1. JAMES 1 13-27 COMME TARY EDITED BY GLE PEASE 13 When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; BAR ES, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God - See the remarks on the previous verse. The apostle here seems to have had his eye on whatever there was in trial of any kind to induce us to commit sin - whether by complaining, by murmuring, by apostacy, or by yielding to sin. So far as that was concerned, he said that no one should charge it on God. He did nothing in any way with a view to induce men to do evil. That was only an incidental thing in the trial, and was no part of the divine purpose or design. The apostle felt evidently that there was great danger, from the general manner in which the word temptation was used, and from the perverse tendency of the heart, that it would be charged on God that he so arranged these trials, and so influenced the mind, as to present inducements to sin. Against this, it was proper that an inspired apostle should bear his solemn testimony; so to guard the whole subject as to show that whatever there was in any form of trial that could be regarded as an inducement or allurement to sin, is not the thing which he contemplated in the arrangement, and does not proceed from him. It has its origin in other causes; and if there was nothing in the corrupt human mind itself leading to sin, there would be nothing in the divine arrangement that would produce it. For God cannot be tempted with evil - Margin, evils. The sense is the same. The object seems to be to show that, in regard to the whole matter of temptation, it does not pertain to God. Nothing can be presented to his mind as an inducement to do wrong, and as little can he present anything to the mind of man to induce him to sin. Temptation is a subject which does not pertain to him. He stands aloof from it altogether. In regard to the particular statement here, that God cannot be tempted with evil, or to do evil, there can be no doubt of its truth, and it furnishes the highest security for the welfare of the universe. There is nothing in him that has a tendency to wrong; there can be nothing presented from without to induce him to do wrong: (1) There is no evil passion to be gratified, as there is in men; (2) There is no want of power, so that an allurement could be presented to seek what he has not; (3) There is no want of wealth, for he has infinite resources, and all that there is or can be is his Psa_50:10-11; (4) There is no want of happiness, that he should seek happiness in sources which are not now in his possession. Nothing, therefore, could be presented to the divine mind as an inducement to do evil. Neither tempteth he any man - That is, he places nothing before any human being with a view to induce him to do wrong. This is one of the most positive and unambiguous of all the declarations in the Bible, and one of the most important. It may 2. be added, that it is one which stands in opposition to as many feelings of the human heart as perhaps any other one. We are perpetually thinking - the heart suggests it constantly - that God does place before us inducements to evil, with a view to lead us to sin. This is done in many ways: (a) People take such views of his decrees as if the doctrine implied that he meant that we should sin, and that it could not be otherwise than that we should sin. (b) It is felt that all things are under his control, and that he has made his arrangements with a design that men should do as they actually do. (c) It is said that he has created us with just such dispositions as we actually have, and knowing that we would sin. (d) It is said that, by the arrangements of his Providence, he actually places inducements before us to sin, knowing that the effect will be that we will fall into sin, when we might easily have prevented it. (e) It is said that he suffers some to tempt others, when he might easily prevent it if he chose, and that this is the same as tempting them himself. Now, in regard to these things, there may be much which we cannot explain, and much which often troubles the heart even of the good; yet the passage before us is explicit on one point, and all these things must be held in consistency with that - that God does not place inducements before us with a view that we should sin, or in order to lead us into sin. None of his decrees, or his arrangements, or his desires, are based on that, but all have some other purpose and end. The real force of temptation is to be traced to some other source - to ourselves, and not to God. See the next verse. CLARKE, "Let no man say - Lest the former sentiment should be misapplied, as the word temptation has two grand meanings, solicitation to sin, and trial from providential situation or circumstances, James, taking up the word in the former sense, after having used it in the latter, says: Let no man say, when he is tempted, (solicited to sin), I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he (thus) any man. Thus the author has explained and guarded his meaning. GILL, "Let no man say when he is tempted,.... Here the apostle uses the word "tempted", in another sense than he did before. Before he speaks of temptations, as matter of joy and boasting, here of temptations, which are criminal, and issue in shame and death; the temptations he before makes mention of, being patiently endured, denominate men happy, but here such are designed, which are to be deprecated, and watched against; before he treats of temptations, which were the means of trying and exercising grace, and of purging away the dross of sin and corruption, but here of temptations to sin, and which are in themselves sinful; before he discourses of temptations in which God was concerned; but here of temptations which he removes from him, and denies of him, as being unworthy of him: wherefore, when any man is tempted to sin, whether when under adversity, or in prosperity, let him not say, I am tempted of God; for God is holy, and without iniquity, nor does he delight in sin, but hates and abhors it; nor can he commit it, it being contrary to his nature, and the perfections of it; whereas no one can tempt another to sin, unless he is sinful himself, and delights in sin, and in those that commit it, nor without committing it himself; and 3. yet sinful men are apt to charge God with their sins, and temptations to them, in imitation of their first parent, Adam, when fallen, Gen_3:12 who, to excuse himself, lays the blame upon the woman, and ultimately upon God, who gave her to him; and suggests, that if it had not been for the woman, he should not have ate of the forbidden fruit, nor should he have had any temptation to it, had not God given him the woman to be with him, and therefore it was his fault; and in this sad manner do his sons and daughters reason, who, when, through affliction, they murmur against God, distrust his providence, or forsake his ways, say, if he had not laid his hand upon them, or suffered such afflictions to befall them, they had not been guilty of such sin: he himself is the occasion of them; but let no man talk at this wicked rate, for God cannot be tempted with evil; or "evils", He was tempted by the Israelites at Massah and Meribah, from which those places had their names, who by their murmuring, distrust and unbelief, proved and tried his patience and his power; and so he may be, and has been tempted by others in a like way; he may be tempted by evil men, and with evil things, but he cannot be tempted "to evil", as the Ethiopic version renders it; he is proof against all such temptations: he cannot be tempted by anything in himself, who is pure and holy, or by any creature or thing without him, to do any sinful action: neither tempteth he any man; that is, to sin; he tempted Abraham, to try his faith, love, and obedience to him; he tempted the Israelites in the wilderness, to try them and humble them, and prove what was in their hearts; and he tempted Job, and tried his faith and patience; and so he tempts and tries all his righteous ones, by afflictions, more or less: but he never tempts or solicits them to sin; temptations to sin come from another quarter, as follows. HE RY, "I. We are here taught that God is not the author of any man's sin. Whoever they are who raise persecutions against men, and whatever injustice and sin they may be guilty of in proceeding against them, God is not to be charged with it. And, whatever sins good men may themselves be provoked to by their exercises and afflictions, God is not the cause of them. It seems to be here supposed that some professors might fall in the hour of temptation, that the rod resting upon them might carry some into ill courses, and make them put forth their hands unto iniquity. But though this should be the case, and though such delinquents should attempt to lay their fault on God, yet the blame of their misconduct must lie entirely upon themselves. For, 1. There is nothing in the nature of God that they can lay the blame upon: Let no man say, when he is tempted to take any evil course, or do any evil thing, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil. All moral evil is owing to some disorder in the being that is chargeable with it, to a want of wisdom, or of power, or of decorum and purity in the will. But who can impeach the holy God with the want of these, which are his very essence? No exigence of affairs can ever tempt him to dishonour or deny himself, and therefore he cannot be tempted with evil. 2. There is nothing in the providential dispensations of God that the blame of any man's sin can be laid upon (Jam_1:13): Neither tempteth he any man. As God cannot be tempted with evil himself, so neither can he be a tempter of others. He cannot be a promoter of what is repugnant to his nature. The carnal mind is willing to charge its own sins on God. There is something hereditary in this. Our first father Adam tells God, The woman thou gavest me tempted me, thereby, in effect, throwing the blame upon God, for giving him the tempter. Let no man speak thus. It is very bad to sin; but is much worse, when we have done amiss, to charge it upon God, and say it was owing to him. Those who lay the blame of their sins either upon their constitution or upon their condition in the world, or who pretend they 4. are under a fatal necessity of sinning, wrong God, as if he were the author of sin. Afflictions, as sent by God, are designed to draw out our graces, but not our corruptions. JAMISO , "when ... tempted tried by solicitation to evil. Heretofore the temptation meant was that of probation by afflictions. Let no one fancy that God lays upon him an inevitable necessity of sinning. God does not send trials on you in order to make you worse, but to make you better (Jam_1:16, Jam_1:17). Therefore do not sink under the pressure of evils (1Co_10:13). of God by agency proceeding from God. The Greek is not tempted by, but, from, implying indirect agency. cannot be tempted with evil, etc. Neither do any of our sins tempt God to entice us to worse things, nor does He tempt any of His own accord (literally, of Himself; compare the antithesis, Jam_1:18, Of His own will He begat us to holiness, so far is He from tempting us of His own will) [Bengel]. God is said in Gen_22:1 to have tempted Abraham; but there the tempting meant is that of trying or proving, not that of seducement. Alford translates according to the ordinary sense of the Greek, God is unversed in evil. But as this gives a less likely sense, English Version probably gives the true sense; for ecclesiastical Greek often uses words in new senses, as the exigencies of the new truths to be taught required. CALVI , "13Let no man, when he is tempted. Here, no doubt, he speaks of another kind of temptation. It is abundantly evident that the external temptations, hitherto mentioned, are sent to us by God. In this way God tempted Abraham, (Genesis 22:1,) and daily tempts us, that is, he tries us as to what are we by laying before us an occasion by which our hearts are made known. But to draw out what is hid in our hearts is a far different thing from inwardly alluring our hearts by wicked lusts. He then treats here of inward temptations which are nothing else than the inordinate desires which entice to sin. He justly denies that God is the author of these, because they flow from the corruption of our nature. This warning is very necessary, for nothing is more common among men than to transfer to another the blame of the evils they commit; and they then especially seem to free themselves, when they ascribe it to God himself. This kind of evasion we constantly imitate, delivered down to us as it is from the first man. For this reason James calls us to confess our own guilt, and not to implicate God, as though he compelled us to sin. But the whole doctrine of scripture seems to be inconsistent with this passage; for it teaches us that men are blinded by God, are given up to a reprobate mind, and delivered over to filthy and shameful lusts. To this I answer, that probably James was induced to deny that we are tempted by God by this reason, because the ungodly, in order to form an excuse, armed themselves with testimonies of Scripture. But there are two things to be noticed here: when Scripture ascribes blindness or hardness of heart to God, it does not assign to him the BEGI I G of this blindness, nor does it make him the author of sin, so as to ascribe to him the 5. blame: and on these two things only does James dwell. Scripture asserts that the reprobate are delivered up to depraved lusts; but is it because the Lord depraves or corrupts their hearts? By no means; for their hearts are subjected to depraved lusts, because they are already corrupt and vicious. But since God blinds or hardens, is he not the author or minister of evil? ay, but in this manner he punishes sins, and renders a just REWARD to the ungodly, who have refused to be ruled by his Spirit. (Romans 1:26.) It hence follows that the origin of sin is not in God, and no blame can be imputed to him as though he took pleasure in evils. (Genesis 6:6.) The meaning is, that man in vain evades, who attempts to cast the blame of his vices on God, because every evil PROCEEDS from no other fountain than from the wicked lust of man. And the fact really is, that we are not otherwise led astray, except that every one has his own inclination as his leader and impeller. But that God tempts no one, he proves by this, because he is not tempted with evils (105) For it is the devil who allures us to sin, and for this reason, because he wholly burns with the mad lust of sinning. But God does not desire what is evil: he is not, therefore, the author of doing evil in us. 13. Let no one, when seduced, say, By God I am seduced; for God is not capable of being seduced by evils, and he himself seduceth no one. BE SO , "James 1:13. Let no man say, when he is tempted To commit sin, in whatever way it may be; I am tempted of God God has laid this temptation in my way; for God cannot be tempted with evil It cannot appear desirable, or otherwise than detestable, in Gods eyes; nor can he be inclined to it in any degree, through any external object, or any internal motion; neither tempteth he any man He does not persuade or incline, much less constrain any one to sin by any means whatever. The word , to tempt, as we have seen, often signifies to try, in order to discover the disposition of a person, or to improve his virtue, James 1:12. In this sense God is said to have tempted or tried Abraham and the Israelites. ot that he was ignorant of the dispositions of either of them. In the same sense the Israelites are said to have tempted or proved God. They put his power and goodness to the trial, by entertaining doubts concerning them. Here, to tempt, signifies to solicit one to sin, and actually to seduce him into sin, which is the effect of temptation or solicitation. See James 1:14. In this sense the devil tempts men. And because he is CO TI UALLY employed in that malicious work, he is called, by way of eminence, , the tempter. It is in this sense we are to understand the saying in the end of the verse, that God is incapable of being tempted, that is, seduced to sin by evil things, and that he seduces no one to sin. God having nothing either to hope or fear, no evil beings, whether man or angel, can either entice or seduce him. Further, his infinitely perfect nature admitting no evil thought or inclination, he is absolutely ( ) incapable of being tempted. Macknight. BARCLAY 13-15, "At the back of this passage lies a Jewish way of belief to which all of us are to some extent prone. James is here rebuking the man who puts the 6. blame for temptation on God. Jewish thought was haunted by the inner division that is in every man. It was the problem which haunted Paul: "I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members" (Romans 7:22-23). Every man was pulled in two directions. Purely as an interpretation of experience the Jews arrived at the doctrine that in every man there were two tendencies. They called them the Yetser (Hebrew #3336) Hatob (Hebrew #2896), the good tendency, and the Yetser (Hebrew #3336) Hara' (Hebrew #7451), the evil tendency. This simply stated the problem; it did not explain it. In particular, it did not say where the evil tendency came from. So Jewish thought set out to try to explain that. The writer of Ecclesiasticus was deeply impressed with the havoc that the evil tendency causes. "O Yetser (Hebrew #3336) Hara' (Hebrew #7451), why wast thou made to fill the earth with thy deceit?" (Sirach 37:3). In his view the evil tendency came from Satan, and man's defence against it was his own will. "God made man from the BEGI I G and he delivered him into the hand of him who took him for a prey. He left him in the power of his will. If thou willest, thou wilt observe the commandments, and faithfulness is a matter of thy good pleasure" (Sirach 15:14- 15). There were Jewish writers who traced this evil tendency right back to the Garden of Eden. In the apocryphal work, The Life of Adam and Eve, the story is told. Satan took the form of an angel and, speaking through the serpent, put into Eve the desire for the forbidden fruit and made her swear that she would give the fruit to Adam as well. "When he had made me swear," says Eve, "he ascended up into the tree. But in the fruit he gave me to eat he placed the poison of his malice, that is, of his lust. For lust is the beginning of all sin. And he bent down the bough to the earth, and I took of the fruit and ate it." In this conception it was Satan himself who succeeded in inserting the evil tendency into man; and that evil tendency is identified with the lust of the flesh. A later development of this story was that the beginning of all sin was in fact Satan's lust for Eve. The Book of Enoch has two theories. One is that the fallen angels are responsible for sin (85). The other is that man himself is responsible for it. "Sin has not been sent upon the earth, but man himself created it" (98: 4). But every one of these theories simply pushes the problem one STEP further back. Satan may have put the evil tendency into man; the fallen angels may have put it into man; man may have put it into himself. But where did it ultimately come from? To meet this problem, certain of the Rabbis took a bold and dangerous step. They argued that, since God has created everything, he must have created the evil tendency also. So we get Rabbinic sayings such as the following. "God said, It repents me that I created the evil tendency in man; for had I not done so, he would not have rebelled against me. I created the evil tendency; I created the law as a 7. means of healing. If you occupy yourself with the law, you will not fall into the power of it. God placed the good tendency on a man's right hand, and the evil on his left." The danger is obvious. It means that in the last analysis a man can blame God for his own sin. He can say, as Paul said, "It is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells in me" (Romans 7:15-24). Of all strange doctrines surely the strangest is that God is ultimately responsible for sin. THE EVASIO OF RESPO SIBILITY (James 1:13-15 CO TI UED) From the BEGI I G of time it has been man's first instinct to blame others for his own sin. The ancient writer who wrote the story of the first sin in the Garden of Eden was a first-rate psychologist with a deep knowledge of the human heart. When God challenged Adam with his sin, Adam's reply was, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And when God challenged Eve with her action, her answer was, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate." Adam said, "Don't blame me; blame Eve." Eve said, "Don't blame me; blame the serpent" (Genesis 3:12-13). Man has always been an expert in evasion. Robert Burns wrote: Thou know'st that Thou hast formed me With passions wild and strong; And list'ning to their witching voice Has often led me wrong. In effect, he is saying that his conduct was as it was because God made him as he was. The blame is laid on God. So men blame their fellows, they blame their circumstances, they blame the way in which they are made, for the sin of which they are guilty. James sternly rebukes that view. To him what is responsible for sin is man's own evil desire. Sin would be helpless if there was nothing in man to which it could appeal. Desire is something which can be nourished or stifled. A man can control and even, by the grace of God, eliminate it if he deals with it at once. But he can allow his thoughts to follow certain TRACKS, and his steps to take him into certain places and his eyes to linger on certain things; and so foment desire. He can so hand himself over to Christ and be so engaged on good things that there is no time or place left for evil desire. It is idle hands for which Satan finds mischief to do; it is the unexercised mind and the uncommitted heart which are vulnerable. If a man encourages desire long enough, there is an inevitable consequence. Desire becomes action. 8. Further, it was the Jewish teaching that sin produced death. The life of Adam and Eve says that the moment Eve ate of the fruit she caught a glimpse of death. The word which James uses in James 1:15, and which the King James and the Revised Standard Versions TRA SLATE brings forth death, is an animal word for birth; and it means that sin spawns death. Mastered by desire, man becomes less than a man and sinks to the level of the brute creation. The great value of this passage is that it urges upon man his personal responsibility for sin. o man was ever born without desire for some wrong thing. And, if a man deliberately encourages and nourishes that desire until it becomes full-grown and monstrously strong, it will inevitably issue in the action which is sin--and that is the way to death. Such a thought--and all human experience admits it to be true--must drive us to that grace of God which alone can make and keep us clean, and which is AVAILABLE to all. COFFMA , "The purpose of this verse is to take away from men any excuse for their yielding to sin. There is not any need for the commentators to dig up references in the Talmud, or in Wisdom, or in Sirach, or in mythology for something which might have led to James' inclusion of this admonition. The book of GE ESISrecords the fact of Adam's blaming Eve for his sin, with the implied element of blaming God also, "the woman thou gavest me"; and from that day until now, man has loved to blame the Creator for all of his troubles. And yet it is a fact that God allows temptation. Punchard has this regarding God's use of temptation: Trials and temptations are permitted to strengthen us, if we will, for God's mightier service. Compulsory homage would be worthless to the loving Lord of all; so voluntary must be found instead, and proved, and perfected. Herein is the Christian's conflict, and the secret of God's ways with men.[34]SIZE> There are all kinds of ways of shifting the blame to God. After all, did not God create those fleshly appetites which we seek to control; are we not surrounded from the very BEGI I G of life with all kinds of temptations; and did not God make all of these things which tempt me? James' words here were given for the purpose of destroying such fallacious reasoning. Surely, of all the evil doctrines ever advanced by Satan, that of blaming God himself for human transgression must be one of the worst. E D OTE: [34] E. G. Punchard, Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), on James, p. 359. WHEDO , "3. Blessedness of enduring temptation; which (temptation) comes not from God; from whom is the good alone, James 1:12-18. 12. Blessed is the manWhether of low DEGREE or rich. Endureth Who not only suffers, undergoes, but endureth; that is, bears up 9. against, and conquers temptation. ForIt is the most glorious of triumphs. He it is who may (James 1:2) count it all joy. TriedProved true by the tempting test. Crown of lifeHe becomes more than a millionaire; he receives the crown of a heavenly princea crown of lifefrom which he will never pass by death, and which will never wither from him. The phrase crown of life does not signify a crown possessed of or imbued with life; but a crown consisting of life. The life, or glorious immortality, is itself the crown. SCHAFF, "James 1:13. Let no man say when he is tempted. The connexion is: if, instead of enduring the temptation, we yield to it and are overcome by it, we must not lay the blame of our fall from virtue upon God. Hitherto the word temptation has been used chiefly in the sense of tests of character; here it denotes solicitations to sin; and yet there is hardly any change of meaning, as some think. These two views of temptation involve each other; what is a test of character may also be a solicitation to sin. Temptations may be considered as either external or internal. The trials which occur in the course of life, the afflictions which befall us, the persecutions to which religion may expose us, are external temptations and tests of character. But when these draw out our sinful desires and excite to sinful actions, they become internal, and are solicitations to evil. In themselves, temptations are not sins; when resisted and overcome, they are promoters of virtue; it is in our voluntary yielding to the temptations, in the consent of the will, that sin arises. I am tempted of God, or rather, from God, denoting not the direct agency in the temptation, but the source from which that agency PROCEEDS. It is improbable that there is any reference here to the doctrine of the Pharisees concerning fate; rather, the reference is to that common perversity in human nature which attempts to throw the blame of our faults upon God: that the temptations to which we were exposed, and in consequence of which we fell, were occasioned by God, being caused either by the circumstances in which His providence has placed us, or by that temperament with which He has created us (cp. Genesis 3:12). for God cannot be tempted with evil. Some render these words: God is unversed in evil thingsinexperienced in them; all evil is completely foreign to His nature. neither tempteth he any man: that is, to evil, to do what is wrong. God certainly tempts in the sense of tries. But the design of the Divine trying is not to excite to sin, not that sin should arise, but that it should be overcome; He tries our virtues, in ORDER that they may be purified; He designs by these trials our moral improvement. The external tests of character may be from God; but the internal solicitations to evil are from ourselves. PETT, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot 10. be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no man. There is a play on the meaning of temptation here. James has been speaking about testings and trials, and he may well have heard some blame them on God. And he has indeed made clear that that is partly true, for God allows His people to be tested for their good. But ow he wants to make clear that while God may test men He does not subject them to temptation to sin. Where temptation to sin occurs it is not God Who is doing it. One reason why that is so is because sin is foreign to God as He is by nature. Thus He cannot be tempted with evil. He is above and beyond it as the Holy One. Thus temptation to sin would be outside the sphere of His holiness. It is something which He could not conceivably do. But that then brings out another remarkable fact, and that is that in becoming man in Jesus God did subject Himself to temptation. He was tempted in all points as we are, and yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15, compare also James 2:18). But that does not APPLY to God as Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. And He Himself tempts no man. James categorically DE IES that God tempts men. It would be foreign to what He is. Thus we can never seek to blame our sinfulness on God. It is all of man. Jewish tradition concurs with this conclusion, Do not say, it is through the Lord that I fell away -- it is He Who caused me to err (Sirach 15:11-12). For if someone did they would be putting the blame in the wrong place. Verses 13-15 There Is One Kind Of Testing That Is ot To Be Seen As Of God And That Is The Temptation To Sin. That Springs From The Lusts Of The Human Heart And Leads To Death (James 1:13-15). James now moves from the trials of life to the idea of a particular trial, that of temptation to sin. It would seem that some were blaming their temptations to sin, and even their sinfulness, on God, so he assures them that it is not God Who tempts men to sin, but men who are tempted because of what they are. They are led astray by their own sinful desires. And they are to be aware that this kind of testing does not lead to the crown of life, but to the dust of death (James 1:15). Analysis. A Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no man (James 1:13). B But each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed (James 1:14). C Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin (James 1:15 a). D And the sin, when it is fullgrown (has come to completeness), brings forth death (James 1:15 b). OTEhow this is presented in the form of a sequence. First what is not the cause of 11. temptation (it is not God who causes man to be tempted), then what is the cause of temptation (temptation is caused by mans own desires and lusts), then the consequence of temptation, (mans lust conceives and like a pregnant woman bears sin), then the consequences of that sin (sin comes to completeness and, again like a pregnant woman, brings forth death). HAMPTO 13-14, "Put The Blame On Self In the first part of James 1:1-27, trials, or external hardships are considered. Then, as Woods notes, James changes from the noun form to a verb in his consideration of temptation. Woods tells us the verb form means "solicit to do evil" and gives the example of Satan tempting our Lord (Matthew 4:1-11). God will test men, as we have ALREADY seen and the case of Abraham shows, but he will not tempt men to sin (James 1:13). Adam, like some today, tried to blame God for his temptation and sin (Genesis 3:12). James clearly answers the challenge of Adam. otice the external trial becomes an internal problem when we are drawn away of our own lust. Adam tried to put the blame for his sin on Eve and Eve tried to blame the devil (Genesis 3:13-16). James does not put the blame upon Satan because ultimately it rests with us (James 1:14). The devil will receive his punishment, but so will we because we are responsible for our actions. Ezekiel recorded the Lord"s words when he said, "The soul who sins shall die" (18:4). Similarly, Paul writes, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7-8). COKE, "James 1:13. St. James had said so much about the benefit of temptations, or trials, that he thought it necessary to guard his readers against so dangerous a mistake, as that of making God the author of sin, or ascribing temptations to him, as they signify "a seducing men to what is evil:" In that sense they PROCEED not from God, but from the lusts of men, which, if complied with, end in death, instead of bringing men to a crown of life. Though, therefore, trials may be ascribed to God, yet temptation, in the bad sense of the word, cannot by any means be ascribed to him. Sin and death proceed from the lusts and wickedness of men; but God is not the author of evil; on the contrary, He is, like the sun in the firmament, an U IVERSAL Benefactor, and the author of all that is good: nay, he infinitely excels the sun, as not being subject to any change or variation.The Jewish converts were by the divine benignity brought first into the Christian church; they therefore had peculiar reason to ascribe goodness unto God, and to obey readily the precepts of the gospel; governing their passions, bridling their tongues, manifesting their meekness and charity, and doing every thing which the Christian religion requires, through Divine grace. James 1:13-27. Let no man sayI am tempted of God See on Genesis 22:1. Exodus 15:25; Exodus 16:4. Deuteronomy 8:2. "There are two senses of the word temptation, says Dr. Heylin, according to the different ends proposed; the one for trial, the other for 12. seduction: this last is here intended. As God, by virtue of his boundless knowledge and almighty power, is incapable of being tempted by evils, so likewise he is of such perfect rectitude and benevolence, that he tempteth not any man; that is, draws him not designedly into sin, nor lays him, in any imaginable circumstances, under a moral necessity of committing it." CO STABLE, "God is never the source of temptation. He does not try to get us to sin, even though some people blame God for their sins. He Himself is not even subject to temptation because He is totally separate from sin and not susceptible to evil. [ ote: Mayor, p. 53. See also his extended discussion of this subject on pp. 195- 97.] The only sense in which God is responsible for sin is that He permits other things to tempt us, namely, the world, the flesh, and the devil (cf. JOB 1-2). James did not mention this here. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Lead us not into temptation" (Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4). Jesus used a figure of speech (i.e., litotes) in which He expressed a POSITIVE idea by negating the contrary. Other examples of litotes are "not a few" meaning many, and "no rare occurrence" meaning a frequent occurence. James did not imply that God does lead us into temptation. His point was that He can help us stay away from it. Essentially Jesus meant we should ask God to allow us to experience as little temptation as possible (cf. Mark 14:38). James was not contradicting Jesus' teaching. "We all know only too many people who have ceased to walk with God under the pressure of trouble or tragedy ..." [ ote: Motyer, p. 50.] ELLICOTT, "For God cannot be tempted with evil.We can see here a good instance of the excellence of the old Geneva Bible, the first on several occasions to seize the exact meaning of a passage which all the preceding versions had missed. Our present rendering follows the Genevan exactly, rejecting those of Wiclif. God is not a tempter of yuell things; Tyndale, God tempteth not vnto evyll; and Cranmer, God cannot tempte vnto euyll. either tempteth he any man.The trial comes of Him, i.e., the Tempter is allowed; but so far, and no further. God Himself is unversed of evils, and no possibility of temptation remains with Him. Into the unseen splendour of His fulness no thought of wrong can E TER; no foul thing wing its silent FLIGHT. It were blasphemy, perilously near that of the Pharisees (Matthew 12:22-37) to think Gods kingdom could be so divided against itself, that He, directly or indirectly, should seduce His subjects into the revolt of sin. o; if we have one golden clue by which we may feel our erring way out of the labyrinth of this lower world into the belief and trust in God our Father for the life to come, it is this: trials and temptations are permitted to strengthen usif we willfor His mightier service. And, as compulsory homage would be worthless to the loving Lord of all, voluntary must be found instead, and proved and perfected. Herein is the Christian conflict, and the secret of Gods ways with man. 13. AUTHOR U K OW , "The beatitude sounds good and lives good, but James knows the human heart. In times of temptation it is a natural human tendency to blame God. Putting the blame elsewhere is popular in our culture. It is popular to blame God for all kinds of things that go wrong. Great catastrophes are called acts of God. Nobody else can cause them, and so it is assumed that God is behind the terrible events that kill people by the thousands. We are prone to blame God for our failure to endure, when suffering comes and we sin because of it we are inclined to attribute the fault to God. But James says we cannot blame God for failure in our life. God is never the author of sin. God may test people with a view to approval; he never tempts people to sin. He is not that kind of Lord. Now, we need to distinguish between a test and a temptation, because the Scripture makes that distinction. A test is an experience that God brings into our life in order to build us. A temptation comes from Satan. It is designed to cause us to sin. But the amazing thing is that any circumstance can be either a test or a temptation, depending upon our response Will Rogers once remarked that there are two eras in American History - "the passing of the buffalo and the passing of the buck." We look for anything and everything to blame our troubles on. If it is not Mom & Dad, circumstances, or "The Devil Made Me Do It", then it has to be God! It surely can't be me! THE BLAMI G GOD THEOLOGY REJECTED. Pastor Thomas E. Miles When Adam violated God's instruction and was confronted, he was quick to point fingers at his wife. But, instructively, God did not absolve him of responsibility. So, Adam was as much responsible for his actions, as we are today accountable for ours. Why, because we are free moral agents, capable of making independent decisions. God wants you to know something today. He wants you to know something about Himself and His love. He wants to show you His mercy. He wants to rain down on you with love, blessings, and victories so abundant that you cannot contain them all. God wants you to know that it is time to stop blaming Him for all your problems. He is not a God that should be blamed every time a child dies, every time a man and woman divorce, or every time a son or daughter gets hurt. He is not a God that should be blamed for having caused a car accident. He is a God that should be given praise, thanks and love for He created us to have all things and have them more abundantly then what we could ever know what to do with them. Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long- suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, If you will read the Word of God, you will find that in every instance where it speaks of Gods wrath, or the punishment of God, the hand of God in revenge, you will find that it is in relation to Gods people turning from Him and going into the wickedness and ways of the world. You will see that it is the wickedness and evils of the world that has 14. captured the heart and soul of the people, and it is this world of decadence creating this hurt, sickness, and feeling of being let down by God, or hurt by God. God said in the very beginning that because of Adams fall that He would put Satan in charge of this world and those that chose to live in this world, live according to its principles and lies, would also suffer the consequences of the falsehoods and destructiveness of Satan and his imps. God is not giving the pain and the hurt to the people, Satan is doing it...and yes, God is allowing it to happen, but only because He said to man, I will give you the freedom of choice. I will allow you to make the decision as to whom you will follow. Moreover, it is this decision that is OURS--not Gods; He loves us so much that He allows us to choose life or death. He does not force us to choose Him. We are so willing to put the I out front every time reward or praise is due, but, when blame is to be found, we pull the I so quickly back and look for someone else to blame for the troubles that have come upon us. No one else is to blame other than us. No one else can make us do anything that we do not want to do. We may not always like the things that we have to do, or that we do, but we are the ones that make those decisions. I cannot make a decision for you; you make the decision for you. I may say things, or introduce something that might sway or change your way of thinking. Alternatively, I may do something that helps you to decide to do something, but that is still your decision, not mine, you are the only one to blame or to praise for the outcome. It isnt difficult to see a connection between adversity and temptation. In the midst of adversity, we may be tempted to think or act in a sinful manner. Many folks wrongly conclude that times of stress somehow justify ungodly responses. There is a sinister dimension to the words, I am tempted by God. It is one thing to say, The devil made me do it; it is quite another to lay the blame on God. You can see how one could twist reality to come to such a conclusion. Their distorted logic would go something like this: God is sovereign; He is in control of everything. God is the One who brings adversity into the lives of His people. God has brought adversity into my life. In such times of adversity, I am tempted to act in an ungodly manner. If I yield to this temptation, I sin. Therefore, God is the source of my temptation. If I fail, it must be Gods fault, because He led me into temptation. It seems to me that verses 13-18 take up the subject of the double-minded man, mentioned in verse 8. The double-minded person wavers between humble submission to God and prideful disobedience. It is that proud disobedience which seems to underlie the logic that blames God for our sin and names Him as the source of our temptation. James speaks in very absolute terms in verses 13-18. He says that one should never blame God for the temptation we face. He also says that God cannot ever be tempted by evil, and that He never tempts anyone with evil. God tests us, but He never tempts us.1 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Let no man say, I am tempted of God The temptation not from God I. 15. THE CHARACTER GIVEN OF GOD. 1. God cannot be tempted of evil. (1) The absolute and infinite self-sufficiency of His blessedness. That blessedness is altogether independent of every other being whatever besides Himself. It is full: incapable of either diminution or increase: springing as it does from the infinite perfection of His own immutable nature. He can never have anything for which to hope; and never anything to fear. (2) He is placed beyond all such possibility by the absolute perfection of His moral nature. God cannot be tempted with evil. His nature is necessarily and infinitely opposed to everything of the kind; and to such a nature what is sinful or impure never can present aught capable of exerting even the remotest influence. 2. Neither tempteth He any man. (1) God tempts no man, by presenting to him inducements, motives, persuasives, to sin. (2) God tempts no man by any direct inward influence; by infusing evil thoughts, inclinations, and desires. (3) God tempteth not any man by placing him in circumstances in which he is laid under a natural necessity of stoning. II. Proceed we now to THE ADMONITION FOUNDED ON WHAT IS SAID OF GOD Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God tempteth no man: or to put it according to the order of thought we have chosen to followGod cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: let no man therefore say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. It is because every such thought of God is impious, that the saying is condemned as impious. The delusion before us is one of the most fearful palliations of sin, and opiates to the conscience, that the deceitful heart of man has ever suggested. But, if conscience is allowed to speak in sincerity, its utterance will beI am a voluntary sinner. No extraneous force has kept me back from good; no such force has compelled me to evil. I have followed my own inclinations. My heart and my will have been in all the evil I have done. It is all my own. 1. Let the unbelieving sinner beware of imagining that the guilt of his rejecting the gospel lies anywhere else than with himself. 2. There is one view in which you would do well to remember God cannot be tempted with evil. He can never be induced to act, in any step of His procedure, inconsistently with any attribute of His character, or, in a single jot or tittle, to sacrifice the claims of the purest moral rectitude. III. THE TRUE NATURE OF TEMPTATION. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. In this description temptation is to be understood as relating to the state of the mind between the moment of the first entrance of the sinful thought, and the actual commission of the evil;the state of the mind while the enticement is working within among the hidden desires and appetencies of the heart, exerting there its seductive influence. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust. This is evidently meant to be emphatic. It refers back to the preceding verseLet no man say, I am tempted of God: God tempteth not any man. The lust by which he is tempted, is not of God: it is his own lust. And all evil that is in man is his 16. own. Within our own hearts are seated many evil desires. The devil needs not introduce them. There they are. He acts upon them, no doubt, in his own mysterious and insidious way. But the extraneous operations of a tempter are not at all required to stir up their evil exercise. They work of themselves. From all the objects around us, that are fitted to gratify those desires, our senses are so many inlets of temptation to our hearts. Nor are even our senses necessary to the admission of temptation. The imagination can work independently of them, And both in waking and in sleeping hours, many a time is it busy in summoning tempting scenes before them. The principle of the words before us may be applied alike to prosperity and adversity. In adversity, our own lusts may tempt us to charge God foolishly, and that too both in our hearts and with our lips; and thus to give sinful indulgence to ungodly tempers of mind. Then again, in the time of prosperity; our own lust may often tempt us to the abuse of it. We may be led to forget God, at the very time when His accumulated kindnesses give Him the stronger claim on our grateful and devout remembrance. We may give, in our hearts, the place of the Giver to His gifts. IV. THE FEARFUL CONSEQUENCES OF YIELDING TO TEMPTATION. When lust hath conceived. The obvious meaning of the figurative allusion is, that when the evil desire is admitted into the mind, and, instead of being resisted, prayed against, and driven out, is retained, fostered, indulged, and through dwelling upon the object of it, grows in strength, and at length is fully matured, it will come forth in action; as after the period of gestation and growth, the child in the womb comes to the birth. The lust, having thus conceived, bringeth forth sin; that is, produces practical transgression sin in the lifeactual departure from the way of Gods commandments. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. That Gods righteousness may not only condemn justly, but appear as condemning justly, the sentence is thus connected with the act with the effect and manifestation of the evil principle. But the very language implies that the sin did not begin with the act: it is finished in the act; and the evil of the act concentrates in it all the previous evil of the thoughts, desires, and motives from which it arose, and by which it was ultimately matured into action. The deaththat death which is the wages of sinfollows on the commission of it, as surely as, in nature, the birth follows the conception. V. THE IMPORTANCE OF FORMING AND CHERISHING RIGHT, AND OF AVOIDING WRONG, CONCEPTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT. Do not err, my beloved brethren. It is as if the apostle had saidBeware of mistakes here. And certainly there are few subjects on which it is of more essential consequence to have correct ideas, or on which misapprehensions are more perilous. The thought that is specially reprobated in the passage which has been under review is one which cannot fail to affect all the principles, and feelings, and practices of the Christian life. It affects our views of God: and these lie at the foundation of all religion. According as they are right or wrong, must our religion be right or wrong, it must equally affect our views of ourselvesof ourselves as sinners; inasmuch as all the penitential humiliation, all the contrite broken- heartedness, on account of our sins, which we ever ought to feel, lose entirely their ground, and are inevitably gone, the moment we say, or think, that we are tempted of Godthat in any way our sin and guilt are attributable to Him. It must, in the same way, affect our conceptions of sin itself; of its exceeding sinfulness and unutterable guilt. And thus it will affect our views of our need of a Saviour; and especially of such a Saviour, and such a salvation, as the gospel reveals. 1. Let believers be impressed with the necessity of unceasing vigilance over their own hearts. Their worst enemies are in their own bosoms. 2. Let all consider the necessity of the heart being right with God. It is only in a holy 17. heart, a heart renewed by the Spirit, a heart of which the lusts are laid under arrest, and crucified, that He can dwell. 3. Ponder seriously the certain consequences of unrepented and unforgiven sin: and by immediate recourse to the Cross, and to the blood there shed for the remission of sins, shun the fearful end which otherwise awaits you. (R. Wardlaw, D. D.) The workings of sin I. IT REMINDS US OF THE DEPRAVITY OF HUMAN NATURE. II. WE ARE TAUGHT HOW SURELY THE EVIL PRINCIPLE WILL WORK IN THE HEART, IF UNCHECKED AND UNRESTRAINED, TILL IT HAS BROUGHT FORTH FRUIT UNTO DEATH. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. It is the internal desire which gives temptation its power over man. Were there no appetite for the intoxicating liquor, the cup which contains it would be offered in vain. Were there no covetous desire, the prospect of gain would be no temptation to deviate from the path of rectitude. In every case it is the state of the heart which gives to temptation its power to subdue. Its suddenness may surprise into transgression, but when its success is owing entirely to this circumstance, repentance may be expected quickly to arise. The case supposed in the text is not of this nature. The temptation is embraced and followed. The sinner is drawn away of his own lust and enticed to his ruin. The stronger the sinful propensity has become by indulgence, the greater is the power which every corresponding temptation has to overcome him. He is the less disposed, and therefore the less able to resist. Pleasure in some form is the bait that hides the hook by which he is drawn and enticed. The death which is the end of sin will therefore be of as long duration as the life which is the fruit of holiness. It will not be an arbitrary undeserved punishment, but the wages of sin, its proper desert. Such is the death which sic, when it is finished, bringeth forth. III. WE LEARN HOW EASILY GOD CAN BRING SIN TO LIGHT. Should sin escape detection in this life, we know that nothing can be concealed from the eye of God, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of all hearts. The day shall declare every mans work of what sort it is. Every one must give an account of himself to God, must narrate his own proceedings, and unfold his own character, before an assembled universe. IV. THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPRESSING THE FIRST RISINGS OF EVIL IN THE HEART, AND GUARDING AGAINST THE FIRST STEP IN A WRONG COURSE. V. WE LEARN THAT NOTHING CAN BE MORE WRONG THAN FOR ANY MAN TO THROW THE BLAME OF HIS SINS UPON GOD. 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. The all-wise, pure, perfect, self-sufficient, almighty Creator and Ruler of the universe can be under no temptation to evil, neither can He place temptation in the way of any one to induce him to sin. This would be to act in direct contrariety to His own nature. A wicked man may say, If God has given me such passions how can I help being led astray by them? God has not given you such passions; you have given them to yourself. The desires He gave you were needful to the great purposes of human existence. Without them the powers of man could not be called into action. You have perverted them, and allowed them to gain the mastery over reason, conscience, and religion. Suppose a friend recommended to you a servant whom he had uniformly found, after a long trial, faithful and obedient, and you had spoiled that servant, after taking him into your service, by 18. every unwarrantable indulgence, till he had tyrannised over you, and wasted your property, would you have any right to complain of your friend for recommending him, would not the blame rest entirely with yourself? Everything becomes a temptation to a depraved heartprosperity or adversity; wealth or poverty; success or disappointment. On the other hand, All things work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to His purpose. VI. Finally, WE LEARN, THAT SUCH BEING THE DEPRAVITY OF MAN, THERE IS NO SECURITY FROM THE RUIN WHICH SIN WILL INEVITABLY BITING UPON THE TRANSGRESSOR, BUT IN THAT COMPLETE RENOVATION OF OUR NATURE WHICH IN SCRIPTURE IS CALLED REGENERATIONA NEW CREATION. That which is born of the flesh is fleshcorrupt in its tendencies. But, 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. (Essex Remembrancer.) The sinners progress Archbishop Trench points out that many words, which when first used bad an innocent and even commendable meaning, have come by use to carry a doubtful or malignant sense; and in this degradation of our words he sees a proof and illustration of human depravity. The word temptation, both in Greek and English, is a case in point. According to its derivation and original use, the word simply means test, whatever tends to excite, to draw out and bring to the surface, the hidden contents of the heart, whatever serves to indicate the ruling bent. But in process of time the word has come to have a darker significance. For if there is much that is good in us, there is also much that is evil. And because, in their intercourse with each other, men are too often bent on provoking that which is evil in each other, rather than on eliciting and strengthening that which is good, the word temptation has sunk from its original plane, and has come to signify mainly such testings and trials of character as are designed to draw out the evil that is in us; trials and tests skilfully adapted to our besetting infirmities, and likely to develop the lower and baser qualities of our nature. It is because of this double meaning of the word that we meet in Scripture such apparently contradictory phrases as, Lead us not into temptation, and, Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. It is in this double meaning of the word, moreover, that we find the key to the apparently contradictory statements that God does tempt men, and that He does not tempt them. He does tempt us all in the sense that He puts us all to the proof, and compels us at times to see what manner of men we are. But if, in this sense, God tempts every man, there is a sense in which He tempts no man. For it is never the design of the trials to which He puts us to bring out and confirm that which is evil in us. It is always His purpose to bring out and confirm that which is good in us; or, if He show us wherein we are weak, it is not that we may remain weak and foolish, but that we may seek and find strength and wisdom in Him. When we have fallen into temptation, in the bad sense of that wordwhen, that is, we have yielded to an evil influence, and have suffered our baser passions to be excitedwe are apt to say, I am tempted of God, to plead: Well, after all, He made me what I am. Am I to blame for my passionate temperament, or for the strength and fierceness of my desires? Or, again, we say: Circumstances were against me. The opportunity was too tempting, my need or my craving was too importunate, to be resisted. And are not our circumstances and condition appointed by Him? Thus we charge God foolishly, knowing and feeling all the while that it is we ourselves who are to blame whenever the lower part of our nature is 19. permitted a supremacy against which the higher part protests. God tempts no man, affirms St. James, and assigns as a reason, for God is unversed in evil, or, God is incapable of evil, or, God is untemptable with evil; for in these three several ways this one word is translated. His implied argument is sufficiently clear, however we may render his words. What he assumes is, Every one who tempts another to do evil must have some evil in his own nature. But there is no shadow or taint of evil in God, and therefore it is impossible that God should tempt any man. But if the evil temptations we have to encounter do not come from God, whence do they come? St. James replies, Every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust, and enticedthe mans lust being here conceived of as a harlot who lavishes her blandishments upon him; then the lust, having conceived, bringeth forth sin; and the sin, when it is mature, bringeth forth death. The origin of sin is in mans own breast, in his own hot and extravagant desires for any kind of temporal or sensual good; and the apostle traces the sinners career through the successive steps that lead down to death. 1. First, the man is drawn aside. James conceives of him as occupied with his daily task, busily discharging the duties of his daily calling. While be is thus engaged, a craving for some unlawful or excessive gratification, for a gain that cannot be honestly secured, or an indulgence which cannot be taken soberly and in the fear of God, springs up within his mind. The craving haunts his mind, and takes form in it. He bends his regards on it, and is drawn towards it. At first, perhaps, his will is firm, and he refuses to yield to its attraction. But the craving is very strong; it touches him at his weak point. And when it comes back to him again and again, it swells and grows into what St. James calls a lust. It is his own lust, the passion most native to him, and most potent with such as hethe love of gain, or the love of rule, or the love of distinction, or some affection of a baser strain. For a time tie may resist its fascination; but ere long his work is laid aside, the claims of duty are neglected, the warnings of conscience unheeded. All he means is to get a nearer view of this strange, alluring visitor, to lift its veil, to see what it is like and for what intent it beckons him away. And so he takes his first step: he is drawn aside from the clear and beaten path of duty. 2. Then he is enticed, allured, as the Greek word implies, with pleasant baits. His craving waxes stronger, the object of desire more attractive, as he advances. All specious excusesall that moralists have allowed or bold transgressors have claimedare urged upon him, until at last his scruples are overborne, and he yields himself a willing captive to his lust. 3. Then lust conceives. The will consents to the wish the evil desire grows toward an evil deed. He can know no rest till his craving be gratified. The good work in which he was occupied looks tame and wearisome to him. He is fevered by passion, and absorbed in 2:4. Having conceived, lust bringeth forth sin. The bad purpose has become a bad deed, and the bad deed is followed by its natural results. Coming to the light, his evil deeds may be reproved. When the sin is born, the man may recognise his guilt. He may repent, and be forgiven and restored. 5. But if he do not turn and repent, the last step will be taken, and sin, being matured, will bring forth death. Action will grow into habit, the sinful action into a habit of sinning. As sin grows and matures, it will rob him of his energy. He will no longer make a stand against temptation. He will wholly surrender himself to his lust, until all that makes him man dies out of him, and only the fierce, brutal craving remains. Hogarth has left us a familiar series of pictures entitled The Rakes Progress, in which the career of a profligate spendthrift is sketched from its 20. commencement to its close. Were I an artist, I would paint you a similar series on a kindred but wider themethe Sinners Progress. (S. Cox, D. D.) Temptations to evil not from God Now, affliction is an evil of which God Himself is the author, very consistently with the perfect purity of His nature, and with the tenderest compassion for His servants: Whom He loveth, He rebuketh and chasteneth; and the design is worthy of supreme goodness as well as rectitude, for it is to try the virtues of the afflicted in order to strengthen them, that they may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1Pe_1:7). But there is another kind of temptation here spoken of, of which God is not the author or cause. The meaning of this, certainly, is a solicitation to sin; when the intention is not to prove the sincerity of feeble virtue in order to confirm and increase it, but to subvert and destroy it; to draw the weak and unwary into wickedness which leadeth to their ruin. This is what the perfectly holy and good God is not capable of. I. THAT GOD IN ALL HIS WORKS AND WAYS, THE WHOLE OF HIS ADMINISTRATION TOWARDS MANKIND, STANDETH PERFECTLY CLEAR OF TEMPTING THEM TO MORAL EVIL. He is not in the least degree, or by a fair construction, in any part of His conduct, accessary to any one of their offences. But all religion resteth upon this principle, utterly inconsistent with His tempting any man or any creature, that God is only pleased with rational agents doing that which is right, and displeased with their doing what is wrong in a moral sense: if that be denied, piety is entirely subverted, and all practice of virtue on the foundation of piety. A being who is wholly incapable of any moral turpitude, cannot solicit any others to it, nor give them the least countenance in it, which must always necessarily suppose a corrupt affection. Another of the Divine attributes is goodness, equally essential to his character, but if God be good, He cannot tempt any man. 2. Let us proceed to consider the works of God which relate to man, and we shall be convinced that far from having a tendency, or showing a design, to draw him into sin, which is tempting him, on the contrary, they provide against it in the best manner. And, first, if we look into the human constitution, which is the work of God, this sense of right and wrong discovereth itself early; it is not the result of mature reflection, close reasoning, and long study, but it plainly appeareth that the gracious author of our being intended to prevent us with it, that we should not be led astray before our arriving at the full exercise of our understanding. To this sense of good and evil, there is added in our constitution a strong enforcement of the choice, and the practice of the former, in that high pleasure of self-approbation which is naturally and inseparably annexed to it. Must it not be acknowledged, then, that the frame of our nature prompteth to the practice of virtue at its proper end, and that the designing cause of it did not intend to tempt us to evil, but to provide against our being tempted? It is true that liberty is a part of the constitution, which importeth a power of doing evil, and by which it is that we are rendered capable of it. This, as well as the other capacities of our nature, is derived from God; but there is no rational profence for alleging that gift to be a temptation, because liberty is not an inclination to evil, but merely the minds power of determining itself to that, or the contrary, according as the motives to the one or the other should appear strongest; and that the author of the constitution hath cast the balance on the side of virtue, we may see from what hath been already said, since tie hath given us virtuous instincts, with a 21. sense of moral obligations, and added a very powerful sanction to them. Besides, liberty is absolutely necessary to the practice of virtue, as well as to the being of moral evil; nor could we without it have been capable of rational happiness. 3. Again, if we consider the administration of providence, and the Divine conduct towards all men, we shall find that the same design is regularly pursued by methods becoming the wisdom of God, and best suited to our condition; the design, I mean, not of tempting us to sin, but preserving us from it. As God sent men into the world, a species of rational beings, fitted by the excellent faculties wherewith He endued them for rendering Him very important service, and enjoying a great measure of happiness, so He constantly careth for that favourite workmanship of His hands. Of all the nations of men who are made to dwell on the face of the earth, none are without witness of their Makers mercies, for He continually doth them good, sending them rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, and filling their hearts with food and gladness. Now if such kindness be the character of the Divine administration, what is the tendency of it? Is it to tempt men, to lead them to sin, which is rebellion against Himself, and against their own reason? But when men had wilfully corrupted their ways, and turned the bounty of God into lasciviousness, Providence hath sometimes interposed in a different manner, that is, by awful judgments suddenly spread over nations or cities. 4. And, lastly, if we consider the revelation of the gospel, and that whole Divine scheme contained in it, which God in love to mankind hath formed for our salvation, we must see that the whole design of it is directly opposite to the design of tempting; it is to turn every one of us from our iniquities. But for the general tenor of the Divine administration towards men, it designedly favoureth their escape from temptations, and directeth them to the paths of virtue (1Co_10:13). Some, indeed, to shun the dangerous mistake of imputing sin and temptation to God as in any respect its cause, have run into the opposite equally absurd extreme of withdrawing moral evil altogether from under Gods government of the world, and deriving it from an original independent evil principle; which scheme, as it destroyeth the true notion of vice representing it not as the voluntary act of imperfect intelligent beings, but as flowing from an independent necessity of nature. The generality of Christians, owning the unity of God, do also acknowledge His perfect purity and goodness, and in words, at least, deny Him to be the author of sin: but I am afraid the opinions received among some of them are not perfectly consistent with these true principles. For instance, to represent the nature of men as so corrupted, without any personal fault of theirs, that they are under a fatal necessity of sinning, and that it is utterly impossible for them to do anything which is good. What thoughts can a man have of this, but that it is the appointed condition of his being, to be resolved ultimately into the will of his Maker, just like the shortness of his understanding, the imperfection of his senses, or even the frailty of his body? The counsels of God concerning mens sins, and the agency of His providence about them, not in overruling the issue, but in ascertaining and by its influence determining them, as intending events, ought also to be considered with the utmost caution. 1. And, first of all, that God is not tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man, tendeth to preserve in our minds the highest esteem and reverence for Him. It is not possible for us to have a veneration for a tempter. 2. This doctrine tendeth to beget and confirm in us an utter abhorrence of sin, because it is the thing God hateth, and will have nothing to do, no kind of 22. communication with it. II. The second instruction relating to temptations, now to be considered, amounteth to this, that the true and most useful account of the origin of sin to every particular person, that which really is the spring of prevailing temptation, Is HIS OWN LUST; but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. 1. Wbat is meant by lust. To understand this we must look into the inferior part of the human constitution. Since it pleased God to form man as he is, compounded of flesh and spirit, it was necessary there should be in his nature affections suitable to both. This leadeth us to a true notion of what the apostle calleth lust; it signifieth the whole of those affections and passions which take their rise from the body and the animal part of our nature, and which terminate in the enjoyments and conveniences of our present state, as distinguished from the moral powers and pleasures of the mind, and the perfection of them, which requireth our chief application as being our principal concern and ultimate happiness. That inferior part of our constitution, in itself innocent and necessary for such beings, yet giveth the occasion whereby we, abusing our liberty, are drawn away and enticed to evil by various ways; such as, vehement desires beyond the real value of the objects; an immoderate indulgence in the gratification of those desires, either in instances which are prohibited by reason and the laws of God, or even within the licensed kinds, above the proper limits which the end of such gratification hath fixed; all tending to weaken the devout and virtuous affections which are the glory of our nature and the distinguishing excellence of man. Other affections also tempt us, as sorrow, which often through our weakness exceedeth in proportion the event which is the occasion of it. 2. To consider how men are tempted by lust, being drawn away and enticed. And here what I would principally observe is, that lusts are only the occasions or temptations to moral evil, not necessitating causes. The mind is free, and voluntarily determineth itself upon the suggestions of appetites and passions, not irresistibly governed by them; to say otherwise, is to reproach the constitution and the author of it; and for men to lay upon Him the blame of their own faults, which yet their consciences cannot help taking to themselves. Let us reflect on what passeth in our own heart on such occasions, to which none of us can be strangers; and we shall be convinced that we have the power of controlling the inclinations and tendencies which arise in our mind, or not consenting to them, and a power of suspending our consent till we have farther considered the motives of action, and that this is a power often exerted by us. The most vehement desires of meat and drink are resisted upon an apprehension of danger; the love of money and the love of honour are checked, and their strongest solicitations sometimes utterly denied, through the superior force of contrary passions, or upon motives of conscience. 3. To show, that in the account which the text giveth, we may rest our inquiry, as to all the valuable purposes of it, concerning the origin of sin in ourselves. The true end of such inquiry is our preservation and deliverance from sin, that we may know how to avoid it, or repent of it when committed; excepting so far as they contribute to those ends, speculations about it are curious but unprofitable. What I have just now hinted directeth us to the proper application of this subject. 1. And, first, upon a review of the whole progress of temptation from the first 23. occasion of it to the last unhappy effect, the finishing of sin, which, I suppose, we are all agreed is the just object of our deepest concern, we may see what judgment is to be made, and where we ought to lay the blame. 2. From this doctrine of the apostle which I have endeavoured to explain, we see where our greatest danger is of being led into sin, and whence the most powerful and prevailing temptations arise, that is, from the lusts of the heart. 3. And therefore, thirdly, if we would maintain our integrity, let us keep the strictest watch over our own appetites and passions, and here place our strongest, for it will be the most effectual defence. (J. Abernethy, D. D.) The sins of men not chargeable upon God, but upon themselves Next to the belief of a God, and His providence, there is nothing more fundamentally necessary to the practice of a good life than the belief of these two principles. First, that God is not the author of sin, that He is in no way accessary to our faults, either by tempting or forcing us to the commission of them. For if He were, they would not properly be sins, for sin is a contradiction to the will of God; but supposing men to be either tempted or necessitated thereto, that which we call sin would either be a mere passive obedience to the will of God, or an active compliance with it, but neither way a contradiction to it. Nor could these actions be justly punished; for all punishment supposeth a fault, and a fault supposeth liberty and freedom from force and necessity; so that no man can be justly punished for that which he cannot help, and no man can help that which he is necessitated to. And though there were no force in the case, but only temptation, yet it would be unreasonable for the same person to tempt and punish. Secondly, that every mans fault lies at his own door, and he has reason enough to blame himself for all the evil that he does. And this is that which makes men properly guilty, that when they have done amiss, they are conscious to themselves it was their own act. I. THAT GOD DOTH NOT TEMPT ANY MAN TO SIN. 1. The proposition which the apostle here rejects, and that is, that God tempts men, Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. Now, that we may the more distinctly understand the meaning of the proposition, which the apostle here rejects, it will be very requisite to consider what temptation is, and the several sorts and kinds of it. Temptation does always imply something of danger. And men are thus tempted, either from themselves, or by others; by others, chiefly these two ways. First, By direct and downright persuasion to sin. And to be sure God tempts no man this way. He offers no arguments to man to persuade him to sin; He nowhere proposeth either reward or impunity to sinners; but, on the contrary, gives all imaginable encouragement to obedience, and threatens the transgression of His law with most dreadful punishments. Secondly, men are likewise tempted, by being brought into such circumstances, as will greatly endanger their falling into sin, though none persuade them to it. The allurements of the world are strong temptations; riches, honours, and pleasures are the occasions and incentives to many lusts. And, on the other hand, the evils and calamities of this world, especially if they threaten or fall upon men in any degree of extremity, are strong temptations to human nature. That the providence of God does order, or at least permit, men to be brought into these circumstances which are such dangerous temptations to sin, no man can doubt, that believes His providence to be concerned in the affairs of the world. All the difficulty is, how far the apostle does here intend to exempt God from a 24. hand in these temptations. Now, for the clearer understanding of this it will be requsiite to consider the several ends which those who tempt others may have in tempting them; and all temptation is for one of these three reasons. First, for the exercise and improvement of mens graces and virtues. And this is the end which God always aims at, in bringing good men, or permitting them to be brought, into dangerous temptations. And this certainly is no disparagement to the providence of God, to permit men to be thus tempted, when He permits it for no other end but to make them better men, and thereby to prepare them for a greater reward. And this happy issue of temptations to good men the providence of God secures to them either by proportioning the temptation to their strength; or if it exceed that, by ministering new strength and support to them, by the secret aids of His Holy Spirit. And where God doth secure men against temptations, or support them under them, it is no reflection at all upon the goodness or justice of His providence to permit them to be thus tempted. Secondly, God permits others to be thus tempted, by way of judgement and punishment, for some former great sins and provocations which they have been guilty of (Isa_6:10). So likewise (Rom_1:24) God is said to have given up the idolatrous heathen to uncleanness, to vile and unnatural lusts (Rom_1:28; 2Th_2:11). But it is observable, that, in all these places which I have mentioned, God is said to give men up to the power of temptation, as a punishment of some former great crimes and provocations. And it is not unjust with God thus to deal with men, to leave them to the power of temptation, when they had first wilfully forsaken Him; and in this case God doth not tempt men to sin, but leaves them to themselves, to be tempted by their own hearts lusts; and if they yield and are conquered, it is their own fault. Thirdly, the last end of temptation which I mentioned is to try men, with a direct purpose and intention to seduce men to sin. Thus wicked men tempt others, and thus the devil tempts men. But thus God tempts no man; and in this sense it is that the apostle means that no man when he is tempted, is tempted of God. God hath no design to seduce any man to sin. 2. I now proceed to the second thing which I propounded to consider, viz., the manner in which the apostle rejects this proposition, Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. By which manner of speaking he insinuates two things. First, that men are apt to lay their faults upon God. For when he says, Let no man say so, he intimates that men were apt to say thus. It is not unlikely that men might lay the fault upon Gods providence, which exposed them to these difficult trials, and thereby tempted them to forsake their religion. But however this be, we find it very natural to men to transfer their faults upon others. They think it is a mitigation of their faults, if they did not proceed only from themselves, but from the violence and instigation of others. But, especially, men are very glad to lay their faults upon God, because He is a full and sufficient excuse, nothing being to be blamed that comes from Him. Secondly, this manner of speech, which the apostle here useth, doth insinuate further to us, that it is not only a false, but an impious assertion, to say that God tempts men to sin. 3. Third thing I propounded to consider; namely, The reason or argument which the apostle brings against this impious suggestion; that God cannot be tempted with evil; and therefore no man can imagine that He should tempt any man to it. First, consider the strength and force of this argument: andFirst, we will consider the proposition upon which this argument is built, and that in, that God cannot be tempted by evil. He is out of the reach of any temptation to evil. For, first, He hath no temptation to it from His own inclination. The holy and pure nature of God is at the greatest distance from evil, and at the greatest contrariety to it. He is so far from having any 25. inclination to evil, that it is the only thing in the world to which He hath an irreconcilable antipathy (Psa_5:4; Hab_1:13). Secondly, there is no allurement in the object to stir up any inclination to Him towards it. Thirdly, neither are there external motives and considerations that can be imagined to tempt God to it. All arguments that have any temptation are founded either in the hope of gaining some benefit, or in the fear of falling into some mischief or inconvenience. Now the Divine nature, being perfectly happy, and perfectly secured in its own happiness, is out of the reach of any of these temptations. 2. Consider the consequences that clearly follow from it, that because God cannot be tempted with evil, therefore He cannot tempt any man to it. For why should He desire to draw men into that which He Himself abhors, and which is so contrary to His own nature and disposition? Bad men tempt others to sin, to make them like themselves, and that with one of these two designs; either for the comfort or pleasure of company, or for the countenance of it, that there may be some kind of apology and excuse for them. And when the devil tempts men to sin, it is either out of direct malice to God, or out of envy to men. But the Divine nature is full of goodness, and delights in the happiness of all His creatures. His own incomparable felicity has placed Him as much above any temptation to envying others as above any occasion of being contemned by them. Now, in this method of arguing, the apostle teacheth us one of the surest ways of reasoning in religion; namely, from the natural notions which men have of God. Inferences: First, let us beware of all such doctrines as do any ways tend to make God the author of sin; either by laying a necessity upon men of sinning, or by laying secret design to tempt and seduce men to sin. We find that the holy men in Scripture are very careful to remove all thought and suspicion of this from God. Elihu (Job_36:3), before he would argue about Gods providence with Job, he resolves, in the first place, to attribute nothing to God that is unworthy of Him. I will (says he) ascribe righteousness to my Maker. So likewise St. Paul What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid (Rom_7:7). Is the law sin? that is, hath God given men a law to this end, that He might draw them into sin? Far be it from Him. Is Christ the minister of sin? God forbid (Gal_2:17). Secondly, let not us tempt any man to sin. All piety pretends to be an imitation of God; therefore let us endeavour to be like Him in this. Thirdly, since God tempts no man, let us not tempt Him. There is frequent mention in Scripture of mens tempting God, i.e., trying Him, as it were, whether He will do anything for their sakes that is misbecoming His goodness, and wisdom, and faithfulness, or any other of His perfections. Thus the Israelites are said to have tempted God in the wilderness forty years together, and, in that space, more remarkably ten times. So likewise if we be negligent in our callings, whereby we should provide for our families, if we lavish away that which we should lay up for them, and then depend upon the providence of God to supply them, and take, care of them, we tempt God to that which is unworthy of Him; which is to give approbation to our folly, and countenance our sloth and carelessness. II. THAT EVERY MAN IS HIS OWN GREATEST TEMPTER. BUut every man is tempted, when he is drawn aside of his own lust, and enticed. In which words the apostle gives us a true account of the prevalency of temptation upon men. It is not because God has any design to ensnare men in sin; but their own vicious inclinations seduce them to that which is evil. To instance in the particular temptations the apostle was speaking of, persecution and suffering for the cause of religion, to avoid which many did then forsake the truth, and apostatise from their Christian profession. They had an 26. inordinate affection for the ease and pleasure of this life, and their unwillingness to part with these was a great temptation to them to quit their religion; by this bait they were caught, when it came to the trial. And thus it is proportionably in all other sorts of temptations. Men are betrayed by themselves. First, that as the apostle doth here acquit God from any hand in tempting men to sin, so he does not ascribe the prevalency and efficacy of temptation to the devil. I shall here consider how far the devil by his temptations is the cause of the sins which men, by compliance with those temptations, are drawn into. First, it is certain that the devil is very active and busy to minister to them the occasion of sin, and temptations to it. Secondly, the devil does not only present to men the temptations and occasions of sin; but when he is permitted to make nearer approaches to them, does excite and stir them up to comply with these temptations, and to yield to them. And there is reason, from what is said in Scripture, to believe that the devil, in some cases, hath a more immediate power and influence upon the minds of men, to excite them to sin, and, where he discovers a very bad inclination or resolution, to help it forward (John Act_5:3). Thirdly, but for all this the devil can force no man to sin; his temptations may move and excite men to sin, but that they were prevalent and effectual proceeds from our own will and consent; it is our own lusts closing with his temptations that produce sin. Fourthly, from what hath been said it appears that though the devil be frequently accessary to the sins of men, yet we ourselves are the authors of them; he tempts us many times to sin, but it is we that commit it. I am far from thinking that the devil tempts men to all the evil that they do. I rather think that the greatest part of the wickedness that is committed in the world springs from the evil motions of mens own minds. Mens own lusts are generally to them the worst devil of the two, and do more strongly incline them to sin than any devil without them can tempt them to it. Others, after he has made them sure, and put them into the way of it, will go on of themselves, and are as mad of sinning, as forward to destroy themselves, as the devil himself could wish; so that he can hardly tempt men to any wickedness which he does not find them inclined to of themselves. So that we may reasonably conclude that there is a great deal of wickedness committed in the world which the devil hath no immediate hand in. Second observation, that he ascribes the efficacy and success of temptation to the lusts and vicious inclinations of men, which seduce them to a consent and compliance with the temptations which are afforded to them. Every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust, and enticed. Lay the blame of mens sins chiefly upon themselves, and that chiefly upon these two accounts: First, the lusts of men are in a great measure voluntary. By the lusts of men I mean their irregular and vicious inclinations. Nay, and after this it is still our own fault if we do not mortify our lusts; for if we would hearken to-the counsel of God, and obey His calls to repentance, and sincerely beg His grace and Holy Spirit to this purpose, we might yet recover ourselves, and by the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh. Secondly, God hath put it in our power to resist these temptations, and overcome them; so that it is our own fault if we yield to them, and be overcome by them. First, it is naturally in our power to resist many sorts of temptations. If we do but make use of our natural reason, and those considerations which are common and obvious to men, we may easily resist the temptations to a great many sins. Secondly, the grace of God puts it into our power, if we do not neglect it, and be not wanting to ourselves, to resist any temptation that may happen to us; and what the grace of God puts into our power, is as truly in our power as what we can do ourselves. Learn: First, not to think to excuse ourselves by laying the blame of our sins upon the temptation of the devil. Secondly, from hence we learn what reason we have to pray to God, that He would not lead us into temptation, i.e., not permit us to fall into it; for, in the phrase of the Scripture, God is many times said to do these things which His providence permits to be done. Thirdly, from hence we may learn the best way to 27. disarm temptations, and to take away the power of them; and that is by mortifying our lusts and subduing our vicious inclinations. (Abp. Tillotson.) Transferring the blame of sin 1. Man is apt to transfer the guilt of his own miscarriages. (1):Beware of these vain pretences. Silence and owning of guilt is far more becoming; God is most glorified when the creatures lay aside their shifts. (2) Learn that all these excuses are vain and frivolous, they will not hold with God. 2