2024-09-15 - San Jose CRC - Sermon Only - Gil Suh

James 1:13-18

Transcript

 Good morning. Our scripture this morning is from the book of James, chapter one, verses 13 through 18, which can be found on your pew bibles on page 977, or you can follow along up on the screen. When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.

But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. This is the word of the Lord.

So last Sunday, we started now the series on the book of James, and then we talked about trials. And today we're going to talk about trials, but also we're going to talk about temptation. So trials and temptation, not a good topic, but it is in the scripture and we need to talk about it and hope and pray that will bring somehow good news to us.

So trials and temptation, are they same?

It's not a trick question. Not the same, but somehow it's closely related. So I thought about like, how can I illustrate this? The difference between trials or testing and temptation. Let me just use very simple and like more ordinary example, not theological. Trial is like this, that you are stuck in traffic.

You need to get your home or work on time, but you are stuck in the traffic unexpectedly. So that's a trial. So you're like frustrated oh, I need to get there. So it's a test of our patience and even character. Temptation is, in that situation, you're getting so angry about the situation that you lose control of your temper.

And you start cursing, and you frantically change the lanes as if that will get you, faster. And you cut in front of other cars. That's temptation.

Trials of many kinds bring temptations of many kinds. Testing almost always involves temptation. But they're not the same. More general example. Let's say you're financially struggling. Financial difficulty. Financial difficulty is a trial, but it may tempt you to idolize money, as if money will solve all the problems in the world.

If I have only money, my life will be, just good and everything will be fine. Financial difficulty experience may tempt us to idolize money and question, then, God's plan. provision in our lives. And let's say if you're suffering under some kind of unfair treatment at work and you don't see the way out, you're just feeling like you're struggling and stuck, that situation can tempt you to become a bitter person and question God's justice or even his existence.

If that situation Prolonged. And also let's say we are lonely. Feel like you are all by yourself, all alone. Lonely situation can tempt us with some kind of escape, right? How can I not feel lonely? So you just try some substance or some things that can lead you into addictions.

That's why these trials and temptation in the Bible, in the New Testament, including James, the original word, the Greek word for trials and temptation, the one word, same word. It's like a two sided coin. So if we face some kind of trial, then we can say we face temptation. So in, in the previous verses, the first chapter one, verse one through twelve, James talk about the benefits and blessings of facing trials.

They produce perseverance, and they make us mature and complete in our faith. So that's the kind of benefit of blessings as we go through the different trials. Now, these verses we read, James is warning us about the danger and threat of facing trials. That is to fall into temptation. So we are to resist the temptation that comes along with a trial.

So James is showing us There's a common sequence of how trial and temptation usually evolve and end up. So verses 14 and 15 says, Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it's fully grown, gives birth to death.

Over the years, if you follow some news, up to these days, many scandals, many sad news of leaders, including Christian leaders.

shocked us with their fall. It seems so dramatic and so bizarre. Many cases involve power abuse, financial wrongdoing, or sexual misconduct, or all of the above. So we wonder, when we hear this news, What? That respected and competent leader Did that? How can they fall so dramatically and suddenly? But one thing we must remember is this, it's not sudden.

They all went through the sequence of conception, giving birth, growing and leading to death that as James described. So it was basically tip of the iceberg we see, but Before that fall happened, there was a process, there was a sequence that happened. So temptations are sequential. James first readers, his first audience 2, 000 years ago, they were the Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Mediterranean world, the Roman Empire.

And they heard, these Jewish people, they heard and received the good news of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. So they believed that Jesus died on the cross as the sacrifice for their sins, once and for all. You know what that means? That means they no longer needed to go to temple to sacrifice animals for their sins.

And they are new, and they are holy people of God. But, now they are facing trials as Christians for their faith and their worship of Christ as the Lord. Now they stop going for Jewish sacrifices in Jerusalem, where their Jewish neighbors, relatives, and friends, They still do that. Those who don't believe in Christ, because that's their tradition.

That's what they need to do for their sin. Sacrifice animal. But now these Jewish Christians, we don't need to do that anymore. Jesus died once and for all. And then that brings what? Persecution. That brings misunderstanding. And also they're living in this Roman Empire neighborhood, right? They're scattered.

Now they stop and refuse to participate in pagan ceremonies in the temples around them. So it's a double whammy. On one hand, they are persecuted, misunderstood by their Jewish neighbors. And on the other, they are also persecuted, ridiculed, and despised by their Roman neighbors. Because they refuse to participate in these pagan ceremonies that are happening all around them.

Because these, whether it's Jewish ceremonies in the Jerusalem temple, or pagan worship ceremonies in the temple, in the Roman world, they're not only religious. And there are also social events. That's why they gather, and usually they have their lot of food and, catching up, all that. So now, trial is, they refuse to go those.

Now what? Their fellow Jews and Roman authorities are persecute them. And such trial, that's a trial for them, right? But then there's such trials again brought temptation. So what is the temptation for this early Jewish Christian? It started with a thought. I know I don't need to go to these temples.

I should not because if I go to these temples and participate in these ceremonies, what's my faith in Christ? But however, this is what, thought, however all my neighbors and they all go there. Maybe I should just go that, go there for that purpose. I'm going to go, but I'm not going to participate in ceremonies.

Oh, maybe, yeah, that's a good, so they ended up going. Then, when he's there, whoever that was thinking about that, next, another thought. I'm here already. Maybe just for once. God knows my heart. But for once, maybe I'll just participate in this ceremony. It usually involves food and drink. And the pagan ceremony is even more worse.

And he joined the activities that were sensual and immoral, disguised as religious. And verse 15 says, he was enticed. You know that word, enticed? You got hooked by the bait.

Started with a desire to avoid ridicule and persecution, they gave into temptation for social acceptance, pleasure, and worldly passions. Then, sequential, right? It led to Actions, as a result, it undermine their faith and relationship with God. I knew a person, I knew a guy who I met at a campus ministry long time ago, during my college year.

He was passionate. He was working hard for the Lord. I said, wow. I was, inspired and challenged. Then after college, I went to seminary, and I came back after a few years. And then I found out he's no longer a practicing believer. For a few years what happened? He's now, not only just stopped believing, he's just full into this, into the world, and just nothing to do with church or Christianity and God, just What happened?

Again, it didn't happen suddenly. While I was gone for a few years, again, this sequential, I learned it all started when he met a person, a friend. And then that step by step thought and giving into that temptation eventually lead him to not only leave the church or ministry. but eventually his faith and his relationship with God undermine.

We need to watch, therefore, the initial thoughts coming to mind when we face trials of different kinds. The actions that are contrary to God's will and the truth often begin with casual thoughts, just almost like a bird passing above you and then just drop the poop.

Yeah, that's not my actual illustration. That's very famous illustration. It's and then, poof, that thought. But if we dwell in that thought, the birds will think, Oh, this would be a good place to nest. And then descend.

If you let that thought just dwell in us, it will go through a period of internal growth, unseen or undetected. And dwelling in those thoughts can eventually turn minor temptation into devastating actions with eventual deadly consequences.

What happened? When people, like at those once very respected, competent leaders fall. What happened to that guy? I don't remember his name. Once who was such a passionate and such a dedicated servant of the Lord, young man, with a future of like, why he's gonna be great leader. What happened? It's rarely intellectual issue.

In other words, not many people once believe, once are like leading or following Christ, but somehow the intellectually oh, it doesn't make sense or oh, I don't, that's why my thoughts or my intellectual journey led me to now atheism or led me to agnosticism, led me to now just deny all this and just live my own life.

It's very rare. It may happen afterward to justify your decision or their decision where not to follow Christ anymore. It's usually they fell into that sequence from temptation to immoral act and adopted the worldly lifestyle. And that moment, instead of repent and then return, but they somehow remain unrepentant.

and distant from God, and eventually often angry about God. Because somehow they're, that's next one is, don't be deceived my brothers and sisters. Because we can turn that into their like why God allow me to go through this? So instead of going to God with humility and repentance, now involving God as someone to blame, or others.

So we often, from trials to temptation, we fall into. That grumbling and blaming. But now James is saying, Don't be deceived, my brothers and sisters. There's a deceiver. The deceiver is the devil, enemy. And he's a liar. And he wants us to keep just focusing on our struggles and our situations. Oh, this situation is so hard.

Oh yeah, I'm struggling with this. But now all of a sudden, second part of this rather short passage, now James is talking about every good and perfect gift, the father of light, and he gives birth a new life through the word of truth. So he's drawing our attention from trials and temptation to now God, the source of good and perfect gift.

God does not give us the temptation. He's not the source. of temptation. He's not to be blamed. Actually, he's like a good father who wants to give good things to, to his children. So James is like reminding us who God is. So we should not dwell in negative and doubts and struggles of our own thoughts caused by external trials and fall into temptation.

God does not cause the temptation. He gives good and perfect gift. What are the good and perfect gifts? In addition to very basic good and perfect gifts shelter, food, the air to breathe and all that, I think in this, the context of James and what was happening at that time, and even to us, is wisdom.

Wisdom to know how to think and how to respond to these trials and the challenges alike. Wisdom. And the Holy Spirit. And above all, the new life in Christ through the truth of God's Word. Those are the good and perfect gifts from God. Only God can give. So James is telling us, remember that. And keep your focus on those.

What about Jesus teaching us to pray as a part of the Lord's Prayer? Lead us not into temptation, right? And deliver us from evil. Because that sounds like Jesus is asking us to pray that His Heavenly Father will not lead us into temptation. As if He's responsible. He may be responsible for temptation.

Amen. I believe Jesus meant that unless the Father graciously keep you and me from the temptation that is beyond our ability to resist, then you and I are in trouble. We'll fall into evil just like that anytime. So Jesus is teaching us to acknowledge our vulnerability, our weakness, without Father's grace.

And then include that in our daily prayer. Otherwise, we become so easy prey and target of evil. So we need to ask God to keep us from that. Because without God's grace and His hand to keep us, we'll just fall into it and then we're going to be in trouble. So brothers and sisters, as long as we live in this world, until our last breath.

We will face trials and temptations. And what trials are you facing these days then?

And what temptations are you struggling with?

And whatever they are, let us not dwell in them. Let us not give in to the lies of the devil and give him a foothold to overwhelm us with this. Let us turn our attention to the truth. to our Heavenly Father and His good and perfect gifts for us. He gives us wisdom, the Holy Spirit, and the new birth in Christ.

That's one of the reasons why we gather. Because we need each other to remind us that. Because alone, ourselves, we are so tend to just focus trials and temptation and just inner thoughts and we are reminded, Oh, yeah, let's not be deceived. Heavenly Father doesn't give us this temptation, but he gives us good and perfect gift.

Yes, and that's who we are because we are the beloved children of God. Yes, we are brothers and sisters to encourage one another in this world until we reach our heavenly home. That's what church is all about. Let us remember and also how Jesus, who also faced trials and temptation in the wilderness, how did he overcome?

He was facing hunger and thirst. Forty days in the desert without food and drink. And he was all by himself. Loneliness and powerlessness. And the devil tried to tempt him. Basically his temptation is, How can you trust God in this? Don't trust God. But worship me. Follow my way. I will satisfy your immediate desires.

Jesus. Didn't give in to temptation. He resisted the devil. How? By claiming the truth of God's Word.

So that's the example that Jesus set before us. And in Christ, in Him, we can resist the temptation. On our own, we can't. We often fail. We often fail to follow Jesus example. We give in. But then we can repent and we can start again. Praying to God, Oh God, I give in to temptation this time again. Forgive me and help my unbelief.

As a good Heavenly Father, He will pick us up. Son and my daughter, I know your weakness and I'm glad you came to me. Let's do it again. And our Father will graciously give. The gift of forgiveness and renew our faith. Let us read the passage one more time, and then we're going to pray together. I thought now I expounded this passage maybe with some of those thoughts.

Let's read this again. Let us read this together. When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.

And sin, when it's full grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my brother, dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly light. who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we come before you acknowledging our trials and temptations living in this world. Grant us wisdom to see clearly resist temptation. and stay rooted in your truth like Jesus Christ in the wilderness. Help us claim your word when we face challenges. May we not be deceived by fleeting desires, but instead rely on your good and perfect gifts, your spirit, wisdom, the new life in Christ, strengthen our faith, keep us from evil, and lead us into true repentance and grace.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen