But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death (James 1:14-15).
There are plenty of lakes, streams, and rivers in northwest Oregon so that one needs only travel 15 minutes in any direction to find water. I learned early in life to find a calm spot in the river or lake that was also shaded from the summer sun. Fish, like you and me, don’t like to be too hot. Then I’d impale a worm onto my hook and drop it gently into the shaded water.
The fish, wanting to remain cool and at rest, would see that worm bobbing in front of his face. The lure of the worm drew upon the natural desire of the fish to eat. Like us, it desired the nearest free food and would leave the safety of it’s hiding place to become prey. Just like that! the fish would bite on the worm and get himself caught on my sharp hook.
Now it’s interesting that James, the half-brother of Jesus, used the image of a fishing or hunting lure with regard to temptation and sin. But notice where James lays the blame. It’s not on God or Satan or your neighbor. The lure of sin comes from within your own heart.
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they attempted to hide from God by covering their wickedness with fig leaves and trees. But God knew where they were and what they’d done. God asked Adam what he’d done, and instead of telling the truth, he compounded his sin with blaming others. Blaming others for our failures is part of the original sin of humanity!
Adam blamed God. The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate (Genesis 3:12). Adam’s sin wasn’t learned from his parents, the bad influence of his friends, or what he’d seen on television. It came from within his own heart and he attempted to blame God for gifting to him a wife!
Your sin is never anyone’s fault but your own. And when you accept the lure of temptation from within your own heart, temptation bears a child named sin, and sin brings forth its own child called death.
Where Living Begins 
Great post!
THAT is the difference between a sinner and a saint, the lost and the saved, the un-regenerate and the regenerate, the natural and the spiritual man.
The former passes the buck and blames everyone and everything but himself, while the latter admits his sin and begs for mercy.
The former says, “the people made me do it” (1Sam 15:15) while the latter laments, “I have sinned against the Lord!” (2Sam 12:13)
William Gadsby put it well back in the 1800s when he said,
Though all are sinners in God’s sight,
There are but few so in their own.
To such as these our Lord was sent;
They’re only sinners who repent.
What comfort can a Saviour bring
To those who never felt their woe?
A sinner is a sacred thing;
The Holy Ghost has made him so.
New life from Him we must receive,
Before for sin we rightly grieve.
This faithful saying let us own,
Well worthy ’tis to be believed,
That Christ into the world came down,
That sinners might by Him be saved.
Sinners are high in His esteem,
And sinners highly value Him.
To acknowledge his sin and ask God to have mercy upon him, is one of the first cries that a convinced sinner puts up to God. It was so with the publican in the temple; and where it is sincere, God will certainly hear it “according to His lovingkindness,” for He is full of love and kindness to poor, mourning sinners.
“I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord ; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
FOR THIS shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” [Ps. 32:5-7]
Praise the LORD!
Don’ you think, Bhai, that when most Christians think of the difference between a saved person and the unsaved person, they think of sins forgiven and leave it there? Forgiveness is a marvelous truth worth trumpeting to the far reaches of creation’s expanse, but is still so lacking.
The attitude toward sin-in-self is just as dramatic and marvelous. Once born again, the saint surely never winks at the greatness of forgiveness, but in my older age am personally moved to think the changed attitude toward sin-in-self may be more marvelous a wonder (if one may make such a comparison) because it beams the brightest of light on the new nature in Christ and His ever-indwelling presence.
Amen! To change the nature of a creature, especially a loathsome and despicable creature which once loved, cherished and wallowed in that which is unclean and loathsome to something pure is no small feat. To make a creature love the thing which it once hated or vice-versa is indeed the handiwork of God.
And yes, indeed it is the new nature in Christ and His ever-indwelling presence which does this.
Right well did the Master assert, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible!” [Mark 10:27]