. We all do it. Most people think it, then instinctively take a step backward.

It’s a normal part of being human, to imagine the worst thing that can possibly happen. Then, to imagine it is happening.

Or what about meeting someone for the first time at a dinner party or get-together? Have you ever thought about throwing your glass of water into their face? Or perhaps acting like the Three Stooges and throwing a coconut cream pie.

Or maybe you have a thought running through your head right now to wait until the quietest moment of the church service and yell at the top of your lungs.

I read an article from the New York Times this week (Wednesday, July 7, 2009) about thoughts like these. I was relieved to discover that you have the same dark side that I have. And, I was relieved to learn the reason why we have these inappropriate thoughts. By simply imagining the worst thing we could possibly do, we are actually taking precautions against doing those things.[1]

To imagine inappropriate behavior is completely different from acting inappropriately. Most people will imagine the scene, chuckle to themselves and resist the temptation. But, there are some people who will imagine it and continue to imagine it until they act out their impulses.

These are some pretty dark thoughts. But, they are nothing compared to the dark thoughts Christian people have. We struggle with the same impulses that are common to the rest of the world. The difference is that we recognize these impulses as the temptation to sin. Again, let me remind you that imagining inappropriate behavior is not the same as acting inappropriately. AND, temptation is not the same thing as sin.

A great example of this comes to us from the life of Jesus. Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us that Jesus went into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. Yet, we also read in the book of Hebrews that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin (Hebrews 4: 15 NIV).”

If Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are and was able to live his life without ever sinning, then there must be a difference between temptation and sin. Jesus’ own brother, James, gives us a good theological perspective on this difference.

Read James 1: 13 – 18.

I am going to do something a little differently this morning as we look at this Scripture. I am going to read through the Scripture, a verse at a time, and draw points from each verse.

II. Verse 13…When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…

James begins this passage with a very important word, “when.” It is not a very theological word, but in the context it carries a great theological truth. Notice that he did not say, “If you are ever tempted.” There’s a big difference between “if” and “when.” “If” would sound like a warning for us to avoid temptation. (Of course, it is always a very good idea to avoid places and situations where we know we will be tempted.) But that is not the message James has for us.

James seems to make an assumption that we will all face temptation. This is interesting when we compare this assumption with verse 16, “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.” James is writing these words to Christian men and women, the church! In fact, we can even say that there are two types of people in our worship service this morning: those who are right now struggling with temptation, and those who will face temptation later today.

When you face temptation, do not think that God is the one tempting you. God cannot be tempted, and God cannot tempt. In other words, God is unaffected by evil. On one hand, evil cannot touch God. On the other hand, God cannot be accused of doing evil. This is one of the theological claims which separates Christianity from Islam. In Islam, Allah causes all things to happen—the birth of a child or the death of a child; the miraculous escape of 3,000 people or the death of 3,000 people.

III. Verse 14…but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

I did not expect James to say this. I expected James to say something about Satan. I expected him to say, “God does not tempt. Satan tempts.” But neither Satan nor evil show up in verse 14.

You may argue that the word “evil” does, in fact, appear in verse 14. However, that is an interpretation by the translators of the New International Version. Actually, the Greek word here is the word traditionally translated “lust.” And, by the way, lust is an evil desire.

Even if we do admit the use of “lust” or “evil desire” in this verse, there is still no mention of external evil. James is writing about the “evil” which lives inside each of us. We typically refer to this as our “flesh” or our “sinful nature.”

In other words, when you find yourselves tempted, there is no one to blame it on but yourself. God does not tempt. The devil did NOT make you do it. You cannot blame it on your father and mother or even the way you were reared. Temptation is a result of your own “evil desires.”

This is remarkable when we read the rest of the verse. My own evil desires drag me off. Your own evil desires drag you off. This is the side of sin we simply do not like to talk about.

In Genesis 4, we read the story of Cain and Able. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sinned for the first time in all of human history. In just one short chapter of the Bible, sin had escalated from eating forbidden fruit to brother murdering brother. Just before the murder, God intervened and tried to warn Cain. The LORD said to Cain, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it (Genesis 4: 7 NIV).”

We don’t mind talking about individual sins—note the plural. But we don’t like to talk about sin—note the singular. Sins are the individual acts of disobedience against God and his commandments. Sin is a systemic problem of all human beings. We have an opportunity to choose. We know the difference between right and wrong. Yet, we choose to rebel against God’s will and exert our own will in its place. Not only do we choose evil over good, serving self over serving God, satisfying our own lust versus satisfying God’s righteous demands. But there is something in us that prevents us from making the right choice. God does not prevent us. Satan does not prevent us. We prevent ourselves!

Once my own evil desires have dragged me away, I will find myself “enticed” to sin. This word “entice” might make a good fishing word, because it literally means to lure something or someone by use of bait. What this tells me is that there is a point in time when our internal struggle with sin becomes an external expression of sin. That transitional moment is usually when we encounter the object of our “evil desires.”

Let me use a silly example. Have you ever had a craving for chocolate? (Since we are in Texas…have you ever had a hankering for chocolate?) You desire to touch something chocolate. You would give anything just to smell some chocolate. You might even sell your birthright to have a creamy, smooth taste of chocolate in your mouth. BUT, there is no chocolate in the house. Your wife won’t buy chocolate at Brookshire Brothers, because she knows you will eat it.

The desire is in you. But you cannot fulfill your desire, because the object of your desire is out of reach. You must wait until the desire within you can meet up with the object of your desire in the real world. The object of your desire does not cause you to sin. It cannot even tempt you to sin. The desire was already in you. You are responsible when you act on your desires. We can apply the same illustration to sex, money, drugs, murder.

IV. Verse 15…Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

This verse begins by complementing the end of the verse before it. Temptation in itself is not sin. But, when temptation comes into contact with the object of desire, we must make a choice. Will we resist the impulse to act? Or will we act?

When we act out our impulse to sin, our temptations give birth to sin. And James is consistent with other biblical writers in saying that sin always leads to death. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 6: 23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NIV).” God told Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, that if they eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they will surely die. We can make a case that it was this first act of sin which led to physical death, that Adam and Eve would not live forever. Or we can make a case that through this act of sin, Adam and Eve—as well as all humans who follow them—experience a spiritual death characterized by our separation from God. In either case, sin leads to death.

I love the poetic language James used in this verse. Desire conceives and carries a baby. When the baby reaches full term, sin is born. Sin grows up and kills anyone and anything in its path. We might compare this to a parasite. It lays its eggs somewhere in our bodies. The eggs hatch and the parasite begins to eat. At the point when the parasite is full grown, it has killed its host.

V. Verses 16 – 17 …Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Here James is reminding his readers that he is writing to Christians, not non-Christians. In the New Testament, the word “brothers” is usually a reference to the Christian men and women who make up the Church. It seems that James is answering two closely related questions. First, where does temptation come from? Second, where do the blessings of life come from?
We can actually tie these two questions together into one question with a two part answer: What is God’s role in temptation?

God does not tempt us, because God is unaffected by evil. Instead, when you are tempted, God continues to give you good gifts. Everything that comes from God is good. Everything that is good comes from God.

VI. Verse 18…He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

This is, very simply, the greatest “good gift” God has given us. God has given us “birth.” I would argue here that James is NOT referring to the gift of life and breath we are all exercising right now. No, James is writing about the “new birth.”

New Birth is the direct result of God’s choice. Please don’t think I am trying to promote election over free will. The Bible speaks of both election and free will. We do a terrible disservice to the Scriptures when we try to separate what God himself has never separated. New Birth comes as a result of God’s choice to extend grace to us and our response to God’s grace.

Notice the difference between God’s choice and human choices. Human choices lead to death. God’s choice leads to New Birth.

Notice that our New Birth is accomplished through “the word of truth.” I believe this is a reference to the Gospel. First we hear the Gospel. Then we respond through faith.

Now notice the word “firstfruits.” On one hand, we could interpret this in light of the Old Testament tradition of offering the first grain of the harvest, the first lamb of the herd and the first child of the family as a sacrifice to God. (Of course, the first child was not sacrificed, but he must be purchased by a lamb sacrifice.) On the other hand, we could interpret it closer to how Paul used it in 1 Corinthians 15: 20, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (NIV).” Jesus was the first one raised from the dead. All who are faithful will also be raised to eternal life.

In this context, James is referring to God’s new creation at the end of time. Our New Birth is the first sign that all creation will be re-created. The second creation will be accomplished the same way as the first creation…The Word of God.



[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/health/07mind.html?_r=1