Discovering Bible Truth

In our last post in on the book of James we noticed the reality of temptation.  We gained an understanding of where temptation truly comes from.  James follows up those verses with the instruction in verse 16 to not be deceived.  Don’t be deceived into thinking that temptation is from God.  Don’t be deceived into thinking that giving into temptation is not your responsibility.  It’s like James is saying, stop blaming other people, stop blaming circumstances, stop blaming Satan, stop blaming God for your temptation and for your sin.  Take full responsibility because that is where it belongs.  Realize that the enemy is your fallenness, your lusts, your desires, your weaknesses, your rationalizations, your sins.   They are your responsibility. Don’t believe the lies. Don’t be deceived.

In verses 17-18 James reiterates what he has already mentioned in verse 13.  Evil and temptation do not come from God.  We know this because verse 17 teaches us that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from God above.  We are told that God is the creator, that He is unchanging, and that He can be trusted.  Instead of being deceived into thinking that temptation is God’s fault, we should focus on the fact that everything good comes from God.  The fact that we have been saved is evidence of that reality.

Let’s summarize this section of verses dealing with temptation.  (1) Temptation is not God’s fault.  God cannot be tempted with evil and He does not tempt people with evil.  (2) Temptation is the result of desire meeting opportunity and sin is the results of us adding action to that equation.  (3) Everything good comes from God and we can rest in that assurance.

In our last study in the book of James we answered the question, ‘Is temptation God’s fault?’  We saw very clearly in verse 13 two important truths.  First, God cannot be tempted with evil, and second, God does not tempt any man.  God is so separated from evil that he is completely unaffected by it.

In the next few verses we learn to truth about the cause of temptation.  I have seen it presented as a formula that I find very helpful.  So where does temptation come from?  Verse 14 starts with the introductory phrase, “each one is tempted when…”  James is about to show us the source of temptation.  If you have ever wondered where temptation comes from, here it is.  “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”  So what does that mean?  Here is the formula for temptation.

Temptation = Desire + Opportunity

Without desire there is no temptation.  Without opportunity there is no temptation.  But when you put the two together you have temptation.  When the desires of your sin nature meet opportunity temptation is born.  But even at this point sin has not taken place.  No sin has occurred.  Temptation itself is not sin. Verse 15 gives tells us how sin takes place.  James says that “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…”  Here is the formula for sin.

Sin = Desire + Opportunity + Action

When that desire that is mentioned in verse 14 is conceived or when it is acted upon, it results in sin.  Whenever you add action to the equation of temptation the new result is sin. The remainder of verse 15 tells us that sin, without God’s forgiveness. results in death.  Sin, without any intervening will result in spiritual death.

So what does all of this mean?  It means that if you want to keep sin out of your life you have to alter the formula.  We should all do what we can to change our desires through spending time in God’s Word.  We should all exercise wisdom and actively remove any opportunities for sin that may be present in our lives.  Set up safe-guards.   We should all be living a life that is controlled by the Holy Spirit so that our actions are led and controled by God and not ourselves.  When we do these things we alter the formula, and when the formula is altered the result is also altered.

The topic of temptation is unique in that it is something that affects each and every one of us.  There is no one who can honestly say that they do not struggle with temptation.  The temptations may vary and the responses to temptation may vary, but the one constant is temptation itself.  It is real and it is something that we all face and struggle with on a daily basis.  The question some have is this, “Who causes temptation?”  The question is actually faulty because it assumes that the temptation is the fault of someone else.  It assumes that someone is to blame.  We have a tenancy to want to blame other people for our faults and our failures rather than take responsibility.  There are even people who try to blame God for their failures and, as we see in this verse, they blame God for temptation itself.

James 1:13 clearly states two important truths.  First, God cannot be tempted with evil.  This literally means that God us untemptable,  There is no capacity to be tempted.  He has no vulnerability to evil and is completely unaffected by it.  Yes, evil does exist, but it is completely separate from God, and God is completely unaffected by evil.  It is like a sunbeam that is shining on a landfill but is completely unaffected by the filth that it shines on.  God cannot be tempted with evil. 

The second truth is that God does not tempt any man.  God is so separated from, free from, and unaffected by evil, that he has nothing to do with it on any level.  Not only is he not tempted by evil, he is so far removed from evil that he does not tempt anyone with evil.  As we will see in verse 17, everything good comes from God.  He is not to be blamed for our temptation or our response to it, but is to be praised and glorified for giving us the ability to escape and flee from temptation (see I Corinthians 10:13).

Temptation is real and it is something that we all face, but we must understand that temptation is in no way God’s fault.  Next time we will see the true cause of temptation.

There is another Bible verse that I have heard abused and misused several times this week that I think deserves an accurate explanation.  Actually there are two verses that are usually presented together.  They are Jeremiah 6:16 and Jeremiah 18:15.  Both of these verses refer to the “old” or the “ancient” paths. 

Those who misuse these verses usually say something like this:  “We need to get back to the old ways of doing things.  We need to revert back to the old-time methods and old-time standards.”  Unfortunately, you have probably heard this kind of application.

There are several problems with this kind of interpretation and application.  However, I will only mention the most egregious.   The historical and textual context is completely ignored. The paths that are being referred to are specifically the following of the one true God instead of the many false Gods. The decision to fall down and worship idols had been an obvious stumbling block to the nation of Israel.  Jeremiah was encouraging them to walk in the paths of monotheism.  The old paths specifically refer to the paths of the previous generations of Jews who had remained faithful to God.

An accurate interpretation of these verses deals very specifically with idolatry.  Any other application is outside the authors intended meaning and thus is an abuse and misuse of Scripture.  The terms “old paths” refers specifically to the paths of worshipping God instead of worshipping false gods.  It refers to remaining faithful to absolute truth instead of turning your back on God’s truth.  If that is that meaning; and it is, then based on these verses, we should be encouraging people to stay true to God’s truth and to continue to worship Him.  Although there may be many false Gods we could be worshipping we should remain in the “old paths” of the ancient Jews in worshipping the one true God.

Are there certain principles and standards to which we should be committed?  Absolutely, but we should be committed to them because they are biblical, not because they are traditional or conservative.  The standard should always be the Bible; nothing more and nothing less.  Either way, these verses are not teaching on principles or standards at all.  They are teaching on the need for the nation of Israel, in the Old Testament, to stay committed to serving and worshipping the one true God.

So far in our study though the book of James we have been learning about the correct response to trials.  We have seen the necessity of a joyful attitude and that this kind of attitude is possible because we have confidence in God.  We understand that He is in control and that if we respond correctly, the trial we are facing can be used to produce endurance in the life of a Christian.   We have also seen that it is necessary for the Christian to respond with understanding.  If we are having difficulty responding correctly, we should ask God for wisdom in faith and without doubt.

The next several verses in chapter 1 mention the rich and the poor.  At first glance these verses may appear to be a change in topic, but in reality it is a continuation of the theme of trials.  We know this because verse 12, which concludes this paragraph, also deals with trials.  So the question we have to ask is this: ‘How does the topic of the rich and the poor fit into the topic of trials?’ 

Trials affect everyone; the rich the poor, those with big houses and those with small houses, those with vast amount of resources and those with none.  Everyone deals with sickness, disappointment, and death.  Trials and difficulties are the great equalizer of people.  The rich are not immune from suffering, and the poor don’t get a free pass on the basis of their poverty.  Trials many times serve as a tool of God to drive people to Himself, and we each are responsible for how we respond to the difficulties of life regardless of our economic circumstances.  When the poor person loses a family member to death or faces a terrible sickness, the correct response should be to turn to God.  When the rich person goes through the same situation his response should also be to turn to God.

Trials put us all on an equal playing field and demand a response.  We each have the responsibility to turn to God, regardless of our  financial situation.

Last week there was an article in The Wall Street Journal that caught my attention.  The article was entitled “Gay-Marriage Trial Wraps Up.” The article focused on a California trial in which the legality of the prohibition of same-sex marriages was being challenged on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.  The lawyer who represented the plaintiffs, who wanted to get married, said that “laws prohibiting gay marriages were equivalent to statues that once outlawed interracial marriage.”  This trial has huge ramifications as it seeks to overturn Proposition 8 which was a California state ruling that had banned same-sex marriages.

How does this affect us?  Perhaps the greater question is how will this affect the church?  With so much anger and animosity surrounding this issue we can expect further political and social pressure to conform to the standards of political correctness.  When Proposition 8 was passed in 2008,  many who were found to have been financial supporters of the proposition were forced to resign from public positions and others were blacklisted.  It is apparent that those who are unwilling to support the legality of gay marriage will receive persecution.   

It is not completely unrealistic that in the future those who take a biblical stance on this issue could be considered guilty of committing a hate crime.  Does that mean that we should lessen our stance on the issue or be willing to conform to ideals of political correctness?  The answer to this question is dependent upon where your loyalties lie.  Are you loyal to the social ideas of what is acceptable or are you committed to the standard of biblical morality?  It seems that so many are so concerned with being loving and accepting of those with different lifestyles that they have thrown God’s standard of truth out the window.  While we should be concerned and focused with clearly showing God’s love to those who live lives that are directly opposed to Scripture, love is always connected with truth.  Love that is not connected with truth, is not real love. 

We can expect to hear much more about the issue of same-sex marriage in the months and years to come.

Christians often talk about having a biblical worldview, but very few actually have one. This reality can be blamed on any one of several factors. I will very briefly mention two of them.

First, most Christians are ignorant of what is taking place in society and culture. (They are either ignorant of it or in love with it. I will give them the benefit-of–the-doubt and assume they are ignorant of what is taking place in our world.) Both political and social decisions that are made must be known and understood before it can be viewed through any kind of biblical framework.

Second, most Christians do not know enough of the Bible to have a biblical worldview. They may know some biblical principles and some Bible stories, but they really do not know the Bible. They may be able to quote some verses and throw around some religious terms, but that simply points to familiarity not knowledge, understanding, or application. A knowledge of the Bible is required if someone is going to have a biblical worldview, and most Christians simply do not know the Bible.

I have a desire to see people think biblically, to understand how the Bible and its doctrine affect everyday life, and to realize that the Bible speaks to what we see taking place in our society. Starting next week I will be posting articles that point out what is taking place in our world.  I will also offer biblical principles that deal with each issue that will help us to develop a biblical worldview.

I encourage you to learn to think biblically.  Join me on this journey of evaluating culture and society through the filter of absolute truth.  If you are on Facebook you can click HERE to follow these articles.  If you are on Twitter you can click HERE to get instant updates. 

JOIN THE DISCUSSION- Why do you think Christians don’t have a biblical worldview?  Respond with your thoughts!

I ran across an article a day or two ago by Albert Mohler which stated and explained the historical shift taking place at Claremont School of Theology.  Claremont is offering the world’s first school where “Christian ministers, Jewish rabbis, and Muslim imams…will be educated side-by-side.”  You can watch the video of the press announcement by clicking the link below.  The argument is made that God is the God of all people and therefore it is necessary and beneficial for those from different traditions to learn and be taught together.  The stated goal is for those of different faiths to learn to work together and in turn address the problems that face humanity.  The president of Claremont said that these problems can “only be solved if religions work together across their boundaries.”

I hope the seriousness of this problem does not need to be stated; however I will state it anyway.  This is simply another step toward doctrinal and theological liberalism.  It is a result of a relativistic society that rejects any absolute standard of truth.  It is a result of viewing the problems of humanity as primarily physical rather than spiritual.  It is the result of a postmodern society that sees no need for an absolute basis for their beliefs.  It is the result of people being led by emotion and human reasoning rather than Scripture.

Is Biblical Christianity narrow and exclusive?  Yes.  But as Albert Mohler stated, “ Biblical Christianity stands or falls on the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the command of Christ in the Great Commission.”  No apology should be made for it and no attempt should be made to alter it. 

Click HERE to watch the video announcement from Claremont.

As Christians we need to realize that there is a difference between morality and Godliness.  People who are Godly will be moral, but not all moral people are Godly.  Anytime we begin to focus on outward actions more than the condition of the heart, the result is morality without Godliness.  Anytime we focus on living a life that is motivated by duty instead of love, the result is morality instead of Godliness.  Churches are filled with moral people who fail to ever be Godly.  This problem is complicated by the fact that pastors stress external conformity so much that people sitting in the pew are slowly and subtly taught that outward conformity is equal to inward reality.   Just because you do what a Christian is supposed to do doesn’t mean that you are a Christian.  Just being moral doesn’t mean that you are Godly.  The two are not interchangeable.

We have to get down to the heart of the matter.  If you focus on pleasing men you will be moral, but if you focus on please God you will be Godly.  If you focus on the external you will be moral, but if you focus on the internal (heart) you will be Godly.  If you are content just to go through the motions of Christianity you might be moral, but if you focus on being sincere you will be Godly.   Don’t settle to be moral…strive to be Godly.