James 1:13-18
Earthquakes can be very dangerous because you never expect them. The ground heaves and shakes all because of the seismic shifts happening deep below the earth’s surface. The various tectonic plates that our world sits on shift and ever so slightly the surface that we live on also moves. However violent the initial earthquake, the aftershocks, or following quakes, may be just as deadly. Weakened or damaged buildings can collapse under the continued movement and stress. Just as in an earthquake weakens buildings so the temptation of sin has a way of weakening our resistance and it ultimately leads to death (15). But God desires to work His positive purpose over temptation in our life. James provides a warning that sin deceives us into seeing it as good (16), but God is the only one who gives what is good (17). God does not change and works His will to bring life to a life that was spiritually lifeless (18). His desire is to transform us so we begin to show the resulting fruit of His work in us with the promise of more to come. The problem for us today, like the scattered audience of James, is that we have a tendency to blame God for the temptation we face. That is a big spiritual earthquake that will lead to other continued problems. God is not the source of temptation and sin (13). In blaming God we inaccurately believe that God is faulty and we are shaken again in our weakened position by the evil of temptation (14). What is influencing your life and decisions right now? Is it God and His power to bring His good result out of your life or the lure of temptation to sin? James is reminding us that temptation should never shake us off the stability that our faith has in God who gives what is good.
For more see JAMES
Earthquakes can be very dangerous because you never expect them. The ground heaves and shakes all because of the seismic shifts happening deep below the earth’s surface. The various tectonic plates that our world sits on shift and ever so slightly the surface that we live on also moves. However violent the initial earthquake, the aftershocks, or following quakes, may be just as deadly. Weakened or damaged buildings can collapse under the continued movement and stress. Just as in an earthquake weakens buildings so the temptation of sin has a way of weakening our resistance and it ultimately leads to death (15). But God desires to work His positive purpose over temptation in our life. James provides a warning that sin deceives us into seeing it as good (16), but God is the only one who gives what is good (17). God does not change and works His will to bring life to a life that was spiritually lifeless (18). His desire is to transform us so we begin to show the resulting fruit of His work in us with the promise of more to come. The problem for us today, like the scattered audience of James, is that we have a tendency to blame God for the temptation we face. That is a big spiritual earthquake that will lead to other continued problems. God is not the source of temptation and sin (13). In blaming God we inaccurately believe that God is faulty and we are shaken again in our weakened position by the evil of temptation (14). What is influencing your life and decisions right now? Is it God and His power to bring His good result out of your life or the lure of temptation to sin? James is reminding us that temptation should never shake us off the stability that our faith has in God who gives what is good.
For more see JAMES
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