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- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2
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THE
NATURE OF GOD IN TEMPTATION (James 1:16-20) 10-03-12 Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. DEFENSE OF GOD’S GOOD AND
PERFECT NATURE (16-18) A. Don’t Be Deceived About
God’s Nature (16) 1. This
imperative is a segue from vss. 13-15 to vss. 17-20. They were not to be
deceived (present passive imperative of planao - to be led astray or
misled) that God was the source of their temptation because God possesses
holy impeccability and cannot do evil (13-15). Neither were they to be
deceived about the goodness and perfection of God (17-20). 2. The force of the present imperative could
indicate that they were embracing such deception and must, “stop being
deceived.” 3. James refers to his readers as, “beloved
brethren of mine,” (adelphoi mou agapetoi), a reference to their
salvation as well as their Jewish kinship. B. God Only Gives Good Gifts
(17) 1. James
has told them of God’s holiness, now he will assure them of God’s goodness
and perfect sovereignty. 2. Every good gift is from above (i.e. God).
This “good” (agathe - useful and beneficial for others) gift comes
from God’s attribute of “goodness” (Psa 100:4-5; 135:3). a) Goodness
is God’s intrinsic virtue that seeks to bestow benevolence on man (Mat 5:45),
especially on believers (Psa 23:6). It is that perfection which prompts
Him to deal kindly and bounteously with all His creatures. (Louis
Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941), p. 70). b) As a result of God’s goodness everything
that happens to the believer, including trials and temptations, are for his
good (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28). In essence they are a part of God’s “gifts” (dorema
- gift or bestowment) to the believer. 3. Not only
is God good, but He is “perfect” (teleios - full measure) in knowing
the right trials and temptations to allow or not to allow in our lives and to
what degree. 4. James calls God the “Father of lights.”
This refers to God who is “from above” and is the Creator of everything in
the heavens and its “lights” (i.e. sun, moon, and stars). a) Although
God created the heavenly lights to move and change, He Himself has “no
variation” (parallage - to change) or “shifting shadows” (lit.
“shadow of turning” changing position of light-giving bodies), He does
not change (immutable) in His character (Psa 102:26-27; 1Sa 15:29) or in His
faithfulness to His children (Mal 3:6; Heb 6:17-19). b) James implies that when the believer is in
a trial or temptation, he must totally rely upon God’s goodness, perfection,
immutability and faithfulness (i.e. the character of God). C. God Provided The Gift of
Salvation (18) 1. The goodness
of God does not only refer to the fact that God supplies and provides for His
general creation (Act 14:17), but also that He provides salvation for His
spiritual creation (i.e. believers). 2. God “in the exercise of His will” (aorist
passive participle - boulomai - inward disposition from which active volition
proceeds, will, wish, or desire) literally is, “having willed”
(determined). It argues the goodness of God in that God desired to act on
man’s behalf. It also argues the sovereign will of God in election (election,
Joh 1:13; Eph 1:4; 2Th 2:13; 1Pe 1:3). 3. God “brought forth” (apokueo - act of
giving birth) spiritual birth to man (“us”, i.e. believers) in salvation.
Sin gives birth to death (same word, vs. 15), but God gives birth to
spiritual life. a) This
birth was accomplished through His will and the “word of truth” (logo
aletheias), which is another name for the Gospel (Eph 1:13; Col 1:5; 1Pe
1:23) and the Word of God (Joh 17:17). b) Believers are to accurately handle the
word of truth (2Ti 2:15) and live according to it (2Co 4:2; 3Jo 1:4). 4. The
purpose of this spiritual birth was to make believers a type of first-fruits
of a new creation among the existing creation. a) Giving
God the “first-fruits” was an OT idea of giving God the first portion of
increase as an act of faith that He will provide the remaining increase (Lev
23:9-10; Pro 3:9-10 cp. 2Pe 3:11-13). b) Among His “creatures” (ktisma - created
thing, qualified process of creation cp. ktisis - creation, end product)
refers to those things which are created. A believer is a different creation
than the things already created because he is a new spiritual creation (2Co
5:17, ktisis), born again (Joh 3:3, 6; 1Pe 1:23), and regenerated (Tit
3:5). This takes place the moment a sinner places his trust in Christ’s
atonement on the cross. c) The point being, that God demonstrated
His goodness in the gift of salvation. If God spared not His own Son for us
(Rom 8:32), how could He be evil, succumb to evil, tempt with evil, or allow
anything that does not work for our ultimate good (i.e. trials and
temptatins)? II. MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S
NATURE IN TEMPTATION (19-20) A. Listen Before Speech And
Anger (19) 1. These
believers “knew” (perfect indicative of oida - perceive, lit. “have known
and continue to know”) the truth and reality of God’s holiness and
goodness through their own personal salvation in Christ. 2. But, the proper and practical response
during trials is threefold: quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to
anger. a) “Quick” (tachus
- swift, without delay, prompt, and ready) to hear God’s Word and truth
in regard to God’s attributes and appropriate responses toward His
sovereignty in temptations and trials. b) “Slow” (bradus - opposite of tachus,
slow as someone who needs to learn and be content) to speak as in the
sense of complaining and bloviating unbiblical concepts toward temptations
and trials. c) “Slow” (same word) to anger as in
the sense of becoming angry at God (or the agent) as if our temptations and
failures were His fault. 3. Each of
these are connected with the present imperative esto (fr. eimi - be)
and contains the idea of continually putting these into practice during every
trial and temptation. B. Man’s Anger is Not
Righteous (20) 1. James
continues to explain (“for,” gar) that becoming angry at God (or the
agent) in trials is a totally inappropriate and unrighteous response. 2. “Anger” is the Greek word orgê and
means an emotional and/or outward upsurge of abhorrence and grief. 3. God can possess anger but He does so with
complete righteous indignation. He responds with righteous indignation toward
sin and unrighteousness (Rom 1:18; 2:5; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19; Rev 14:10). 4. Man, on the other hand, does so from a sinful
heart, in a sinful manner, and for sinful reasons. Anger is sin and
unrighteousness (Gal 5:20) and incurs the righteous indignation of God. 5. Therefore, if believers respond in anger
to temptations and trials they are in no way exhibiting the “righteousness of
God” and are admonished to repent and rid themselves of it (Eph 4:31; Col
3:8). III. OBSERVATIONS AND
APPLICATIONS: “Responding in anger to temptation and trials is…..” A. A lack of understanding of
God’s purposes (Jam 1:2-5; Pro 14:29). B. A lack of knowledge of God’s holy and good
nature (Pro 9:10). C. A lack of conformity to God’s attribute of
patience (“slow to anger” - Exo 34:6; Psa 86:15). D. A lack of self-control (Eph 4:26; Pro
16:32; Pro 19:11). E. A lack of humility and respect toward a
sovereign God and His goodness (Rom 8:28). |
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