Drawn Away

James 1:14-15 … "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." K.J.V.

"… every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death." Amp.

It is true that external temptations to sin may be placed before man, but they would have no power if there was not something within man to which they respond. There must be some lust, some desire, some inclination; something which is now unsatisfied, which responds to the temptation and gives the temptation all its power.

The first of three steps that lead to sin …

Drawn away … the beginning step in temptation, we are drawn away by our own lust. Let's face it; we each have something in our flesh that we battle against. It may be something different for each one of us. Paul states in 1st Corinthians 9:27 …"But I keep under my body, (I subdue it) and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

Enticed … literally, "taken with bait," as fish are; entrapped, caught, seized by a power and held fast like a hook in their flesh.

When lust hath conceived … sin's course is described as that of a birth. It's when we make the lust or desire our own; then yielding to the sinful desire brings the conception; which then births the sin; moral and eternal death are the final result.

Because we are free will agents even Satan himself can not make us yield to his temptations before they are made our own. But know that all temptations are not always from him.

1st John 2:15-17 …"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

The following three lusts are natural to the world and man; although one could say they are indirectly from Satan … who is the god of this world and its social system.

The lust of the flesh … The word lust used here is in the general sense of desire, or that which is the object of desire and not in the narrow sense in which it is now commonly used to denote sexual passion. It denotes that which pampers the appetites, or all that is connected with the indulgence of man's appetites.

The lust of the eyes … That which is designed merely to gratify the sight. This would include costly clothes, jewels, houses, furniture, cars, things wasted on pleasure, etc. The object is to refer to the frivolous vanities of this world, the things which bring pleasure to man's eye, usually associated with the pride of life. It does not, of course, mean that the eye is never to be pleased, or that it is sinful to find pleasure in beholding objects of real beauty … for the world, as formed by its Creator, is full of beautiful things; so God could not have intended that we not see His created beauty and enjoy it as such.

The pride of life … by which seems to be meant; ambition for honor, chief seats and high titles as did the Scribes and Pharisees; or having the appearance and desire of the living of life in a luxurious, pompous manner, in rich costly apparel and things or having fine palaces; all of which Solomon, from his own experience said is only … "vanity and vexation of spirit."

Are these lusts sin? Will they stay just unanswered temptations to you; or will you allow them to have a life of their own?

"When lust is conceived … it bringeth forth or births sin."

I didn't say that … it's in the Book.

Let's face it; man is … "fallen." There is something within man that draws us to the bait, the desire; the three lusts … flesh, eyes, pride and even more. But temptation only becomes sin when we give birth to it.

Otherwise it's just … temptation; and temptation in and of itself is not sin; for Jesus was tempted in all points … yet without sin. He was never drawn away and therefore never gave birth to it.

Let me repeat the words found in 1st John …"these things write I unto you, that ye sin not."