I have it heard more times than I can count. I have also said it myself, “Why me, God?”
I have come to realize two things about that question.
One: It implies that everything revolves around me. That is not true. Life is not about me or what I want or how I think things should be.
The second thing that question implies is that God has done something to me that is evil. That is not true.
In James 1:13-15 James deals with the source of temptation and sin. He also deals with the result of temptation and sin.
First, James tells us where temptation does not come from.
James 1:13
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”
Our temptation does not come from God. God does not tempt people to sin.
God cannot be tempted because He is perfect and does not sin.
Deuteronomy 32:4
The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.
God is perfect, just, faithful, upright, with no iniquity.
1 Peter 1:22
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth.
Jesus did not sin and He never spoke anything that was deceitful.
Since God is perfectly sinless, then there is absolutely no chance He would or could tempt anyone to sin.
Sin is rebellion against the authority of God. God never rebels against His own authority. Jesus never rebels against the Father’s authority since He and the Father are one. The Holy Spirit never rebels against the authority of the Father since He shares the mind and desires of the Father.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit are in complete unity; the Godhead is one.
We are never tempted to sin by God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that God is holy and righteousness and He never tempts us to sin.
Second, we are tempted to sin by our own sinful desires.
James 1:14
But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
We are tempted when we allow the enemy, Satan, to convince us that our desire for us is better than God’s desire for us.
We are tempted when we allow the enemy, Satan, to convince us that our will is more important than God’s will.
Satan does that by drawing our focus away from God by baiting us with something that appeals to us and trapping us in our desires.
Sin originally came by Adam and Eve’s desire to do their thing and not God’s thing. Sin continues by us desiring to do our thing and not God’s thing.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is acknowledging that we are tempted by our own evil desires.
Third, when we don’t allow God to deal with our temptation, it leads to sin and sin leads to death.
James 1:15
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.
The pattern is temptation ®
sin ®
death.
All temptation that is not turned over to God will lead to sin.
God makes us a promise that if we will turn our temptations over to Him, He will give us a way out of the temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
God will not allow the enemy to tempt us with no hope of resisting and overcoming the temptation.
God will always gives us a way out of the temptation which would not lead to sin.
Sin will always lead to death.
The death of
A Relationship
A Marriage
A Family
A Church
A Nation
A Life
Sin does not have to lead to sin. God gives us a solution.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we admit our sin, God will
Forgive us our sins - remove the penalty of our sin
Purify us from all righteousness - remove the guilt of our sin
Death can be averted if we confess (agree with God) our sin and repent (change our direction) of our sin.
The fact that God gives us a way to overcome temptation is called grace.
The fact that God gives us a way to avoid the penalty and guilt of sin is called grace.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is receiving the grace of God that allows us to not have to endure the penalty and guilt of sin.
Because of Who God Is and What He Has Done, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls.
Joe
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