James 1:1-27
Welcome to the Epistle of James!
Sin, with a number of verses (seemingly?) reflecting temptations from outside and from inside… First, from outside: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds… (v. 2) and Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial… (v. 12) [I’m sure brothers and man includes sisters and women!] Verse 2 seems especially to refer to trials from outside, since the following verses have trials (testing) leading to endurance (steadfastness) and endurance having its “full effect”. By contrast, later verses refer to temptations (lust?) instead of trials and testing: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin… (vv. 13-15a) Verse 14 refers to “his own desire”, reflecting temptation (or lust) beginning from within. It’s helpful to see that temptations arise from outside and from inside – and even more helpful to consider the source and to be able to fight the temptation, with help from the Holy Spirit, our “Helper”.
See also: March 15 / James 1:1-11; March 16 / James 1:12-27