You would think that, as a rule-follower, Christianity would be the life for me. After all, Christianity comes with an easy-to-read guide about how to live life. There are some specific commands as to what to do and what to avoid. Now, while this can be a blessing, it can also create some issues – take for example, James 1:14-15, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”. Sure, the Bible provides guidance, but it also requires personal accountability. It gives us the rules, but it also tells us what happens if we don’t follow the rules and this can create anxiety in many of us rule-followers because we know that we aren’t perfect.
While this passage can be a problem, it can also provide us with a bit of comfort. You see, many of us who are sticklers for rules struggle with temptation because we convince ourselves that merely being tempted is a violation of godliness. Fortunately, however, that isn’t the case. Yes, James highlights the dangers of sin, but he also provides us with an understanding that sin is an overt action – it isn’t something we stumble into, it is a path we choose to take. We are going to be tempted, the question is what are we going to do with it? The problem of sin comes into play when we linger over a temptation to the point that we lust and then take that next step into action (sin). No, just being tempted isn’t wrong, it is when we refuse to do something about that temptation and allow it to grow into an overt violation of God’s will.
Let’s do our best to avoid sin, but let’s cut ourselves some slack when feeling guilty about temptation. Remember, even Jesus was tempted – let’s follow His lead and pursue purity.
Think About It!!