James 1: 13-18
(13) Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
When Jesus was in His flesh walking the Earth with us, He was subject to temptation. But since His death and Resurrection, He no longer can be tempted, nor can God the Father. For that reason, He will never tempt anyone to sin, as that would be wrong, and God is righteous all the time.
(14) But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
We are tempted by our own flesh that we live in. This human nature is flawed, we bear the damaged DNA from our original father, Adam. This is why we want what we want. The word for lust is epithumia, which means "a longing after (especially what is forbidden)," or wanting it now, not willing to wait for it. Instant gratification.
(15) Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
We want what we want, right now, we must have it, even though it isn't right. Then we go after it, and the temptation becomes sin. The end of sin is death, the death of the relationship, or the reputation, or the finances, or whatever was involved in the iniquity; and even physical death, eventually, and eternal death, as the paycheck for sin.
(16) Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
(17) Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
We don't have to go after every desire. When what we want is what God wants for us, then it will be good, it will be right, and it will work out for our benefit and God's glory.
Here we learn that God is Light, pure Light, without any darkness to produce any kind of shadow, no matter which way He turns. Our eyes can't see pure light, it would just be a glare, and we can't even look at the sun without destroying our eyes, and it holds just a little bit of God's glory. That's why flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, we need to be changed to live with Him. That's why we will be resurrected with spiritual bodies (I Corinthians 15: 44).
(18) In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.
In doing His own will, God has chosen us, brought us forth, to be His children, and by His written word we can know His truth that the Word, Jesus, died for us to save us. Now that He has washed us clean with His blood, God places His Holy Spirit into our human spirit, birthing us into His family. We become the body of Christ, with Christ as our Head, who is the firstfruits of the resurrection (I Corinthians 15: 20). So, as His body, we are also to be resurrected as the first in creation.
No one else has ever been resurrected from the dead, before Jesus, and He will also raise us. So, as his body, we also are part of the firstfruits of resurrection from the dead.
O my Father, You have planned out everything before You did anything to make us. You knew we would rebel against You, so Your Son agreed to take responsibility for us, to be our Lord God, and give us all the laws and prophesies of what He would accomplish for us. Then He came and did it all.
I cannot imagine how it must have broken Your heart to see Your own Son on that cross, bearing our sin. To have to turn away from Him had to have been excruciating for You. And we know how Jesus suffered the night before, knowing what was ahead. That is how much You love us!
O Father, please teach us how to love You back, they way You want to be loved. Teach us how to love one another as You have loved us, unconditionally. We cannot do that in our own human love, it must be Yours in us.
Thank You for choosing us, Father, to be Your children. Thank You for loving us and planning our Redemption from dust into spirit-beings. Thank You for taking care of all of the details so that they work out so well.
Father, strengthen us, to run from temptation, to see Your way out of it. And when we're confronted with the devil, grant us to stand up against him clad in the armor of God, and after doing all to let You defeat him, to stand.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Redeemer, Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
