Faith Journey

Read James 1:12-18

The Story: Sin has absolutely no appeal to God. He is Holy and resists every invitation to sin. James makes this point to help us understand trials vs. temptation. God cannot and will not tempt you to sin. He does allow trials to enter our lives with the purpose of maturing our faith (James 1:12).  Temptation comes from the desires within us.

James then describes the process of sin:  (1) The Desires that are part of each of our lives (James 1:14). (2) Deception - It's when we don't control our natural desires, they can give way to deception (James 1:14) when we take the bait of desire. (3) Disobedience - When we makes a choice to act on the deception. We're hooked and trapped (James 1:15). Death - The disobedience may feel great at first but eventually death comes and brings separation to our fellowship with God (James 1:15, 1 John 1:6, 9).

The Key Truth: James 1:15, 16 - The result of sin is always death.

Today's Application - Philippians 4:8 - We need to resist sin at every corner. If sin is gripping you, find a trustworthy person that you can be accountable to.

Our Conversation: What are some ways that we can avoid sin? What does James 1:17, 18 say that will help us avoid sin?