Bible Study Notes-(11/9/21) James 1:12-15 Temptation that Leads to Death

James – Gospel Motivated Love
Temptation that Leads to Death
Passage: James 1:13-15
For the last few weeks, we have been discovering from James the benefits of trials in our lives. The promise James gives the early church is that: The testing of our faith causes endurance of our faith, and this faith is what leads us to life, eternal life in Christ.
The purpose of trials, according to James, is designed to prove TO US that Christ has truly taken up residence in our hearts. Trials are should never be seen as God looking to see if our faith is real, for He knows His own and loses none of them as stated in,
John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Trials should create endurance, which that means, over time, we can go through more and more trials, watching the power of the gospel time and time again save us by faith and not by works. We as Christians know that trials don't always result in endurance but instead cause complete disaster. We look back, and there is nothing positive or spiritual about our response. This may happen more often than we care to confess. Trials in life have a way of bringing the foulest out of us. Words, actions, habits, emotions, thoughts, desires that we know are rotten come spewing out with no filter.
QUESTION: If we are willing, to be honest, how many of us have had serious struggles with what God has allowed in our lives? What event or trial caused these doubts?
James knowing that Christians are going to suffer from their own sin helps clarify and warn us about how we see our struggles.
James 1:13 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.
It is very important that we understand James' quick and important push back here. We should never, in any situation, assume God had any part in our fall into sin. James is quick and clear to point us to our real problem. It is away from God as the culprit turning our finger back upon ourselves.
James 1:14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
James 1:15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Your sin always comes from within, never from without.

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
Mark 7:22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
Mark 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
When I give into temptation, the only direction I can point as to the fault and reason is within my own self. The mind is a powerful weapon. We can either use it for the glory of God or entertain desires that only produce destruction. Trials expose the real desires of our hearts, what we keep hidden from the rest of the world. We think we can control our desires. We can keep it on a leash until trials come and open the gate, and our flesh easily snaps any restraints we think we have put in place.
QUESTION: What sin has caused you to see this pattern in your own life? You have thought you could control it, only to see it control you?
James's conclusion? You only have the capacity to produce death. And yet, we continue to walk on our own, hiding our struggles from each other. How do we overcome these sinful desires so that we see trials increase our faith and not produce sin in our lives?
1Pet. 1:13 ¶ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Phil. 4:8 ¶ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
We read these verses and wonder how do we accomplish replacing these pure thoughts with our sinful desires? Bitterness, lust, anger, envy, fear seem to be stronger than our zeal to fight them. This is because we are not called to empty our minds of all that is filthy but to fill our minds with that which is pure. Here is the key, these verses were not written to individuals but to churches. The filling of our minds does not happen alone, but with other spirit-filled brothers and sisters.
Rom. 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
Rom. 12:3 ¶ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Rom. 12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

Rom. 12:5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Rom. 12:6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:
How did Paul start this section? How are we to use the grace given to us?
Rom. 12:2 ... be transformed by the renewal of your mind! God uses the church to transform our minds. All our gifts are functioning together, producing a renewed mind in Christ. If you are tired of seeing your sin run wild in your life every time trials open the gates of your desires, then it's time to admit your weakness and fall upon Christ.
He doesn't call you to try harder, do more, be better, clean yourself up. You are graciously placed among those who are exactly like you—sinners in need of a savior. Your brothers and sisters are here to cheer you on, standing next to you in the same amount of need as you.
Rom. 12:9 ¶ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Rom. 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
QUESTION: Why is it so hard to trust others as our means of spiritual growth? For the renewing of our minds?
QUESTION: How can we as a church help each other in showing genuine love and affection?
PRAISE, PRAYER, AND CONFESSION:
 What can you offer to the Father in praise?
 What is a sin you need to confess?
 What is a burden we can carry?
 What can we take to our Father in prayer?