James 3:3-6

Click here for the James 3:3-6 PODCAST

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. ~ James 3:3-6

In this letter, James, one of the four half brothers of the Lord Jesus, reveals to us avenues through which we can discover if our faith in the God of the Bible is maturing. The first two chapters cover growth through trials and temptations by replacing our faulty ways of thinking and living with the teaching from God's word. In the third chapter, James directs our attention to the way we speak. His goal is to get us to be controlled by the word of God like a rider controls a horse by the use of a bit. As a result of being defined by God's word, we will be able to control the way we speak to and about others. And, once we gain control over our mouths, our lives, as a whole, will be useful for God's purposes. 

In v.4 of today's text we read, "Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. "

Considering this illustration of a large ship which is steered by a small rudder, we learn that if we can just get control of the little tongue, we can have tremendous impact on others for the glory of God. In the same way that a large ship is controlled by a small rudder, when the power of God's word is applied to our speech, we will help others and bring glory to God. We must be diligent to control our words because our words have the power to control us. Learning to speak only gracious words is a titanic order. When we speak only gracious words that are selfless, we will be better positioned to control other parts of our lives. We will only be able to do this by yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of God.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark."

The tongue is a powerful instrument. Some have suggested that it is the strongest muscle in the human body due to its tenacity which comes from the way it is built. The tongue doesn’t fatigue, because there’s a lot of redundancy in the muscle architecture.  The tongue can tear down or it can build up. The tongue is like the tiniest spark of a flame that leaps into the largest of flames. Our words are potentially edifying or destructive.

A few years ago, I came a cross a poem by Charles Franklin Benvegar which goes like this ... 

"As I watched them tear a building down, a gang of men in a busy town, with a ho-heave-ho, and a lusty yell, they swung a beam and the side wall fell.

I asked the foreman, 'are these men skilled, and the men you’d hire if you wanted to build?' He gave a laugh and said, 'No, indeed, just common labor is all I need. I can easily wreck in a day or two, what builders have taken years to do.'

And I thought to myself, as I went my way, 'Which of these roles have I tried to play', am I a builder who works with care, measuring life by rule and square? Am I shaping my work to a well-made plan, patiently doing the best I can?'

'Or am I a wrecker who walks to town, content with the labor of tearing down? O Lord let my life and my labors be that which will build for eternity!'"

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Slander or gossip occurs when someone shares something about someone else that is not factual, or perhaps partially true, but results in damaging the individual’s reputation. The fruit of slander is that it damages the perception of another individual in the mind of one or more people. The fruit of slander is not sweet and it never glorifies God.

The word James used here for "hell" is gehenna. This word is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word "ge-hinnom," meaning "Valley of the sons of Hinnom." This valley south of Jerusalem was where some of the ancient Israelites sacrificed their children to the Canaanite god, Molech. Years later, Gehenna was made an unclean place used for burning trash from the city of Jerusalem. It was the Lord Jesus who first used Gehenna as an illustration of hell.

When we slander or gossip, we play right into the very deviant plan of the Devil himself. When we speak slanderous words, we set a fire that serves the purposes of hell itself. And, although, these fires will never truly threaten the advancement of the kingdom of God, souls are often caught in the cross fire. And, if we are not careful, we will encourage others to go the way of the enemy.

James 3:1-2

Click here for the James 3:1-2 PODCAST

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. ~ James 3:1-2

In the epistle of James, the theme is the maturation of the believer's faith in the God of the Bible. In fact, in James 3, we are told the words we use give great evidence to whether we have maturing faith. James uses the words we use as another test of our maturing faith, because the genuineness of our faith inevitably will be demonstrated by our speech. There are not many things that reveal that our faith is mature as much as our words. James mentions the tongue in every chapter in this epistle. It is a dominant theme throughout this book.

It's been estimated that the average person speaks 18,000 words per day. That's enough to write a 54-page book! Supervising our words is essential, and we desperately need the help of God for the wisdom to know: when to speak, what to speak, how to speak and to whom we are to speak. Our words always speak louder than our religious rituals. Anyone can dress nicely and go to church, put a fish icon on the rear bumper of their car or listen to Christian music. But without a doubt, one of the greatest indicators of our spiritual maturity is our ability to have firm control over the words we speak.

In v.1 of today's text we read, "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." 

Many admire the teaching position because of the honor, recognition, and power it brings. But, it is incredibly easy to become a spiritual tyrant. And, such self-seeking honor coming from ill-intended motives is to be foreign to any true follower in Jesus Christ. Since our speech is a mark of our maturing faith, those who teach the faith are scrutinized most closely. Of course, the Lord wants us to articulate His truth. But, we do well to master the fine art of choosing our words more carefully. Few speak words that are seasoned by grace, and, because of this, speaking on the behalf of God is truly a fine art.

We have a tremendous responsibility to God when we teach at any level. This is why Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2, "Be diligent to be approved of God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, because he is rightly dividing the word of truth." There is, rightfully, judgment and shame connected to teaching error. 

In v.2 of today's text we read, "We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check."

The phrase "We all stumble" is a comprehensive word on the depravity of everyone on this earth. There is no person who does not sin. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The word "stumble" means a moral lapse against God or a failure to do what is right. It is written in the present tense, meaning, we all do it in all kinds of ways, at all kinds of times. To stumble means we all fail to do what is right, and the tongue is one of the many means by which we fail.

When we entered into a personal relationship with God, He began the process of giving to us His heart. And, in time, He gives us new mouths and a new way to speak words which reflect His culture. This new way of talking is jeopardized in a continual fashion because it remains subject to our old way of thinking and speaking. This is James point here in v.2, and because of this, James says the only people who don’t sin with their mouth are perfect people, and, there are no perfect people on this earth.  

Now, if in the process of the maturation of our faith, we can get to the place where we exercise self-control over what we say, we succeed. But self-control is not adamic to any of us for it is a fruit of the Spirit. So, to the degree that we die to ourselves and allow Christ to express Himself through our yielded lives, will be the degree to which we will mature. 

And, the person who controls his words will also control his body, with all of its other impulses. Since the tongue responds more immediately, more quickly, and more easily, to sin, if it were controlled, the slower-responding parts would also be controlled, because the means of divine grace applied to the greater are then also applied to the lesser.

Finally, teachers should be conscious of the weight and potential influence of what we say because words lie at the heart of our teaching ministry. To have an unreliable tongue is likely to pro- vide a destructive model for those who are taught. The potential for multiplication of influence requires an enormous amount of discernment that takes the measure of both responsibility and opportunity into account.

James 2:25-26

Click here for the James 2:25-26 PODCAST

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. ~ James 2:25-26

Today, we close out our study of the second chapter of James. In this chapter, James established the argument that biblical faith is proven by the expressions of God in and through our lives. Having given us one illustration of his point on the idea that faith without works is dead, James gives us a second illustration.

In v.25 of today's text we read, "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?"

James provides us a powerful contrast between Abraham and Rahab. In Joshua 2 Rahab is presented as an example of a "righteous Canaanite." Rahab is remarkably unlike Abraham. It is also remarkable that God would use her as an example since she is introduced as a prostitute. 

Rahab lived in Jericho and she made a living at running a prostitution ring. And then, on the day God sent spies into Jericho to spy out the land, the spies stayed in the inn owned by Rahab. Through Rahab's actions of protecting the spies of God, she was considered righteous. Rahab believed all she knew about God, and it was imputed to her for righteousness. After she had protected the spies, in Joshua 2, Rahab said she had heard of God’s victory in Egypt and understood Him to be "the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath." 

Whereas, Abraham was a Jew, Rahab was a Gentile. Abraham was a man full of wisdom, but Rahab had made many foolish decisions. Abraham was at the top of the social order, while Rahab was at the bottom. Abraham received direct revelation from God but Rahab received very indirect revelation about God. And yet, in Hebrews 11 the list of the heroes of faith is given. Rahab is in the same text as Abraham. And, according to Matthew 1, Abraham and Rahab are in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. 

Rahab believed the truth presented to her and, as a result, God declared her right with Him. It was her faith that made her right with God. She was vindicated by the action she took to save the life of those spies. And, by the way, she told a lie in order to protect the spies. She had been an unbeliever for some time, and she was coming out of a culture that was quite contrary to God's. For many years, Rahab had succumbed to the prevailing immorality of her ungodly culture. She, in that context, became a believer in the God of the Bible. And, God accounted to her faith His righteousness.

That day Rahab took in those spies, she put her life on the line. Had she been found out, it would have cost her her life. She hid the spies in the attic of her Inn. And, as a result, she let the spies escape. She told the guys that came to find them that they weren’t there for she had told the spies how to escape. And, later, she protected herself by putting a cord in the window. In doing so, Rahab demonstrated her faith by works. 

In the case of both Abraham and Rahab, their faith in the God of the Bible was shown by their choices. They both put their lives, dreams and hopes on the line. That is the kind of work that is associated with true faith to varying degrees. It isn’t that we go to church, read our Bibles, and sing a few songs. It is that we are increasingly committed to God to the point that we would sacrifice our hopes, dreams and ambitions, and we would risk our own lives to be true to His faith.

In v.26 of todays passage we read, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

A body without life imparted by God is nothing but a rotting corpse. It has absolutely no value. And, so is belief without behavior, just as dead, just as decaying. When it comes down to the crux of why we live and what is most valuable to us, our faith in the God of the Bible is most valuable to us. Oh, we are growing at this, and we have been known to fail, but we are in the process. And, even failure factors into the process that sometimes includes success. I'm glad God is not caught up in the linear. 

There are times when God refines us by allowing us to fail and allowing us to fall back in our progress in our sanctification. His grace abides in the places where we see our faults and our inability to get it "right" on the first try. Our imperfections point us and others to His perfection. This, by the way, is part of our problem, we are caught up in being linear. There is great freedom in realizing that God doesn't look at our lives in a linear way. The progress in our walk with God is often non-linear. Learning to be ok with the discomforts that God allows or causes while He is writing our story is a major part of our progress. When we think we are writing our story, we are in the greatest trouble. Learning to trust that the wisdom of God transcends our finite understanding is one of the greatest keys in realizing His success in our lives. God's grace will always meet us at the door of confusion, frustration, and impatience. 

We tend to think of our decisions in present-tense terms; right here, right now! But God spans the generations. When we find ourselves discouraged because our progress doesn’t look like it is happening in a straight line, we must remember that this is no problem for God. He uses all things, including our failures, as opportunities for us to gain what we need to gain to realize His victory in our lives. Our journey is safe in His hands.

Rahab demonstrated her faith by hiding the spies before she expressed her faith in the God of Israel. Out of all of the residents of Jericho, only Rahab and her family were saved from destruction and only because she expressed her faith through an action. Belief without behavior doesn't instill the culture of God into our souls. Belief with behavior allows God to do the miraculous in and through our yielded lives. Every decision we make has a domino effect way beyond our ability to predict or control.  We can’t predict when or how, but our faith in the God of the Bible will always reap a harvest somehow, someway. And it is often when and where we least expect it.

James 2:20-23

Click here for the James 2:20-23 PODCAST

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ~ James 2:20-23

We continue our study, today, in James 2 where James is making the argument that biblical faith is proven to be biblical by the biblical choices we make. Without clearly saying it, James is differentiating between justification faith and sanctification faith, although they both have the God of the Bible as their object. 

In James 2, James is highlighting the illusion of just hearing truth and not being defined by it. Faith, without transformation, is not substantive, and is rightly judged fake by others. James understood that like electricity, faith is hard to see, but when we tap into it, its effects are obvious.

Now, our faith in the God of the Bible is not known to be real to others until it is evident through our actions. James uses the word, faith, as if, it is equal to spiritual life. When he wrote, "Faith without works is dead," he meant: "Spiritual life without works is dead." His argument is: there is no real life unless it can be verified through righteous works, and these righteous works are really the fruit of God in our lives. The fruit is the evidence that God is at work in and through our lives.

In v.20 of today's text we read, "You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?"

Self-deception is the worst of all deceptions. In Jeremiah 17:9 we read, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" True faith is revealed by the object of that faith. This is why trials are used of God in our lives to refine our faith in Him. It is what or whom we depend upon that determines the quality of our faith. In fact, there is a faith that goes far and there is one that falls by the wayside. The one that falls is not to the saving of the soul. And, the faith that goes far is to the saving of the soul.

In v.21 of today's text we read, "Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?"

Abraham is the father of those who believe in the existence of God, and who, to some degree, seek a personal relationship with Him. In Romans 3 we are told by the Apostle Paul that Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Abraham's right standing before God was not earned, it was a gift from God because of Abraham's faith. And, Paul, further in Romans 3, establishes the fact that Abraham was not made right before God by his goods works; he was justified by faith, alone.  

It seems that what James is saying in today's text something contradictory. Clearly, James is saying here that Abraham was justified by his good works. Once we put our faith in God in Christ, God granted us the gift of right standing before Him. That is justification, that is, our faith working to justify us for eternity. When we trusted in the finished work of Christ on the cross, God deposited the righteousness of Christ into our account. We had been spiritually bankrupt, but now, in Christ, we have arrived to acceptability before God through Christ. So, Abraham, then, is the father of all who believe, because it was his believing that brought about righteousness. 

In v.22-23 of today's text we read, "22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend."

Abraham was justified by works before men, but what is man's opinion compared to that of God. Works are the only way anyone's faith can be seen and verified as real saving faith, that is, before the eyes of people. The basis of our rightness with God is the death and resurrection of Christ. And, the authority of our rightness before God is His promise in His Word that if we believe, we will be saved. In this chapter, James has in mind our justification before men. In Romans and Galatians, the Apostle Paul emphasizes our justification before God.

When God led Abraham up the Mount Moriah with his son Isaac and then challenged him to sacrifice him, it was nearly 50 years after Abraham first believed in God. Abraham had been walking in God's gift of justification all those previous years. On that day God led Abraham up that mountain and commanded him to slay his son, everything Abraham knew about the character of God was near to being violated in his mind. And, even though Abraham struggled at understanding it all, he was an inch away from sacrificing his son when God provided a ram in the thicket. Abraham's faith was evidenced by his works that day. There was nothing that Abraham would withhold from God, but he didn't arrive there over night. Our sanctification is a long process.

Abraham believed, unalterably, in the character of God. He believed that the God of the Bible was a covenant-keeping God who under no circumstance would ever violate His promises. Abraham was justified in the sight of God by his faith, and he was sanctified in the eyes of man by his works. And, as a result, Abraham was called God's friend. Through the process of sanctification, Abraham's soul was changed and he was granted an intimacy with God that few have ever had. His intimacy with God came as the result of his obedience which made the process of sanctification effective for it enabled him to give his heart to God.

James 2:14-19

Click here for the James 2:14-19 PODCAST

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.  ~ James 2:14-19

The main theme in the book of James is faith. In fact, earlier in this book, God promises His people will be "rich in faith." And, this faith expresses one's trust in the Lord. But, those with false faith substitute words for deeds. They believe that they are what they say. 

Everybody has faith, but not all have faith in the God of the Bible. Faith, when placed in the God of the Bible, ushers us into a personal relationship with God. Many believe about God, but few have faith in God. And, true faith in the God of the Bible will always be quantified by His fruit in our lives. On the other hand, false faith will not be seen at all. This kind of faith does not save because it does not find its substance in God. 

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?"

The veracity of our faith in the God of the Bible is so important because as we read in Hebrews 12:14, "Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” No one will ever enter into the presence of the Lord without the application of His holiness to our lives. Our justification must have with it more than just a forensic statement about our position; it must have with it, sanctification. This is to say saving faith is manifest in the expressions of God's presence in our lives. There is a great difference between saving faith and nominal faith. For those who believe that there is contradiction with James writings, we must remember that Paul wrote about the root of faith, while James wrote about the fruit of faith. 

In Romans 3:21-28 Paul wrote, "21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." 

It is clear that no one is made right through our own good behavior. There is never any boasting of our goodness before God. Paul wrote that our rightness before God can only be purchased by the perfect Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. But, if there is no expression of God in and through the life of the believer, the believer does well to make sure his faith is authentic.

This is why in James 2:14 we read, "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?" 

Whereas Paul wrote to those who wrongfully trusted in their ability to measure up to the Law of Moses, James wrote to many Jews who had not entered into a personal relationship with God through Christ. The whole of the epistle written by James is a series of tests by which we can evaluate whether our faith is a living faith or whether it is a dead faith. Some of them, obviously, were genuine, and some of them were less than genuine, hence all of these tests given in this epistle. And James' point: if we come into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, He will express Himself in and through us. 

In v.15-17 of today's passage we read, "15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

In these three verses, James gives an example of his point. Here is a person who is poorly clothed and starving. Here is a person who’s cold and hungry. And, we say to this needy person, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," which was a common Jewish expression in that day. James is saying the words are empty, meaningless words. If we were to say to this needy person these words, and do not cloth and feed them, we would really be ignoring their need. If we say we believe in God and have not His heart for the needy, we very well may not be in His family. If our alleged faith is not accompanied by helping to meet his need, that faith is not living faith. 

Justification is always accompanied by sanctification. The process that we entered into when we got saved, this process whereby God began to change our souls, is evidence that we have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. A faith with no fruit is a faith that is marked by false compassion because it has not the heart of the Lord.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."

The word "show" means to exhibit, to demonstrate, or to put on display. Real faith always reveals itself in the fruit that it produces. And, of course, our good works are really the fruit of the Spirit. If God lives in us, it is impossible for us to hide Him. This will never mean that we will be perfect or sinless. This just means that if we have entered into a personal relationship with God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, we will experience His expression in our lives.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

This is a sarcastic verse. James wrote this verse with a bit of a chuckle in his voice. Many give mental assent to the reality of God, but, if their hearts aren't engaged, their faith isn't real. The heart must be involved, to some degree. It is at the point of our hearts that we are justified in the presence of God. This is why the Lord Jesus was able to say to the thief on the cross, "Today, you shall be with me in paradise." 

If our faith in the Lord is not demonstrated by good works then we are not even in the category with the demons. All of the demons believe in the deity of Christ, and they tremble from fear. Many have intellectual faith while demons have emotional faith. And, demonic faith is characteristic of those who are in rebellion to God. To be saved, we must have faith in the heart. 

James 2:8-13

Click here for the James 2:8-13 PODCAST

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. ~ James 2:8-13

Treating one person better than another, for any reason is showing partiality or favoritism. The only legitimate favoritism allowed by God is that we esteem everybody else better than ourselves.

In James 2:8 we read, "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right."'

The guiding principle throughout the Bible with regard to how we should treat others is "Love your neighbor as yourself." Naturally, this follows the first greatest command to "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." This pattern is clearly seen here in James 2 where in our last blog and podcast we considered the role of our growing love for God. It makes all the sense in the world that our ability to love others comes from the source of our love. 

In order to love those whom we love and those whom we should love, we must have a proper understanding of God's love for us. Our ability to love others is dependent upon the reservoir of our love. To the degree that we understand God's love for us will be the degree to which we will be able to love others. The Lord Jesus put these two commands together, to love God and to love others, because they are inseparable. We have a hard time learning to love certain people because we have a ways to go at learning to love God and at giving our hearts to Him.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers."

Partiality is a sin and all sin is foreign to the nature of God who treats everyone equal based on our relationship to Him. Consequently, that is the way believers should act toward others. We should treat people equally, with no regard for status of any kind. In fact, if we approach loving others as if they are God or ourselves, the problem is solved. Otherwise, we are those who break the Law of God which forbids partiality. When we do not love our neighbor, we are undermining our understanding of God's love for us, because our understanding of God's love for us underscores our ability to love, period.

In v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker."

We only have to break one law in order to be a lawbreaker. As we have mentioned before, once we became Christians, we entered into this process of sanctification whereby God is actively changing us from the inside out. In order to do that He convinces us that the way of the flesh or the evil desires within us are not to be invested in. And, having convinced us of this, He actively gives us His heart. The unity of God’s law is that it all hangs together. When we ignore one of God's laws, we undermine God's ability to give us His heart, and thus we are lawbreakers. We consciously break apart what God is trying to put together.

In v.11, James chooses two severe sins. The thing these two sins have in common is they required death. Now, adultery and murder seem pretty far beyond the idea of favoritism. James puts favoritism in very serious company in order to make his point. He wants us to understand that it is the sin of favoritism that can lead to an attitude of hate, which is the attitude behind adultery and murder.

In v.12-13 of today's text we read, "12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment."

If we live as people who are headed for a future judgment, then we will have the wisdom to shirk that which desires to destroy us, namely sin. James uses the phrase "the law that gives freedom" because real freedom is learning to live according to the specifications that God created us with. These specifications or laws make life happen in the way that He intended, thus freedom is found therein.

In Matthew 5:7 we read, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Where mercy is given, mercy is distributed. When we treat others impartially, we are not being merciful. And, "Mercy triumphs over judgment." If our lives are characterized by mercy, we will triumph over judgment, because the one who is merciful proves he is being transformed by God. When we show not mercy to others, we demonstrate we haven't yet been defined by God's mercy.

So, if we are merciful, without partiality, meeting people at the point of their need, no matter who they are, we give evidence of having received such mercy and of being transformed by the power of God, and thus ready for the Day of Judgment. And, we will triumph in that day by the demonstration of new life that comes through the attitude and the action of mercy toward others. This type of living is not what justifies us before God, but this type of living, very well, may lead others to be justified before God. I say this because when they see God in and through our lives, they will likely be drawn to Him, the One who justifies the sinner.

James 2:5-7

Click here for the James 2:5-7 PODCAST

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? ~ James 2:5-7

In our last blog and podcast we considered how wrong it is to show favoritism to a wealthy person at the expense of a poor person. The lesson was we must not evaluate others based upon their socio-economics. Although it is built into our fallenness to divide like this, it is not pleasing to the Lord. Yet, there is a legitimate favoritism to be tolerated in the church. The only legitimate favoritism allowed by God is that we esteem everybody else better than ourselves. 

In v.5 of today's text we read, "Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?"

Again, James refers to his listeners as brothers and sisters. James is writing to people who have trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of their sin. So, what we have here is sanctification teaching. This is teaching that changes our souls which are made up of our minds, wills, and emotions. And, God's purpose for changing our souls is that we might live a better quality of life while here on this earth. In addition, and I might say more importantly, our sanctification is mostly about the result of others looking at the wisdom of God displayed in our lives. Our sanctification should cause others to wonder what is qualitatively different about us.

James is quick here to highlight the fact that God has chosen the poor of this world. It is not that God does not love the rich, it is just that the poor are most often postured to be aware of their need for God. This is not to say, though, that the economically poor are automatically placed by God into His family and the rich are not. 

When the Lord Jesus came to the rich young ruler, He said, "It is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

Here, the Lord Jesus is saying it is impossible for a rich person  to get saved apart from believing in Him. In fact, this is impossible for anyone, rich or poor. In Luke's Gospel, Luke uses the word for a surgeon's needle. The Lord Jesus is saying it is as impossible for a rich person to get saved as it for a camel to get through the eye of a sewing needle.

Again, the Lord Jesus said, "With men, this is impossible.  But with God, all things are possible." It is humanly impossible to get into heaven, but this is why God sent His Son into this world, to make the impossible possible. All we have to do is to trust that His death paid the penalty for our sin. But, people who are rich are not as quick to see their need for a savior as the poor are.

A careful examination of the Bible renders a connection between the poor and those who will end up in heaven. That is to say, the poorest are often the ones who are the most genuine in their need for the Lord. It is not that the poor are any better or have some special gift that the rich do not, but it is that God is non-discriminant, and that the poor are more likely to recognize their own need for the Savior. 

At the end of James 2:5 we read, “To them that love Him.” When we put our faith in Christ, we will grow in our ability to love Him. It is a process. This does not happen over night. In Romans 8:28 we read, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." The evidence that we have been made right with God through Christ is the we will grow in our love for God. Or, we might say, we will grow in our ability to give to God our hearts. All believers in Christ receive the same eternal life. So, James is really asking, how in the world can we look down on the poor when God has chosen the poor to be the eternally rich? 

In v.6 of today's text we read, "But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?"

History tells us that the rich have oppressed the poor. The Pharisees were some of the most wealthy back in that day, and, they were known to not only drag the poor into civil courts, but also into religious courts. The religious not only depreciate our human value, they also depreciate our pure faith in the God of the Bible.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?"

The religious are the ones who blasphemed the Lord Jesus Himself. Wealthy Christ-rejecting Jews, no doubt, in that community, rejected the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, were blaspheming the name of Jesus, dragging these poor people in to courts and harassing them. And so, James reminds us that we belong to Jesus Christ and we are not to practice partiality. These issues that James is addressing are all bound up in the purpose and the person of God in Christ. And if we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot be partial to the rich and impartial to the poor.

Finally, I refer you to the first beatitude in Matthew 5. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." To be poor is spirit is to recognize one’s spiritual poverty apart from God. It is to see oneself as one really is: lost, hopeless, helpless. Apart from Jesus Christ every person is spiritually destitute, no matter what our education, wealth, social status, accomplishments, or religious knowledge. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their total spiritual destitution and their complete dependence on God. They perceive that there are no saving resources in themselves and that they can only beg for mercy and grace. Any expression of pride has a hard time finding a resting place among the poor in spirit.

James 2:1-4

Click here for the James 2:1-4 PODCAST

1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ~ James 2:1-4

Our study of the book of James, so far, has shown us that we grow in our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by learning to be dependent upon God as we encounter trials and temptations. It was in our last study of James that we learned that one of the greatest demonstrations of our faith in the God of the Bible is seen in how we treat the helpless.

Today, we transition into James 2. As we make this transition, it becomes evident that, like us, the early church struggled with favoritism. Having become Christians, these young believers had to learn that God shows no partiality to anyone, and neither should the believer in Christ.

In v.1 of today's text we read, "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism."

The order this verse was originally written in the Greek is very interesting. The original reads this way: "My brothers and sisters must not show favoritism." 

In the English the last phrase in this verse comes at the end of the verse, yet, in the Greek it comes at the beginning. James put it at the beginning because he meant it to be emphatic. It means the believer in Christ must not show partiality to anyone, especially toward those who can give us something in return. 

This word "favoritism" means to lift up the face of someone or to elevate them. The idea is to judge someone by the face or to exalt them strictly on a superficial level. The lesson is we must not evaluate others by what they look like, or their clothes, or where they live, or what they drive, or their socio-economics. It is built into our fallenness to differentiate and divide. And so, this emphatic phrase at the beginning is a warning against preferential treatment based on race or wealth or dress or rank or social status.

Now, being partial toward someone regarding their socio-economics is in total conflict with what our faith teaches. If we are children of God, we ought to act like God, and He is impartial and we should be impartial. God does not tell us to give honor to someone based on their worldly wealth, nor does He want us to treat the poor with disdain, forcing them sit at our feet.

In v.2 of today's text we read, "Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in."

Here in v.2, James uses a third-class conditional sentence to get his point across to us. The situation James presents included two visitors who potentially come to our meeting, one is wealthy and the other is not. He is saying that when we make judgment of others just by the way they look, this is wrong. We are all equal because God has created all humans in His image. Our intrinsic value comes from the fact that God created us equal.

In v.3-4 of our text today we read, "3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

To "show special attention" is to look upon this man with favor, rendering to him special treatment. Although, it is not wrong to give the rich guy a good seat, it is wrong if it is at the expense of the poor guy. We show partiality towards others because it is built into our fallenness to do so. We, naturally, extend favor to those who look nice, smell nice, and are obviously wealthy. And, we show contempt towards those who do not look nice, who do not smell nice, and who are obviously not wealthy.

In v.4 James asks, "have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" 

Making distinctions among ourselves creates division. When we do this, we are guilty of evil discrimination. When we do this we are being defined by evil. When we make these distinctions, we are not being led by the Spirit of God. So, the issue of such behavior is that it’s not God-like, and it gives evil an opportunity to advance the kingdom of the enemy. This is not the wisdom of God which is what we need in the midst of our trials and temptations. 

The word "evil" means vicious. In this case, we are being motivated to cater to the rich and the prominent and we are being motivated to shun and slight the poor and the common. This is anti-God behavior. This is "the flesh" at its finest. And, this has no place among the people of God.

James 1:26-27

Click here for the James 1:26-27 PODCAST

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ~ James 1:26-27

Today, we come to our eleventh and final blog and podcast on James 1. As you know, James wrote this book to Christians who were going through some of the most difficult times anyone could go through. They had lost their homes and all of their belongings. They had been scattered from all the comforts of their world and they were scared. 

In v.26 of today's text we read, "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless."

Back in James 1:22, James had addressed the topic of self-deception. He reminded us to not only be hearers of God's Word but also doers of God's Word. If, when we have heard the Word of God, all we do is hear it and it never has an impact on our lives, then we are self-deceived. What is the point of enduring the trials and the temptations, if we are not being defined by the Word of God?

In James 1:26, James turns our attention to a slightly different issue when it comes to our faith in the God of the Bible. James takes us to the arena of religion. There are those who think that the doing of religious activities is the goal of our faith in the God of the Bible. Thinking they are not just hearers of the word, they do religious things, like rituals and other religious activities.

So, James addresses this posture of the man who thinks he earns God's favor by doing certain things. James essentially says here, "If anyone has the opinion that he is religious, yet controls not his tongue, he does not get it." 

Even though the ritual might be biblical, it is useless if we perform the religious activity and our hearts are not engaged in it. It is a deception to think that we earn God's favor when read our Bibles, or attend church services, or to pray, or to give money, or to sing songs. The goal in doing these things is not to earn God's favor, but to realize God's blessings in our lives. 

The word "religious" in James 1:26 is used in the Bible to describe outward ceremony. It delivers the idea of external trappings, religious rituals, routines, liturgy, rites, external forms. So, James is saying, "if somebody thinks himself to be religious in the sense that he’s carrying out all these outward formalities of religion while not controlling his words, deceives his own heart. This kind of religion is absolutely useless." 

We can spend our whole lives in a religion that is absolutely useless, accomplishing nothing. Religion that doesn’t transform the heart accomplishes absolutely nothing. A proper reaction to the Word of God is to receive it without deception. James directs us to the heart of the matter which is the matter of the heart. When we have entered into a personal relationship with God, He will increasingly gives to us His heart for others. And, it is out of the overflow of our hearts that our hearts speak.

In v.27 of today's text we read, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

The genuineness of our religion is determined by the opinion of God. And, God says we are religious when our lives are marked by our love for the needy. Martin Luther, as I am sure you know, had a problem with the book of James being included in the Bible. But, when we approach our study of this book from the standpoint that he is writing to believers, we do not have the issue of the scenario that if a person does not act in a certain way that he is not saved. 

Here, James is saying that if we do not respond to God through our trials and temptations in dependence upon God, we will lack His wisdom. And, when we lack His wisdom, we will miss the heart of what it is all about. The heart of it all is not that we earn God's favor. No, we can't earn God's favor. But, once we have God's favor through believing in the finished word of the Lord Jesus on the cross, we are set in the right direction to get what this life is really all about. And, if our heart is not involved, we will have been derailed from the point of the faith.

The words, "look after" in James 1:27 carries the idea of bringing love and compassion to someone who has been abandoned. The orphans and the widows have nothing to give us. And, when we give to them, our hearts motive will be revealed. This word is used by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 25 when He said, "When I was sick and you visited." It means "you came and you cared enough to help me in my need." It means our hearts will be engaged in the process of helping the needy. It means helping those who can not return the favor.

Now, God places a huge premium in His Word upon the orphans and the widows. As the tongue is not comprehensively indicative of Christianity, so widows and orphans are not comprehensively indicative of Christianity. But they are as representative of love as the tongue is representative of a pure heart. God has always been concerned with the fatherless and widows. Replete is His word for the helpless. And, when we have His heart, we will have a heart for them.

Our acquisition of God's word and wisdom is made manifest by how we love people who are in need and can not repay us. In addition, as James writes at the end of v.27, true religion is "to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." That is to say, "the culture of this world is not defining us, God is."

The believer in Jesus Christ will be, to some degree, defined by God. And, he will increasingly, not be defined by this world. As believers, we have been set apart by God. We have the good news that has set us free from the false in this world. And, once we have come into a personal relationship with God, we will want others to know what we have come to know. And, in order to be effective at sharing this good news, we must not be defined by this world, we must be defined by God.

Finally, it is not our perfection that proves our personal relationship with God through His Son. No, it is our reaction to our imperfection that proves that we have a personal relationship with God. It is our authenticity in our personal relationship with Him. The pattern of our lives changed the day we entered into this personal relationship that we enjoy with God. That day, He began the process of transforming our hearts and subsequently our lives. We now care about people in need. We now care about what God cares about. We now are increasingly being defined by God and not this world. 

James 1:22-25

Click here for the James 1:22-25 PODCAST

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. ~ James 1:22-25

Today, we come back to James 1 where we have been for several days, and, rightfully so. James 1 is a testament to the depth of the Word of God. The Bible is the most popular book in the world despite a considerable amount of opposition waged against it. Unlike other religious texts, advocating good works to please an unreachable god, the Bible uniquely teaches that salvation is a gift from God that does not require human works. 

The Bible reveals that Jesus is God and that He saves us through His death and resurrection. No other sacred book claims that its leader rose from the dead. The God of Scripture is not a far-off, uncaring god but the Creator of all things who is intimately involved in the lives of His creation. 

In v.22 of today's text we read, " Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

In this chapter, James, one of the four half brothers of the Lord Jesus, gives a portrait of what it looks like to have biblical faith. In this chapter James provides certain tests that can enable us to know that we have real biblical faith in the God of the Bible. The first is how we respond to trials. The second is how we respond to temptation. A trial is simply a situation which God allows or brings into our lives to strengthen our dependence upon Him. And, with the trials, there always looms the temptation. The temptation there to get us to make a go at life without the influence of God on our souls.

Here in v.22, James provides the third test to determine whether our faith is biblical or not. And, that test is how we respond to the Word of God. The hearer of God's Word who is not a doer of the Word is deceived. Back in James 1:18, James reminded us we were born again through the Word of truth. The Word of God gave us new life. God used His Word to wake us up spiritually. How we respond to the Word of God is indicative of our spiritual state toward God.

When we seek God in the midst of our trials and temptations, He promises that we will receive His wisdom. And, once we have that wisdom, we will be able to recognize the genius of God's Word. And, to ignore His Word is plain dumb because the alternative leads to all sorts of destruction in our lives.

The word deceive means to reason beside or alongside. It means to be beside yourself. The mathematical use of this word, when it appears in mathematical terminology, outside of the Bible, means to miscalculate, to reckon wrongly. If we think just hearing God's Word is enough, we have made a gross miscalculation. We are self-deceived through this false reasoning. 

In v.23-24 of today's text we read, "23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

Now, in order to explain this deception, James develops a very graphic analogy in v.23-24. This man is like someone who looks carefully into a mirror, and as a result, he sees the details of his condition in the mirror. This word "looks" means to observe carefully. It doesn’t mean to take a casual glance. He comes to the Word of God which shows him his sin, and he gets distracted. He goes back to his life and he forgets what he saw. The message did not stick. His problem is he has not the wisdom of God guiding his sights.

In v.25 of today's text we read, "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."

The Greek word used here for "looks" literally means to stoop over, to bend down to examine something with care and precision. Here is a person who really gets into it, and really searches out the Word of God. The stooping implies a humbling of oneself, looking intently with great desire and effort at the mirror, wanting to discern what is revealed.

Our attitude when we come to the hearing of the Word of God is the key to everything. Preparing our hearts to receive the message from God and responding to it is the key to it all. And, what best prepares our hearts for God's Word is the wisdom of God which is garnered through our trials and temptations. Resisting the lure of turning away from God in those most difficult moments is the preparation we need to see the impact of His wisdom on our lives.

The law James speaks of here is not the Law of Moses which condemns. This law gives freedom to the believer in Christ because Christ has fulfilled the Law of Moses and has given to us His perfection. This law James speaks of does not get us into heaven, it gets heaven into us right now.

At the end of v.25 we read, "they will be blessed in what they do."

When we obey God's Word, we will access God's blessing. As a result of accepting life’s tests and temptations, as friends, we are prepared for God's wisdom and blessing. The pain brought on by interruptions and disappointments, by loss and failure, by accidents and disease, is the long and arduous road toward spiritual maturity. The blessing here is not garnered in the hearing, only, the blessing is garnered in the hearing and the doing. Countless people have given testimony around the world of freedom from substance abuse, destructive lifestyles, lying, and stealing, due to learning to be hearers and doers of God's Word. 

James 1:19-21

Click here for the James 1:19-21 PODCAST

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. ~ James 1:19-21

Today, we return to James 1. The goal in this letter from the half brother of the Lord Jesus is the growth in the believers relationship with God. And, the number one tool in the arsenal of God to grant growth to the believer is trials which provide the greatest classroom for the believer in Christ. A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is one who looks to the Lord for the answers to life's questions. True believers in Christ are defined by the Word of God. Even though there are times when the believer in Christ fails to to be defined by the Lord, it is the longing of his heart to obey Him.

In John 8:31 we read, "Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples."

The product of true saving faith is the wisdom to recognize the intelligence involved in obeying the Word of God. The one who is truly connected to Christ in genuine saving faith hears His voice through His Word. The one who does not hear His Word, therefore, gives evidence of not knowing Christ at all. Again, this will never mean that we will be perfect in our obedience, it means we will sometimes make the decision to be defined by God and His Word.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

The wisdom of God tells us that we must be quick to listen. The issue here is our response to the Word of God. In James 1:18, the Word of truth is highlighted. In James 1:21, the implanted Word is highlighted. Therefore, in James 1, the Word of God is the theme. And, to "be quick to listen" means to listen to the Word of God while we are enduring a trial. 

The key here is how we respond to the Word of God. James is describing our eagerness to grasp every opportunity to increase hearing God’s Word. This means as we gain His wisdom, we will respond by pursuing every privileged occasion to hear the Word of God. Wisdom requires hearing God's Word acutely.

The Bible is the source, then, of deliverance out of our trials and temptations. And, as we respond to it, the Word of God becomes the most welcomed friend to the believer because of what it yields, a meaningful and personal fellowship with the living God. When we became believers in Christ, our desire to communicate with God began. And, as we respond to His Word, our desire to hear Him will increase. And, of course, this leads to obedience to God's Word.

Again, in v.19 the believer in Christ is admonished to be: "slow to speak." As quick as we should listen to God, we should be as quick to withhold our rebuttals. We must be quick to hear God's Word, instead of flying off the handle at God. The Word of God is at times very harsh to us. It cuts us deeply and we find it hard to receive it. But, when we have garnered God's wisdom, we will see the genius to throwing a welcome mat out before our hearts with regard to the Word of God.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."

There are times when we don’t want to hear the truth that God desires to give us. I had a friend in college who would always say, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you mad." Our resistance to God's Word does not produce that which is right for us. In fact, it gives opportunity for anger to well up. It is just plain dumb to ignore God. 

In v.21 of today's scripture we read, "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

Once we have received the wisdom of God we must be wise to sweep out of our hearts anything that hinders the expression of the righteousness of God in our lives. It makes no sense to undermine God in our lives by ignoring His instructions.

The key word in this verse is "accept." Before the Word of God can produce righteousness in our lives, we must unload some things out of our lives. The verb "get rid of" means to take one's clothes off. Before we find ourselves in a position to be defined by God, we must first resist entertaining the thinking of this fallen world which is in contradiction to God's Word.

Our willingness to receive the wisdom of God results in our "souls" being saved. This is not talking about us going to heaven. This is talking about God's wisdom being operative in our lives right now. This is sanctification teaching, the salvation of our "souls."

The word "can" in James 1:21 is a present participle which means it is powerful enough to continually save us. It is God's Word that starts our salvation, and, it is God's Word that keeps our salvation going forward. When we put our faith in Christ, we were saved from the penalty of sin. At that point, we punched our ticket into heaven and nothing can change that. The Word of God, also, has the power to save us from the power of sin. We no longer have to obey sin. We can choose to say "no" to sin. The Word of God has saved us from the penalty of sin and the power of sin, and, in the future, the Word of God will save us from the presence of sin. One day, soon, we will be taken out of this world and we will be in the place where there is no sin, at all.

James 1:16-18

Click here for the James 1:16-18 PODCAST

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. ~ James 1:16-18

James 1 is primarily about the purpose of our trials and our temptations. Trials and temptations are the common experience of every human being. God uses trials to strengthen our faith. Trials, if we respond to them correctly, prove God's goodness and faithfulness towards us. Satan tries to use trials and temptations to detour us away from God. Our battles with trials and temptations prove the genuineness of our faith in the God of the Bible. 

Trials turn into temptations when we do not handle the trials correctly, when we do not turn to God for His help during the trials. Trials usher us into the context where temptation tries to take us further away from God. How we respond to temptation also determines how well the process of our sanctification goes. We will either move forward in our obedience to God and His word or we will shrink back resulting in ineffectiveness at being used of God in the lives of others.

In v.16-17 of today's text we read, "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."

All mankind at one point or another has blamed God for our sin. But, no one can blame God for sin because every good and perfect gift is from Him. Everything we need to be satisfied in this life God provides. How foolish, then, it is when we turn away from His goodness and we grab the luring bait of sin. Satan convinced Eve that God was not good, resulting in her downfall into deception. Eve bought the lie and history reveals the lack of wisdom that was in her decision.

As indicated here in v.17, the God of the Bible is the father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He, as Creator, created all of the heavens, but He’s not like them. They change. They dim. They brighten. They are here in the daytime and gone at night. Their benefit to us comes and goes. But, God isn’t like that. God’s brilliant bright light of glory and grace abides. His streams of mercy never cease, nothing can eclipse God's goodness. 

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."

Since God created us in His image and He has recreated us through His Son, we can depend on Him. God made a conscious decision to give us birth through the word of truth. In 1 Peter 1:23 we learn we "have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God." 

We are reborn by the Holy Spirit in order to share in Christ's resurrected life through the word of God. The spiritual transfer from death to life that we have experienced, happens through the word of God. Then, in 1 Peter 1:25 we read, "This word is the good news that was preached to you." In other words, the word through which we are born again is the gospel or the good news that was preached to us.

Here in v.18 of today's text, James reminds us we are the "firstfruits" of all of God's creation. This means we are His own precious possession through the redemption that is in Christ. James uses the topic of regeneration to show us that God doesn’t lead us into sin, He leads us to be creations of a new kind, like Him. He leads us out of sin into new life. God is recreating us away from sin, not into sin.

James is a book written to help us take our faith in the God of the Bible to a higher level. In today's passage, James establishes the idea that God doesn't tempt us because He is good and He has made us alive to Himself through the Gospel, the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ. He has done all of this that we might grow in His wisdom which will always lead us to the place where we conclude, "More of Him and less of me." When we get to this point, we are realizing the point of our sanctification: Being a blessing to others in such a way that they not only come to faith in Him, that they themselves become a blessing to others.

James 1:13-15

Click here for the James 1:13-15 PODCAST

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. ~ James 1:13-15

We return to our study of the New Testament book of James. Today, we are in the portion of this book that addresses the role of trials and temptations in the life of the believer in Christ. Our trials and our temptations are not the same. Trials are outward, while temptations are inward. When we are going through a trial, we are tempted not to believe in God's way, and, we are tempted to go the way which is contrary to God's way. Trials become temptations when we refuse the wisdom that we need to pass the test of the trial.

In v.13 of today's text we read, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me."'

Previously, in v.12, James reminded us that we are blessed when we endure a trial. We are blessed because once we have gotten through the trial we will have garnered God's wisdom. But, when we do not pass the test, we discover temptation is right there, waiting, to usher us away from the sphere of God's influence in our lives at that moment.

When we became believers in Christ, we defected from the domain of Satan. At that moment, we were secured for eternity for heaven due to Christ's work on the cross and our trust in His finished work on that cross. But, the battle for our souls rages on. You see, when we were born again, our spirit was made alive to God. But, our souls are now the battlefield. This battlefield is the arena of our sanctification which is the process whereby our souls (minds, wills, emotions) are being changed by God. Satan is the source of all temptation to reject God's reign in our lives on a given day. Satan wants to render our sanctification stunted in order to minimize our impact on the lives of others for eternity, so, he tempts us to go away from God.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed."

In order to minimize our eternal impact for good in the lives of others, now, Satan appeals to the evil desires that are yet within us. Even though we are born again and on our way to heaven, we still battle sin. Believers in the Lord Jesus, even though on our way to heaven, are still sinful. Temptation comes from our own evil desires. And, the reason Satan tempts us is due to the fact that we are learning to love God. You will remember that in James 1:12 we read, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." Passing our trial tests grants our hearts the ability to love God more. The point of our trials and even our temptation is the possibility of our heart's ability to grow in our love for God.

There are three very instructive words in v.14 of today's text. These words are: "dragged away" and "enticed." The first, "dragged away" comes from hunting. And it is used of luring an animal into a trap. A trap is baited and the animal is lured into the trap. The verb itself means to be drawn by an inward power, an inward power. It means to be lead, to be compelled to be impelled, to be lured into a trap.  To be baited and caught.  

The second term, "enticed" is a fishing term. This word means, to capture or catch and its literal use was to catch a fish with bait. To bait a hook and catch a fish with bait. When we are tempted, we are being lured, deceptively, and then hooked and trapped in sin. Sin will always look attractive. But, when we grab the bait, with the bait comes the pain of capture and death. This is the way it is with temptation. It dangles out there and it promises great pleasure, fun, reward, and it lures the suckered victim into its trap and hook into a deadly way. 

The word "desire" in v.14 is the strong passion of the soul. So, the blame in our sinning is not with God. The problem is not even the devil, the problem is not even demons. The problem is not even the world or wicked people around us. The problem is the traitor is within us. Our problem goes back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve rebelled against God. And, don't ask, "Why does God punish me because of what they did?" We all know that if we had been there, we would have done the very same thing they did. Our problem is always ourselves. The real enticement is our covetousness or lust.

In v.15 of today's text we read, "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

Sin starts with desire which is always connected to our emotions. Sin begins with the feeling of wanting to be satisfied. It is strictly emotional. And, if we follow its allurement, it leads us to deception. We start with the desire in our emotion and then it leads us to a deception in our minds. Then, we begin to justify and rationalize the right that we have for that which we desire. It is at this point that we believe it is fulfilling. And, once we have the opportunity to sin, we devise how we are going to satisfy the sin. This occurs in the will. At this point, we have gone from our emotions, to our minds, and then, to our wills. This all happens in the arena of our souls.

And, sadly, when lust has conceived, it brings with it, death. The end result isn't what it promised. This death is spiritual death, the separation of the soul from God. This does not mean that the believer in Christ loses his salvation because our salvation is based on our justification. And, our justification is what gets us into heaven. Nor does it mean that our souls will be discarded from God permanently. The changing of our souls by God is our sanctification, and our sanctification will go on until we transition into heaven. Our sanctification gets heaven or the influence of God on our souls, into us now. The believer can't lose his salvation but his sanctification can be temporarily short-circuited. 

We were created with two needs: to be loved and to love. And, the ultimate in this life is to make an eternal influence on the lives of others. This is the point of our sanctification. And, when we get to heaven, we will then realize the enormity of our influence on others in the here and now. Our trials and temptations are not just about you and me. They are also about those whom we love and this whom we should love. As they see us grow in our love for God, they will be influenced to love God for themselves, for eternity.

James 1:9-12

Click here for the James 1:9-12 PODCAST

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. ~ James 1:9-12

Today, we continue in our study of the book of James. As you know, the name James derives from Jacob which means deceiver. Like you and me, before James came to faith in the Lord Jesus, he lived a life of deception. And, like Jacob, it wasn't until he came to faith in the Lord Jesus as God that he began to live a life being defined by the God of the Bible.

Our faith defines us. Of course, it isn't just our faith, it is the object of our faith that ultimately defines us. When the object of our faith is the One who created us, He defines us. But, none of us are perfectly defined by God because we are known to place our faith in other things on a given day.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position."

James wrote this letter to Jewish Christians who had been scattered throughout the ancient world because of persecution. They had lost their homes, properties, and lands. And, consequently, many of them became poor because of this. James encourages these believers to see their trials through the eyes of the God of the Bible. Though evil people had mistreated them, God was using their trials to develop their dependency upon Him.

The humble believer in this passage is the one who is going through a trial and is being defined by the God of the Bible. One can be in a low position in life and yet can be proud because he is NOT being defined by God. The one in "high position" is of the one who is learning to draw nearer to God through his trials. And, the word "pride" communicates the idea of exaltation. This isn't the type of pride that God abhors. This word brings with it the idea of being encouraged by the privilege of his relationship with God and his subsequent ability to see his trials from God's vantage point. He may be hungry, but he has the Bread of Life. He maybe thirsty, but he has the Water of Life. He may be poor, but he has eternal riches. He may be cast aside by men, but he has been received by God. He may have no home here on this earth, but he has a glorious home in the life to come.

Humility enables us to see our lives as they really are. It is pride that obscures our vision, making us think we can make a go at this life without our Creator. The circumstances of our lives have an incredible impact on the outcome of our lives on a given day. And, that which frames up our approach to our daily lives is of utmost importance.

Our pain and suffering is increasingly useful to us if it increases our dependency upon God. God uses suffering to refine, to strengthen, and to keep us from trusting in the lesser things of this life. Suffering allows the life of Christ to be manifest to, in and through our lives. Suffering drains us of our human resources, and, as a result, it makes it possible for us to gain the wisdom of the One who embraced the punishment for our sin.

Suffering teaches us that the greatest good is not the absence of pain, but the presence of spiritual maturity. Suffering is an inevitable part of the struggle with our fallen natures and the sin that is in this world. In addition, suffering is part of the struggle for the advancement of the kingdom of God in and through our lives. It is often, on the heels of suffering that we are best positioned to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

God desires truth in our innermost being, and the primary way He achieves this is through our suffering which is always coupled with a greater amount of His grace. Suffering teaches us to give thanks in times of sorrow, and to appreciate the times when we do not suffer. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower."

Many rich people worry that they may lose their riches. In this verse, God admonishes the rich to rejoice if they were to lose everything, because they should not place trust in their possessions or in their lofty position. The rich man should rejoice when he’s humbled, because it is most often that humility is honed in the difficult moments of our lives. After all, it was pride that inaugurated sin.

Faith does an incredible thing for us; it positions us to embrace the gift of humility. Humility is precious because a great man is always willing to be little. In humilities world, the poor man forgets all his earthly poverty and the rich man forgets all his earthly riches. And, the two realize they are equal in Christ. True humility accepts the poor and the rich. Either way, don’t attach yourself too tightly to what you have, and don’t live your life trying to get what you can’t. This is the lesson of humility. It was Thomas Merton who once said, "Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real." Pride causes us to chase the mirage, whereas, humility gives legs to our pursuit of greatness.

To emphasize how anything in this life is temporary, James, in v.10, gives an illustration: "...since they will pass away like a wild flower." James is referencing the temporal of this life. If we do not lose it here, we will surely lose it when you leave.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business." 

There are some flowers that bloom and disappear. And, the sooner we accept that God is in the process of humbling us, the more we will be defined by Him. And, the more we are defined by Him, the less dependent we will be on the things of this world.

In v.12 of today's text we read, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."

This sounds like we earn our salvation. We must not make that mistake. You see, the forgiveness of our sin could only be merited by the Lord Jesus Christ. All trials have two great purposes: they make us better acquainted with the Lord Jesus and they make us less acquainted with the things of this world. Pain and suffering is evidence of God's love. And, the more we have His wisdom, the more we will see this truth. His is a love of which He never repents, a love which He never withdraws. His is a love which compels Him to refine us. Whatever then comes to pass in our lives is the result of His loving will. All of our pain and suffering will always be useful to Him in bringing about His will for our lives. Our trials are not by chance, nor are they accidental. Our pain and suffering are the providential accomplishments of this loving God who is granting to us a greater degree of intimacy Him, now.