(James 1:13-15 NIV) When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; {14} but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. {15} Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
We live in an age where the concept of sin has been muddied by the loosening of morality. Situational ethics teach that there is no clear right or wrong. Rather what is right and wrong depends upon the situation in which you find yourself.
One of the basic concepts of Christianity is that there are absolute standards. Those standards reflect the nature of God and are extended to humanity as a target to shoot for. God’s nature is perfect. Human nature is flawed. It is impossible for us to achieve the perfect nature of God because of the evil nature we have at birth.
(Psalms 51:5 NIV) Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
To claim Christianity is to accept that there is a perfect God, that we are imperfect humans and to trust in the work of Jesus on the cross. We acknowledge that God alone determines what is right and what is wrong. Without this basic understanding of the authority of God and the condition of man any discussion of sin is unfounded.
Sin, according to New Testament Greek, is “missing the mark”. In other words, God sets a goal and calls it ‘right’. We attempt to achieve that goal. When we fail to achieve that goal we have missed the mark and we have sinned.
It seems unfair that a perfect God would set a goal that is unattainable and then punish us for not attaining the unattainable. But we have left out one vital fact. God has provided an equalizer. He is a loving father who knows his children must have high goals in order to challenge them to achieve a higher level of excellence. He makes up the difference for what we cannot accomplish.
This is why Jesus had to die on the cross. As a perfect human he paid the price for all our sin. So when we miss the mark, Jesus is reaching down to grab our hand while reaching up to grasp the goal we could not achieve. He encourages us to do better each time without condemning us for not achieving things that are impossible for us.
(Romans 8:1-2 NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, {2} because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
(Philippians 4:13 NIV) I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Sin begins in our heart and grows into rebellion against God’s will. Rebellion has many levels of intensity. From a simple ‘no’ to a civil war.
Sin does not occur until we are first tempted. Temptation is like a carrot being held in front of a donkey. It is something that appeals to us. We look upon this forbidden thing and we see that it is desirable to us. Once we notice the desirability of this thing we are dragged away from God’s perfect will for our lives because we have been enticed. A good picture of the Greek writing is that of a fish being tempted by bait and drawn out of the water once it is captured.
Desire ‘conceives’ just as a woman conceives a child. It grows until birth that produces death. James is trying to show us that there is a process that occurs to produce sin. That process does not begin with God. God always produces life. Sin always produces death. Sin is contrary to God’s will and contrary to our spiritual growth.
Take time today to examine your life. Are you failing to meet God’s goals in your life? If so, remember that Jesus is extending his hand to you every minute of every day. All we need to do is lift our hands toward him.
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