TRIALS DO NOT EQUAL to TEMPTATIONS James 1:13-15

[JAMES 1:13-15 “¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”]

A.)   SIN                                                     

1.)    Comes from temptations                        

2.)    end result is death                                

3.)    desire ~ sin ~ death   

B.)    TEMPTATION

1.)    God is holy; He cannot be tempted

2.)    God does not tempt anyone

3.)    Source of temptation = our own desires and Satan

4.)    We will be tempted to sin through trials

C.)   TRIALS

1.)    are not temptations from God

2.)    Challenge us; test us emotionally, spiritually, physically

BLAME GAME

Sometimes we blame others for the sin we do. Others believe God punishes us by giving us temptations. But that’s not true. Temptations are caused by evil desires within our flesh. Also, Satan tempts us. As a result, it’s either humble submission to God admitting we sin because of our desires or prideful obedience blaming others or even God. However, we shouldn’t be blaming God or trying to justify our sin (Jesus did that on the cross).

-We sin because of our own sinful desires in the flesh. IT IS A CHOICE to give in to those desires. We’re responsible for your own sin, choices, and consequences of those sinful choices.

-SATAN:: When we’re the most vulnerable in our trial, that’s where Satan tempts us. He wants to devour us. [1 PETER 5:8]

- God is not the source of evil.

- TRIALS ARE NOT TEMPTATIONS FROM GOD, BUT YOU WILL BE TEMPTED TO SIN IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS.

- “God does not test so as to destroy, but He does test so as to strengthen.”

- We must endure these temptations and resist them.

GOD CAN HELP US ENDURE

[1CORINTHIANS 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”]

-God won’t let Satan or even our sinful desires tempt us beyond what we can handle. He is promised faithful and will provide for us a way to face them.

[HEBREWS 2:18 “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”]

-Have you ever had that experience where you shared with a certain someone a trial you are facing because you knew they’re going through the same thing too? We want to do that because we want to know we’re not facing our trials alone and because that person can relate to us.

-Jesus faced every temptation here on Earth, when He had flesh. Yet he was sinless. He can relate to our temptations and help us bear the weight of them.

-WE DESPERATELY NEED GOD TO HELP US IN OUR TRIALS & TEMPTATIONS. He doesn’t give temptations to us, but He sure can help us through them.

ENDURING TEMPTATION

-Prayer: Ask God to help you resist temptation.

[MATTHEW 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”]  Even in the Lord’s prayer, we are to ask for God’s guidance and strength and wisdom (going back to James 1:5-6).

Ask God to search your hearts for any evil desires.

[PSALM 119:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”]

-The Word: Meditate on the Bible. It is our weapon for fighting Satan. It is filled with instructions of God and the promises He gives us. Don’t just read it, DO IT.

[JAMES 1:22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”]

[PSALM 119: 11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that might not sin against you.”]

-The Cross: Don’t just know it, BELIEVE IT. APPLY IT TO YOUR LIFE. Jesus died for the past sins, present sins, and future sins that even God knows we will commit.

LAST ENCOURAGING VERSE // GALATIANS 1:4

“…who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”