I studied some in James 1 recently. I really enjoyed it because God gave me some insights out of it that I never noticed before. I can sometimes read over a passage numerous times without getting something and then bam I get it. Those insights are below. Also of note is that what James says about the way of life and death is the same thing Paul says in Romans 6:16-23. Yet many people maintain that James and Paul disagree.
Passage James 1:13-17
13Let 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. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift 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. This passage makes several points and they may seem to be unrelated to one another. It mentions:
- Where temptation comes from.
- The deadly end result of temptation and sin.
- Not being decived.
- God giving gifts.
Really these all fit together for a clear message: There is a great deception with two lies. And there is the opposite One great truth with two parts.
The deception is this. Lie one: Bad comes from God. Lie two Good comes from us.
The Truth is this. Bad comes from us. All good comes from God.
Our passage starts by telling us not to make excuses for our temptations. All of us to try to excuse our own temptations and sins. This is our nature as sinful people. We want to blame other people, circumstances, and ultimately God for what we do wrong. We may say or think: “If God hadn’t brought these problems into our lives and put these temptations in front of us we would have been better.” These are lies. We are to blame for our own sins.
Temptation comes from our own desire. We own it and are responsible for it. It comes from our hearts. Like Jesus said, Mark 7:15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him…. "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
This is what is within our hearts. When it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
All of our sins bring forth death. All work in that direction. They bring death and destruction to our lives and the lives of our neighbors.
James has already dealt with the lie and the truth of where Evil comes from. Now he moves on to where good comes from.
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above
The word “every” here is very important. The Bible doesn’t just say that God gives us some good gifts. The Bible says every good gift comes from him. In other words no good gifts come from anyone or anywhere else. Every good thing we’ve ever had or seen was from him. The goodness we see in ourselves or other people is a gift from God. Even in people who don’t believe in him. The good doesn’t come from us. It is only by the grace of God. That is what we are told not to be deceived about. Don’t believe the lie that good comes from any other source but God or that there is goodness apart from God.
In contrast to our sins that work towards death and destruction is God's goodness seen in Christ. In the ministry of Jesus Christ we see that he reversed and overcame repeatedly the deadly and destructive effects of sin. Everything Jesus did opposed sin, was the opposite of sin, Jesus was and is the giver of life. He made the blind see. He made the lame walk. He cleansed the lepers. He made the deaf hear. He raised the dead. He preached good news to those who were poor. Ultimately by his own death and resurrection he conquered death.
