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Chapter 5: James 2:1-13 - POOR MAN, RICH MAN
The mature Christian patient is not only tested (James 1) but also lives the truth. James 2 is about this. Immature people talk about what they believe, but mature people live what they believe. Hearing and talking about God's Word (James 1:22–25) is not the same as doing God's Word. Every believer has a personal statement of faith or a way of saying what they believe. Most churches have these kinds of statements, and they ask their members to agree with them and follow them. Many churches also recite a "covenant" aloud, typically during the Lord's Supper. Faith statements and church covenants are beneficial and helpful, but they can't take the place of doing what God wants. As a pastor, I've seen people read the church covenant and then come to a business meeting and do things that were completely against it. James gave us a simple test to help us practice God's Word. He sent two people to a church service, one rich and one poor, and he watched how they were treated. How we treat people shows what we really think about God! We cannot—and should not—distinguish human relationships from divine communion. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20). James looked at four basic Christian teachings in this part, based on how we treat other people. The Divinity of Christ (2:1–4) "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. James is telling his readers, 'Don't show favoritism when you have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory.' In the early church, Jewish people wanted to be recognized and honored, and they fought over who got the most praise. The parables of our Lord in Luke 14:7–14 address the issue, as does His condemnation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23. We have the same problem today. There are pyramid climbers in our lives, not just in politics, business, and society, but also in the church. There are cliques in almost every church, and it can be challenging for new Christians to join. Some church members use their jobs to make themselves look more important. James wrote to many people who were trying to get spiritual positions, and he had to warn them (James 3:1). Jesus did not show favoritism. Even His enemies said, "Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men." (Matt. 22:16). Our Lord wasn't concerned about how things looked on the outside; He looked at the heart. He wasn't concerned about money or social status. In His eyes, the poor widow who gave her mite was better than the rich Pharisee who bragged about giving a lot of money. He also saw the good things that could happen in the lives of sinners. He saw a rock in Simon. He saw a faithful disciple in Matthew, the publican, who would one day write one of the four gospels. The disciples were shocked to see Jesus talking to the sinful woman at the well of Sychar, but Jesus saw her as a way to get many people to follow Him. We tend to judge people based on what they have done in the past, not what they will do in the future. The church in Jerusalem was scared to take in Saul of Tarsus when he became a Christian. Barnabas, who believed that Saul had changed, was the one who broke down the walls (Acts 9:26–28). We also tend to judge people by how they look on the outside instead of their inside attitude. We tend to avoid sitting with certain individuals in church because they do not align with our preferred social group. Jesus was a friend to sinners, but He didn't like their sins. He didn't welcome them out of compromise; he did it out of compassion. And when they trusted him, he forgave them. People hated and turned their backs on Jesus. Isaiah 53:1–3 foretold this event. He (Jesus the Messiah) was "the poor man" who the self-righteous nation turned down. He didn't have a home like the foxes and birds did. He grew up in the hated city of Nazareth, where He lived in a poor home. If you and I had met Him while He was on Earth, we wouldn't have seen anything that would have drawn us to Him. But He is the glory of God! In the Old Testament, God's glory first lived in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–38) and then in the temple (1 Kings 8:10–11). God's glory was in Jesus when He came to earth (John 1:14). The glory of God lives in the believer (1 Cor. 6:19–20) and in the church as a whole (Eph. 2:21–22). The religious leaders of the time judged Christ based on their standards and turned Him down. He was from the wrong city, Nazareth in Galilee. He attended schools they considered inadequate. He didn't have the official permission of the people in charge. He didn't have any money. His followers were a group of people who were not very interesting and included sinners and publicans. But He was God's glory! No wonder Jesus warned the religious leaders, “ Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24). Unfortunately, we often make the same mistakes. When visitors come into our churches, we tend to judge them on what we see outwardly rather than what they are inwardly. Dress, color of skin, fashion, and other superficial things carry more weight than the fruit of the Spirit that may be manifest in their lives. We cater to the rich because we hope to get something out of them, and we avoid the poor because they embarrass us. Jesus did not do this, and He cannot approve of it. How do we practice the deity of Christ in our human relationships? It is really quite simple: look at everyone through the eyes of Christ. We can accept the visitor if he or she is a Christian because Christ lives in him or her. We can accept him even if he isn't a Christian because Christ died for him. It is Christ who is the link between us and others, and He is a link of love. The basis for relationships with others is the person and work of Jesus Christ. Any other basis is not going to work. Furthermore, God can use even the most unlikely person to bring glory to His name. He used Peter and Zaccheus and John Mark, and He can use that poor man whom we might reject.
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Now we come to the third and final responsibility we have toward God's word.
Share the Word (1:26–27) The word that is translated as "religion" means "the outward practice, the service of a god." In the whole New Testament, it only appears five times (James 1:26–27; Acts 26:5; and Col. 2:18, where it is translated as "worshipping"). Ceremonies, temples, or special days have nothing to do with pure religion. To have a pure religion, you must live by God's Word and share it with others through speech, service, and staying away from the world. Speech (v. 26). There are many references to speech in this letter, which makes it seem like the tongue was a big problem in the assembly (see James 1:19; 2:12; 3:1–3, 14–18; 4:11–12). The tongue shows what is in the heart. (Matt. 12:34–35). If a person's heart is right, then their speech will also be right. If you can control your tongue, you can control your body (James 3:1ff.). Service (v. 27a). We must see others and their needs after we have seen ourselves and Christ in the Word. Isaiah first saw the Lord, then he saw himself, and then he saw the people he would serve. (Isa 6:1–8). Words can't take the place of actions of love (James 2:14–18; 1 John 3:11–18). God does not want us to pay other people to do our work for us! Separate from the world (v. 27b). James used the word "the world" to mean "society without God." Satan rules this world (John 14:30), and the people who are lost are the children of this world (Luke 16:8). We are physically in the world but not spiritually in it because we are God's children (John 17:11–16). We are sent into the world to bring people to Christ (John 17:18). We can only help others if we stay separate from the world. As believers, we are to stay "unspotted from the world." The world wants to "spot" the Christian and start to hurt him. The first thing is "friendship of the world" (James 4:4), which can turn into a love for the world (1 John 2:15–17). If we are not careful, we will become conformed to this world (Rom. 12:1–2), and the result is being condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:32). This act doesn't mean we lose our salvation, but that we give up everything we lived for. In the Old Testament, Lot is an example of this idea. First, he set up his tent facing Sodom, and then he moved into Sodom. Sodom soon took over him, and even his family stopped believing in him. Lot lost everything when Sodom was judged. Abraham, the separated believer and friend of God, had a bigger ministry to the people than Lot, the friend of the world. A Christian does not need to be involved with the world to have a ministry there. Jesus was "unspotted" (1 Peter 1:19), but He still hung out with sinners and publicans. Being pure from the world's filth is the best way to minister to the needs of the world. There is a second way in which the word of God acts as a mirror.
Restoration (Ex. 38:8). Moses used the women's metal-looking glasses to make the laver when he built the tabernacle. Between the brazen altar of sacrifice and the holy place was a massive basin called the laver (see Exodus 30:17–21 for more information). The priests washed their hands and feet in the laver before going into the holy place to serve. The basin was full of water. The Word of God is comparable to water used for washing, as it provides cleansing. "Now you are clean because of what I have said to you" (John 15:3). The church is made holy and cleansed by the "washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:26). When a sinner places their faith in Christ, they are permanently cleaned (1 Cor. 6:9–11; Titus 3:4–6). 6:9–11; Titus 3:4–6). But as the believer walks through this world, his hands and feet are dirty, and he needs to be cleansed (John 13:1–11). The Word is like a mirror that shows us our sins and helps us get rid of them. It promises to cleanse us (1 John 1:9), and as we apply it, it cleanses our hearts and minds of spiritual dirt. The blood of Christ takes away the guilt, and the Word's water helps to wash away the sin. The story of Nathan and David in 2 Samuel 12 shows how true the gospel is. Nathan recounted the story of the stolen ewe lamb to David, which infuriated him with its depiction of sin. The prophet said, "You are the man," and he held up the Word's mirror for David to see himself. The result was confession and repentance: "I have sinned against the Lord!" The Word's mirror did its job of looking at things. Nathan didn't stop there, though. He also used the Word to fix things (restoration). "The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." (2 Sam. 12:13). The message was the promise of forgiveness and cleansing, and it came from the Word. David went to the laver and cleaned his hands and feet. If we stop with examination and restoration, we won't get the full benefit of the Word's mirror ministry. There is a third ministry. Change (2 Cor. 3:18). After the Lord restores us, He wants to change us so that we will grow in grace and not sin again. Many Christians admit their sins and ask for forgiveness, but they often fail to grow spiritually enough to overcome sin and their weaknesses. The second letter to the Corinthians talks about the differences between the old covenant ministry of law and the new covenant ministry of grace. The law is written on stone tablets and is outside of us. But salvation means that God's Word is written on our hearts. The ministry of the old covenant condemned and killed people, but the ministry of the new covenant gives people life and forgiveness. The glory of the law faded over time, but the glory of God's grace grew stronger and stronger. The law was only for a short time, but the new covenant of grace will last forever. Paul uses Moses and his veil to show this truth. Moses' face was shining when he came down from the mountain where he met God (Ex. 34:29–35). He didn't want the Jews to see this glory fading away, so he put on a veil to hide it. He took off the veil when he got back to the mountain. The veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died, and the veil that separated people from God was taken down. The Old Testament prophet wore a veil to hide the glory that was fading. The New Testament believer has an unveiled face, and the glory grows greater and greater! You may explain 2 Corinthians 3:18 in this way: 'When the child of God looks into the Word of God [the glass, the mirror], he sees the Son of God, and he is transformed by the Spirit of God to share in the glory of God!' The word "changed" in the Greek gives us our English word "metamorphosis"—a change on the outside that comes from the inside. When an ugly worm turns into a beautiful butterfly, the term used to describe this process is metamorphosis. When a believer spends time reading the Word and seeing Christ, he or she is changed: the glory on the inside shows up on the outside. This is the word that Matthew 17:2 uses to mean "transfigured." The glory of Christ on the mount was not reflected; it was radiated from within. You will discover the same word in Romans 12:2: “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The Spirit renews our minds and shows us God's glory as we think about the Word. We do not become spiritual Christians overnight. The Spirit of God works through the Word of God to make these changes happen. We shouldn't hide anything; that's the main thing. Take off the veil! “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23–24). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Our first responsibility is to receive the Word. Then, we must practice the Word; otherwise, we are deceiving ourselves. This leads to a third responsibility . . . Second, practice the Word (1:22–25)
We can't just hear the Word; we have to act on it. A lot of people think that listening to a good sermon or Bible study is what helps them grow and get God's blessing. It is not the listening but the doing that brings the blessing. Many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them! You are only kidding yourself if you think you are spiritual because you hear the Word. James said that the Word was like a seed in the last paragraph, but in this one, he said it was like a mirror. The Bible also talks about God's Word as a mirror in two other places. When you put all three together, you discover three ways that the Word of God works as a mirror. Examination (vv. 23–25). The main reason to have a mirror is so you can see yourself and make yourself look as clean and neat as possible. When we look at God's Word, we see ourselves as we really are. James talks about some of the mistakes people make when they look in God's mirror. First, they just look at themselves for a brief second or two. They don't pay close attention to themselves as they read the Word. Many sincere believers read a chapter of the Bible every day, but they don't get anything out of it personally; it's just a religious exercise. If they didn't read every day, their conscience would bother them. But their conscience should bother them because they read the Word carelessly. A quick read of the Bible will never show us what we really need. This is the difference between a candid picture and an X-ray. The second mistake is that they don't remember what they see. If they looked deep enough into their hearts, they would see something they would never forget. We laugh at how "extreme" people were during the great revivals, but we could use that conviction. John Wesley wrote about a preaching service: “One before me dropped as dead, and presently a second, and a third. Five others sunk down in half an hour, most of whom were in violent agonies” (Wesley’s Journal for June 22, 1739) Before we put these people in some kind of psychological limbo, let's remember how saints in the Bible reacted when they learned the truth about their hearts. Isaiah cried out, "Woe is me! I am undone" (Isa. 6:5)! Peter said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). Job was the most righteous man on earth at the time, but he said, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6) Mistake number three: They fail to do what the Word tells them to do. They think that hearing and doing are the same thing, but they're not. Christians enjoy reading instead of doing things or even talking instead of doing things. We have many meetings and conferences about things like evangelism and church growth, and we think we're making progress. Conferences and committee meetings are acceptable, but they become problematic if they replace actual service. We must look into God's mirror carefully and with serious intent if we want to use it well (James 1:25). No quick looks will do. We need to look at our hearts and lives in the light of what God says. This task needs time, focus, and real dedication. You need more than five minutes with God every day to really look at your spiritual life. I've been lucky with the doctors who have taken care of me over the years, and I owe them a lot. I liked that they were honest and took their time with me. When Jesus, the Great Physician (Matt. 9:12 says that He uses His Word to look at us, He wants us to give Him enough time to do the job right. Maybe we look at the Word instead of staring at it because we're scared of what we might see. We need to remember who we are and what God says after we look at ourselves, and we also need to do what the Word says. The blessing comes from doing, not from reading the Word. James 1:25 says, "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." In other words, to put it bluntly, 'This man shall be blessed in his doing.' James stresses the importance of putting the Word into action. After reading the Word, we should keep going; that is, we should practice it (James 1:25; see Acts 1:14; 2:42, 46; 13:43; 14:22; 26:22 for examples of such actions in the early church). Why did James say that the Word of God was "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25)? God sets us free when we follow it. "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts" (Ps. 119:45). "Anyone who sins is a servant of sin" (John 8:34). “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31–32). Thus, we discover that the first way the word of God acts as a mirror is examination. There is another ministry. The focus of this next section in James' letter is on the risks of lying to yourself: "deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22); "deceiveth his own heart" (James 1:26). It is one thing for a Christian to sin because Satan tricks him. But if he lies to himself, that's a much bigger problem.
A lot of people are lying to themselves when they think they are saved. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt. 7:22–23). However, there are also real Christians who are lying to themselves about how they live as Christians. They think they are spiritually mature, but they are not. It indicates that a person is grown up when they are honest with themselves, know who they are, and admit their needs. The immature person acts like they are rich and have everything they need (Rev. 3:17). The right relationship with God through His Word leads to spiritual reality. If we are in the right relationship with God's truth, we can't be dishonest or hypocritical. James said in these verses that we have three duties to God's Word. If we do these duties, we will have an honest relationship with God and other people. First, Take in the Word (1:19–21) James referred to God's Word as "the engrafted word" (James 1:21), signifying "the implanted word." He used the parable of the sower from Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 to compare God's Word to seed and the human heart to soil. Jesus told a story about four types of hearts: the hard heart, which didn't understand or accept the Word and didn't bear any fruit; the shallow heart, which was very emotional but didn't have any depth and didn't bear any fruit; the crowded heart, which didn't repent and let sin crowd out the Word; and the fruitful heart, which accepted the Word, let it take root, and produced a harvest of fruit. The ultimate criterion of salvation is fruit. Having fruit means living a different life, having Christian morals and behavior, and serving others to honor God. This fruit could be winning people to Christ (Rom. 1:16), living a holy life (Rom. 6:22), sharing what we have (Rom. 15:28), having a good spiritual character (Gal. 5:22–23), doing good works (Col. 1:10), or even praising the Lord (Heb. 13:15). We must always remember that it is possible to make religious works that do not have life in them and do not bring glory to God. The seed for more fruit is in real fruit, so the harvest keeps growing fruit, more fruit, and a lot of fruit (John 15:1–5). The Word of God won't work in our lives if we don't take it in the right way. Jesus said, "Take heed what ye hear" (Mark 4:24) and "Take heed how ye hear" (Luke 8:18). Too many people are in that sad state where they "hear but do not understand" (Matt. 13:13). They go to church and Bible classes, but they never seem to become better. Is it the teacher's or the preacher's fault? The issue might lie with the teacher or preacher, but it could also be the responsibility of the listening individual. It is possible to be "dull of hearing" (Heb. 5:11) because your spiritual life is growing dull and dead. To plant the seed of the Word in our hearts, we must follow James' instructions. Quick to hear (v. 19a). "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matt. 13:9)! "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17). The servant is quick to hear his master's voice, and the mother is quick to hear her baby's smallest cry. The same should be true for the believer. The life of King David (2 Sam. 23:14–17) is a powerful example of this truth. David was hiding from the Philistines, who had taken over Bethlehem. He wanted a drink of the cool water from the well in Bethlehem, which he had visited many times as a child and young adult. He didn't tell his men to do anything; he just thought to himself, "Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" (2 Sam. 23:15). Three of his strong men heard their king sigh for the water, so they put their lives on the line to get it and bring it to him. They were "quick to listen." Take your time before you speak (v. 19b). We ought to listen more than we speak, as we possess two ears and only one mouth. We argue with God's Word too many times, even if we don't say it out loud. "He who holds his tongue is wise" (Prov. 10:19). "He that hath knowledge spareth his words" (Prov. 17:27). The lawyer in Luke 10:29 didn't wait to speak; instead, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" The early church services were casual, and the people who listened would often argue with the speaker. James wrote to people who were fighting and even going to war (James 4:1). Not quick to get angry (v. 19c). Don't be mad at God or His Word. "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." (Prov. 14:29). When Nathan the prophet told King David the story of "the stolen ewe lamb," the king got mad, but not at the right person. Nathan said, "You are the man," and David then admitted, "I have sinned" (2 Sam. 12). Peter was slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to get angry in the garden. He almost killed a man with the sword. Many fights in churches happen because people are angry and say things too quickly. God is angry with sin (Eph. 4:26), and if we love the Lord, we must hate sin (Ps. 97:10). But God's righteousness does not come from man's anger (James 1:20). Anger is the opposite of the patience God wants us to have as we grow in Christ (James 1:3–4). I saw a poster once that said, "Temper is such a valuable thing; it is a shame to lose it!" Temper is what makes steel strong. The person who can't become mad at sin doesn't have much power to fight it. James tells us not to get mad at God's Word because it shows us our sins. People who don't like the truth about themselves and their sinfulness rebel against God's Word, just like the man who broke the mirror. A heart that is ready (v. 21). James thought of the human heart as a garden. If you didn't take care of it, the soil would only grow weeds. He told us to "pull out the weeds" and get the ground ready for the "implanted Word of God." The phrase "superfluity of naughtiness" makes me think of a garden that is full of weeds that can't be controlled. It is unwise to attempt to receive God's Word into an unprepared heart. How do we prepare our hearts to be ready for God's Word? First, we should confess our sins and ask the Father to forgive us (1 John 1:9). Then, we should think about God's love and grace and ask Him to "plow up" any hardness in our hearts. "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns" (Jer. 4:3). Lastly, we need to be "meek" (James 1:21). In James 1:19–20, "wrath" is the opposite of "meekness." When you receive the Word with humility, you accept it, don't argue with it, and respect it as the Word of God. You don't try to make it fit with what you think. We are lying to ourselves if we don't receive the implanted Word. People who like to argue about different "points of view" may just be fooling themselves. They may believe that their "discussions" are fostering their spiritual growth, but in reality, they could be contributing to the growth of weeds. Third, think about God's Divine Nature Within Us (1:18)
God says, "Look ahead and be careful of judgment" in the first barrier. He says, "Look around and see how good I have been to you," in the second barrier. But with this third barrier, God says, "Look inside yourself and know that you were born from above and have the divine nature." James used birth as a metaphor for desire that leads to sin and death (James 1:15). He also used it to show us how to win over sin and temptation. In 1 John 3:9, the apostle John used a similar idea when he wrote about "his seed," which means the divine life and nature that lives in the believer. Take note of the traits of this new birth. It is heavenly. Nicodemus believed he needed to re-enter his mother's womb to be born anew, but he was mistaken. It is from above. This birth is not of the flesh; it is from above (John 3:1–7). It is God's work. We did not create our own human birth, nor can we create our own spiritual birth. It was God who did the miracle when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. It is kind. We didn't work for it or deserve it; God gave us spiritual birth because of His own grace and will. "Which were born, not of blood [human descent], nor of the will of the flesh [human efforts], nor of the will of man [human assistance], but of God" (John 1:13). No one can be born again because of their family, their decisions, or their faith. God is the one who makes the new birth happen. It is through the Word of God. The Word of God and the Spirit of God are the two parents of divine birth, just as two parents are required of human birth. John 3:6 says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" (1 Peter 1:23). The word of God is used by the Spirit of God to make the miracle of the new birth happen. The Word of God is "living and powerful" (Heb. 4:12), so it can bring life to the sinner's heart who trusts Christ. This life is that of God. It is the best birth. This is the best birth that could happen. James told Jewish believers we are "a kind of firstfruits of his creatures," which would have meant something to them. The Jews of the Old Testament brought the firstfruits to the Lord to show how much they loved and obeyed him. "Honor the Lord with your wealth, and with the firstfruits of all your increase" (Prov. 3:9). The child of God is the best and highest of all the things God has made in this universe! We are like God. For this reason, we should not fall for Satan's tricks or want sinful things. A higher birth must mean a better life. God says that He can't accept the old birth because He gives us a new one. In the Bible, God turns down the firstborn and accepts the secondborn. He chose Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, and Abel over Cain. He says that you need a second birth and that your first birth was not good enough. This new birth experience helps us resist temptation. We will fail if we let the old nature (from the first birth) take over. We got our old nature (the flesh) from Adam, who was a failure. But if we yield to the new nature, we will win because it comes from Christ, who is the Victor. A child in Sunday school explained it in a way that was easy to understand. "Two men live in my heart: Adam and Jesus. Someone has to answer when temptation knocks. I send Jesus to answer because I will sin if I let Adam answer. Jesus is always the winner!" Of course, this new nature needs to be fed the Word of God every day so that it can be strong enough to fight the battle. The Holy Spirit used the Word of God to provide you spiritual birth, and He uses it to make you stronger spiritually. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). We can't blame anyone else for our sins, no matter how many excuses we make. Our own wants lead us to sin and temptation. It's not God's fault. But God has put these three things (God's judgment, God's goodness, and God's divine nature) in place to keep us from sinning. If we pay attention to the barriers, we will receive a crown (James 1:12). If we break through the barriers, we will find a coffin (James 1:15). Which one will it be? Second, think about how good God is (1:17)
The enemy tries to make us think that our Father withholds what we need and lacks love and care for us. Satan told Eve that if God really loved her, He would let her eat from the off-limits tree (Gen. 2:9, 3:2). Satan brought up the issue of hunger when he tried to convince Jesus to sin. Why are you hungry if your Father loves you? God's goodness is a strong reason not to give in to temptation. We don't need anyone else, not even Satan, to meet our needs because God is good and completely trustworthy. Being hungry in God's will is better than being full outside of it. When we start to doubt God's goodness, we will be drawn to what Satan offers, and our natural desires will reach out for his bait. When the Israelites started to enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land, Moses told them not to forget how good God was (Deut. 6:10–15). We need this warning right now. James shared four examples that demonstrate God's goodness. God only gives good things. God is the source of all good things in this world. It is not good if it did not come from God. It must be good if it comes from God, even if we don't see it right away. God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh, which seemed like a strange gift at first, but it turned out to be a huge blessing for him (2 Cor. 12:1–10). The way God gives is good. We can change the second part to say "and every act of giving." Someone can give us a gift in a way that isn't very loving. How we receive a gift can make it less valuable. But when God blesses us, He does it with love and kindness. The way He gives is good, and what He gives is good. He always gives. "Cometh down" is a present participle, which means "it keeps coming down." God doesn't give once in a while; He gives all the time. He is giving us gifts all the time, even when we can't see them. How do we know this? We believe His Word because He tells us so. God is always the same. The Father of Lights does not have any shadows. God cannot change. He can't become worse because He is holy, and He can't get better because He is already perfect. The sun's light changes as the earth moves, but the sun itself is still shining. He did not make the shadows that come between us and the Father. He is the God who never changes. Therefore, we should never doubt His love or goodness when things get hard or we are tempted. If King David had thought about how good the Lord is, he wouldn't have taken Bathsheba and done those awful things. Nathan the prophet told the king this much, as we read in 2 Sam 12:7-8, "And Nathan said to David, thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things." God had been good to David, but David forgot that and fell for the trap. The first thing that stops us from giving in to temptation is a negative barrier: God's judgment. The second barrier is positive: the goodness of God. It's good to have a wholesome fear of God, but you also need to love Him. We can obey Him because He might punish us, or we can obey Him because He has already been so kind to us and we love Him for it. Joseph's positive attitude helped him resist the temptation of his master's wife (Gen. 39:7ff.). ". . . Behold, my master wotteth [concerns himself] not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:8–9). Joseph knew that God had given him all of these good things. God's goodness, through his boss, kept him from giving in to temptation. God's gifts are always better than what Satan offers. Satan never gives gifts because accepting them always comes at a high cost. God's blessing makes you rich, and He doesn't add any sorrow to it (Prov. 10:22). Achan forgot God's warning and goodness, saw the wealth that was not allowed, wanted it, and took it. He got rich, but the sadness that came after that made him poor (Josh. 7). When you feel like giving in again, think about how good God has been to you. Wait for the Lord to provide you with anything you believe you need. Don't ever play with the devil's bait. One reason we are tempted is to teach us how to be patient. David was tempted twice to kill King Saul so that he could become king sooner, but he didn't give in and waited for God's instruction. HOW TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATION (James 1:13-18)
The grown-up person is patient when things get tough. Sometimes the tests are on the outside, and sometimes they are on the inside. Trials could be tests from God or temptations from Satan that our sinful nature makes worse. In this section, James talked about the second part of trials: the temptations that come from within. We might wonder, "Why did James put the two together? What is the connection between tests that are outside of us and temptations that are inside of us? This: if we're not careful, the tests on the outside can turn into temptations on the inside. When things are hard for us, we might complain about God, doubt His love, and go against His will. At this point, Satan may offer us a way out of the trouble. This chance is a test. The Bible has many examples of this truth. When Abraham got to Canaan, he found there was a famine there. He couldn't take care of his sheep and cows. This test was a chance to prove God, but Abraham made it a temptation and went to Egypt. God had to punish Abraham to get him back to the place where he could be obedient and blessed. While Israel was lost in the desert, the people often turned tests into temptations and tempted the Lord. As soon as they were free from Egypt, their water supply ran out, and they had to walk for three days without water. They couldn't drink the water they found because it was so bitter. They started to murmur and blame God right away. They made their tests into temptations, and they failed. God doesn't want us to succumb to temptation, but He also can't keep us from it. We are not God's sheltered people; we are God's scattered people. We must face tests and temptations if we want to grow up. If we want to resist temptation, we need to think about three things. First, think about God's Judgment (1:13–16) This is an adverse way to do things, but it's an important one. In essence, James said, 'Look ahead and see where sin ends—death!' Don't blame God for temptation that may "knock at your door." He is too holy to be tempted and too loving to tempt others. God tests us, like He did Abraham in Genesis 22, but He does not and cannot tempt us. We are the ones who turn tests into temptations. A temptation is a chance to do something good in a bad way, which is against God's will. Is it bad to want to pass a test? No, but if you cheat to pass it, you have done something wrong. The temptation to cheat is a chance to do something good (passing the test) in a bad way. It is not wrong to eat, but if you think about stealing the food, you are putting yourself in danger. We think of sin as one thing, but God sees it as a series of events. Adam did one wrong deed, but that one thing brought sin, death, and judgment on all of humanity. James outlined this process of sin in four stages. Want (v. 14). "Lust" is a word that means any kind of desire, not just sexual ones. God gave us the normal desires of life, and they are not sinful on their own. We wouldn't be able to do anything without these wants. We eat and drink because we feel hungry or thirsty; otherwise, we would die. The body would never rest and would eventually wear out if it didn't become tired. Wanting sex is normal; without it, people wouldn't be able to have babies. We run into trouble when we try to satisfy these wants in ways that go against God's will. It is normal to eat; being a glutton is a sin. Sleeping is normal; being lazy is a sin. “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). Some people try to become "spiritual" by denying or trying to suppress these normal desires, but their refusal only makes them less than human. These are the basic needs of life that keep the machine running. You can't do anything if you turn off the steam. If you don't control the steam, it will destroy everything. The secret is to always have the necessary control. We can make these desires our servants instead of our masters through Jesus Christ. Lying (v. 14). No temptation looks like a temptation; it always looks more appealing than it really is. James used two examples from sports to make his point. The word "drawn away" means "to bait a trap," and the word "enticed" in the Greek means "to bait a hook." To catch their prey, the hunter and the fisherman need to use bait. No animal will willingly step into a trap, and no fish will willingly bite a hook that is not covered. The goal is to keep the trap and the hook out of sight. There is always something about temptation that makes us want to give in to it. The bait lures us in and conceals the pain and punishment that will follow. The bait is what makes it exciting. Lot would not have gone to Sodom if he hadn't seen the "well-watered plains of Jordan" (Gen. 13:10ff.). If David had seen the terrible results of his actions—Bathsheba's son dying, Uriah being killed, and Tamar being raped—he would never have cheated on his wife. We can't see the wicked things that happen when we sin because of the bait. Satan tempted Jesus, but He always used the Word of God to deal with the temptation. "It is written," He said three times. It makes sense for people to turn stones into bread to satisfy their hunger, but not for God. When you know the Bible, you can spot the bait and deal with it right away. This is what it means to walk by faith instead of by sight. Disobedience (v. 15). We have gone from the heart (desire) and the mind (deception) to the will. James changed the picture from one of hunting and fishing to one of a baby being born. Desire figures out a way to take the bait. Will agrees to take action that is considered a sin. We are stuck and hooked, whether we know it or not. The baby is born, and just wait until it grows up! Living as a Christian is about what you want, not how you feel. A lot of the time, people who believe say, "I don't feel like reading the Bible." Or, "I don't want to go to church." Kids act on their feelings, but adults act on their will. They do the right thing, no matter how they feel. This is why immature Christians are easily tempted: they let their emotions make their choices. The more you resist temptation, the more God will take control of your life. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). Death (v. 15). Disobedience leads to death, not life. It could take years for the sin to grow, but when it does, it will lead to death. This last tragedy will help us resist temptation if we just believe what God says. Because He loves us, God has put up this wall. "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" (Ezek. 18:23). The Bible's first recorded sin in Genesis 3 perfectly illustrates these four stages of temptation and sin. The serpent used Eve's desire to tempt her: "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:5). Is there anything wrong with learning? Is it harmful to eat food? Eve saw that "the tree was good for food" (Gen. 3:6), and it made her want it. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul talked about how Eve was tricked: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." This is similar to how the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning ways. Satan is the liar, and he wants to trick the mind. He used the forbidden tree's goodness and Eve's wisdom as bait. She saw the bait but forgot what the Lord had said: "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17). Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the tree. Then she gave it to her husband, who didn't listen to God. Because Adam was not deceived but sinned with his eyes wide open, it is his sin that plunged the human race into tragedy (read Rom. 5:12–21; 1 Tim. 2:12–15). Both Adam and Eve experienced immediate spiritual death (separation from God) and ultimate physical death. All men die because of Adam (1 Cor. 15:21–22). The person who dies without Jesus Christ will experience eternal death, the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11–15). Whenever you are faced with temptation, take your eyes off the bait and look ahead to see the consequences of sin: the judgment of God. "Sin results in death" (Rom. 6:23). 6:23). Ask—A Heart That Believes (1:5–8)
James wrote to people who were having trouble praying (James 4:1–3; 5:13–18). What should we pray about when we are going through challenging times that God has planned for us? James says to ask God for wisdom. James talks a lot about wisdom (James 1:5; 3:13–18). The book of Proverbs shows that the Jewish people loved wisdom. Someone once said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart and wisdom is the ability to put them back together. The right way to use knowledge is wisdom. We all know educated fools: they have great grades in school but can't make even the simplest decisions in life. Why do we need wisdom when things are challenging? Why not ask for help, strength, or even deliverance? We need wisdom so we don't waste the opportunities God provides us to grow. Wisdom shows us how to make the most of these situations for our own benefit and for God's glory. James not only told us what to ask for (wisdom), but he also told us how to ask. We should ask with faith. We don't have to be scared because God wants to answer and will never scold us. He provides more grace (James 4:6). He also provides more and more knowledge. Unbelief is the greatest enemy of prayers that are answered. James likens the uncertain believer to the sea's waves, which rise and fall. This is what it feels like to be "double-minded." Faith says "yes," but doubt says "no." Doubt then comes along and says "Yes!" one minute and "No!" the next. Peter sank in the waves as he walked to Jesus because he was unsure (Matt. 14:22–33). Jesus asked him, "Why did you doubt, O you of little faith?" Peter kept his eyes on Christ as he began his walk of faith. But when he let the wind and waves get to him, he stopped walking by faith and started to sink. He was confused and almost drowned. Many Christians navigate life like corks on the waves: one moment they are uplifted, the next they are cast downward, continually subjected to the turbulence of life's currents. Such behavior shows that you are not mature. In Ephesians 4:14, Paul said something similar: "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." We can ask God for wisdom if we have faith and are united in our hearts. Being unstable and immature go hand in hand. James finished this part with a beatitude: "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation" (James 1:12). He began (James 1:2) and finished with happiness. Often how you look at things affects how they turn out. This beatitude is a great source of hope because it promises a crown to those who are patient during difficult times. Paul frequently employed athletic metaphors in his epistles, and James did so in this instance. He does not assert that the sinner achieves salvation through the endurance of trials. He says that going through hard times is a reward for the believer. What does he receive in return? First, he learns more about Christ. This goal is more important than anything else. He is also rewarded by glorifying God and receiving a crown of life when Jesus Christ comes back. The cross comes first, then the crown. First comes the pain, then the glory. God doesn't help us by taking away the tests; He helps us by making the tests work for us. Satan wants to use the tests to break us down, but God uses them to make us stronger. James used a very important word in James 1:12: love. We would expect him to write, “ the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” or “those who obey Him.” Why did James choose love? Love serves as the spiritual foundation for every command in this section. Why do we stay happy when things get tough? We love God, and He loves us, and He won't hurt us. What makes our minds able to understand? We love Him because He loves us and has told us the truth. What causes us to surrender our will? This is due to our love for Him. In love, we experience both surrender and obedience to His commands. What is the reason for our faith? Faith and love are inextricably linked. You place your trust in someone when you love them, and you are comfortable seeking their assistance. The imperatives that James gave us come from love. We won't have any trouble counting, knowing, letting, or asking if we love God. But there is one more thing: love makes us loyal to the Lord. The double-minded person (James 1:8) is like an unfaithful spouse: they want to love both God and the world. James said, "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." (James 4:8) The Greek word that is translated as "purify" literally means "make chaste." The picture shows a lover who is not faithful. Let's go back to the weaning. The child who loves his mother and knows she loves him will be able to go through the weaning and start to grow up. A Christian who loves God and knows that God loves him will not fall apart when God lets challenging times happen. He knows that God loves him. He doesn't have two minds, loving both God and the world. Lot was not sure what to do, and when things got tough, he failed badly. Abraham was a friend of God. He loved and trusted God. Abraham overcame challenges and grew in his faith. God's goal in trials is growth. "Let patience do its perfect work so that you can be perfect and whole, lacking nothing." If that's what you want, then, in love for Christ, count, know, let, and ask. Let—A Will That Has Given Up (1:4, 9–12)
We have to cooperate with God to build our character. If we don't obey Him, He disciplines us until we do. He can do His work if we let Him, and remember, He would rather not do a job halfway. God wants a perfect job; He wants an individual who is mature and finished. God wants us to grow up and become mature. It would be sad if our kids stayed little babies. We take pleasure in witnessing their growth, although maturing can be both perilous and enjoyable. Many Christians avoid the challenging parts of life, which is why they never grow up. God wants the "little children" to grow up to be "young men," and the "young men" to grow up to be "fathers" (1 John 2:12–14). Paul described three works that constitute a full Christian life (Eph. 2:8–10). 2:8–10). First, there is God's work for us, which is salvation. This work was finished by Jesus Christ on the cross. He will save us if we believe in Him. Second, there is the work God does in us: "For we are His workmanship." This process is called sanctification. God shapes our character and makes us more like Jesus Christ, "conformed to the image of his Son" (Rom. 8:29). The third work God does is through us, which is what we call service. God's work says we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Before He calls someone to serve, God builds their character. He must first work in us before He can work through us. God worked with Abraham for twenty-five years before giving him the son he had promised. God worked in Joseph's life for thirteen years, putting him through "various testings" before He could make him king of Egypt. For forty years, He prepared Moses for service. It took our Lord three years to train His disciples and shape their character. However, we have to agree with God in order for Him to work in us. There has to be a will that is given up. An adult person doesn't argue with God's will; instead, they gladly accept it and follow it as revealed by the phrase “doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6). If we try to endure through challenging times without giving up our wills, we will act more like kids than adults. Jonah exemplifies this truth. God told Jonah to preach to the Gentiles in Nineveh, but Jonah said no. Before Jonah agreed to do what God told him to do, God punished him. But Jonah didn't really listen to God. He did not learn from this. How do we know? The result is evident in the prophet's behavior, which resembles that of a pampered child. In the final chapter of Jonah, he is sitting outside the city and pouting, hoping that God will punish him. He is angry with God, the sun, the wind, the gourd, and the worm. There is another process involved in maturity, and that is called weaning. Weaning is a challenging part of growing up. A child who is being weaned thinks that his mother no longer loves him and that everything is against him. Weaning is actually a step toward growing up and being free. It is beneficial for the young child! Occasionally, God has to take away His children's childish toys and attitudes. David envisioned this in Psalm 131: "Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child who is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child." (Ps. 131:2). God uses trials to help us grow up, but if we don't give in to Him, we will stay childish. James used this truth to talk about two groups of Christians in James 1:9–11: the poor and the rich. It appears that money and social status were real issues for these people (see James 2:1–7, 15–16; 4:1–3, 13–17; 5:1–8). God's tests have a way of bringing us down to earth. When the poor man is tested, he lets God have His way and is happy that he has spiritual riches that no one can take away from him. When the rich man is tested, he lets God have His way too, and he is pleased that his riches in Christ will never fade or wither. In other words, it's not your money that supports you through life's tests; it's your spiritual resources. So far, James has given us three things we must do: James says that we are to have a happy mindset ("count"), an understanding mind ("know"), a surrendered will ("let"), and now he gives a fourth. |
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