When Temptation Becomes Sin 9/15/24

James 1:12-15 nkjv12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.💥   House cleaning.  I’ve had several questions about temptations and sins. I felt a need to go back and focus on temptations, grace and sin.  ( A lot of this we talked about last week.)

❓What is one of your greatest weaknesses❓   What seems hard for you to control in your life❓⭐  When I committed my life to Christ, I believed that I would no longer have bad thoughts or be tempted to sin.  I thought that because I still had bad thoughts and felt tempted to sin, I must not be saved!⭐ This thinking was not true!   💥   Being tempted is not a sin.➣   Jesus was led in the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Luke 4:1-2) And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. ➣   Jesus had to struggle (suffer) with temptations. Hebrews 2:17-18)  17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.     ➣   Jesus was tempted with the good, the bad, the ugly! Hebrews 4:15) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

• Jesus was tempted in every respect as we are.  The worst of the worst!  

💥   Quick lessons from these verses:1.    💥  He was tempted but did not SIN!  So temptations within themselves are not a sin!  ➣💥     Make no mistake.  It is never OK to entertain doing wrong.  We just shouldn’t be surprised or upset because we are tempted to do evil!  

• Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy what we have in our house!

2.   God does not tempt us to do or think bad things!  vs13). 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.       ➣   Satan is the father of lies and temptations.  It’s Satan that wants to destroy our faithfulness to God.      ➣   It’s Satan that tempts people and not God.3.   We don’t have to sin! v12) 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.        ➣   1 Corinthians 10:13  We can overcome them so that they bother us less and less.4.  Temptations are a product of our fallen nature. v14)  14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 

• Our unharnessed desires.  Our body wants to be gratified.  Ego’s stroked.  Pride satisfied.  Our emotions, passions and feelings make us feel justified to do wrong.
• This is the rich ground that Satan used to entice, encourage and drive us to sin.
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💥  When does temptation become sin according to these verses?

I.     It begins by being tempted. ( still not the sin) When our desires, thoughts and passions are not in alignment with God’s will.

• We must not entertain or flirt with temptations.  But we don’t always control or stop our feelings and emotions.
• We must:  pray ---  be led by the Spirit. Galatians 5:16  --- stay on the right path of truth.   --- know God’s Word. 

 Titus:2:11-12)    Tap into the power supply of grace.  Grace doesn’t sit back and say it’s ok or it doesn’t matter.11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,    ➣   It’s the grace of God and His Holy Spirit within us that says, “NO” it’s not ok and we need to get rid of this before we fall!!  

II.         It’s when we give birth to our temptations! v15) 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;

• It’s when we make it a reality.  No longer just passing thoughts and desires.

⭐    This is where Grace comes in.  James 4: 6-10)  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

•   When we fail and make our sins reality, full grace is there.
  • He comes after us.  ( sheep gone astray and He searches for us)
  • Prompts us to repent.  Forsake sin and turn away.  

⭐    Actively resisting the devil.

III.     When we enter into real trouble with sin! v15b) when it is full-grown, brings forth death.  ➣    Shall we sin because we are under grace?  This is what Grace does not cover without repentance.💥   Paul taught a grace that many misunderstood.  2 Peter 3:16) 

• Many believed that once you were under grace, you could do what you wanted.  
  • He did teach that grace is not like standing on thin ice. But if we don’t use grace to resist the devil then we are in big spiritual problems.

Full grown sin.   💥      Sin we allow to become a part of our life.  Matures. Settling in brings forth more fruit.  We don’t change and allow it to become a part of our life and don’t change.

Galatians 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.💥   We are not to give in and live in sin!  We are not to depend on grace to save us when we choose to let sin come in and freely live in our house. (heart, actions, words, and deeds)

Romans 6:15-16)   15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?  Who we yield ourselves servants to obey. 

Endurance: V12)  PATIENCE.  Accept Christ.  Yield yourselves servants to Christ.  You will struggle if you don’t.2   Be filled with the Spirit.   Walk in the Spirit.  3  Repent and live under grace.   If we sin God forgives and gives us the power to rise back up!   7X70 times.  4 Stay near to God and resist the devil AND HE WILL FLEE!!