“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).
Because sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay, it is imperative to learn everything you can about this horrific spiritual disease. Learning the pathology of sin is imperative to your spiritual health and well-being.
Sin’s conception occurs when human desire is drawn away from God’s intended and lawful fulfillment and is enticed by Satan’s alluring, illicit expression.
Of great interest in this pathology of sin’s conception is James’ use of a hunting term (“drawn away”) and fishing term (“enticed”). The first word references a hunter’s attempt to flush an animal away from its place of safety and into a location of vulnerability and potential death. The second word means “a baited hook”. It vividly captures how Satan seeks to conceal his snare of captivity with an alluring enticement.
When the egg of human desire is fertilized by obedience to God’s will righteousness has been germinated. When the egg of human desire is fertilized by disobedience to God’s will, sin has been conceived. This is the source of sin’s pathology.
