FAITH – WHEN STRETCHED DOESN’T BREAK

 

GODLY DEEDS VERIFY AUTHENTIC SPIRITUAL STABILITY

 

THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH

 

Three Points to Remember!

 

1. Real faith put to the test perseveres!

 

2. Normal trials that accompany life doesn’t crush genuine faith, they produce endurance.

 

3. True faith submits to God’s Word which conforms the life of a Christian to the image of Christ.

 

R. Kent Hughes in his commentary on the book of James states, “James approaches faith ‘subjectively’ in the sense of trust or confidence in the Lord, while Paul explains it ‘objectively’ – as the instrument by which a believer is justified before God.”

 

James 1:1 “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,…”

 

James begins this letter with an introduction and a greeting to the Disciples of Christ he is writing to. He describes himself as a “bond-servant.” A “bond-servant” can be defined as someone who renounces their independence from God and dedicates their life to be dependent on God for how they live all aspects of their life. The life that is lived as a “bond-servant” is not a part of the Christian’s life it is expected to be their entire life, involving their thought life, their spoken words, their actions in every facet of their life including the physical, emotional and mental aspects of their life. It is not just the way they live on Sundays or when they feel like it. It is a daily, hour by hour, minute by minute dedication and dependence upon God. You might respond with a obvious question; “How can anyone do that 100% of the time?” My answer would be your are absolutely correct. No one can accomplish this standard perfectly. That is why we are so dependent upon God’s merciful love and patience with us. All of us as Disciples of Christ are in a “training program” of becoming more like Christ. Every morning when we awake and go about our day, we have opportunities to live for Christ or live for self. We are called as a Disciple of Christ to truly embrace the life of “bond-servant” and die to self and seek to emulate Christ in how we think, act as well as how we treat others in all aspects of our life. We are to seek to abide by the precepts in Holy Scripture and relying upon the Holy Spirit to guide us every minute of every day. The more we keep in step with the Spirit, live out the Holy Bible, pray for spiritual insight and discernment we will honor our Father in Heaven and keep in step with God’s Spirit. We will be living according to the example of Jesus Christ and not only will we bring glory to God, we will also be experiencing the blessings of being the true self we were meant to be.

 

While we may wander at times from this godly pattern for our lives, we can always seek God for forgiveness, strength and wisdom to return to the path that we are destined to live as a Child of God, a “bond-servant.” Such wanderings from the godly path we are called to require us at times ,to seek the assistance of other Disciples of Christ for spiritual advice, prayer, encouragement and accountability. This is the bond we have with other Disciples of Christ. We are to counsel, pray for, encourage, support and love one another so that we can continue on the narrow path of holiness, love and obedience.

 

Galatians 2:20 is an excellent scripture verse to commit to memory that addresses our complete commitment to becoming more like Christ as we live out our Christian life.

 

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

 

Our passion to love and serve Christ our Savior, Lord and Master involves putting Him, His Word, His life and His example as our model for living our life in this world.

 

In one sense, you must sign away your own rights to really become a “bondservant of Christ.” This does not mean you become a “hermit” or that you cannot enjoy living life. It actually means you live life to its FULLEST, because you are living in a right relationship with God. As you walk as Jesus walked, stay in step with the Holy Spirit who lives within you, He will guide you in your life to walk rightly so that not only will you bring glory to God, you will experience contentment and blessings that come from living according to how you have been called to live as a Child of God. An important aspect of remaining in fellowship with God is to understand that the Holy Spirit was given to you to guide your thought life so that you make right decisions and respond to situations and people as Christ Himself would. The Spirit of God will assist you in this lifestyle as you listen for His promptings, remember passages of scripture you have read and/or memorized and rely upon other Disciples of Christ to support you in prayer.

 

1:1 (continued) “To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.”

 

In the first verse of this first chapter James reveals to whom he is writing, “to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad.” James is writing specifically to Jewish Christians who very likely he had known in Jerusalem but who were now scattered abroad as a result of the persecution of the church by Jewish leaders who did not believe Jesus was the Son of God. The Greek word for “dispersed” is “diaspora” which means “scattered throughout.” An illustration of what is meant by such words would be how grain seeds are dispersed as they are thrown out into a field for planting of a crop. At this time in history the Emperor of Rome, Claudius, was in the process of persecuting the Jews and driven them out of Rome. He ordered Jewish businesses to be boycotted. It was also a hard time not only for adult Jews, but also their children. Jewish children were made fun of and expelled from schools. Life for any Jew was very difficult at this time in history was not only but harsh but almost unbearable. Jewish Christians had it even worse. They were not only persecuted by the Roman Emperor and government but also by Jews who did not wish to be associated with those who called themselves followers of Jesus Christ.

 

In this first verse of the first chapter of this letter James writes “Greetings.” The Greek word for “Greeting” is
“chairein” which literally means “to rejoice.”

 

James was one of the main leaders in the Jerusalem church fellowship. In Acts 15 we see that James wrote from Jerusalem prior to the meeting of the Jerusalem Council, which the physician Luke recorded in Acts 15. At that council, James and Peter as well as Paul, affirmed the decision to take the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. This council met together in 49 A.D. This would indicate that James very likely wrote this letter in AD 45-48. The importance of the meeting of the Jerusalem Council very likely caused James to write this New Testament letter. James was writing to a Jewish Christian community. James in this letter makes no mention of Gentile Christians at all, which substantiates the early date of the letter very likely. It is even possible that this was the first New Testament book written!

 

As we read the following verses 2-4 of chapter one we should consider relating to those Christians this letter is written to, because we have something in common. As we look at our society today in America we see how far our supposedly Christian nation has slipped into immorality, perversity and greed. As we watch the news, read newspapers and view what takes place in our every-day society we see a growing perversity of our American society. The promotion of lifestyles and sexual preferences in our country resembles very closely the sinful perversity of what was taking place in the Roman culture hundreds of years ago.

 

When we consider the first century Disciples of Christ that James was writing to and the struggles they were facing as well as the sinful society that surrounded them surely they were burdened by how to live godly lives. James in writing this letter, is attempting to convict them of the fact that real true faith in God and the saving work of Christ will produce genuine godly works. This fact leads us to the following verses of James 1.

 

James 1:2-4 states; “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

 

This first few verses in this passage sound rather strange and almost irrational! Why would you be joyful for enduring an very unpleasant trial in life?

 

In verse 2 of Chapter 1 we see a most amazing statement by James. He is instructing the Jewish Christians to “consider it” not just “joyful,” but “ALL joyful” to encounter all sorts of various trials. This might cause us to consider James as encouraging “masochism” (enjoying pain for pain’s sake), but this is not the purpose and intent of James at all.

 

R. Kent Hughes in his commentary on James explains this verse as follows; “James is not ordering all-encompassing joyful emotion during severe trials; nor is he demanding that his readers must enjoy their trials, or that trials are joy. He knew, as did the writer of Hebrews, that “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant” (Hebrews 12:11)…James is commending the conscious embrace of a Christian understanding of life that brings, joy into the trials that come because of our Christianity.”

 

The Greek word here that James uses for the word “trial” is “peirasmos” which also is used in chapter 1:12. This word can refer to trials, tests or temptations that we face which test or challenge the integrity of our faith in God.

 

This word is also used in 1 Peter 1:3-9, ” Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various TRIALS, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

But this word “peirasmos” can also refer to “TEMPTATIONS,” which are things that appeal to our sinful tendencies and test our moral integrity as a Child of God. Jesus faced such temptations in the wilderness when he was TESTED by Satan. Luke 4:13 “When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.”

 

In verses 2-12 of James chapter 1, James deals with the first meaning – tests that challenge a Disciple of Christ’s faith. In verses 13-18, James deals with the second meaning – temptations the can result in sin.

 

As a Disciple of Christ we must face the fact that trials in this world we live in are inevitable. Trials are inescapable and unavoidable. They happen because we live in a world that is cursed by the sin of mankind and trials are a result of this curse brought onto mankind because of the sin of Adam and Eve. We could rant and rave about how unfair it is that we have to pay for the sins of Adam and Eve…but the truth is we would have made the same choice they made if we were in their position.

 

Oswald Sanders in his book “Spiritual Leadership” states the following concerning how God mused trials and temptations to bring us to full maturity in our spiritual life.

 

“When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, and skill a man, When God wants to mold a man, to play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart, To create so great and bold a man, That all the world shall be amazed, Watch His methods, watch His ways! How He ruthlessly perfects, Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him, And with mighty blows converts him, Into trial shapes of clay which, Only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying, And he lifts beseeching hands! How He bends bur never breaks, When his good He undertakes; How He uses whom He chooses, And with every purpose fuses him; By every act induces him, To try His splendor out— God knows what He’s about!”

 

It would be less overwhelming if there was just one test, trial or challenge we face that tempts us to sin but the word James uses for “various” is “poikilos” which means “diverse, variegated or many-colored.” You could say that temptations and trials come into our lives in a tremendous variety of ways, often tailored to our specific weaknesses and attractions to the sinful world we live in. Some of this is because of Satan’s work to tempt and test us as much as he is able, to draw us away from our Heavenly Father or wound and/or tarnish our Christian witness. But despite our own weakness and/or the attacks of Satan we MUST be aware that whatever the origin of the temptation or trial we can overcome the situation as long as we seek strength, wisdom and help from the Father, Son and Spirit. In verse 3 of chapter one James informs us of the purpose behind the temptation or trial.

 

James 1:3-4 “…knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

 

Again, Ken Hughes has some wise words concerning the results of enduring tests and trials.

 

“It is commonly taught that trials bring maturity, but it is not so. Rather fortitude and perseverance in times of testings produce maturity. In troubled times we must practice spiritual toughness. As we endure ‘trials of various kinds’ – economic stress, disappointments, criticisms, domestic pressure, persecution for our faith, illnesses – the multiple facets of our being are touched with grace…The key to a graced life, pearl-tipped facets of personality, and thus full maturity is constancy, tenacity, perseverance. Spirit toughness is the key to saintliness!”

 

This scripture passage illustrates for us that God has a spiritual purpose for allowing temptations and trials to come into our life. As you continue reading we see that this passage is using an illustration of an athlete who is in training for a significant athletic event which has a reward if they perform well. Anyone who has competed in athletic events knows that consistent hard training prepares you for the trials ahead in competition. It strengthens muscles and coordination as well as training the heart, mind and soul for the challenges that are ahead in the competition. We see the same result in the spiritual lives we lead.

 

Dr. Charles Swindoll states regarding James 1:4 the following; “James encourages his readers to “let endurance have its perfect result.” The language communicates the idea of cooperation with God’s work. We find a similar idea of a passive cooperation with God’s plan in 1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”

 

My daughter, Annie, is involved in making pottery creations, not just dishes and bowls, but also birds, cats and all sorts of creatures that come from her imagination, as well as all sorts of leaning houses. She uses her hands and fingers to mold a work of art. In the same way God’s hands work through our various circumstances to bring about His perfect result of maturity and completeness in our lives, His spiritual children and His Son Jesus’ spiritual disciples.

 

The wise godly man Oswald Sanders in his book on spiritual leadership states the following:

 

“When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, and skill a man,…

 

When God wants to mold a man, To play the noblest part;…

 

“When He yearns with all His heart, To create so great and bold a man,

 

That all the world shall be amazed,

 

Watch His methods, watch His ways!

 

How He ruthlessly perfects, Whom He royally elects!

 

How He hammers him and hurts him, And with mighty blows converts him,

 

Into trial shapes of clay which, Only God understands;

 

While his tortured heart is crying, And he lifts beseeching hands!

 

How He bends but never beaks, When his good He undertakes;

 

How He uses whom He chooses, and with every purpose fuses him;

 

By every act induces him, To try His splendor out — God knows what He’s about!”

 

James in verses 2-4 of Chapter 1 gives us specific commands he wanted his readers (which includes us as well) to follow:

 

“CONSIDER” 1:2, “KNOW” 1:3, and “LET…HAVE” 1:4. We should evaluate and take to heart each of these significant words.

 

“Consider” in the original Greek is very interesting. The word comes from a root term that means to ‘lead or guide’, from which we get our word “hegemony,” the leading guide or influence of something. The Greek term could be used for a person at the front of a line, leading a procession or march. What James is implying is that our witness among others of our dedication to Christ lived out in everyday life should be with joy. This joy is bolstered by our other attitudes and actions of our dedication and commitment to Christ our Savior. James uses the word “knowing” which in the Greek instructs his readers to have great godly joy as the basis and motivation of their attitudes and actions behind their life thoughts and actions because of their dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. This emphasizes that despite trials and tribulations, hardships and trauma they can continue to be joyful, positive and even calm in the midst of such a difficult life. We must remember that God has a greater purpose in the trials and tests that we face in life. Because we know the Father, Son and Spirit wish to love, support and enable us to live through such trials, we can endure more than we could ever imagine in our own power.

 

James 1:4 describes the manifestations of faith put to the test and rewarded. We cooperative with the work of god in our lives as we face and overcome or endure temptations, trials and hardships. The “perfect result” is spiritual maturity, a deepening of our relationship with our Father God, a greater appreciation for the ministry of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and a mature close relationship of our role model, Jesus Christ!

 

1 Peter 5:6-11 should be read and considered at this point in James to see another spiritual truth.

 

1 Peter 5:6-11, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

 

Several scripture passages attest to the symbolism of endurance in the physical realm of life and how often it relates to the spiritual realm of our lives as Disciples of Christ.

 

1 Corinthians 4:9-13, “9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”

 

2 Timothy 2:8-11, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

 

Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry and alluded to the spiritual necessity of remaining faithful to the calling to live like Christ and endure hardship for the sake of the gospel.

 

2 Timothy 4:1-5, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

 

The writer of Hebrews also shared concerning the enduring faith of Moses in Hebrews.

 

Hebrews 11:24-29, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.”

 

Later In the book of Hebrews more evidence is given for the necessity to endure hardship to grow in faith and glorify God in the process!

 

Hebrews 12:7-17, “7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. “12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”

 

Another scripture passage can be found in 1 Peter which addresses the servant who must endure hardship under their master. This passage could refer to not only a Christian servant under a Master of a house, but also Disciples of Christ under the authority of God the Father, Son and Spirit.

 

1 Peter 2:18-20, “18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

 

Christians in the first century often identified with the word “Diakonos” as it related to their role and life ministry of being the servant of Christ and other Disciples of Christ as well. The Greek word “Diakonos” is a call to a life of serving others than self and “doulos” is a call to become a slave of the master, Jesus. Both “diakonos” and “doulos” in Mark 10:43–44 are a call for a disciple to follow on the footsteps of Jesus and live a life of enduring hardships and suffering. The concept of Christians being a Servant of the Father, Son and Spirit is obvious because of the authority of the Father, the sacrificial example of Christ and the intimate ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Believer.

 

Before going onto James 1:5-8 I wish to share a timeless poem by an unknown author.

 

“My life is but a weaving, between my Lord and me; I cannot choose the colors. He worketh steadily. Oftimes He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride, forget He sees the upper and I the underside. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why, The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skillful hand, As the threads of gold and silver, in the pattern He has planned.”

 

The poem describes one of the mysteries of life, which is how hard times come without warning and we cannot understand why such trials take place when we are seemingly in close fellowship with the Lord and living a holy life. But I remind myself that all of us are on a journey in which God wishes to mold our heart, mind and soul into one focused on Him…ever growing in depth and holiness. Such growth is followed by reaching out to others to assist in their needs, show love and concern for their emotional wounds and to share the good news of the Gospel so that they too can become a member of God’s family which brings eternal life and true meaning in life.

 

James 1:5-8, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

 

Verses 5-8 of James chapter one prompts me to ask a question of you, the reader of this commentary. Why do trials and hardships overwhelm us at times? Why do we worry so much about such difficulties? Why do we sometimes cave in rather than stand firm in our faith at times? What is the cause of godly joy as we endure hardships that we face in our lives? Very likely the reason is, we lack godly wisdom. Rather than trusting God, growing in spiritual wisdom and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we fail to grow in our spiritual life and we fall into a pit of despair and confusion. Lack of spiritual wisdom which comes from faith in God leaves us vulnerable to the trials, temptations and tests that we face in life.”

 

Several passages in the Psalms and Proverbs speak directly to the characteristic of “godly wisdom.”

 

Psalms 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

 

Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

 

Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy One is insight.”

 

James in verse 6 is not speaking of “saving faith.” He is speaking of “sustaining faith!” This is the kind of faith that empowers us to endure trials, to assist us in aligning our will and attitude with God’s divine perspective of living the Christian life. This kind of faith empowers us to endure the trials of life. It aligns our will and our spiritual attitude with God’s divine perspective. We abandon ourselves to God and submit to His mighty hand and providence over our lives!

 

What is the opposite of faith? It is DOUBT! A deep-seated doubt of God’s ability to help us survive a tough and difficult experience undermines any faith we may have if we allow it to. God has given us numerous resources for us to fight doubt, put it away from our thoughts and move forward into our future. God has given His Holy Word for us to study, meditate upon and apply to our lives. He has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us to empower us to remain faithful to our Heavenly Father and trust He will give us the ability to deal with harsh difficult experiences. We also have fellow Christians who can come alongside us to encourage us, pray for us and help us with our burdens, temptations, weaknesses and struggles.

 

One significant aspect of someone who lacks wisdom is often the foolish and improper ways they make decisions. Such bad decisions will usually lead to bad consequences and overwhelming frustration that dominates their life. Often they are torn between the right and the wrong way to think and the right and the wrong way to make decisions which reflects their “two-minded” way they live their spiritual life.

 

The word in this verse for “double-minded” (dipsychos) does literally mean “double-minded.” The Old Testament describes the character characterizes those who sin as having a “divided heart.”

 

Psalms 12:2, “They speak falsehood to one another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.”

 

I’m not sure if you have heard of the following illustration of frustration of a double-minded person, but I’ll share it and I am sure you will see how it relates to the unwise double-minded individual.

 

The setting involves a curious monkey, a hollowed-out gourd filled with rice and a tree from which the gourd hangs. A hungry monkey comes along and he can smell the luscious rice inside the gourd. He climbs up the tree and puts his tiny hand in the gourd to get a hand-full of rice to solve his hunger urges. The problem is his small hand was able to enter the gourd, but he cannot extract it unless he drops the rice! The monkey’s hand filled with rice is too big to be removed unless he drops the rice! He’s trapped! Because his hunger dominates his decision-making he just can’t bring himself to release the rice. He is stuck because of his hunger and strong will to obtain the rice. This is a good illustration of the “double-minded” Christian. One desire of this Christian desires to live for God…but the temptation is to hold onto the “fleshly-minded” desires of his past life without Christ as his Savior. When we refuse or resist to “die to self” and release our grip on our past ungodly desires, we quench the Holy Spirit. We are rejecting the holy precepts of Jesus’ teachings and the godly instruction contained in Holy Scripture and we fail to grow in our new life in Christ. Often such pressures that facilitate such actions are the result of failing to read and memorize scripture, failure to attend church and Bible studies to be tutored by other more mature Believers, dying to our sin nature and seeking to grow in Christ on a daily; moment by moment basis.

 

Here James opens the door for how we can acquire wisdom from God. Disciples of Christ in the first century needed godly wisdom to deal with the struggles of life, to love each other and minister to those in need. They also needed wisdom to live under the rule of worldly leaders and their oppressive rule. They also found it necessary to ask for wisdom to deal with the temptations that ran rampant in a godless society they lived in. God knows that in the world we live in today not much has changed. Our society is becoming morally decadent (a state of moral and cultural decline) at a rampant pace. We need wisdom as much as the first century Christians did. How should we respond in wisdom and love as a Disciple of Christ when we face such issues as “abortion”, “same-sex marriage”, “gender-change”, etc.? Godly wisdom and love must balance our thoughts and words as we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in confronting sin with Biblical truth, godly wisdom, compassion and love to speak Biblical truth to those who are following the patterns of the worldly society.

 

The advice from James in seeking wisdom is to ask God for this godly wisdom. He states that God will give this wisdom generously and without reproach. In other words, God would welcome any request for wisdom, be it for whatever purpose to deal with the issues of life, to make godly choices and decisions, to enable you to respond to others appropriately and to make plans for your future that would be approved by the Lord God Almighty.

 

The Holy Scriptures contain a wealth of wisdom as to how to deal with the decisions of life in all aspects of living in the world. Following are a few scripture passage that illustrate the wisdom that the Bible can provide.

 

Psalms 51:6, “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.”

 

Psalms 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;…”

 

Proverbs 2:6-10, “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;…”

 

Proverbs 3:13-15, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her.”

 

Proverbs 3:21-26, “Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 26 For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.”

 

Proverbs 4:5-11, “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. 7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. 8 “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. 9 “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.” 10 Hear, my son, and accept my sayings And the years of your life will be many. 11 I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.”

 

Proverbs 9:10-11, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.”

 

Proverbs 15:33, “The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.”

 

Proverbs 16:16, “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.”

 

Proverbs 19:8, “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.”

 

Proverbs 29:3, “A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,…”

 

James continues with his letter in verse 9. “9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.”

 

Verses 9 through 11 are very interesting because James throws us a curve ball. The natural society of the world views people of humble means as: poor, substandard, under-privileged, lacking in some way. But here, James states that the brother (or sister) in Christ who is of humble means should glory in their “high position!” In other words, those of humble circumstances should glory in their state of affairs. Why does he state this? I believe James is attempting to help those of humble means understand that a person who has to live more humbly because of their finances actually has a lot going for them in regards to life. While they must be more frugal with their finances and live a more simplistic life, the positive flip side of this is their spiritual life and relationship with the Lord is often more vibrant and personal. The distractions of wealth and temptations of being able to purchase or indulge in worldly goods and pursuits are diminished when you have to live more responsibly. Also, the temptations that come with being wealthy are not present. When you have an overabundance of wealth you are tempted to be more “loose” with what you purchase, what you choose to do for entertainment. To be honest concerning my own life…when I have extra money available I begin thinking of what I should do with the surplus. I am tempted to purchase items that I don’t need, go places that I normally wouldn’t go for vacations. I begin to lower my standards of wise money spending. I think most of us are tempted in this way. It is a wise Disciple of Christ who makes sure they invest in the Kingdom of God by giving surplus to God or helping those in need, or putting away the surplus for a “difficult rainy day.”

 

James also throws a second curve ball at us by stating that the rich man is to glory in his humiliation. Why?

 

Because those who are of humble circumstances, who are in close fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit consider themselves RICH BEYOND MEASURE because of their intimate relationship with God! They are very likely growing spiritually by leaps and bounds because they are driven to not only to depend on God, but they are often seeking God more because of their resources cause them to handle the trials of their life in a more mature spiritual manner. They seek to pray more often than the average person often and are seeing answered prayer as a result. They are growing to depend on God more and therefore their faith – while tested – is bringing the reward of a more intimate relationship with God. They are facing the trials and struggles of life bravely because they know God is working in their lives, looking out for them, giving them the strength to carry on as well the knowledge that God is refining them both spiritually, mentally and emotionally. They have embraced the truth that this TOUGH world is but a brief moment in the eternity that they will spend with God in Heaven!

 

No always, but very often those who are rich, well-off or have material possessions in great abundance feel they have it made. What more could they want when they have an over-abundance of the physical needs that are necessary to enjoy life in the material world. I know there are rich/well-off people who are humble and godly, but by far the majority of those who possess an overabundance of wealth focus on the worldly possessions they have acquired. It takes a disciplined and wise person to handle riches and wealth in a responsible manner. That is very rare these days.

 

Douglas J. Moo in his commentary on James states the following regarding verses 9-11: “The rich person, like the poor person, must look beyond his outward physical circumstances to the abiding spiritual values and circumstances of the unseen ‘heavenly realm’.”

 

Both “POOR” and “RICH” individuals have their burden to bear in living their commitment to Christ if they are dedicated Disciples of Christ. The “POOR” who have little material possessions and must struggle to live in this world must realize they are rich spiritually if they dedicate their lives to Christ and seek to live a godly life to glorify God in all they do. They must focus on the “RICHNESS” of their blessing from knowing Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and know their great reward awaits for them in Heaven; being in the presence of God and having eternal life in Heaven.

 

The “RICH” who have an overabundance of material possessions who have a life in this world of having almost anything they desire must balance their thought life and actions with the fact that when it comes to a eternal life, the richness of their life in material possessions can be a burden or temptation to living for God in this earthly life. They should seek to avoid allowing their earthly wealth to become more important than God and also to avoid such earthly benefits distracting them from their commitment to living every moment of their lives for God. The wealthy Disciple of Christ should seek to perceive how their worldly wealth can be used to not just provide for them a blessed life, but to seek ways to bless others and advance the message of salvation to others. They also are in a position of ministering in many ways using their wealth to further the Gospel, feeding and clothing the poor and also investing in ministries that spread the truth of God around the world.

 

James continues with his challenging instructions for holy living.

 

“12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

 

The Holy Spirit guides James in his words as he tells us that Disciples of Christ are blessed when they persevere under difficult trials. While James uses the example of a man the implied application would really include women, young adults and children. Anyone of any age who has accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord is living a new life grounded on the Word of God, made possible by the death of Christ on the cross and His powerful resurrection and victory over death and sin.

 

The word “blessed” (makarios) in this verse means “genuinely happy.” Jesus used this word nine times in his introduction to His Sermon on the Mount! (Matthew 5:3-11.

 

Trials in our lives come to us in numerous varieties and intensities. They can last for minutes, hours, days, months and sometimes even years. They can be horrible as well as brutal at times. They come in a variety of horrible varieties which can include mental, psychological, emotional as well as physical traumas. These hardships can sometimes be flagrant and dramatic, but they can also be subtle and deceptive. Such trials and tribulations may be just because we live in a fallen world full of imperfect people, some of who are extremely evil, selfish and perverted, not to mention sinful. Such hardships and trials can be a result of mistakes we have made or because of sin in our lives, but they can also have nothing to do with our actions and just because the world is imperfect, full of imperfect people and for this time in history is often under the influence of Satan and his demons. Trials can bring tears and suffering; which can include physical, mental, emotional and psychological suffering. When we as Disciples of Christ face a trial we have several options to pursue as a Disciple of Christ to assist us in enduring the trial as well as learning from it and also becoming a better Disciple of our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

How do we not just “endure” trials but also “RISE ABOVE” them?

 

First, I would suggest that when troubles come into our life we must respond with godly wisdom. Godly wisdom is developed when we seek to develop an intimate spiritual relationship with our Heavenly Father, walk in the way that Jesus walked and rely upon the Holy Spirit who lives within us to empower us to live godly and wise. The Holy Spirit is not just our comforter. He is also our spiritual advisor and encourager. Fellow Disciples of Christ can also encourage us as well as we seek advice and prayerful support.

 

Several scriptures come to mind that will help us stay on the right track as we face trials.

 

Romans 8:26-28, “And in like manner the Spirit also helps us in our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; 27 and He searches our heart and knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.”

 

Hebrews 12:1-3, “Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls.”

 

Biblical commentator James Woo comments on verse 12. “While the earlier text presented ‘steadfastness’ as the product of testing, the present verse pronounces a blessing on those who endure during the trial. What James is suggesting, then, is that the Christian must practice ‘steadfastness’ in order to achieve a settled, steadfast character. as the athlete ‘endures’ bodily stress in order to achieve a high level of physical endurance, so the Christian is to endure the trials of life in order to attain the spiritual endurance that will bring perfection.”

 

1 Peter 1:6-8, gives us further evidence that spiritual maturity is built as we live out the scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” “6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in manifold trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perishes though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: 8 whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory:…”

 

Secondly, I would suggest when hardships and temptations present themselves we should respond with faith and trust in God. When we experience trials it is a test of our faith in God. We should seek to have absolute confidence in God’s promises to care for us and give us strength to endure such difficulties. This is one of the many reasons He has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us to guide us, encourage us, give us strength and endure whatever might come into our lives in the form of hardships, pain and trauma. Experiencing such difficult times we feel there is no way we can endure the hardships and pain. But God is always present in our lives and has given the Holy Spirit to intercede for us and empower us to endure. He will also make available other Disciples of Christ to minister to us who have often endured the same type of traumatic events and therefore, they can minister to us and share their story of how God ministered and helped them cope. This is the hope we have if we have frequented local churches and formed support people who can minister to us.

 

Several scripture passages illustrate the importance of Disciples of Christ to rely upon one another to grow in the faith and to remain steadfast in trusting God for strength to endure trials.

 

The first scripture describes how Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to “strengthen and encourage” the faith of Christians in Thessalonica.

 

1 Thessalonians 3:24, “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens, 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith,…”

 

The second scripture challenges us to remain firmly convicted to live out our confession of hope in Jesus Christ and the salvation we have in Him and to encourage one another in our faith.

 

Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

 

We are so blessed by God to have Christians, Disciples of Christ, who are willing to support us and for us to support them as we all live out our faith in this troubled world.

 

James mentions in this verse that the man (or woman I would add) who perseveres under a trial will receive the “’Crown of Life’ which the Lord Jesus Christ promised to those who love Him.”

 

There are Five Crowns mentioned in Scripture, one of which is the Crown of life. Let me digress for a moment and share something about these five crowns.

 

The Five Crowns, which are also known as the Five Heavenly Crowns, is a concept in Christian theology the pertains to various scripture passages in the Bible that mention speak of the receiving of a crown after the “Last Judgment.” Christian theologians identify five separate crowns which are as follows:

 

Crown of Life

Incorruptible Crown

Crown of Righteousness

Crown of Glory

Crown of Exultation

Commentators of Holy Scripture interpret the scripture passages that discuss these crowns as delineating five separate crowns as listed above.

 

In the Greek language, “stephanos” (στέφανος) is the word for crown and is translated as such in the Bible, especially in versions descending from the King James Version. These five crowns could be considered “rewards” or “blessings” that are deservedly bestowed on Followers of Christ, according to the New Testament, as “rewards for faithfulness in this life.”

 

The first crown is the one that James mentions in his New Testament letter.

 

Crown of Life: “The Crown of Life” (Also called the Martyr’s Crown), is referred to in James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10. It is given to “those who persevere under trials.” Jesus references this crown when he tells the Church in Smyrna to “not be afraid of what you are about to suffer… Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

 

Incorruptible Crown: The Incorruptible Crown, also called the Imperishable Crown, is referenced in 1 Corinthians 9:25. 1 Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul and he calls this crown “imperishable” in order “to contrast it with the temporal awards Paul’s contemporaries pursued”. It is given to those individuals who demonstrate “self-denial and perseverance”.

 

Crown of Righteousness: The Crown of Righteousness is mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:8, and is promised to “those who love Christ and anticipate” the Second Coming of Christ. These Christians greatly desire an intimate relationship with God.

 

Crown of Glory: The Crown of Glory is discussed in 1 Peter 5:4 and is granted to Christian clergy, who “shepherd the flock in unselfish love being a good example to others” 1 Peter 5:2–4.

 

Crown of Exultation (or Rejoicing): The Crown of Rejoicing, also known as the Crown of Exultation, or Crown of Auxiliary is yet another crown mentioned in scripture. This crown is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 and Philippians 4:1. Such a crown is given to Disciples of Christ who engage in evangelism of those outside the Christian Church. In the New Testament, Paul earns this crown after winning the Thessalonians to faith in Jesus.

 

James continues with his letter and discusses the issues we have with temptations which we experience in our daily lives. As we move into verse 13 of chapter 1 of James we see that temptations which test our moral endurance. Here James explores in detail the inner workings of how temptations seek to pull us away from God’s Word and the holy influence of the Holy Spirit who lives within each Believer. James begins with facts that describe and reveal how temptations take place (1:13-16) and then focuses on how to have victory over temptations and avoid sinning against God.

 

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

 

James tells us that there are four characteristics of temptations.

 

First: Temptations are always present to every individual, be they a ‘Disciple of Christ’ or a ‘non-believer.’

 

Second: Temptations are NEVER prompted by God!

 

It is surprising that James makes a comment in verse 13 that seems to suggest that sometimes people claim that God is doing the tempting as they live out their commitment to the Father, Son and Spirit. Apparently people assume that since God is all-knowing and all-powerful that when we are tempted it is a temptation that God puts in front of us. But James quickly and succinctly counters this train of thought and derails it with his comment in verse 13; “God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” Everyone should know that God cannot ever be tempted with evil and would in no way tempt us. Such an action by God of tempting someone would be against His nature since any form of sin, evil or transgression of purity would never even be contemplated by Him because of his pure holiness. The same would be true of Jesus as well as the Holy Spirit. To even consider the thought that God would tempt us is actually blaspheming God. So who does the tempting?

 

We find an answer in verse 14, but before I discuss that verse we should understand the three sources of temptation that are described in Holy Scripture:

 

The three sources of temptation as discussed in scripture are:

 

• The World — “indifference and opposition to God’s design”, “empty, passing values”

 

• The Flesh — “gluttony and sexual immorality, … our corrupt inclinations and disordered passions”;

 

• The Devil — “a real, personal enemy, a fallen angel, Father of Lies, who labors in relentless malice to twist us away from salvation”;

 

J. C. Ryle an Anglican Bishop in the 1800’s gives us powerful encouraging advice when he states the following: “The World, the flesh and the devil can never overwhelm the weakest person who sets their face towards God.”

 

These three sources of temptation are viewed as in opposition to the three persons of God; the Father, Son and Spirit. This does not imply that these sources of temptation are related to any specific aspect of the Trinity (Father, Son, Spirit) since the Father, Son and Spirit are a ” unified single godhead.” It is beyond our comprehension as to how God can exist in a “unified triune” godhead, it is something we must accept on faith, but Holy Scripture describes this triune nature of our God as “Father, Son and Spirit.” The diagram to the right illustrates that the Father, Son are Spirit are all aspects of our unified God, but are also distinct in some fashion beyond our meager understanding.

Continuing on with our analysis of the three sources of temptation; the World, the Flesh and the Devil, we see in the book of Ephesians that we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior we were spiritually dead in our sins. The following passage in Ephesians contrasts our standing before God previous to accepting Christ as our Savior and the mercy we received when we committed our life to Christ. This passage also speaks of how we walked in our sinful state but the change which took place when we accepted Christ as our Savior and how we are now in a process of being recreated as a new creation spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

 

Ephesians 2:1-10, “1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

But the issue we face daily is that while we are a child of God as a Disciple of Christ, we are a work in process. None of us is perfect, though we are forgiven for our sins; past, present and future. We must realize that we must die to our self each day, seek to grow spiritually mature through reliance on the Spirit who lives within us. We must also seek through study and application of God’s Holy Word to apply the Holy Scriptures to our daily lives as the Holy Spirit within us gives us the power to do so.

 

Our next verse tells us that while we are a Disciple of Christ, we will continue to be tempted to sin and often we will sin. This is because we are a work in progress. Our sin nature is still something we will continue to battle.

 

Third: Temptation to sin always follows a consistent and persistent process.

 

Temptations we face always follows a consistent process. James in verse 14, communicates this to us by using the word “but” in verse 14. This word “but” here in verse 14 indicates a contrast. In other words, God does not tempt us, the temptation originates in some kind of external object or person. The words in verse 14 reveal the source of the temptation.

 

“14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”

 

Douglas J. Moo, states the following concerning James 1:14, “God himself tempts no one. What must be understood is that temptation is an impulse to sin, and since God is not susceptible to any such desire for evil He cannot be seen as desiring that it be brought about in man.” In other words, you can’t blame God that He put you in a situation of temptation to cause you to sin. You and only you must accept the responsibility for any sin you may commit. While Satan may tempt you, if you fall into sin because of Satan’s temptation, you are the active party who chose to sin and therefore are the one who is held to the blame for the sinful act.

 

The term “enticed” is a term related to fishing, meaning to “bait”. In a sense a “lure” is dangled before us and we are tempted to pursue it, to take the bait, bite down and become ensnared in sin as a result. A non-believer often has very little chance of avoiding taking the bait and sinning. But, even mature and godly Disciples of Christ are at risk as well if they do not walk in the Spirit, live by the Word of God and seek to be led by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must always be aware of the fact that God is NEVER the source of a temptation. Even though we have accepted Christ as our Savior and have the Holy Spirit residing in our heart and mind, we still have the “free will” to take the evil bait and fall into sin. Though we have been saved from our sin and have the Holy Spirit within us we must be ever watchful for temptations and seek strength from God, empowerment from the Holy Spirit and study the scriptures so we can turn away from sin.

Above and to the right is a graphic that I developed which illustrates the concept of how our sinful flesh, tempted by desire for something that is evil or selfishly motivated leads to sin against God.

As Disciples of Christ we need to comprehend the importance of understanding FOUR things about TEMPTATION!

 

A quotation from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the brave and courageous German Theologian who was killed by the Nazis for taking a stand against Adolf Hitler during World War II describes the process of temptation that presents itself before a Disciple of Christ.

 

“In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money, or, finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world, of nature. Joy in God is in course of being extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature. At this moment God is quite unreal to us, He loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; the only reality is the devil. Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God.”

 

1. TEMPTATION is ALWAYS PRESENT! NO ONE, I REPEAT NO ONE, CAN, SAY THAT THEY ARE BEYOND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING TEMPTED!

 

2. TEMPTATION NEVER HAS ITS ORIGIN IN GOD. (Remember James 1:13)

 

Do you remember James 1:13-16?  “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”

 

God is NEVER directly or even indirectly involved in temptation. NEVER! EVER!

 

3. TEMPTATION WILL ALWAYS FOLLOWS A CONSISTENT PROCESS.

 

“14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”

 

Temptation comes from our sin nature responding to some kind of external stimuli or internal thought. Even though a Disciple of Christ has been saved from their sin, this does not mean they will never sin again. We have a new nature, but our sinful flesh still exists and can cause desires to arise which we can obey or overcome through the power of the Spirit.

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was killed by the Nazis for rebelling against Hitler’s rule over Germany wrote the following:

 

“In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. all at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money, or, finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world, of nature. Joy in God is in course of being extinguished in us, He loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; the only reality is the devil, Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God.”

 

The results of caving into sin is caused by several issues:

 

Failing to rely upon Holy Scripture to train us to recognize sin and respond appropriately.

 

Failing to listen to the Holy Spirit, our Holy Helper within us, who can give us not just the warning of sinful motives and thoughts, but also the wisdom, knowledge and power to resist temptation and sin.

 

Failing to seek to grow in our dedication to the Lord, which comes from fellowship in a local church where we can grow spiritually through teaching, fellowship and being accountable to others in our spiritual life.

 

Failing to grow in our personal relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit which comes often from a persistent prayer life, devotional study of the Holy Scriptures and being intimately involved in a local church fellowship. Being a “loner” as a Christian isolates us from spiritual growth, does nothing to foster building relationships with other Christians who can minister to us and for us to minister to them as well. Another important aspect of the Christian life is learning our spiritual gifts so we can express them towards other Christians and they can express their gifts towards us.

 

In James 1:15 we come to the stage when our thoughts, lusts or actions conceive and encourage the birth of sin in our heart, mind and soul.

 

“15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

 

This conception of lust being conceived is a metaphor for the scriptural truth that when we ponder, consider, entertain, dwell upon sinful ideas, thoughts or imaginations we in a sense spiritually bring about the conception of sin. In other words, we start the growth within our heart and our thoughts, the desire and purpose to seek to live out those sinful thoughts to fulfill our evil desires. We are birthing or conceiving mischievous thoughts that can encourage us to seek to live them out in our lives.

 

In Job 15 we see references to this conception of evil thoughts, perversity desiring to be lived out and a mind that is deceived by evil. Several scriptures which speak of this are as follows:

 

Job 15:34-35, “For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt. “They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception.”

 

Psalms 7:12-16 also speaks of this distorted mindset.

 

“12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.
13 He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness, And he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate (“Pate” references a man’s forehead, which in this verse means that the person’s mischievous sinful thoughts and plans will bring waste and only sinful mischief!”

 

To put it simply, our DESIRE + EVIL BAIT = SIN…Unless we turn to God and pray for strength, rely upon the Holy Spirit for power to resist and commit to live by the Holy Scriptures! It is also very important when tempted, to confide in a strong Christian friend or pastor to help you so that you can be accountable for your actions as well as how you can resist temptation.

 

We continue to sin at times because we battle the sinful flesh as a Disciple of Christ due to the fact that we will not achieve perfect holiness and perfection until we enter Heaven. Lust of the flesh still resides within us and only by relying on the Holy Spirit within us, living out the Holy Scriptures, seeking to be consistent in prayer, meeting with other Christians in fellowship and dedicating ourselves to living like Christ will we continue to grow more mature as a Follower of Christ. James continues in the next verse to illustrate the necessity of being consistent in our walk with Christ.

 

“15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

 

Verse 15 is a warning that though we have accepted Christ as our Savior and have been forgiven for all our sins, past and present and future; we will continue to sin because we still battle our sinful flesh. But this is not a hopeless life of repetitive sin. We have an Advocate with God the Father who intercedes for us “Jesus Christ” our Savior. Our responsibility as Disciples of Christ when we sin is that we confess these sins to keep short accounts with God. This assists in our spiritual growth and our calling to seek to be more like Christ each day. Following are numerous scriptures which will help illustrate our past position as an “unsaved” person as well as a saved person who continues to battle their sin nature. When we sin as a Disciple of Christ it is our spiritual responsibility as a Child of God to confess any sin and ask for forgiveness. In other words, we should seek to keep “short accounts” with our Lord and Savior. While we have already been forgiven for all our sins past, present and future, it is to our benefit that we confess sins when we commit them so that from our standpoint we are keeping short accounts with our Lord and Savior. It is to our GREAT benefit we confess our sins to God as a Disciple of Christ because it reminds us that we are forgiven, it helps us realize that we are continuing to be forgiven and it facilitates our love for the Lord and the relationship we have with Him.

 

Consider the following scriptures as they relate to this topic.

 

Ephesians 2:1-10, “2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

 

1 John 1:8-10, “8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

 

Mark 11:25-26, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.”

 

Acts 3:19-20, 19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;…”

 

Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”

 

Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.”

 

Psalms 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

 

2 Chronicles 7:14-15, “14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

 

Psalms 103:12-13 “12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

 

1 John 2:1-2, “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

 

Romans 8:1-3 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

 

Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

 

1 John 1:8-9 “8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

It is to our benefit in numerous ways including spiritually as well as mentally, physically, emotionally and relationally that we keep short accounts with God in regards to any sin we might commit. This does not mean we are so focused on our sins that we let it dominate our lives, just that as we seek to live like Christ we focus on walking as He walked, thinking as He thought, making decisions as He would and treating others with the love that Jesus would. A proper balance in the Christian life is to focus on our spiritual lives and enrich ourselves by Bible Study, prayer and fostering our spiritual growth in Christ. Such a godly spiritual life will grow more and more natural as we conform to the image of Christ and grow spiritually.

 

To sum up a few concepts consider the following four points.

 

1. Temptation is ALWAYS present! (James 1:13)

 

2. God NEVER prompts sin in your life! (James 1:13)

 

3. There is ALWAYS a CONSISTENT PROCESS that temptation follows. (1:14-16)

 

4. Temptation FLOURISHES when there is INCONSISTENT godly thinking in a person. (1:16)

 

In the next verse, James warns us not to be deceived. But what is it that he does not want us to be deceived by?

 

16 “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

 

We see repeatedly in Holy Scripture that God is a grace giver, a supplier of what we have need of, our benevolent and generous Spiritual Father who bestows upon us numerous blessings in our lives both natural and spiritual.

 

Biblical commentator James Woo, gives us some illumination, pun intended, on verse 16 where it describes God as “the Father of Lights.” James Woo states, “The description of God as the Father of lights is unique in Scripture. The lights are almost certainly to be understood as the heavenly bodies, probably including the sun, moon and stars” (See Psalms 136:7-9 and Jeremiah31:35.

 

Psalms 136:7-9, “7 To Him who made the great lights, For His loving-kindness is everlasting: 8 The sun to rule by day, For His loving-kindness is everlasting, 9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His loving-kindness is everlasting.”

 

Jeremiah 31:35, “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day, And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,…”

 

As we look further at the end of verse 17 there is a phrase which continues to verify the stability and confidence we should have regarding trusting in and relying upon God to be a sustainer of our life and every ready to provide for our needs and supply help when we need Him.

 

17b, “…with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

 

God our spiritual Father can be relied upon to help us in times of need, be it mental, emotional, physical or spiritual situations. He is a “ROCK” of Truth, Compassion, Stability, Courage and Love! How many of us might confess we have gotten lost in a large city in the night that we are not familiar with, or are walking or jogging on a trail we have never been on before and find ourselves concerned that we might not be able find our way back to where we started. As we live our lives in this crazy world of unknowns and difficulties we can lose our bearings and find it difficult to determine which path to take or which decision to make. When we have such experiences related to our spiritual, mental and emotional states, we can rest assured that God is only a prayer away. The Holy Spirit is within us as a Disciple of Christ and can give us peace in such confusion. Prayer is our lifeline to communicate our needs to God. Knowledge of Holy Scripture can be a tremendous help as it comes to our mind in situations of stress and we need to remind ourselves to pray to Jesus our Lord, trust Him to give us courage as we rely upon the Holy Trinity to lead us out of our uncomfortable and confusing situation or assist us in making the right decision when we are confronted with confusing and complicated choices in life.

 

Deception can come into our lives in many flavors. Sometimes we can be deceived by what appears to be good, but in actuality is bad. This can be when we trust the word of someone we know, but find out later that either they were not as informed as we thought they were, or, that they were deceived themselves and made us a companion of their own deception. Then there are those individuals who purposely seek to deceive others for personal gain, power or influence.

 

James is educating us here that God’s Word can be trusted because it was written by men of God who were filled with the Holy Spirit and chosen by God to share the Truth of God’s Word with mankind. James is also verifying that God the Father, Son and Spirit give only good gifts, blessings and wisdom in our relationship with the Trinity. Good things are bestowed upon us when we commit ourselves to living as Christ did, listening to the guidance in the Bible, which was written by Spirit-filled men. We receive guidance, blessings and spiritual gifts that enable us to minister to others with the help of the Holy Spirit. God is the most dependable spiritual Father who gives us everything we need because He loves us. How do we know He loves us, because He gave His Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins. We also see in verse 16 that He is the “Father of Lights.” This description describes that God is not associated in anyway with darkness, deception or evil. He is pure love, wisdom and grace and can be trusted to lead us toward truth and love, because “God is love.”

 

Men and women can not always be trusted. We are imperfect beings that, if you are a Follower of Christ, are in a process of becoming “Christ-like.” This process of becoming “Christ-like” will never be completed in this life, but when our lives are over, we will be perfected in Heaven as we shed our earthly bodies and receive heavenly bodies that will live forever into eternity with the Father, Son and Spirit.

 

There is no “dark side” to our God, no hidden issues of inconsistency, no shadow that taints His character or motives. He is pure and holy a loving God who gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, He gives us the Holy Spirit to live within us to empower us to life confidently as Jesus did and to instruct us in our spiritual life. God also bestows upon spiritual gifts so that we might minister to those we come in contact with.

 

18″In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

 

God exercised His perfect will by claiming us as His own “spiritual son or daughter” which was accomplished by us hearing the “word of truth” contained in the Holy Bible. The Holy Spirit touched our lives through the words of the Gospel in the Bible and led us to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. The Gospel, the Word of Truth, the Holy Scripture is the tool He uses to impact our heart, mind and soul with who He is, what His plans are for our life, and which can guide us as we dedicate our lives to Him and walk according to the model Jesus provided for a life led by the Spirit in holiness.

 

You might ask, “What is the meaning of ‘First Fruits?’ Farmers and gardeners know that the “first fruits” are the earliest gathered fruits. In religion, “First Fruits are offered to God in acknowledgment of the gift of fruitfulness.” This spiritually means that we who accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior are the spiritual harvest of His reaching out to us to call us His own. He sows the “seed” (God’s Gospel of Salvation through the message of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and when we respond to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become part of God’s “Spiritual Family.” It also means if we hear the Word, but refuse to respond to it, we do not become part of God’s “Spiritual Family.”

 

There is a commonly known short saying that goes as follows;

 

SOW A THOUGHT, YOU REAP AN ACT;
SOW AN ACT, YOU REAP A HABIT;
SOW A HABIT, YOU REAP A CHARACTER;
SOW A CHARACTER, YOU REAP A DESTINY!

— Author unknown

 

This is an excellent way to illustrate the responsibility we have as Disciples of Christ to live godly lives to express our love and dedication to the Lord, in order for us to demonstrate to others what it means to live as our Savior Jesus Christ did.

 

So what other insights can we discover in Holy Scripture as we seek to live a victorious Christian life?

 

One important spiritual goal would be that we should seek to dwell on whatever is godly and spiritually good.

 

Another critical goal would be to consistently living according to the TRUTH of God’s WORD!

 

Remember Psalms 119:11, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”

 

Another helpful scripture passage is Psalms 139:23-24; “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

 

Now we continue with verse 19 of James chapter 1.

 

19″ This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

 

In the beginning of verse 19 James states in effect that those he is writing to already know what he has just stated in verse 18. So why does he write verse 18?

 

This verse exposes the most common weakness we all deal with in our lives:

 

We don’t listen to God or others before we speak.

 

We want to get the first and last word in when we are involved in a discussion. We are poor listeners and respecters of the conversations that others wish to participate in.

 

Proverbs 8:32-343, 12:15, 15:31 and 17:4 are all good scripture passages that address the issue of being careful how and when you speak to others.

 

Often we are slow to hear, we speak too quickly (sometimes even interrupting others) and quick to take offense when we are talking to others.

 

Very likely James is wishing to emphasize an established fact that is already known to those reading his letter. We all need reminders of what we already know, but are failing to implement in our lives to live more like Christ Jesus. We all need to be reminded at times of our spiritual standing before God the Father and the responsibilities and lifestyle that are expected of us as Disciples of Christ. We all need continued repetition of spiritual wisdom at times so that the “Truth” of God’s Word can sink into our heart, mind and soul.

 

I catch myself at times and attempt to remind myself of the calling I have as a Disciple of Christ. Sometimes its a time of temptation to respond to someone inappropriately where I must pray, ask the Spirit to help me overcome the moment and live like Christ. At other times its a challenge that I can only accomplish if I am relying on God for the strength and wisdom to follow through with godly wisdom. Then there are other situations where I must step out in faith, feeling inadequate or weak in my ability to trust God, that I need to trust the Lord and follow through with what I am being convicted to do. Those are times where I must rely on the Holy Spirit to give me strength and especially wisdom to handle the situation as Christ would.

 

The issue of anger spoken of in the last part of verse 19 which continues on into verse 20 is very appropriate for all of us to consider. James gives the wise advice that we need to be very disciplined in hearing. The hearing here is not defined. Is it hearing God speak to us? Is it hearing those we speak to in conversation? Is it waiting appropriately for a period of time so we can control our emotions, such as anger?

 

Any of us can fly off the handle if we are provoked in the wrong way. It might be as simple as someone cutting us off in traffic or it might be someone insulting a family member. It could also being cheated out of something we had purchased or wrongly accused of something we did not do. Possibly this portion of this verse is more broad, which would mean that no matter if something small or huge were to happen to tempt our anger…we need to be mature spiritually calm, as the Holy Spirit leads us in our response.

 

The question is, do we seek to listen for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit? Do we bath our heart, mind and soul in the scriptures so just naturally we are able to react to situations in a mature, wise and spiritual manner? Whatever the case, James tells us that, ” the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James does not give us a way out of this predicament, except by relying on the Spirit, remembering the example of Christ when he faced abuse or unfairness. In some ways this appears to be a “high requirement” for us imperfect as we are. But we as Disciples of Christ have a high calling. We have knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. We have the Holy Spirit within us who can advise us and give us strength and wisdom to handle any situation. When we die to self and seek to live, walk, talk and respond in the power of the Holy Spirit and according to the Scriptures; we can respond in a Christ-like manner.

 

21 “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

 

Here in Chapter One verse 21 James continues with his confrontational tone to those who might read he letter. He challenges them to put aside (get rid of, remove, avoid, stop, cease and desist) “ALL” filthiness” (sin, sordid thoughts and actions, ungodly behavior) and all that remains of “wickedness” (evil satanic desires, fleshly tendencies, worldly pursuits, sordid thoughts).

 

This is the first step in seeking to repent of sin and evil desires and actions. Once this is done, James instructs his readers to; with humility, receive the Word of God which can be implanted in the soil of your heart, mind and soul. This act of humility before God the father will make possible the process of the salvation of your soul.

 

Concerning the statements in very 21-25, Biblical commentator Douglas J. Woo states the following, “What James is suggesting by describing the Word in this way is that the Christian must not think he/she is done with the Word of God after it has saved him. The Word becomes a permanent, inseparable part of the Christian, a commanding and guiding presence within him/her. The command to receive the implanted word, then, is not a command to be converted, but to accept its precepts as binding and to seek to live by them.”

 

But there is a necessity of proving that you are more than just someone who hears the Word of God, anyone can hear the Word of God, only a person who had truly heard, received, understood and seeks to apply the Word of God and do what it instructs is a TRUE Disciple of Christ. If you are just a “hearer” of the Word and not a “doer” of the Word, you are like a man who sees in a mirror what he is truly like, but…unfortunately, leaves and forgets what he has seen and has no desire to be changed by the convicting appearance of his image.

 

If we are honest with ourselves, we all have moments in our lives when we are convicted by what we see in ourselves. Sometimes this comes in the form of reading a scripture passage and feeling convicted that we need to make a choice to change, to turn away from a sin or a behavior which is dishonoring to our Lord and Savior. Possibly it is a habit, a reoccurring though, a temptation we entertain, rather than dismissing it, we continue to keep it alive in our thought processes. What hope is there for such a person if they do not respond to the Word of God and make a change with a dependence on God, to seek forgiveness for such thoughts, actions or sins. But those who look “INTENTLY” at Holy Scripture…listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to seek forgiveness for sins and rely upon God to seek to be holy, can experience not just forgiveness, but also receive power to live a godly life which glorifies God.

 

When we look into God’s Word, we should expect to find what can lead us in the holy, pure, god-honoring life we are called to live. Verse 25 calls it the “perfect law” the “law of liberty!” The Bible is not a book of hindrance or limitation, it is a book which gives freedom from our sin nature, which draws us away from the worldly destructive thoughts and actions that the world is inundated with. The Bible gives us freedom to say no to sin. It encourages us to walk the narrow path which is full of blessings and FREEDOM from the bondage of sin. The Bible is a perfect law book which gives us LIBERTY to be who we really should be, a god-honoring, loving, seeker of truth who seeks to love and care for those we come in contact with.

 

When we abide by the words of God’s Holy Book because we do not forget what we have read and effectually apply it to our life, then we will be a man or woman that will be blessed beyond measure. This is one way we can seek to be like Christ our Savior. Oh, if we would only rest on the words of Scripture and seek not just to read them, but also DILIGENTLY and PERSISTENLY APPLY them, we would very likely be amazed at how our life would change on a daily basis. God’s Word, when READ, DIGESTED and APPLIED to one’s life, will bring a tremendous treasure of blessings. Oh, the joy and fulfillment we miss when we fail to read, remember and apply the Word of God.

 

A good illustration of verses 22-25 in James chapter one could be that of raising a garden.

 

First: Just as you prepare for a garden by preparing the soil, you should seek to prepare your soul to be enriched with the fertilizer of the Word of God (James 1:19-20.)

 

Second: Once the soil of the garden is prepared then the seeds can be planted and we must allow the seed of the Word of God to be deeply implanted in our soul! (James 1:21)

 

Third and Finally: Just as any weeds must be uprooted and cast aside for a garden to thrive, we must purge any sin of anger, filth, envy, pride and wickedness to be uprooted from our heart, mind and soul!

 

This process of preparing the soul of our heart, soul and mind, as well as planting the seed of God’s Word and continuing to uproot any sin that manifests itself is a life-long process. But, we are not alone in this process. Once we accept Christ as our Savior we are given the Holy Spirit to assist us in this spiritual process of producing spiritual fruit in our lives. We have God’s Holy Word which is fertilizer for growing spiritually. We also have the Holy Spirit within us when we accept Christ as our Savior and He can give us the power to keep the soil of our Heart, Mind and Soul pure. We also have other Christians who can share their knowledge, spiritual gifts and love with us to encourage, support and enhance our spiritual relationship with God and the growth He calls us to seek.

 

We now move on the last two verses of James Chapter one.

 

26 “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”

 

Here in verse 26 of the first chapter of this amazing book of the Bible, James confronts the issue of a prideful person who cannot control the words that speak and the manner in which they are spoken. James does not give us a description of what kind of speech this is, very likely for good reason. Possibly to describe such speech would be just as bad as having spoken them himself. We might postulate that this could be gossip among persons who spread lies and falsities about others. Possibly it is filthy swear words that are spewed out in anger. Maybe it is even blatant cursing against God Himself because life isn’t going well for the person swearing. Possibly it is all of the above. Whatever the case, the speech of a Disciple of Christ should never, ever be of such a poor, despicable quality. We as Followers of Christ are to seek to control our tongue. Later in chapter 3 of this book James elaborates on his godly comments on what we speak out of our mouths. I would like to interject a portion of James chapter 3 briefly because I think it has bearing on what James is speaking of in chapter 1.

 

James 3:2-5, “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.”

 

James in this passage from chapter 3 gives the examples of a bit in a horses mouth and a rudder of a ship. Each example illustrates the need to control the power of the tongue with which we speak. So much filth can be spewed out of our mouths, so much damage can be done with just a few words. It’s no wonder that James is addressing this issue of what we say and speak and how it can reveal what resides within our heart, mind and soul. We need to monitor and control what comes out of our mouth, for the sake of others and also for our own sake. Gossip, slander, foul language and harsh ungodly criticism should never be heard coming out of the mouth of a Disciple of Christ!

 

James evaluation of a person who does not “bridle” or control and monitor what he or she speaks is living in deception that he or she is reflecting and emulating the life of Christ in their witness. If you are convicted of this sin, I would recommend you share your shame with Christ and ask Him via the Holy Spirit to turn from such filthy damaging speech and confess this sin and seek help from God to improve your witness and validate your relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit by relying upon God to, not just control what comes out of your mouth, but to also reform your heart, mind and soul, which is where this sin originates. The tongue is just the tool or agent of this speech. The origin lies in your old sinful life. This may take days, weeks or months to reform your habit, but it will be worth it, for you will be honoring your Lord and Master; Jesus Christ. Remember that the Holy Spirit lives within you as a Disciple of Christ and each time you spew out filthy cursing and gossip, you are wounding God’s sensitive Spirit that He has placed within you as a Helper, Guide and Teacher.

 

27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

 

First we need to notice that he describes that God the Father is watching us by the words; “in the sight of our God and Father.” This indicates that God is watching all that we do. Yes, this means He is watching everything that all men and women on the earth have ever spoken and done. This may be hard for us to understand for we do not have this ability. When we see something that is cruel, outrageous or filthy we respond with disgust. But we are limited to our natural senses (sight and hearing) as well as where we are present when such things are done. God has no such limitations. He is “omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient” and has awareness of all things and all actions of everyone always.

 

Secondly we see that James gives a definition of what “Pure and undefiled religion” is. James states that God would have us visit those who are “orphans” and “widows.” Why are these people singled out? I would suggest that these individuals are obviously ‘alone.’ An orphan has either lost their parents and/or relatives or possibly they have been abandoned. A widow has lost their mate and is also alone as well. It is hard for me to imagine which person is more destitute of a relationship. A young child who has lost both their parents if facing the emptiness of no parent to love, cherish, encouragement and raise them in this world. A widow, be it a man or a woman, has lost the love of their life, the person they were bonded to in love. I can’t fathom the deep emotions that a person goes through and deals with at the loss of a lifelong mate. Yes, there are hopefully good memories that can be cherished, but the loss goes deep in their emotions.

 

We as Disciples of Christ should reach out to those who have no parents or who lost a mate. We have the love of Christ within us and we can share His love through words of encouragement, prayers for faith and understanding. We can be available to pray together for strength to deal with the loss that the person is experiencing. We need to be Christ in the flesh, empowered by the Holy Spirit and share words from Holy Scripture to emphasize that God is present and through His Holy Spirit He will minister to whatever their need is at whenever they need comfort and love.

 

Thirdly, we see that God the Father also constantly evaluates and is aware of how we think and act. He has called us to be “unstained” from the world. A passage in John 17 is descriptive of what we need to remember.

 

John 17:13-19, 13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”

 

This is a portion of scripture which is called, “The High Priestly Prayer.” In this passage Jesus shares the following points of emphasis for us to live out.

 

A. That we are to have Christ’s joy made full.

 

B. Jesus has given the God’s Word to live by.

 

C. We are to expect to be hated by the world, because we are not of this world.

 

D. We will be kept from the evil one (Satan) by the power of God.

 

E. We, as Disciples of Christ, are not of the world as Jesus was not of this world.

 

F. Jesus asks that we will be sanctified as we live by the Truth of God, for the Word is Truth.

 

G. Just as Jesus was sent to the World by the Father, Jesus has sent us out into the world as well.

 

H. Jesus sanctified Himself by His Perfect Obedience and we are to be sanctified by living like Christ.

 

A FEW SUMMARY REMARKS ON JAMES CHAPTER ONE

 

Remember that the soil of your soul needs to be prepared for reception of the Word of God. (James 1:19-20).

 

Remember that the seed of God’s Truth must be planted in our your heart, mind and soul. (James 1:21)

 

Remember also, that there are weeds in this world that surround you and also within yourself that can smother and pollute your spiritual life. The weeds of the world are the evil and evil temptations that seek to twist your thoughts, hinder your perceptions as well as tempt your soul to do evil things. When you accept Christ as your Savior and Lord you begin to be transformed by the renewing of your heart, mind and soul. You will battle with yourself as you seek to become more like Jesus, follow the truth contained in the Word and follow the guidance of the Spirit of God that indwells you. The weeds of the world are the evil and evil temptations that seek to twist your thoughts, hinder your perceptions as well as tempt your soul to do evil things. These weeds must not be allowed to grow and those that find a foothold within your heart, mind and soul must be uprooted and thrown away in order for you to continue to spiritually grow in your faith. (James 1:19-21)

 

To summarize these truths in another way, remember:

 

THINK DEEPLY OF THE PRECEPTS, COMMANDS AND WISDOM CONTAINED IN GOD’S WORD!

 

OBEY WILLINGLY ALL THE PRECEPTS AND COMMANDS CONTAINED IN GOD’S WORD.

 

SEEK THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND LIVE OUT WHAT HE CONVICTS YOU TO DO.

 

ABIDE BY THE GODLY PRINCIPLES THAT JESUS LIVED OUT IN HIS LIFE!

 

I have developed a graphic that illustrates what I have shared in words below: