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James 1:12-18, Mark 7:17-23
Audio file is at the end of this text.
James, the brother of Jesus, writes with such confidence because he witnessed, over a 30-year period of time, perfection lived out. He saw his big brother, Jesus, obey their parents, do his homework, help around the house and all the while keeping an upbeat, positive attitude. James probably thought to himself that Jesus was an apple polisher--one of those kids who kissed up to the adults.
It took the death and resurrection of Jesus for James to realize that his brother was truly God. Jesus was the one sent to stop history and change the hearts of men and women. What a great promise he gives us here in verse 12. He says if we stick with Jesus, if we love Jesus, if we embrace Jesus and follow his example, we get a crown!
As Americans we're not used to seeing our leaders walk around with crowns on their heads but we use crowns to recognize achievement. Friday night our homecoming queen received a crown and she looked beautiful in it. It made her special; she stood out in the crowd. This verse promises us if we are obedient, we get a crown and I don't think you have to wait until you get to heaven for it. A Christian who is walking with Jesus I think has a glow, an effervescence, a special appearance, don't you think? So while we can count on literal crowns some day, you can have the glow of glory now.
When we fall away from Jesus and lose the glow of glory we tend to blame others. Here James is saying: don't blame God. God doesn't tempt us to do evil. It is our own desire to get off the Jesus path that gets us into trouble. It is the sights and sounds of evil that tempt us and so often these sights and sounds are so subtle that when you look back it almost seems like entrapment. Ask yourself, "What situations do I put myself in? Am I bringing on my problems by being in the wrong place, by looking at the wrong Web sites, by listening to the wrong music or the wrong people?"
Verse 14-15 reads, "Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown gives birth to death."
Sin creeps in due to our laziness and low standards. We must be careful what we look at and what we listen to. Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23, "For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come---sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander. arrogance and folly. All of these evils come from inside and defile a person."
James throws up a big red flag and calls us out. He teaches us not to blame anyone for our sins. We are to look inside our own heart and remember that nothing evil comes from God and that, "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights."
