James 1:9-16

This lesson is divided into two parts:

1. Verse 9-12 showing the "testing" of God.

2. Verse 13-16 showing the "temptations" of Satan.

James 1:9-12, Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: {10} But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. {11} For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. {12} Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

I. Testing. It is as hard for the rich to be made poor as it is for the poor to be made rich.

low degree = depressed, base, cast down, humble.

exalted = altitude, high, dignity, (on) high.

rich = abundant.

low = humble.

A. It's not our background or environment that causes us to pass or fail. See Job and Job's wife (Job 2:9,10). He passed, she failed. It's how much faith a person has in God.

1. A poor person has learned that God will provide if he puts Him first. He has an easier time in death (usually) because he's used to God being in control of his life.

2. A rich person must learn this same lesson. Usually a rich person has a harder time in death because he's never learned to trust God. He has always depended upon his own strength and understanding and being in control of the situation. But in death, he is not in control.

B. The person of verse 9 looks at his recently acquired possessions and has trouble trusting God to let him keep them. Example: Israel took Canaan, and failed to serve God, but worried about their possessions. The person of verse 10 thinks he has gained his possessions by his own strength and doesn't feel the need to trust God with them. Example: Arkansas person.

C. The solution is in the middle part of verse 10 and 11. A realization of time and eternity.

1. The flower is the blossom people take notice of against the background of green grass. It seems to be the better part.

2. Grace is the "good suitableness". This word for grace is used only one time in the Bible.

3. Fashion is the appearance, or the front.

4. Fade means extinguish.

5. Ways means career.

D. Verse 12.

1. Blessed means happy.

2. Endureth means to be under, remain, or patiently suffer.

3. Temptations means testing by God (see the word "tried" of verse 12).

4. Crown of life, not salvation, for salvation would then be according to works. This is a reward (crown) given because of faithfulness in salvation. A crown is given to show what one is, not to cause the person to become that thing. Example:

a. Rev. 19:12 - Christ wears many crowns to show he is head of many nations (Dan 7:14). He has always been King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but now He wears the symbol.

b. John 19:2,5 - Christ wears a crown of thorns to show He is the one foreordained from the foundation of the world to bear our sins. The soldiers didn't cause this ordaining, God did. They only fulfilled what God had ordained.

c. A king is a king when he has authority, not when he has a crown. The king could possess the crown, but have no authority.

5. Scriptures showing the crown is a reward.

a. II Tim. 4:8 - Paul receives this crown for a faithful life. (note the word "love").

b. I Peter 5:4 - Pastors receiving a crown for faithfully leading God's children. (churches)

c. Rev. 3:11 - Christ said to the church at Philadelphia, "...hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."

d. Rev. 4:10 - Cast thy crowns before God, because He is faithful.

James 1:13-16, Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: {14} But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. {15} Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. {16} Do not err, my beloved brethren.

II. Temptations. this is by Satan, not by God.

A. Definite possibility.

1. "When" not "if"!

2. Jesus was tempted, and we are not better than He.

3. It's not a sin to be tempted, it is a sin to fall into temptation.

4. The number of temptations will increase, not decrease.

5. The strength of temptations will increase, not decrease.

6. If there is any sign of a Christian life, the devil will give many temptations. Example: If I go duck hunting and shoot two ducks. One duck is dead and the other is flopping around. I'd try to get the flopping duck, because the other isn't going anywhere. Satan does the same. If Satan isn't after you, then you are a "dead duck"!

B. Divine impossibility.

1. It is impossible for God to be tempted with evil. When Jesus was lead of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan, (Matt. 4:1-11) that is exactly what happened. Satan tempted Christ, but there was absolutely no desire on the part of Christ to yield to those temptations!! There are two things to consider in this temptation:

a. Satan was there, doing all he could possibly do to entice Christ to sin.

1) Christ was there, but wasn't tempted to sin, for he had no attraction to sin.

2) That's why the Bible says, "...for God cannot be tempted with evil..." James 1:13.

b. The part of God that lives within each saved person cannot be tempted with evil.

c. I John 3:9 - "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

2. God doesn't tempt any man to evil. But we blame Him anyway.

a. In the Garden of Eden, Adam said, the woman YOU gave me.

b. We blame our parents, our environment, or background, but it's really my fault.

c. Often times we blame the bad economy for sin, but that is a devil's lie: it's my fault.

3. All of the temptations of Satan are directed against our flesh, never against our spirits. Our spirits cannot sin.

C. Direct Responsibility. Verse 14 - We should blame ourselves only. (It's an "inside job".)

1. "Drawn away", means to be "drug away".

2. The courtship - Satan is dangling the sin before you.

3. Consent - (The word "enticed" means trapped). This is the "I do" in this unholy marriage.

4. Conception - the end result of lust will yield SIN.

5. Completion - death.

6. We must look far enough ahead to see the end result.

a. Prov. 23:29-30 - Wine and the end result.

b. Prov. 5:3-5 - Lust of the flesh and the end result.

c. Jer. 17:11 - The end result of wrongfully getting gain.

d. If the fish could see the hook in the bait, there wouldn't be any fish caught. If we could see Satan's trap in temptations, we wouldn't get caught either.

D. I Tim. 4:1-4 - Another scripture on how Satan draws people away from the truth.

Verse 16, Do not err, my beloved brethren.

I don't know if verse 16 applies to verse 14,15 or 16-18, but it seems very appropriate to apply the verse to both verses 14,15 and verses 16-18. If we err concerning temptations we will fall from our own stedfastness. If we err concerning the goodness of God, we will be unable to see how good God is to us, therefore, we will become discouraged and fall from our own stedfastness.