Be Careful to Grow Goodness
The book of James starts out with a series of steps which start with having ones faith tested. When your faith is tested and you hold to God, it will produce steadfastness as a character trait, which eventually leads to perfection when one is completely unshakable.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4
This process of character growth by holding fast is also expressed by Paul in his letter to the Romans.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5
As much as we hate trials and suffering, it can’t be ignored that both of these pathways to perfection start with it! A common question is how can God be good, all knowing, and all powerful when there is so much suffering. He’s preparing a people for himself that will be on Earth eternally! The suffering we experience in this life lead believers to a deeper commitment and stronger character which will exist forever. In that light, the momentary suffering of this life can be seen in a completely different context.
Avoid Watering Wickedness
However, the next part of James covers what happens when we spend our time nurturing wickedness rather than righteousness in our lives.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1:14-15
Just as we can grow in our faith by suffering in faith, we can also feed our fleshly desires toward the perfection of corruption (which is death). Every human who ever lived (including Christ [Hebrews 4:15]) had temptation. However, when our desires are planted they produce sin. Christ, who stood firm, trusting in what his Father has said, never let his desires produce sin.
However, if we cultivate those desires sin will be produced. We may think it’s harmless to let our eyes linger a bit longer on things we shouldn’t see because we wouldn’t act on the lust, ruminate a bit more on hateful thoughts about another person because we won’t kill, tiptoe right up to the line because it’s not “bad” until we give in to that desire.
A bit of “lighthearted” desire gratification isn’t something we generally worry about. It’s human nature to want a list of do’s and don’ts so we know how far we can go before we’ve gone too far. However, that first step is already producing sin. If there was an actual fence with starving lions on the other side, anyone who wanted to be a fence sitter would be considered insane! Why do we want to toe right up to the line when it comes to sin?!
Stand Firm in Trials
Every temptation to hate, lust, or be proud in ourselves is a trial testing if we will trust in God’s justice, goodness, and worthiness to be the sole subject of our praise. When we choose to stand firm in that faith through the trial we are building our character and ultimately being perfected in faith. When we cave, we are sowing sin which leads to death! Thankfully, God knows we’ve all given too much weight to our desires and he has sent his son to make a way for his people to turn around and get back on the path of righteousness!
