Bible Text: James 1:9-18 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship | Intro: James wrote to people who were dispersed mainly because of persecution and hard times. So he knew they were going through very difficult times. He wanted to be very clear that difficult times and temptations will come. Last week, we looked at the the purpose of trials of all kinds in our lives. God permits them to come in order to teach us, mature us, and build godly character. But we need to go through the trials fully trusting God and being lovingly obedient to Him.
This week we are going to take a deeper look at what it means to trust God even in temptations. James, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives us great insights as to how to face temptation.
Illustration: The letter from prison
We Need to Trust (Surrender) God in the Temptation v. 9-11
Not our wealth, power, or position
God always provides a way of escape that honors and glorifies Him v. 12
Yielding to the Holy Spirit and loving obedience is the key
We need to willing cooperate with God through the process
We Will Receive a Reward from God When We Persevere
We will receive the crown of Life
We will learn how to trust God in a deeper way
We will learn how vulnerable we can be to sin
We Need to Stop Blaming God! v. 13-19
God doesn’t author evil nor does He tempt us
Evil comes from people’s rebellion against God
Understand the anatomy of sin
Understand the consequences of sin
God wants to give us good things
Every good and perfect gift is from God
In particular, His gift of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
He created us to be the crown of His Creation
Closing: God desires us to have victory over temptation. He will always provide a way of escape. Part 2 of this truth is then by faith you and I need to be obedient to take the way of escaping the temptation.
The Lord’s Table is a perfect place for Christ followers to come and confess very specifically those times we have scummed to our evil desires. In repentance, you and I can ask God for the wisdom and power to refrain from being enticed by sin again.