James 1:13-18 (ESV)
(13) 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. (14) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (16) Do 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. (18) Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
If you enjoy comedy like I do, then possibly you are fans of Steve Carell as I am. Not to long ago he did a sequel to his movie “Despicable Me.” In this second movie, he shows a scene in which the workers of Gru, known as minions, are at home and are tempted by an approaching “ice cream” truck. When one of the minions sees the truck, he tells the rest of them and they storm down the road in order to be first in line for ice cream. However, when they knock on the door of the truck, instead of getting ice cream, this giant vacuum cleaner disguised as an ice cream cone draws them up and kidnaps them. Though this is a comical scene in the movie, it is a good illustration of how temptation and sin works within our lives.
James begins in verse 13 by reminding us that God tests us in order to strengthen us. God is good and his intentions and actions toward us are good. God does not want to harm our faith and we shouldn’t blame him for when we fall into temptation. However, when temptation occurs, it’s like fishing. Just as we would draw away fish from their shelter in the water with bait in order to catch them with a hook, as well Satan, along with our sinful nature, seeks to entangle us in sin. When we give into temptation, the consequences are serious! Our sinful desires leads us into sin and death. Yet, in contrast, God gives every good gift and wants to make us more like Christ (Rom 8:28). Likewise, his actions and character never change. God is ALWAYS good and we know this because God has saved us through the good news of Jesus Christ and has given us new life in Him.
In the upcoming year, you’re going to go through difficult times. You’re going to be tempted. This is inevitable. However, always remember the God you love and serve is always good and wants to use the situations in your life to mature you. When you are tempted to sin, remember it’s not God’s doing. However, if you do fall into temptation, remember that God has saved you and his forgiveness is there for you. I will be praying for you as the new semester begins. If you are ever struggling or need prayer, please feel free to contact me. God bless.