Seizure

James 1:15, “Then, when desire has conceived (or seized), it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

I read James 1:15 like this, “Then when the desire, focus and attention has been seized and taken prisoner, sin comes to life and manifests itself. When the sin has accomplished its purpose it brings brings death.”

The word desire literally means “to fix the desire upon” or focus and attention.

The word conceived can also mean “to seize, take: one as prisoner.” This tells me the prisoner taken captive comes under the authority of power of the captor. The prisoner possesses conscious guilt of the law or self-imposed law. This guilt is created by the authority of the captor.

Colossians 1:13 says, ” Who hath delivered us from the power (this word is really authority) of darkness, and hath translated (transposed or transferred) [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

I am not under the judgment or penalty of the law or self-imposed law in Christ. The power of sin is the law, 1 Cor. 15:56. The judgment of law or self-imposed law brings the sinful nature to life.

Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Who I was, under law, is dead and he died on the cross with Christ. According to 1 Pet. 1:19-20 & Rev. 13:8, in Christ, this happened prior to the foundations of the earth. I have been predestined in Him to be who I am even before I was born. Who I was prior to knowing Christ was under the guilt and penalty of the law or any self-imposed law I had possessed.

Now, I am under grace. Grace to live in newness of life. Grace gives me enabling power and ability by the undeniable, convincing truth, osmotic revelation, knowledge, experience with, and consciousness of Christ. My desire, focus and attention cannot be seized because I am forgiven forever in Him. In Him, I truly cannot be taken captive or separated from His love for me.

He is my High Priest in the order of Melchizedek forever. As High Priest, the body of His sacrifice purges my conscience of dead works and makes me holy apart from works.