Desires Lead to Sin and Sin to Death

15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (James 1:15).

Desires and temptation are not necessarily bad. It’s acting on those desires and temptations that are truly sinful. We live in a fallen world. One day, for those are in Christ, we won’t even have sinful desires or temptations, for we’ll have completely different bodies and minds. We long for that day when Jesus returns, makes all things right, and gives us a new home with him forever and ever.

Until that day, we live in the tension of a fallen human nature with a fallen body and mind, yet at the same time, for those who are in Christ, a Spirit-filled life that awakens us to true godliness and holiness. One day our godliness and holiness will be perfect, but tragically, that day is not today.

Part of living in this fallen world with a fallen body and mind is that sometimes our desires are not checked and these desires lead us into sin. And if our sin is not checked by repentance and faith, over time, this will lead to death, even eternal death. James makes this clear in our verse for today.

Desire can lead to sin and sin can lead to death. This is why God calls us to fight. We fight sin with all our might. We don’t indulge it. We don’t make light of it. We don’t laugh it off as “no big deal”. Sin is very serious. What could be more serious than eternal life and death?

Read Romans 6:23
• Do you know what “wages” are? (What you are owed after doing a job.)
• So what do we deserve as sinners?
• How are wages different than a gift?
• What does all this have to do with the Gospel?

Prayer
Our Father, thank you that you have promised not to give us what we deserve because of Jesus. Thank you that you have removed from us our wages and simply given us a gift of true life. How amazing it is like you would rescue sinners like us! Our desires are so skewed at times but your grace is never skewed. May we press into it with all our might. In Jesus’ name, Amen.