Last week we began studying temptation and dealt with it from a negative approach. We dealt with the four stages of sin: Desire, Deception, Disobedience, and Death. Certainly a helpful means of dealing with overcoming temptation is to get our eyes off the bait and look at the consequences of sin. James moves on from this necessary negative approach to handling temptation to some positive approaches that I want us to focus on today.

To overcome temptation we must also Consider God's Goodness & Consider God's Nature in Us.

I. Consider God's Goodness

First of all this morning let us consider God's goodness. In verse 16 James affectionately addresses his brothers in Christ and says, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." It is one of the ongoing trick of Satan to try to convince us that God does not really love us and care for us, that God is holding out on us. So James says, do not be deceived.

Recall again the deception of Eve by Satan in the Garden of Eden. Satan suggested that if God really loved her He would allow her to eat fruit of the forbidden tree. Deception is one of the stages of sin that we mentioned last Sunday. We may also remember that Satan tried to deceive Jesus Himself. He raised the question of if His Father in Heaven really loved Him, why was he hungry? Of course it is better to be hungry in the will of God than to be full outside of God's will. When we are in difficult situations we too need to be careful that we are not deceived.

If we doubt God's goodness, we may be more easily attracted to Satan's offers. Therefore, to consider God's goodness to us can really help us overcome temptation. Read verse 17. "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is not variation, or shifting shadow."

Bestowed speaks of the gracious act of giving. Synonyms are bequeathed, granted, imparted. The way God gives is good. The manner in which He gives is loving and pure. The value of a gift may be increased or decreased by the manner in which it is given.

Everything good comes from God. If it is not from God, it may not be good. All that comes from God is good, even though we don't always see how it can be good right away. We might think of Paul's thorn in the flesh, whatever the physical affliction was.

God gives constantly. "Is coming" is a present participle indicating that God's gifts keep on coming, not occasionally, but constantly. We might ask why these gifts are good and perfect? The answer from James is that these gifts are from above, from God, from the Father of lights.

We are also told that God the Giver does not change. In verse 17b James tells us there is no variation or shifting shadow. These are astronomical terms. That which God created changes and varies. We see this in the characteristics of lights, sun, moon, stars, etc. The length of day and night does change. The length of shadows changes, but He who created never changes. God is perfect and complete and will remain perfect and complete. We can depend on Him. We should never doubt the goodness and love of God.

II. Consider God's Nature in Us.

Last week we looked at the tendency of human beings to blame someone when they get into difficulty. Today I have asked you to look around and consider how good God has been to us. Now for a few minutes I want us to consider God's nature in us. We should realize that if you are truly a Christian you have been born of God and you possess God's nature.

Read verse 18. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures. It was God's will, God's choice, that we be brought forth. I believe James is speaking of the concept of new birth, of spiritual birth, new creation. Back in verse 15 James wrote of the desire to sin giving birth to death.

Now James is telling of God bringing forth new birth to those who repent, who turn their backs on sin and follow Christ. Similarly Paul wrote in I Corinthians 5:17: "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come."

To be born anew spiritually we need to hear and respond to the Gospel of salvation, the Word of truth.

Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God.

First fruits is an Old Testament expression of obedience and devotion. The Jews brought their first fruits to the Lord. It was a sacred responsibility. In Proverbs 3:9 we read: "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce. James compares Christians to first fruits. We are somebody special as Christians. We are among the finest and highest. We who are in Christ share God's nature.

Conclusion

God cannot accept our old, physical birth no matter how noble it was. God does accept our new spiritual nature. Since we share God's nature it really is beneath our dignity to accept Satan's bait and fall to temptation. To overcome temptation we should:

     I. Consider God's Judgment
     II. Consider God's Goodness

"If I Had Only Known You"

Lord, I crawled across the barraness to you
With my empty cup
Uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment
If I had only known You better
I would have come running with a bucket.

By Nancy Spiegelberg and Dorothy Purdy

     III. Consider God's Nature In Us.

A child in Sunday School said one day. "Two men live in my heart, the Old Adam and Jesus. When temptation knocks at the door somebody has to answer. If I let Adam answer I will sin, so I send Jesus to answer. He always wins.

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