Good and Evil

The Source of Good and the Source of Evil

God is Not the Source of Temptation – James 1:13-15

Verse 13a – “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God…” God is not the source of temptation and we cannot say that God tempts us. James uses the word temptation in two different ways in Chapter 1. First, he uses it in the context of verses 2-12 as a trying or testing of one’s faith through the trials of life that befall all mankind. But in the context of chapter 1:13-15, James is speaking of a temptation to do evil.

Verse 13b – “For God cannot be tempted with evil…” It is not in God’s divine nature to do evil. Hab. 1:13 says “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…”

It would therefore appear that, when it is affirmed that God is “un-tempt-able,” it is meant that having no experience in any evil thing, there can be in Him no desire for evil, and thus no ground for temptation. One who is Himself wholly removed from evil could never desire to see it, or cause it to appear in others. – Guy N. Woods, Commentary on James

One who is perfect in holiness and in knowledge, by his very nature, is excluded from temptation and sin. God is perfect in holiness. (Rev. 4:8). God is perfect in knowledge. (Rom. 11:33; Job 37:16). Therefore…

Verse 13c – “Neither tempteth He any man…” Because evil is against His nature, He does not tempt us to do evil. God allows temptations and trials to test our faith for our good (Jas. 1:12), but He is not the author of them. The author of all that is good cannot be the source of sin in us.

Verse 14a – “But every man is tempted…” Temptation can be simply defined with this “mathematical” formula. Temptation = desire + opportunity. Every man who has ever lived or ever will live is subject to temptation. Even Christ Himself was tempted in all points like we are. (Heb. 2:18, 4:15)

Verse 14b – “When he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed…” One is tempted when he is (1) drawn away (2) of his own lust and (3) enticed. One is drawn out by his own lust. Lust, in this context, is evil desire or passion. Lust seeking satisfaction entices us to sin. As was previously mentioned, temptation happens when lust or desire meets opportunity. When one has a desire and the opportunity presents itself to fulfill it unlawfully, he is faced with a choice.

All men are faced with a choice when it comes to sin. God allows us to make the choice. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” (Deu. 30:19) God wants us to choose life and he has guaranteed us an escape from all sins. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Co. 10:13) In escaping from sin, we need to “take up arms” against sin, especially the “Whole armor of God.” (Eph. 6:11)

Verse 15a – “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin…” Lust is the “mother” of sin. Temptation is the seed that Satan implants in the “fertile soil” of lust. Sin is the offspring that is begotten of this evil union. This metaphor of seed implantation, conception and the bringing forth of sin is an apt metaphor here. James uses a Greek word that means, “To become pregnant.” It is here translated as “conceived.” Also, in this verse, James uses another Greek word that literally means to give birth and it is here translated as “bringeth forth.”. This is an active verb in the present tense, and signifies a continuous action on the part of the one giving birth. The word, “conceived”, is in the past tense, and it took place prior to the main verb, “bringeth forth.” Thus, we can conclude that, once lust has conceived, it continuously gives birth to sin.

Verse 15b – “And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death…” Sin, that illegitimate offspring of evil desire, when it grows to maturity and remains unrepentant and rebellious, brings forth death. The word here translated as “bringeth forth” is from a Greek term normally used when referring to an animal giving birth.

God is the Source of All That is Good – James 1:16-18

Verse 16 “Do not err, my beloved brethren…” In light of the fact that temptation is not of God, but of Satan, we had better not make a mistake and attribute the source our own sins to God. Make no mistake about it! Adam erred in the garden when he attempted to shift the blame for his own sin from himself to God, by saying: “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” (Gen. 3:12)

Verse 17a “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”  He makes a stark contrast here between the evil that comes from Satan and the good that comes from God. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. James uses two different Greek words for gift. The word used in the phrase “every good gift” indicates the goodness of the giver is noted as well as the goodness displayed in the act of giving. The word used in the phrase “every perfect gift” refers to the completeness of the gift that has been given.

Every gift that is good and every gift that is perfect in its completeness comes from God. Our daily bread, our financial means and all other material blessings come from Him. Of course the greatest gift mankind has ever received originated with God and that is the gift of his Son as an atonement sacrifice for us. This gift and all others come down on us continually. God’s gifts are the gifts that keep on giving.

Verse 17b “And cometh down from the Father of lights…” God is the father of lights. The Greek word used here for “lights” is phota.  The word generally refers to heavenly bodies and it describes God as the cosmic Father of the heavenly bodies. Symbolically this is speaking of the light of the Gospel that originated with God. Ps. 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Verse 17c “With whom is no variableness…” The Gospel light is unvarying and without shadow of turning. Unlike the stars in the sky, the Gospel light is unwavering. One notices when they look up at the stars that they seem to twinkle. God’s Gospel light is steady and sure; it does not “twinkle.” It is an all encompassing light and does not cast a shadow.

When one holds his hand in front of a light source it casts a shadow. There is no light other than Divine light that casts no shadow. Photographers when they seek to capture an image without shadow use many different flash bulbs from different angles, yet even they can not remove all shadow.

Verse 17d “Neither shadow of turning…” There is no shadow caused by turning. The Gospel always remains fixed. Again in contrast to the sun, moon and stars, God remains fixed overhead in relation to us. In comparison to the shadow cast by a sun dial, God’s light stays fixed at “high noon.” “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all…” (1 Jo. 1:5)

Verse 18a “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth…” God is the father of redemption through the word of truth. Notice the similarity of phrase between verse 15: “conceived,” “bringeth forth” and verse 18: “begat,” “firstfruits.” Remember that Satan implants the “seed” of temptation into the mother of sin which is lust. But God is the father of the redeemed, through the implanted seed of the Gospel into a fertile heart (v.21), such as the one described in Mat.13:23.

Verse 18b “That we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures …”  Christians, in a sense, are the firstfruits of all God’s creation. Mankind is the apex of creation and Christians are the fruit brought forth by obedience to the Gospel. “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb…” (Rev. 14:4).

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Parenting

Parenting and Spiritual Development of Children

What is the single most important factor in the spiritual growth and development of a child?  Education?  A Balanced Diet?  Exercise?  A Good Night’s Sleep?  These are all important, no doubt, but the single most important factor is the child’s parents.  The beliefs, examples, and methods of training that parents employ have more influence upon a child’s spiritual development than any other.  It is for this reason that the LORD enjoins parents with the spiritual growth and development of children (Deuteronomy 6:2).

Key to success in the spiritual growth and development of children is a method of parenting that focuses on spiritually transformational outcomes.  Researcher George Barna has recently weighed in on this issue.  He says:

Parenting by default and trial-and-error parenting are both approaches that enable parents to raise their children without the effort of defining their life.  Revolutionary parenting, which is based on one’s faith in God, makes parenting a life priority. Those who engage in revolutionary parenting define success as intentionally facilitating faith-based transformation in the lives of their children, rather than simply accepting the aging and survival of the child as a satisfactory result.

In other words, to foster the spiritual growth and development of a child, parents must go beyond simple concern for a child’s independence, and focus upon a child’s spiritual transformation.  A child’s independence as an adult is certainly not excluded in this focus, but it is not the final desired outcome for the child’s personal development.  Consider Proverbs 29:15 in light of this: “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

It is also not surprising that another study indicates that children whose parents focus upon spiritual development, as definitive of successful parenting, are more likely to remain spiritually active as adults.  More frequent spiritual participation as children resulted in more frequent spiritual participation as adults.  Less frequent spiritual participation as children resulted in less frequent spiritual participation as adults.  Of course, such results are not always duplicated in each individual life, but so far as trends and generalities go, spiritual activity and involvement as children influences and brings about spiritual activity and involvement as adults.  Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

If one doubt that such parenting practices have the desired effect, just consider another Barna survey: “Young Adults and Liberals Struggle with Morality.”  The survey shows that young adults today are far more likely to engage in immoral behavior than previous generations.

For instance, two-thirds of the under-25 segment (64%) had used profanity in public, compared to just one out of five Boomers (19%). The younger group – known as Mosaics – was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%), six times more likely to have lied (37% vs. 6%), almost three times more likely to have gotten drunk (25% vs. 9%) and to have gossiped (26% vs. 10%), and twice as likely as Boomers to have observed pornography (33% vs. 16%) and to have engaged in acts of retaliation (12% vs. 5%).

Now, what would we consider one of the main differences between the baby-boomer generation and those raised by the baby-boomers?  Would it not be the emphasis upon spiritual growth and development of children?

Our children are important and precious.  They are important, first of all, spiritually.  Each soul is worth more than the whole world (Matthew 16:26).  Their growth and development in that department should be paramount in importance due to this intrinsic worth.

They are important, secondly, for the ongoing growth and development of the family.  The children of today become the parents of tomorrow.  They will act toward their children largely as we have acted toward them.

They are importantly, thirdly, for the growth and development of the church.  The same children we spiritually educate today will be the adults participating in the activities of the church tomorrow.  Those activities will largely be shaped by the activities in which they participated as children.

They are important, fourthly, for the growth and development of society as a whole.  Who wants to live in hell on earth?  Yet, that is exactly the kind of place future generations will occupy given the trends of moral decline today.  May we, as parents, understand and respect the awesome God-given responsibility for our children’s spiritual growth and development, and may we set appropriate goals to so effect that development.

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Ashamed

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

The negative impact of an Anti-Christ society. In the news media and academia there is a “cult of non-belief.”

The “intellectual elite” assumes that stupidity accompanies religious conviction!

About 57% of Americans do not attend church and oppose organized religion.

Embarrassment and shame has been the result with many Christians.

We will be condemned eternally for having shame of God and His gospel!

Mark 8:38 (NASB) – “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Our readiness to spread the gospel requires that we are not ashamed of it. With zeal and confidence we are meant to proclaim the gospel. Rom. 1:15  (NASB) – Thus, for my part, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rom.  – cf. Acts 8:4. Paul was ready because he was not ashamed of the Gospel and all that it stands for!  Rom. 1:16-17 (NASB) – 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” – cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 1:13; John 17:17; Acts 20:27

Why we should not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. The gospel is the power of God (from Dunamis) (Rom. 1:16). Jeremiah 23:29 “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” The gospel stands for that same great power that God used to create the world! Psalm 33:9 (NASB) Indeed; The Gospel is the power of an all-powerful God wiser than the wisdom of men (1 Cor. 1:20).

“The world has many religions; it has but one gospel.” It is for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (all nations) (e.g., Acts 8:37) – The gospel comes from an impartial God (Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34-35). The Gospel is God’s plan on how to become right before God. Rom 1:17 (NASB) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”

Obeying the gospel is the way we can be acquitted or released from sin (forgiven) and regarded as righteous in God’s sight! (Acts 2:38) When we are absolutely convinced that only in the gospel, righteousness before God can be obtained, we will share it with others! (Rom. 3:21-23). The Gospel reveals the plan of righteousness that can be understood.  Romans 1:17 (NASB) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” – cf. Eph. 3:3-5

Only in the gospel, can we learn about righteousness made possible by God. The Gospel produces faith in those who hear it. Rom 1:17 (NASB) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” – Rom. 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Why be ashamed to proclaim the gospel when there is such great potential? The righteous live by faith (i.e., trust and believe in Christ, not in themselves) and by faith shall live eternally. Rom 1:17 (NASB) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

The Christian (or the righteous) will live by faith.

He will not rely on himself, trust in his good works, and try to earn his way to Heaven (Eph. 2:8-9). His good works demonstrate a living faith (James 2:14-26), but cannot merit salvation alone!

The righteous will believe in Christ and trust in God’s power to save him through the gospel (e.g., Rom. 4:5-8).

A person who lives life “by faith and obedience” to Christ Jesus is justified in God’s sight and thus “will live” eternally.

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The Entertainment of Sin

America is the entertainment capital of the world. Satan has trained millions to derive pleasure from entertainment. He has accomplished it with temptations of sin. It all started with Adam and Eve. Once they were entertained with the idea of becoming like God and relied on their emotions rather than their sense of judgment, Satan caught them completely. Ever since sin entered the world, it has entertained man. Just turn on the television, and millions are entertained with the worst kind of immorality known to humanity every passing minute of the day. What is our reaction? We are entertained. We shrug it off. We close our eyes or turn the channel briefly or fast forward. People want to be entertained today in religion with false worship. With every bombardment of sin we encounter, our attitudes toward sin soften to the point that it no longer affects us; we simply become entertained.

A wise man once said, “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom” (Prov. 10:23). Paul warns Timothy of those who are “lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4). Paul also said in Second Thessalonians 2:10-12,

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Notice the contrast between lovers of truth and those who are entertained by sin.

Observe the following small article Wendell Winkler records in his book, “Studying Sin Seriously,” concerning this very subject:

Babylon saw it that way, and the handwriting came on the wall. At Rome they saw it that way and faded from power. France followed suit and the moral decay became a cancer. Now America laughs at sin—laughs hilariously. There is an absence of heartfelt sorrow for sin in our country. We need real recognition of sin, genuine sorrow for it and an honest turning away from it—if we are to survive! What is so funny? Are atomic bombs, broken bodies and full sanitariums funny? Are drinking leaders, shady business deals, open gambling, filthy stories and immorality cause for hilarity? Why laugh when the moral fiber of a nation is wretched apart by godlessness? [p. 55]

We need to realize sin may entertain man, but it does not entertain God. We can see His attitude toward sin in the story of the Global Flood. He destroyed the world because they were entertained with sin with the exception of Noah and his family. When Aaron and the Israelites made the golden calf, they “rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play” (Exod. 32:6). While entertained by sin, God shows his attitude toward it, wanting to destroy them. Sin does not entertain God.

We are to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22). We are to “abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (Rom. 12:9). Instead of allowing sin to entertain us, let us treat it like castor oil; only then will our lights shine brightly in this dark and dismal world!

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John 7 – Jesus at the Feast

The Feast of Tabernacles was a reminder of Israel’s journey through the wilderness, and looked forward to the promised kingdom of the Messiah. The Jews lived in booths made of branches to remind them of God’s providential care of the nation for nearly forty years (Lev. 23:33-44). Following the Feast of Trumpets and the solemn Day of Atonement, Tabernacles was a festive time for the people. The temple area was illumined by large candlesticks that reminded the people of the guiding pillar of fire and each day the priests would carry water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it out from a golden vessel, reminding the Jews of the miraculous provision of water from the rock.

But, while this was a joyous time for the people, Jesus was facing death ever since He had healed the paralytic on the Sabbath Day (Jn. 7:1). But, that was not the only difficulty Jesus had. See, his mother, Mary, bore other children with Joseph (Mk. 13:55-56) and so, Jesus had half brothers. And, certainly they knew about the miracles Jesus did, since everybody else did; yet they were still unbelievers (vs. 5). Sadly, here were men going up to a religious feast, yet rejecting their own Messiah! How easy it is to follow tradition and miss eternal truth. The publicans and sinners were rejoicing at His message, but His own half brothers were making fun of Him. No doubt the brothers also knew that the multitude of disciples had deserted Jesus (Jn. 6:66). And, the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him because they were a part of “the world” and because He exposed their evil works. Knowing this, I suppose, is why his brothers went up to the feast in secret (vs. 10).

Now, in the midst of the feast, Jesus stayed behind (vs. 11). But, the Jews (Jewish leaders) were seeking to get rid of him. In vs. 12, the people at the festival also wanted to see him and possibly worship him because they were not up on the latest gossip and were amazed anyone wanted to kill Jesus (vs. 20). Then, there were also the people living in Jerusalem who were looking for Jesus (vs. 25). And so, this debate about his character (vs. 11-13) started with the religious leaders seeking Jesus, while the crowd kept arguing whether He was a good man or a deceiver.

Now, in vs. 14-19, Jesus was there and began to teach openly in the temple. And, the Jews were amazed at what He taught because He did not have any credentials from their approved rabbinical schools. But, his enemies said that His teachings were nothing but private opinions and not worth much. Well, Jesus explained that His doctrine came from the Father. He had already made it clear that He and the Father were one in the works that He performed (Jn. 5:17) and in the judgment that He executed (Jn. 5:30). Now He claimed that His teachings also came from the Father, and He would make that astounding claim again (Jn. 8:26, 38). But does not every religious teacher make a similar claim? How, then, can we know that Jesus is teaching us the truth? In vs. 17, Jesus says, “Try it! If it works, it must be true!” and thus suggesting that if it does not work it must be false? See, the Jewish leaders were attempting to kill Jesus, yet at the same time they claimed to understand God’s truth and obey it.

Now, the leaders wanted to kill Him because He had violated the Sabbath and then claimed to be God (Jn. 5:10-18). But, our Lord used the very Law of Moses to refute the enemy’s argument. See, the Jewish leaders were not honest and evaluated things on the basis of superficial examinations, which is why Jesus called for a sincere devotion to truth (vs. 24) and see what is truth. Well, during this conversation, not only are the festival people involved (vs. 20) and the religious leaders, but now the residents of Jerusalem entered the conversation (vs. 25). They knew that the rulers wanted to kill Jesus, and they were amazed that He was teaching openly and getting away with it! Perhaps the rulers had been convinced that indeed He is the Messiah, sent from God! Then why were they not worshiping Him and leading others to worship Him? Their question (vs. 25) suggested a negative answer: “No, the rulers do not believe that He is the Christ, do they?” They were able to defend their conclusion with logic: Nobody knows where the Christ comes from, we know where Jesus of Nazareth came from, conclusion: Jesus cannot be the Messiah. Once again, the people could not see the truth because they were blinded by what they thought were dependable facts.

At this point, Jesus raises his voice so everyone can hear (vs. 28, 37) saying, you both know me and where I come, but really, you don’t know. Jesus then explained why they did not know him (vs. 29). After this, the rulers sent members of the temple guard to arrest Jesus (vs. 30-32) and did not know that within six months, Jesus would go back to the Father in heaven, and the unsaved Jews would not be able to follow Him. Had these men been willing to do God’s will, they would have known the truth. Soon it would be too late.

Now, this feast was seven days, and on the last day, the priests would march seven times around the altar, chanting Psa. 118:25. It would be the last time they would draw the water and pour it out. No doubt just as they were pouring out the water, symbolic of the water Moses drew from the rock, Jesus stood and shouted His great invitation to thirsty sinners (vs. 37-38). And so, at the feast, the Jews were reenacting a tradition that could never satisfy the heart. But, Jesus offered them living water and eternal satisfaction! So, what was the result of this declaration and invitation? The people were divided: Is He “the Christ” (vs. 31)? Is He the promised “Prophet” (vs. 40)? If only they had honestly examined the evidence, they would have discovered that, indeed, He was the Christ, the Son of God.

The temple officers returned to the Jewish council meeting empty-handed. What stopped them from arresting him? “Never man spoke like this Man!” was their defense (vs. 46). In other words, “This Jesus is more than a man! No mere man speaks as He does!” But again, the leaders refused to face facts honestly but are prejudice (vs. 47). Now, some believed in Jesus, like Nicodemus (vs. 50). No doubt Nicodemus had been doing a great deal of thinking and studying since that first interview with Jesus (Jn. 3), and was not afraid to take his stand. So, the leaders challenged Nicodemus to search the prophecies to see if he could find any statement that a prophet would come out of Galilee. Of course, Jonah was from Galilee; and Jesus said that Jonah was a picture of Himself (Matt. 12:38-41). Perhaps Nicodemus read Isa. 9:1-2 (Matt. 4:12-16) and began to trace the great messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. If he did, then he became convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was the very Son of God.

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