Habits v24n4

Habits!

Part 3

V24 n4

James 1:13 Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one. (Weymouth translation)

Habits will either draw a person closer to God, or move one further away from God. Sin is a habit. It is a developed and nurtured characteristic or trait in one’s life, that causes a person to be in rebellion or disobedience to God and His Word. Often times when one sins in their own life, they will say that God was testing them. Still others will try to blame God for those things which they, themselves chose to do. Yet, if one will look at what God’s Word says about this topic, one will be able to hear and see how this all happens. Let us look at what a few of the commentaries have to say about this passage in the epistle of James. First, let us look at William Burkitt’s comments.

There are three sorts of temptations spoken of in scripture, temptations of seduction, temptations of suggestion, and temptations of affliction; the last were spoken of, in the former verses, Blessed is the man that enduredth temptation: the second sort are spoken of in this verse, Let no man say when he is tempted to sin, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted by it, neither tempteth he any man to it.

Note here, 1. That God is not the author of sin, nor tempts any man to the commission of it; if he did our evil actions could not be properly sins, nor justly punishable by God; for no man can be justly punishable for that which he cannot help and no man can help that which he is compelled unto: and it is very unreasonable to suppose, that the same person should both tempt and punish. To tempt unto sin, is contrary to the holiness of God: and after that to chastise for complying with the temptation, is contrary to the justice of God; God then is not the author of the sins of men.

Note, 2. That men are very apt to charge their sin upon God, and to lay their faults at his door. Let no man say so; intimating, that men are very ready and apt to say so; and that it is to only a fault, but an impious assertion, to say that God tempts any man to sin. Let no man say: he speaks of it as a thing to be rejected with the utmost detestation, a thing so impious and dishonourable to God.

Note, 3. The reason and argument, which the apostle brings against this impious suggestion, God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man; that is, he cannot be drawn to any thing that is evil himself, and therefore it cannot be imagined he should have any inclination or design to seduce others: he can have not temptation to sin from his own inclination, for he has a perfect antipathy against it; and there is no allurement in sin to stir up any inclination in God toward it, for it is nothing but crookedness and deformity: and how can he be supposed to entice men to that which his own nature does abominate and abhor? For none tempts others to be bad, but those who are first so themselves.

Inference, 1. No doctrine then ought to be asserted, or can be maintained, which is contrary to the natural notions which men have of God, as touching his holiness, justice, and goodness.

Inference, 2. If God tempts not us, let us never tempt him: this we do, when we tempt his providence, expecting its protection in an unwarrantable way: as when we are negligent in our calling, and yet depend upon God's providence to provide for our families, which is to approve our folly, and to countenance our sloth.

Note, 4. The true account which our apostle gives of the prevalency and efficacy of temptation upon men, it is their own innate corruption, and vicious inclination, which doth seduce them to it. Every man is tempted, when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed.

Mark, he does not ascribe it to the devil; he may and does present the object, and by his instruments may and does solicit for our compliance: his temptations have a moving and exciting power, but can have no prevailing efficacy but from our own voluntary consent; it is our own lusts closing with his temptations which produce the sin: for God's commanding to us to resist the devil, supposes that his temptations are not irresistible.

Learn hence, that man's worst enemy, and most dangerous tempter, is the corruption of his own heart and nature; because it is the inmost enemy, and because it is an enemy that is least suspected: a man's lust is himself, and nature teaches us not to mistrust ourselves: what reason have we then perpetually to pray, that God would not lead us into temptation, but keep us by his good providence out of the way of temptation, because we carry about us such lusts and inclinations as will betray us to sin when powerful temptations are presented to us! There is no such way then to disarm temptations, and take away the power of them, as by mortifying our lusts, and subduing our vicious inclinations.

Note, 5. The account which our apostle gives of the pedigree, birth, and growth of sin: when lust, that is, our corrupt inclinations, and vicious desires, have conceived, that is, gained the consent and approbation of the will, it bringeth forth and engageth the soul in sin: and sin when it is finished in the deliberate outward action, and especially when, by customary practice, it becomes habitual, bringeth forth death, the wages of sin; the first approaches of sin are usually modest, but afterwards it makes bolder attempts: our wisdom is to resist the first beginnings of sin for then we have most strength, and sin least; to suppress sin in the thoughts, to mortify lust in the heart, before it breaks forth in the life, and at last issue and terminate in death: for when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (William Burkitt’s commentary)

Now let us look at what Clarke and Barnes have to say regarding these same verses.

[Let no man say] Lest the former sentiment should be misapplied, as the word temptation has two grand meanings, solicitation to sin, and trial from providential situation or circumstances, James, taking up the word in the former sense, after having used it in the latter, says: Let no man say, when he is tempted (solicited to sin), I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he (thus) any man. Thus the author has explained and guarded his meaning. (from Adam Clarke Commentary)

[Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God] See the remarks on the previous verse. The apostle here seems to have had his eye on whatever there was in trial of any kind to induce us to commit sin-- whether by complaining, by murmuring, by apostacy, or by yielding to sin. So far as that was concerned, he said that no one should charge it on God. He did nothing in any way with a view to induce men to do evil. That was only an incidental thing in the trial, and was no part of the divine purpose or design. The apostle felt evidently that there was great danger, from the general manner in which the word "temptation" was used, and from the perverse tendency of the heart, that it would be charged on God that he so arranged these trials, and so influenced the mind, as to present inducements to sin. Against this, it was proper that an inspired apostle should bear his solemn testimony; so to guard the whole subject as to show that whatever there was in any form of trial that could be regarded as an inducement or allurement to sin, is not the thing which he contemplated in the arrangement, and does not proceed from him. It has its origin in other causes; and if there was nothing in the corrupt human mind itself leading to sin, there would be nothing in the divine arrangement that would produce it. (from Barnes' Notes)

[Neither tempteth he any man] That is, he places nothing before any human being with a view to induce him to do wrong. This is one of the most positive and unambiguous of all the declarations in the Bible, and one of the most important. It may be added, that it is one which stands in opposition to as many feelings of the human heart as perhaps any other one. We are perpetually thinking-- the heart suggests it constantly-- that God does place before us inducements to evil, with a view to lead us to sin. (from Barnes' Notes)

James 1:14 But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait. (Weymouth translation)

[But every man is tempted] Successfully solicited to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust-- when, giving way to the evil propensity of his own heart, he does that to which he is solicited by the enemy of his soul.

In the words, drawn away by his own lust and enticed, there is a double metaphor; the first referring to the dragging a fish out of the water by a hook which it had swallowed, because concealed by a bait; the second, to the enticements of impure women, who draw away the unwary into their snares, and involve them in their ruin. Illicit connections of this kind the writer has clearly in view; and every word that he uses refers to something of this nature, as the following verse shows. (from Adam Clarke Commentary)

James 1:15 Then the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully matured, gives birth to death. (Weymouth translation)

[When lust hath conceived] When the evil propensity works unchecked, it bringeth forth sin-- the evil act between the parties is perpetrated.

[And sin, when it is finished] When this breach of the law of God and of innocence has been a sufficient time completed, it bringeth forth death-- the spurious offspring is the fruit of the criminal connection, and the evidence of that death or punishment due to the trangressors.

Sin is a small matter in its commencement; but by indulgence it grows great, and multiplies itself beyond all calculation. To use the rabbinical metaphor lately adduced, it is, in the commencement, like the thread of a spider's web-- almost imperceptible through its extreme tenuity or fineness, and as easily broken, for it is as yet but a simple irregular imagination; afterwards it becomes like a cart rope-- it has, by being indulged produced strong desire and delight; next consent; then, time, place, and opportunity serving, that which was conceived in the mind, and finished in the purpose, is consummated by act.

"The soul, which the Greek philosophers considered as the seat of the appetites and passions, is called by Philo to (grk 3588) theelu (grk 2338), the female part of our nature; and the spirit to (grk 3588) arren (grk 730), the male part. In allusion to this notion, James represents men's lust as a harlot, which entices their understanding and will into its impure embraces, and from that conjunction conceives sin. Sin, being brought forth, immediately acts, and is nourished by frequent repetition, until at length it gains such strength that in its turn it begets death. This is the true genealogy of sin and death. Lust is the mother of sin, and sin the mother of death, and the sinner the parent of both." (from Adam Clarke Commentary)

James 1:16 Do not be deceived, my dearly-loved brethren. (Weymouth translation)

[Do not err] By supposing that God is the author of sin, or that he impels any man to commit it. (from Adam Clarke Commentary)

[Do not err, my beloved brethren] This is said as if there were great danger of error in the point under consideration. The point on which he would guard them, seems to have been in respect to the opinion that God was the author of sin, and that the evils in the world are to be traced to him. There was great danger that they would embrace that opinion, for experience has shown that it is a danger into which men are always prone to fall. Some of the sources of this danger have been already alluded to. Notes, <James 1:13>. To meet the danger he says that, so far is it from being true that God is the source of evil, he is in fact the author of all that is good: every good gift, and every perfect gift <James 1:17>, is from him, <James 1:18>. (from Barnes' Notes)

One’s good habits or traits will be from the positive example one has found within the Word, and made them a part of their very being, as well as a every day manner of living. What kind of example have you chose to follow this day?

That you may know Him,

In the service of Jesus Christ.

Larry Gazelka