NOTES for Jam 1:13

Sometimes the meeting in itself with the word "temptation" in the Bible leads into temptation. The Holy Scriptures talk several times about certain temptations, which God sends to man (beginning probably with Genesis 22:1). And in addition we read in the Lord's Prayer: "lead us not into temptation". And here our today’s verse also tells us something different. So, does God tempt all the same or not?

It is probably about two different meanings of this word, which we could describe in the modern language as "trial" and "provocation". The difference here is in the purpose of this event. The trials can be given to us (in a certain sense all our life is a trial) so that we go through them, acquiring then the experience necessary for our maturation, for our growth in relationships with God. And it is of such "temptations" that we should not run.

The purpose of bad provocations is different. It consists of the fact that we should fall, turn away from God, go by the way of "self", dislike, violence. Here is, such kind of "temptations" never come from God, instead we ask God to deliver us from them. And, as the Lord Jesus said, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them. Then will remain in our life only trials sent by God, for which we can only thank Him.