THE BIRTH OF SIN

When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, brings forth death. JAMES 1:15 Most people think of sin as an individual act or behavior. But today’s verse says that sin is not an act; it is the result of a process. Sin starts with desire, which is related to emotion. It begins when you desire to be satisfied by acquiring something, when you have an emotional longing to possess what you see. Temptation then affects your mind through deception. You begin to justify and rationalize your right to possess what you desire. Your mind is deceived into believing that fulfilling your lust will satisfy you and meet your needs. Next, your will begins to plot how you’re going to get what you want, and when lust is seduced (so to speak) by the baited hook, it becomes pregnant in the womb of a person’s will. Finally, the act of sin occurs. Knowing how sin is born should help you in avoiding temptation. John MacArthur, Truth for Today : A Daily Touch of God’s Grace (Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2001), 324.