Today’s reading has two verses that I love so much and that can be very formative in how we think about sin and grace. First, he tells us that we are dragged into sin by our own sinful desires. Our spiritual battle is going to always start with the external. It’s always first a battle without ourselves. And then he tells us this powerful truth: if it is good and it is in our lives, it is a gift from God. It’s a gift of His grace.

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Good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Thursday morning as we continue together in our time in James. Today, we’ll be reading James chapter one, verses 12 through 18.

James is a wonderful book for many reasons, but one thing I love about it is how it contains certain verses or phrases that really stand out—like the other day when it said, “If you ask for wisdom, ask, and God will give it.” That’s such a powerful verse to build our faith on. Of course, we never want to base our theology on just one verse, but James has so many foundational truths that we can really sink our teeth into.

Today’s passage has one of those verses that has been essential to my understanding of faith.

Two key theological truths really stand out in this passage.

The first is in verses 13-14: “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it.”

My mom used to say, “The devil gets credit for stuff the devil ain’t got nothing to do with.” It’s so easy to blame external forces when we fall into sin. People say, “The devil made me do it,” but if that were true, then guess whose fault it wouldn’t be? Ours. If the devil made us do it, then we’re just helpless victims in the whole thing, right?

But James makes it clear: we are led into sin by our own desires. It’s not some outside force pulling us in—it’s the sin within us. Of course, spiritual warfare is real, and the devil tempts people, but so often, the struggle isn’t external; it’s internal. Our sinful nature pulls us toward the things that separate us from God.

That’s why self-control—one of the fruits of the Spirit—is so important. Our greatest battle isn’t always with the devil; it’s often with ourselves. That’s why we need God’s grace. That’s why we need the Holy Spirit. That’s why we need discipline and accountability.

I read a great book once about people who left the church, and one person said, “Here’s what I learned about Christians: when someone outside the church sins, they’re a wicked sinner going to hell. But when someone inside the church sins, they say, ‘Well, the devil laid a trap for me.’”

We need to take responsibility for our own choices. We can’t always blame the world or the enemy. Instead, we should confess, repent, and rely on God’s strength to overcome temptation.

The second key verse is verse 17: “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

This is a powerful reminder of what we in the Wesleyan tradition call prevenient grace—the grace that goes before us, leading us toward salvation. If something is in your life and it is good, it is a gift from God.

The beauty of a sunrise? That’s God’s grace.
The love of a child? That’s God’s grace.
Music that moves you? That’s God’s grace.
A moment of laughter with a friend? That’s God’s grace.

C.S. Lewis talked about how beauty is unnecessary from a purely practical standpoint. The sunrise doesn’t need to be beautiful to function. Flowers don’t need to have colors. But God, in His goodness, gave us beauty simply because He loves us.

I think about the old Wordsworth poem: “My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky.” Why does beauty move us? Because it is God whispering His love to us.

If something in your life is good, it is a gift from God. That means every moment of joy, every expression of love, every act of kindness is evidence of His grace.

Today, remember these two truths:

1. We wrestle most often with ourselves, not just external forces.
2. Every good thing in our lives is a gift from God.

James challenges us to take responsibility for our spiritual lives while also recognizing that everything good comes from above.

Thanks for being with us today! Tomorrow, we’ll continue with more great insights from James. Have a blessed day!