“But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits. Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death. Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.” (James 1:9-17 WEB)
It is traditionally believed that James, the brother of our Lord Jesus, wrote this letter to the Jews.
For the Jewish believers who had lost everything, James reminds them that in Christ they have a glorious inheritance and rewards that far exceed what they lost.
For the rich Jewish believers, James instructs them not to boast in their riches or pursue them but to humbly serve Christ.
In Israel there was a type of grass that grew out in the morning and died shortly after being scorched by the afternoon sun.
James referred to this type of grass to illustrate the unstable and transient nature of worldly riches.
In the circumstances of poverty and rejection, the Jewish believers may have been tempted to steal or turn back to Judaism to gain relief from the suffering and persecution.
There are eternal rewards for enduring temptation and James reminds them of this.
In tough times, we may wonder, “Is God behind my sufferings? Is He purposely tempting me?” If God is the one doing it then there is no hope for man.
James assures believers that God tempts no one to sin and He also cannot be tempted.
God is behind all good things—everything evil is not from Him.
When we are tempted, it is our own flesh being attracted to sin.
If you let that temptation remain long enough in your heart, it tends to conceive and bear sin—acting upon one’s fleshly thoughts and desires.
If one stubbornly continues in that sin, it eventually results in the ultimate end: physical death.
Take the example of drug addiction. First it lures you in with curiosity and the false promises of relief from pain or sorrow.
As you do drugs, light doses don’t satisfy the flesh anymore and the flesh keeps craving heavier doses more frequently.
Eventually, many end up dying from drug overdose.
The opposite is also true, with faith. When you keep receiving God’s word in your heart, it conceives and bears good fruit.
As you keep feeding that promise of God, it will continue to manifest in a greater measure—thirty, sixty, until hundredfold.
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