James 1:13-18

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (NIV)

God certainly tests our faith, as he did when he asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. he ccommanded Jonah to preach the gospel in the heart of enemy territory. He let Satan tears away Job's possessions, drain away Job's health, and even pick away at Job's marriage. But God does not tempt us to sin. James describes temptation growing into sin in terms of a growing person: it is conceived, is born, becomes full grown, and gives birth to another "child:" eternal death; damnation in hell. The birth which God gives us, however, is the rebirth we have through his word. This rebirth is the forgiveness of sins.

Here we have one of the many passages in the Bible which tells us that God creates the faith which saves us through means. Here, it is the means of his word, the gospel.  The Bible also talks about the word working in the same way (giving forgiveness of sins and creating or sustaining faith) when it comes to us in the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper (see for instance Ephesians 5:26 and Matthew 26:28).

James says that when we are "born again" through God's word, we are a kind of firstfruits. The firstfruits (described in part in Leviticus 23:9-14) were an offering of the first part of the harvest. The firstfruits offering was not large (just a "sheaf" Leviticus tells us). But more would follow. James is telling the Christians in Jerusalem that even if their numbers seem small, they should not despair. The full harvest of the entire Christian Church will follow. God creates faith through his word, and everyone who comes to faith does so through the means of the gospel (in word and Sacrament). Although it is not James' point here, we might also add that no one can come to faith in God or be saved, who does not do so through these means of grace, the gospel in word and sacrament. There is no other way to heaven, and to seek another road is to reject the gospel. As Peter told the Sanhedrin: "Salvation is found in no one else (than Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).