Hello Friends!
Welcome back to our Monday morning Daily Devotions
summer series titled
“The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!”
This
week we will continue our reading of verses
12-20 in chapter 1 as we consider Loving God Under Trials…
The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!
As
we’ve discussed, James refers to his readers as “brethren”
several times throughout his epistle. In fact, he even calls them "my beloved brethren." So the
underlying assumption here is that the people who make a claim of “faith” are indeed true “believers” in Jesus Christ. James doesn't
explain what it is to be a “Christian”
because his readers already had that “knowledge”
of their “salvation” glory!
James is simply saying throughout his excellent epistle: “It won't benefit you eternally unless there's clear evidence
that your salvation is the real thing!” – Very serious indeed!
In
the previous section of his Epistle, James began to give us several tests to indicate whether or not our profession
of “faith” is the real thing.
We considered the first three last week:
The
first test is “patience”
through “various trials“ of “suffering” and “hardships”
in life.
The
second test is how
one relies on the “wisdom” of
“God” in life.
The
third test is how one “responds” to the various financial
perspectives in life.
Now
James outlines another three tests:
The
fourth test is enduring the “temptations” in life.
The
fifth test is the
direction of blame for the “temptations”
in life.
The
sixth test is
trusting in the “perfect”
provision of God in life.
James
begins this section with our focus on the “promised”
reward from the “Lord” in
difficult times of “temptation”
in life…
Loving God Under Trials
The
fourth serious “test” of true “faith” is enduring
the “temptation” of life:
Blessed is the man who endures
temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life
which the Lord has promised to those who love Him – James
1:12
THEOLOGICAL THOUIGHTS: This “promised”
reward is one of five “crowns” that the Apostle Paul outlined
throughout his New Testament epistles. It was also the Apostle Paul who also
reflected upon the “temptation“
of “man” and the “faithfulness” of God in speaking to the
spiritually immature church in Corinth:
No
temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to
bear it – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Indeed,
“God is faithful”
in all our “trials” and “temptations” that “we” will experience in life! That's the “blessed” reward of “salvation” for the “approved” true “believer” whose “faith” is demonstrated
by the way he “endures” the “temptation“ of “trials” experienced throughout his life
time. James reassures “us”
that “we” will “receive” the “crown of life” which the “Lord” has “promised”
to those who “love Him” – Praise the Lord!
The
fifth serious “test” of true “faith” is the direction of blame
in the “temptations” of life:
Let no one say when he is
tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He
Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own
desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death – James
1:13-15
True
“faith” accepts personal
responsibility for “sin”
and ungodly decisions. James is very clear in regards to the “false converts” who say “I am tempted by God” when in fact “He” does not “tempt anyone” at all! Why then, would “he” say this about the Lord who “cannot be tempted by evil” and the
wickedness of man? Because these “liars”
do not want to accept personal responsibility for their
own “sin” and rebellion
against “God” – That’s the issue!
The
“he” James is referring to
here is the unbelieving “one”
who has a false professing “faith”
demonstrated by the fact they will not accept the “truth” and are “drawn away” from “God” by their “own” wicked “desires” and “enticed”
by them. Then “sin” is “conceived” and when it becomes a “full-grown” and unrepentant,
habitual life-style pattern of personal choice
will “bring forth death” for
the “false convert” – Physical and Spiritual!
It
was the Apostle Peter of whom also reflected upon “living” in willful “sin” and the “flesh” verses “walking” in “obedience” according to the perfect “will of God”:
Therefore,
since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same
mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no
longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but
for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the
will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries,
drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it
strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation,
speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the
living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who
are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live
according to God in the spirit – 1 Peter
4:1-6
In
other words, we once “lived”
in wicked, willful “sinfulness”
through a “flood of
dissipation” in our fallen “flesh” natures. Why? Because that is all
we could do in our lost state of “sin”
and “rebellion” against God…
Until the “gospel”
of Jesus Christ “saved” us!
Therefore, Peter exclaims: “Stop living in your
willfully wicked and sinful ways!” These passages are indeed
convicting and yet comforting thoughts from our “faithful”
and “loving” Holy “God” of promise – Amen!
The
sixth serious “test” of true “faith” is regarding the “perfect” loving provision
of God’s “gifts” in life:
Do not be deceived, my beloved
brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down
from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning
– James 1:16-17
Here
James commands the “beloved brethren”
not to “be deceived” in their
“understanding” of God’s
blessings. Why? Because the only “gift”
that comes “down” from the “Father of lights” is His “good” and “perfect”
will for the true “believer”
in Him. Therefore, we must see our own “sin”
as the bad “fruit” of our own
“lust” for worldly enticements
and fleshly desires – God did not create our
trouble… We did!
James
also says there is “no variation”
nor “shadow of turning” in
God’s perfect “holiness” and
nature. Why? Because in Him there is “no darkness” what so ever! The Apostle
John confirmed this “message”
regarding the “light” of God:
This is
the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light
and in Him is no darkness at all – 1 John
1:5
IMPORTANT TRUTH: Our “sin” doesn't “come down” from God. Our “sin” comes up from within
ourselves! In other words, James and John both concur: “Show me a true believer and I'll show you the one repenting
of his own sin” – Absolutely!
Re-born to Holiness!
James
continues with a beautiful thought of which simply articulates the meaning of
the “new birth” in Jesus
Christ – “salvation” in Him:
Of His own will He brought us
forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His
creatures – James 1:18
In
fact, it was of “His own will”
by the “word of truth” that we
were “saved” by God before
the “foundations of the world”
in Him! The Apostle Paul expands on this poignant point in speaking to the
church in Ephesus:
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the
praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved – Ephesians
1:3-6
Similarly,
the Old Testament repeatedly admonishes His people to be like God: “Be holy for I the Lord am holy!” The New
Testament echoed these instructions to “believers”
concerning God’s “holiness”
throughout the epistle letters to continually “Be
holy, for I the Lord am holy.” However, in order for depraved
and “sinful” man to one day “enter” into the “holy” presence of God, we must first be set
apart from our “sin”
unto “righteousness” according
to the “good pleasure”
of “His will”
and “grace” through the
atoning shed blood “sacrifice”
of Jesus Christ. Why? Because we are not
at all “holy” or “righteous” in our wicked “fallen” nature – That’s quite obvious!
In
our “unregenerate” condition,
we do not think, speak, act or rightly perceive God. We do not “understand” God’s perfect “truth,” “law”
or His “will” for “our” lost soul. Nor do we correctly “discern” ourselves as wicked “sinners.” Therefore, the Word of God
reminds “us” that of His “own will” God “brought us forth” by His “word of truth” through the “Gospel” of His Son Jesus Christ for the “forgiveness of sin” through His “death,” “burial”
and “resurrection” from the
dead! Therefore, all “believers”
are “firstfruits” of “His creatures” through spiritual “regeneration” from “death” into “eternal life” in Jesus Christ – We are born again!
Again,
“God” has “created” us to do “good” – not “evil” – and through His Only Begotten Son gave us “power” over “sin” and “death”
as a part of a “new creation”
in Him, just as the Apostle Paul had promised:
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new – 2
Corinthians 5:17
REMNANT REMINDER: Every once in a while, we need to go
back to the simple reality
of what the “gospel” of Jesus
Christ really is from a Biblical understanding. It is through God’s Word where
James, Paul, Peter, the other Apostles and the Old Testament Prophets help us
to “understand” this “promise” in a greater way. The true “Christian” is a “kind of firstfruits” to resurrection “glory” in
Jesus Christ – We are re-born
to Holiness!
James
then closes this section with the following three points of instruction as a warning
for “our” own spiritual
benefit regarding God’s Word:
So
then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to
speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness
of God – James 1:19-20
The
issue here is our response to the Word of God. This
passage is not speaking in regards to a silly or quick answer given before
listening to the full context of a conversation. In other words, when James
says to "be swift to hear"
he means to listen intently to the Word of God. It's how “we” respond to the
Word of God that is James’ main concern. The idea here is an eagerness to grasp
every opportunity to increase our “hearing” of God's Word and to pursue every
privileged occasion to obtain the “wisdom,” “discernment,
“knowledge” and “understanding” of God and His divine “will” for our lives – That is the mark of a true believer!
We
must also be equally as “slow to
speak” on God’s behalf. In
other words, we must never presume to “speak”
on behalf of God’s Word unless “we”
are prepared for all that this honor encompasses.
Everything we “believe,” “teach” and “live”
by must be “tested” with the
Word of God in its proper context – We must never willingly misrepresent the Word of God!
James
then ties it all together with an exhortation to be “slow to wrath.” Why? Because
it is antithetical to the “righteousness
of God” of which is produced in the heart of the true “believer” in Jesus Christ! In other words,
when we “hear” something properly
taught from the Word of God, we must not build up resentment
against it – either because it doesn't agree with what we thought
it said or because it may confront our “sinful” bent. That's the main point here.
It implies an unwarranted “wrath”
against the “messenger” who lovingly
and correctly “teaches,”
“admonishes” or “confronts” us with the Sovereign Word of God – Do not be angry towards God’s Word!
In closing:
These
are very important and poignant points James makes in these passages concerning
our response to – The Word of God!
Similarly,
the Apostle Paul bluntly questioned the saints in Rome regarding God’s distain
towards man’s “foolish” and “sinful” opinion concerning God’s “sovereign” rule over everything:
But
indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? – Romans 9:20
In
other words, Paul says:"Shut your mouth and
don't ask that question! Don't you dare impugn the character and nature of God
or His Word!"
Therefore,
both James and Paul remind us in their excellent epistles that our “wrath” against the “Word of the Lord” will never incite the “righteousness of God”
within our lives. We must never presume to
challenge God’s final written authority – Found
in His perfect Word!
Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued study of The
Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!…
May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect
love, mercy and grace!
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah
and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Blessings!
Shane <><
