1. James 1:13–14 (ESV)
  2. Application

Excuses in temptations

James 1:13–14 (ESV)

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

There is the nature-nurture excuse. That is when people say, well, really, I cannot help myself, this is how I was raised, or this is what my personality is. And so when we respond wrongly we blame our environment, we blame our personalities, our natures…Do not ever allow a Christian to say I cannot help myself, and do not let them say, there is no hope. Because even when saying, there is no hope, you are basically shifting blame from yourself to the circumstances and nurture of your life and saying, this is just how God has designed things; I am not responsible. We must assume our responsibility, then there is hope. When we assume responsibility in a personal relationship, or in a struggle of sin, there is always hope because that is the way of the gospel.1

Joseph A. Pipa