In the book of James, James writes about the process we go through to sin. James 1:13-15 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
First a desire must come, whether from you are from one of your enemies. This desire comes in the form of a thought. This desire is only tempting if it relates to something you are able to do. If Satan tempted you to turn rocks into bread, the temptation would be ridiculous. Even if you wanted to do it, you could not. Although a thought has come into your mind that suggests doing something that lacks in character – maybe stealing, coveting what others have, being unthankful, etc. – until you make this thought your own you will not be tempted. “But each one is tempted (solicited to do something that lacks in character) when he is drawn away and enticed (baited) with his own lust.”
When you determine to fulfill the lust, then you have trespassed. “… then when lust has conceived… .” Conception is the same term for when the sperm and the egg come together in a woman and a child begins to grow. Sin has not happened yet; rather, you have determined to fulfill the lust and have therefore chosen to reject the way of escape. However, until the opportunity presents itself, you are not going to be able to fulfill the desire. Notice, it is from this stage that sin is produced. “…then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin…”
Sin is exterior to the body. Once a lust has conceived it will bring forth sin. James used the concept of a woman giving birth to a child to show that sin works in a similar manner. Only once the act begins is sin produced.
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Understanding Matthew 5:27, 28.
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, at different times He presented the Jews with the opportunity to accept His kingdom. Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand.” Jesus was the Messiah that God promised to the Jews. He was their King, their redeemer. In Matthew 5, Jesus is giving the rules of His kingdom to the Jews. Notice that Jesus states the present law and then revises it – you have heard it said… but I say… .
Within these new laws, Jesus makes a statement about looking upon a woman that seem to contradict James’ statement of sin being exterior to the body. Matthew 5:27, 28 “You have heard that it was said by them of old, you will not commit adultery. But I say to you that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Context is very important to understanding what a passage of scripture means. In this passage, Jesus is speaking only to the Jews about the rules for His kingdom. In His kingdom, a man that looks upon a woman in a manner to commit adultery with her faces punishment. This would seem that a person could sin in their mind.
In James, sin was exterior, and an offense or trespass was interior. This has not changed. In Matthew 5:29, which gives the penalty, sin is not mentioned; rather it is an offence or trespass. “and if your right eye offends you, pluck it out and cast if from you…”
If anyone in Jesus’ kingdom gets to the point of accepting a desire to commit adultery and determines to do it, they face judgment. This does not say they sinned so why are they to pluck out or cut off the member of their bodies that offend them?
To us this would seem to be to great of a burden, who can control the thoughts in their head? Bad thoughts running through your head are not sins, nor are they trespasses. That does not change in the Millennial kingdom (Christ reign for one thousand years on earth). These people are only liable when they accept a thought that is lacking in character and determine to fulfill it. This may seem difficult to us, and would be about impossible for us today because our heart (out center where our body, soul, and spirit connect and the place where are person and determinate will reside) does not naturally know the law of God. It must be taught to us. We are also not liable now for determine to act lawlessly, rather we are liable only when we perform the act. This is different for those in the Kingdom of the Son.
Jeremiah 31:33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people
All those who live during the Millennial Kingdom will have the law of God written in their hearts. God is going to change their heart so that the affect of the sin nature is countered by the law that is written on their hearts. Unlike us, it will be a rare things for them to determine to do something against the law that is written in their hearts. And in so determining, they will know they are desiring to act lawlessly because it is against what they know they should be doing.
The reason they will remove the body part that they determined to use to commit an act of lawlessness is because in Christ’s Kingdom, justice and judgment will be swift.
Matthew 13:41-42 the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Christ will not tolerate anything that is offense in His kingdom. Everything that offends will be cast in a furnace of fire. This furnace is the lake of Fire – Matthew 5:29, the body part that offend is cast in gehenna – the lake of fire. The one that determines to commit an act of lawlessness if given a choice. Remove the part that they determined to use for the act or lawlessness, or be cast into the lake of fire with it.
This does not change how a sin comes about. Jesus does not say this person sinned; rather He states they will be held liable for the offence or trespass.
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Every time we determine to do something, we go through the same process. We have a desire, then we determine to fulfill that desire. Now, the opportunity has to come in order for us do the desire that we have determine to do, so we do not always carry out our desires – whether beneficial or lacking in character.
Because the process starts with a desire, in our minds, it is very important to understand how to identify thoughts that are from one of our three enemies. However, if we do not identify a thought and we determine to fulfill that desire, until we actually perform the act we have not sinned. We can take the way of escape at any time, 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it; However, if we catch the thought when it first comes to us and reject it, we will not be consumed by the desire to do something that is lacking in character and offend God.
In order to be able to identify where a desire is coming from we need to understand which enemy is attacking and how each enemy attacks.
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