Welcome back to Take 5!: Faith. Take 5!s are short quick Bible studies to help you start your busy day in the Word of God. Please get your journal, pen and settle down in God’s presence. Before you start your study time, take a moment to pray and ask God to guide you during your time in His word. Remember, endurance yields the crown of life!.
Please read the following verses from James 1.
11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.12 Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. James 1: 11-15
1. According to verse 11, what will happen to our “earthly” pursuits?
Our earthly pursuits have an appearance of beauty, but like hay, stubble and straw, they will perish. The Greek transliteration for the word perish is apollymi, which means to destroy, to kill, ruined, render useless. Therefore the pursuits of a person living only for the treasures of this world will end in great loss.
2. But what is the end result for a person who endures the temptations of this world and seeks the kingdom of God (verse 12)?
When he or she has been approved, they will receive the crown of life which God promises to the who love him (emphasis mine). The Greek word for endure used in this verse is hypomeno, which means among other things to remain, to tarry, bear calmly, suffer, to wait for. Don’t fall for a quick false gratification from an earthly pursuit. Rather tarry and wait for the crown of life which God promises to those who love Him. You see it all comes down to what we love more, God or the world. Therefore, ask God to give you a new heart that loves only Him.
3. According to verse 13, where don’t our temptations come from?
4. And where do they come from (v. 14)?
They come form our own desires. When we desire something more than God or His truth then we are being tempted. But we can still walk away from those temptations.
5. What happens if we follow through on a temptation (v. 15)?
Then we have brought death into our life through sin. Thankfully God has made a way for all of us- Jesus. By His death on the cross He over came the death of sin. Then when we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness. Hallelujah! After receiving His forgiveness, ask God to give you a heart filled with His desires, so when temptations arise again, you can endure and receive the crown of life!
Resources:
All Greek definitions are from: Blue Letter Bible.
- G5278 – hypomenō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5278/kjv/tr/0-1/
- G622 – apollymi – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g622/kjv/tr/0-1/
By Mary Kane
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