Wrongful Desires

( James 1:13-15)

by Tony Huddleston

The tragedy of sin is that it leads to death, not a physical death but a spiritual one. James says it this way in James 1:13-15.
"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. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death".

Thus temptation leads to lust; lust leads to sin; and sin leads to death. What exactly is lust? Lust as used here by James is a passion to satisfy our desires, whatever the cost. The cost is far too high, for our very soul is at stake. There are many kinds of lusts to consider. A few examples:
1). Wealth (Money, Property)
2). Power (Economic, Political, Social)
3). Recognition (Fame, Awards, Titles)
4). Sexual Pleasure

Note that none of the above attainments are implicitly wrong, but in the context of lust they are sinful. The Bible warns us repeatedly about this. Here are some biblical examples:
1) Wealth - Achan lusted after the spoils of Jericho and it cost him his life. ( Joshua 7:1)
2) Power - Absalom so desired the kingdom of his father David that he rebelled against David and was killed in battle. ( 2 Samuel 15:10)
3) Recognition - Ananias and Sapphira desired the recognition that Barnabas received. This lust led to their lying about how much they gave, and resulted in their deaths. ( Acts 5:1-11)
4) Sexual Pleasure - David's wrongful lust for a married woman caused him to sin grievously. David repented but still suffered tragic consequences for what he had done. ( 2 Samuel 11:2-4)

I pray that all of us will strive to avoid the pitfalls described here. God has promised to help us avoid temptations if we'll only look for that way of escape he has promised. ( 1 Corinthians 10:13)
Finally, Christianity is more than just avoiding things. It's a way of life based on service. As we serve, we will find that our own desires will become less and less important. (See Mark 9:35)

• The Struggle Within -Jul 01, 2007
• Sin in the Twenty-First Century -Nov 18, 2001
• It's Like... -Jun 17, 2001
• No One Has the Right to Choose to Do What is Wrong! -Nov 09, 1999
• Steadfastness -Jan 18, 1998