“Desire becomes sin when it fails to include love of God or men.” -Francis Schaeffer
This is the text message I received first thing this morning as part of an encouraging texting group. It was so timely because just the night before I had been contemplating James 1:13-18 as part of an online YouVersion Bible Study led by another Francis: Francis Chan. It says:
“13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[a] 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
The devotional portion of the study that stuck out to me the most reads: “James 1:13 clearly states that God is not the source of temptation. Rather, our own desires entice us to take what we want, when we want it. We know the feeling of being baited, like Francis pointed out–God says something is wrong or evil, but we want it anyway.”
It occurred to me that “all” I (or perhaps more accurately, the Holy Spirit,) have to do is change my desires and align them with God’s. Then, there would be less of an opportunity for me to be enticed by/fall prey to sin. My written response to the reading last night was as follows: “I want God’s mind on everything. I don’t want to be pulled away by my own evil desires. Father, transform me into a new person by changing the way that I think.”
I think it’s neat how often God confirms that He’s speaking to us about some issue by repeating it through multiple channels.