Do Not Be Deceived…
From Cyrus’ Facebook, circa 2014
Some thoughts from my Bible study this morning:
"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." -James 1:16-17, ESV
This verse is a well-known one, and on its own carries important meaning. When good things come our way, it's important to acknowledge where they came from, being thankful to and glorifying God our provider. This is a useful and even correct interpretation of this passage, I believe. But today in particular, I noticed another layer of meaning which I had never seen before.
Verse 16 says, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers." Whenever this phrase is used in scripture, it reminds me to pay extra attention. If God's Word warns me not to be deceived, the possibility of my being deceived to begin with is implied. Deceived how? Deceived about the source, or the goodness or perfectness of the gift? This question demands more context. Moving back a paragraph to verse 13 helps to clarify:
'Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Do not be deceived...'
And we continue on into our original text. The implication seems to be that we need to stay alert to realize that the "gifts" our sinful nature desires only lead to death, whereas God promises good and perfect gifts. We ought never believe that sinful desires will lead us to good things, or that God will lead us to bad. That seems to be the deception that James warns us about in this passage. In summary, a verse from Proverbs comes to mind:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12, ESV
I thank God for teaching me new things through His word. My prayer today is that I won't be deceived, but instead believe that every good and perfect gift comes from above.
