James 1:14-16 – Lessening Our Sins – Bible study

James 1:14-15 Lessening Our Sins James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. We dont want to sin, do we? That sounds like a silly question, but the world wants to sin. They are throwing themselves into sin: anger, bitterness, vengeance, wrath, rage, riot, violence, even murder. Some would call them crazy, but they are not. They have just kicked off all the brakes and thrown themselves headlong into sin. But that is not us, is it? We have the mind of Christ and Christ hates sin. Surely, we want to do everything we can to avoid sin. Let me give you a simple message tonight. It only has two points. I. Find the correct End. A. How can we lessen our sin? 1. According to James, temptation brings sin. Therefore, if we want to lessen our sins, we must first lessen our temptation. 2. We know that temptation is common to all. 1Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 3. However, we can and should lessen our temptation. a. Notice our text verse tells us how we increase our temptation, by being drawn away from God. b. If that is true, it is also telling us we lessen our temptation, by being drawn near God. 4. So there is a way we can reduce the temptations pulling at us. (a) It may not happen all at once. (b) It may be hard work to get into the habit of doing it. (c) But drawing near to God will reduce our temptations. B. What do we need to do to draw nearer to God. 1. Christians are involved do a good many spiritual activates, but they dont know why they do them. 2. We say we believe in grace, but Christians tend to be very legalistic; that is, we have a long list of rules we preach that Christians must do. (a) However, few ask, "Why? What do these things do to help me?" (b) It is not wrong to ask why. (c) It is wrong to disobey, but asking questions is the best way to learn. 3. Few spiritual activities are ends in themselves. Most of them are the means to take us to the end. (a) We do not go to church just to go to church. We go to for what going to church can do for us. (b) Praying can be an end in itself if you get your prayer clearly answered when you pray; but many times we do not. (1) Then prayer is not the end. (2) Prayer is then the means to take us someplace. (c) The same thing is true of tithing, witnessing, and many other spiritual activities. 4. What is the end? Where are these activities to take us? (a) They are to take us into the presence of God. (b) Why do we want to get into the presence of God? Because that will lessen our temptations. (c) Why do we want to lessen our temptations? Because that will lessen our sins. 5. God has provided us with a good many spiritual activates. (a) Why? To give us many options in how to draw closer to God. (b) Sometimes one doesnt work, we can turn to another. (1) I dont know why but sometimes God seems distant and hard to find. (2) But we dont give up. We change to another activity. II. Find the Means. A. Your means for getting into the presence of God may be slightly different from mine. 1. We are individuals, in body, mind, and spirit. 2. However, generally speaking if you want to get into Gods presence, we will have to do what God tells us to do. (a) There are some things God tells us to stop doing. (b) There are some things God tells us to do. (c) And there are some activities that we should be doing all of the time. B. What are the spiritual activities? 1. Love and worship God. Deuteronomy 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway. Deuteronomy 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, Deuteronomy 11:22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; a. As I have said, sometimes, it is difficult for us to sense the presence of God. (1) However, whether God shows up or not, we can love on God. (2) Loving on God is not dependent upon us feeling anything from Him. (3) Loving God is only dependent upon us feeling something for Him. (a) gratitude, respect, thankfulness (b) Those are good starts. (c) You might be surprised how quickly God will rush you into His presence if you start expressing those to Him. (4) I wonder if the reason God does not always make His presence known to us might be because He wants to see what we will give Him when we get nothing in return. (5) Sit down and tell God you love, tell Him why you love, brag on Him, just love on God. b. If you start expressing these, you might find out what worship really is. (1) Some people have been going to church all of their lives, but they dont know what worship is. (2) Worship is not going to church. (3) Worship is: (a) Worship is us praising Him. (b) Worship is us adoring Him. (c) Worship is us exalting Him. (4) In short, worship is just loving on God. 2. Praise and sing spiritual songs Psalms 81:1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Psalm 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. a. Again, these are things that far more enjoyable when God is with us, and I believe most of the time, He will come be with as we do these things. b. There is something about the right kind of music that seems to sweep the child of God into His presence. c. It doesnt have to be on-key music just music that praises and exalts God. d. Did you know that angels sing? Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (1) The word for "sang" in that verse basically means to shout out with joy. (2) While I believe God loves on-key singing, He must like what others like me can do too! 3. Prayer James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. a. Prayer or talking to God brings us into His presence. b. When you start talking to God, God has a tendency to show up. (1) Not prayer list prayers. (2) Not table grace prayers. (3) Not church praying prayers. (4) I am speaking about just getting alone and talking to God. c. You might can use those things to start your conversation but remember, prayer is not scripted. d. Prayer is just talking to God and listening. 4. Reading, studying, and obeying the Word 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 1 Timothy 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. a. Typically, one of my most enjoyable activities is studying the Bible. b. I feel like God shows me things when I start studying it. c. However, sometimes I have to force myself to get started. d. You have to get past the "having to read" or the "having to get a lesson" or the "having to study" part of getting started, but once God starts showing you things, styling the Bible gets really good. 5. Bible Memorization Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. a. Bible memorization is another thing that we usually dread. b. One of the reasons I struggle with it is because my brain does not keep them for long after I quit reviewing them. (1) Get what I am about to tell you. (2) That is all right. (3) If we will put the verses into our brain and spirit, it is up to God to keep them there. (4) What I have learned is that when I need them, God often helps me to remember at least part of them so that I can find them. c. Bible memorization is good for every element of our being. (1) Bible memorization is a mental exercise that will help fend off Alzheimers and dementia. (2) Bible memorization is an inner man exercise that will make us stronger Christians. (3) Bible memorization is a spiritual exercise that will bring us into Gods presence and fend off temptation. 6. Christian Fellowship Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than oneand a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. a. John says that fellowship and walking in the light are related to one another. b. Light in the Bible is a direct reference to the powerful, clean Christian life. c. Maybe every service is not a bang, boom blast; but if you will work at worshipping during the worship hour, you will enter into Gods presence far more often than you will not, and it will aid you in being victorious over temptation. 7. Get involved in ministry. 2Cor 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God. Ephesians 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. a. I have shared my testimony many times. b. Getting involved is what it took for me to learn faithfulness. c. Learning to be faithful was required for me to learn Gods will for my life. d. Learning Gods will for my life was required for me to desire victory over sin and temptation. e. Desiring victory over sin and temptation was required for me to start getting victory over sin and temptation. 8. Set high standards for yourself. 2 Corinthians 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 1Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. a. A great part in the battle of overcoming temptation is to keep yourself out of temptations snares. b. That is where you convictions and standards come in. c. The harder you make it for Satan to get to you and for your flesh to lead you astray, the more apt you are to stay on the straight and narrow.