James 1:15 (LSB)

Passage

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully matured, it brings forth death.

Nearby Context

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

James 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully matured, it brings forth death.

James 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lust", "conceived", "gives", "birth", "fully", "matured", "brings", and "forth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lust" and "conceived", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "But each one is tempted when he..." into verse 16's "Do not be deceived my beloved brothers...", so "lust" and "conceived" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lust" and "conceived" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.