Blessed... happy and to be
envied, is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive
the victor’s crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. Let no
one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of
being tempted by what is evil and He Himself tempts no one. But every person is
tempted when he is drawn away... enticed and
baited, by his own evil desires, lust and passions. Then the evil desire, when
it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings
forth death. Do not be misled, my beloved brethren.
Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands, who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm,
take heed lest he fall into sin. For
no temptation... no trial regarded as
enticing to sin, no matter how it comes
or where it leads, has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not
common to man. That is, no temptation
or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not
adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can
bear. But God is faithful to His Word and to His compassionate nature,
and He can be trusted not to let you be tempted,
tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance... beyond your power to endure. With every temptation God will always also provide the way out... the means of escaping sin’s
snare, that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.
In a sense all
sin is idolatry... loving, venerating or desiring anything
more than God, the product of weak faith overwhelmed by wrong desires. Therefore, my
dearly beloved, shun... keep clear away from
and avoid by flight if need be, any sort of idolatry... of
loving or venerating anything more than God.
ALL SIN IS IDOLATRY
(James 1:12-16, 2 Cor. 10:12-14)
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