Introduction
I am so glad you could join me today in our fictional conversation with James, the Lord’s half-brother, along with some special guests. Today, our conversationalists are:
· Mr. Wycliff (Wycliff translation)
· ASW (A.S. Worell translation)
· Bill (William Barclay translation)
· J.B. (J.B. Phillips translation)
· Zoe (Life Application NIV translation)
· H.L. Willmington (special guest, Willmington’s Guide to the Bible)
· Mo (James Moffatt translation)
**
It was a joy to gather some brethren after a week of frigid weather that prohibited walking. James couldn’t meet today, but that was fine. We needed a more relaxed time to ease back into our conversation. And while the Lord’s half-brother was always very accommodating, a self-imposed reverence bordered on formality for many of us in his presence. Today, we could “let our hair down” with an uninhibited conversation.
We met on the shore, encircling a small fire that felt good to the bones after the cold spell. After all the pleasantries and chit-chat following a lengthy isolation, I started the conversation by rehearsing James’ conclusion to his two universal truths. (As you may recall, those two truths were that God cannot tempt and that man is tempted by his own lust.)
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15 KJV), I repeated.
Our eyes darted back and forth from one another to the crackling fire and back again, waiting to see who would wade out from the comfortable chin-wagging shoreline.
Mr. Wycliffe, the elder amongst us, stepped out,
“But each man is tempted, drawn (away) and stirred, of his own coveting. [Soothly each man is tempted of (or by) his own coveting, drawn (away) from reason, and snared, or deceived.] (But each person is tempted or tested, drawn away and stirred, by his own lusts and envies.) Afterward coveting [or Then coveting], when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin; but sin, when it is [ful]filled, (en)gendereth death” (James 1:14-15, Wycliffe).[1]
A.S.W quickly concurred with a deeper definition that he had surmised,
“His desire for something wrong; the inward nature that longs for things forbidden is here referred to as the parent of sinful deeds.”[2]
Bill added,
“Each man is tempted when he is seduced and enticed by his own desire. Then the next thing that happens is that this desire conceives and becomes the mother of sin. And then, when sin is full-grown, it spawns death.”[3]
J.B. made James’ words more conversational yet, still in agreement with them all,
“…A man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which greatly attract him. It is his own desire which conceives and gives birth to sin. And sin, when fully grown produces death….”[4]
A conversational tone to which Zoe worked with and reiterated temptation’s life cycle,
“But 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.”[5]
After the rush of conversation, a contemplation cloud hovered over us like the smoke of the freshly stoked fire. Each of us was content to take a moment and reflect on all that was shared.
I reviewed the number of words used to describe my temptation:
· Drawn away from reason and snared;
· Longing for things forbidden;
· Seduced and enticed;
· The pull of my own inward desires that greatly attract me;
· Being dragged away and enticed.
Each adequately describes feelings I had experienced.
And then, I enumerated temptation’s life cycle:
1. Enticement
2. Conception
3. Birth
4. And then when sin is fully grown, it doesn’t reproduce; it ends in death.
I made a mental note. It is not so much temptation’s life cycle but temptation’s timeline. And I need to change the description. A cycle insinuates a circular practice that constantly spins, but the temptation isn’t circular; it has a stopping point—death.
Yes, there are different horses on temptation’s carousal, which I can ride and hop on one to another, but repentance immediately stops the ride whether I am riding enticement, conception, or even birth. But without repentance, and I saddle up on death’s full-grown horse, the ride is eternally over.
It was then that a new conversationalist spoke up. I hadn’t noticed him before amongst all the chatter. He had sat back to my left, partially hidden by Bill, though I am not really sure who had brought him.
He introduced himself as H. L. Willmington (H. L. in the future is what I will call him, should he join us again). And he shared an explanation as if he had been in our entire conversation with James from day one. He started with the beatitude:
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation. It speaks of two kinds of suffering. Trial sufferings. These come from God and are sent to bring out the best in us. Temptation sufferings. These come from the devil (using the world and the flesh) and are sent to bring out the worst in us. It may be said that both trials and temptations are often the opposite sides of the same coin. This is to say that both God and Satan may be working in the life of a believer through the same event, one to purify him and the other to pervert him.”[6]
With that, it all came together for me. I am going to be carrying this coin called suffering with me as I run this race called life. Why? Because suffering is just part of my Christian existence in a fallen world. As I endure those sufferings through my love for Him and ultimately win the race, the crown of life awaits me!
My goal with each suffering is always purification and not perversion; yet, if I succumb to those strong personal desires that yearn to pervert, repentance immediately returns me to the purifying side of this life’s coin, regardless of where I may find myself on temptation’s timeline in the land of the living.
Yes, suffering may be part of this life, but if I suffer with the Lord, I will also reign with Him!
It was then that Mo (James Moffatt translation) added to my clarity of the adversary’s side of the coin:
“Everyone is tempted as he is beguiled and allured by his own desires….”[7]
I will purpose in my heart; when suffering comes, I will not be beguiled. Instead, I will flip the coin and focus on being begotten!
_____
[1]Wycliffe, John. Wycliffe's Bible. Kindle Edition.
[2] A.S. Worrell, The Worrell New Testament (Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House, 1980). Page 341.
[3] William Barclay, The New Testament A New Translation, two vols. (Great Britain: Collins, 1968). (Volume 2, pages 197, 198).
[4] J. B Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English (New York: Inspirational Press, 1995). Page 479.
[5] Tyndale House Publishers, ed., Life Application Study Bible, Third edition (Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 2019). Page 2162.
[6] H. L Willmington, Willmington’s Guide to the Bible (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1984). Page 512.
[7] James Moffatt, A New Translation of the Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments (New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1935). Page 287, New Testament).