Stormproof Men IIISample

Yielding to an External Temptation

The logical end of sin is death. James makes that clear. There are men who have occasionally yielded to some form of sexual temptation and have not died. Does that mean James’ warning that sin leads to death is wrong? No! Here are three reasons why: (1) people do not always experience the full possible consequences of their sin, (2) people do not always experience the consequences of their sin immediately, and (3) "death" does not always mean “physical death."

In his book, Grace, Salvation, And Discipleship: How to Understand Some Difficult Passages (NP: Grace Theology Press, 2015), Charles Bing identifies seven different kinds of death:

Kind of death (Separation of:)   

1. Physical (Body from spirit)                    

2. Spiritual (Unbeliever from God spiritually)                                    

3. Experiential (Believer from God in fellowship)                              

4. Second (Unbeliever from God eternally)                                       

5. Uselessness (Something from its vitality)   

6. Positional (Believer's new man from sin and the law)

7. Powerlessness (Believer from Christ's victorious life and Spirit) 

The believer may experience physical death, experiential death, uselessness, or powerlessness. A believer may also experience relational death with another person (e.g., broken fellowship or even a complete separation from the individual, as what occurs in a divorce). Even though the believer may not experience physical death, he will experience some degree of death. Plus, the sinning believer may well suffer other negative consequences such as: 

• God's discipline as a loving father who corrects His children 
• Guilt (true and false) 
• Hardening of the heart towards God and the things of God 
• Physical issues, such as loss of job, disease, injury, etc.

Tomorrow we will look at some of the typical storms of temptation that we face. As we do so, ask yourself the question, “Is this a temptation with which I struggle?” Keep in mind that this section does not list every sexual temptation a person may face. If you struggle with something not addressed, be honest and include your issue in the list of these temptations. By identifying typical struggles, we are preparing ourselves for a time when these struggles strike.