Bible Study – James (day 5)

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“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” –James 1:13-15

Weakness, we all have them.  My brother runs a program in Michigan for men of addiction, and helping them recover and become restored in society.  One of the important points that I have learned in the few opportunities I have had to visit and meet with him and the men in the Mission is that we all have addictions.  Some are addicted to work, some to food, some to money, some to sex, and then there are the more commonly thought of addictions to drugs, alcohol and violence.  There is something in each of our lives that fills a void, an emptiness or weakness that should be filled by our love for God.  Often this is driven by the desire to control that aspect of our life, yet in reality it is truly controlling us, we are just unable to see the stronghold it has on us, through our biased blindness.

So many times people are asking why evil things to happen to us or why we continue to be tempted even after we have given our life to Christ.  Some even look to blame God for the bad things that happen in our lives.  I’ve seen people justify unethical decisions with a Robin Hood mentality and truly believe these actions are acceptable in God’s eyes.  We try to rationalize and make excuses for our unrighteousness, as if God can be persuaded to accept our actions.  Let’s be very clear about this; God does not change, He demands perfection from us and will accept nothing less.  The evil actions that inhabit your mind, body and soul are worldly, not heavenly.  There is no unrighteous thought, action, of word that comes from our Father in Heaven. 

I’m sure most of you have heard the story of Albert Einstein challenging his professor on good vs. evil and the existence of God.  There are video clips here, which you can see the entire representation.  But for the sake of brevity, I will summarize it here for you.  The professor one day challenges the student with the hypothesis to prove that if there is a God than God is evil. 

Prof: Do you agree that God created all things?  Student: Yes. 
Prof: Do you agree that evil exists in the world?  Student: Yes. 
Prof:  Therefore God must have created evil.  Why would God create evil to happen in our lives if He loves us?

The greatest part of this story though is that the student stands up for God with the following rebuttal. 

Student: Professor, you’re wrong.  Can you tell me is there such a thing as cold? 
Prof: Of course. 
Student: No, it is merely the absence of heat.  Can you tell me is there such a thing as dark? 
Prof: Of course, every night. 
Student: Again, you’re mistaken.  Dark is simply the absence of light.  (at this time the professor is frustrated)  You see professor, evil exists only in the absence of good.  God did not create evil, He created good.  It is our lack of acceptance of His good that has resulted in evil in this world.

As we are tempted daily by evil, we must learn to turn to God for strength, courage and confidence to overcome these temptations and addictions.  It is only through God that we are able to fill the void in our life, with something that is wholesome, pure, good and righteous.

ACTIONs for Growth: What are you addicted to?  Don’t minimize the importance of this question.  What is it in your life that draws you away from God?  What are you relying on instead of relying and trusting in the power of the Almighty?  Do you expect that God is going to bend or break His principles and requirements for eternity based on your excuse for your unrighteousness?  Think again.  He is immutable and never changing.  Your unrighteousness is forgiven and you are provided acceptance into heaven based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not because God has reduced the requirements.  Put a plan in place to remove these addictions and replace them with God’s love and strength.   

    





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