James 1: 5-27
Notes
Transcript
5-8 9-11 12-18 19-27
5-8 9-11 12-18 19-27
5-8
5-8
5
5
James does not say if anyone is lacking money, fame, or power ask God and he will freely give, James says if any of you lacks wisdom. He says this right after he says be joyous at the trials we face. So what James is saying is that wisdom is what is necessary, specifically the wisdom contained in the Word of God, wisdom is how we can be joyous in the trials that we will face. So when we face trials in our lives, seek the abundant and freely given wisdom from God with prayer and with the Word of God in the Bible to be comforted, with peace and joy.
6-7
6-7
But when we ask in prayer for wisdom from God we must ask with faith and confidence in our sovereign God. If we have disbelief or doubts that God is sovereign and is able to provide wisdom then we will be tossed about like a small boat on the restless waves of the sea, never able to gain and trust in God’s wisdom.
8
8
The person who has disbelief or doubts about God’s sovereignty or ability to provide the necessary wisdom is of two minds, one seeking God, but the other in the world and in disbelief. That person will never be stable in his thinking.
9-11
9-11
9
9
Your worldly social or economic status has no bearing on your place in heaven if you are saved. Those that are, according to the world, in a lower status and counted among the brethren are already rich in spirit and will know that this world is not what we live for and so joyously look forward to the richness in Christ to come, not that they are not rich in spirit now but how much more there will be after the passing of these worldly cares.
10
10
Conversely those that are blessed with material wealth should boast and strive to be humble, not letting their material possessions become their idol, as Jesus said, it will be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven. This is not saying that the wealthy are almost all but excluded from the kingdom of heaven but those that worship the material, the attitude and idolatry that so often accompanies wealth is what brings about the difficulties of spirit. James alludes to Isaiah 40 talking about material items are like a flower and will quickly pass away. Isaiah 40:6–8 “A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
11
11
Those caught up in the pursuit of the world, James specifically calls out money in this verse but really any pursuit of the world will have the same end, those that are in the world and do not come to repentance and salvation before the end will fade away into hell.
12-18
12-18
12
12
Going back to verse one, not only are we to be joyful of the trials that we will face, we will be blessed when we remain steadfast and faithful while in our trials. Think of the trials we face like God intends them to be to refine and help us in our sanctification process and when we remain steadfast through them, at the end is eternal life, the crown of life, that God has promised us through Jesus’ trials on the cross and his resurrection.
13
13
God allows us to be tried but God is never the one tempting us, the fallen world in all of its passions and desires are the tempter, not God. God is fully and eternally holy and good and there is no evil in him, it is the fallen state of man and this world that is ruled by the prince of the power of the air, the Devil, and the Devil is seeking us just like he was seeking Peter. Luke 22:31–32 ““Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”” Also Peter himself says that Satan is seeking all of the saved, 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” and it is the saved that Satan is seeking as the unsaved and unrepentant are already his.
14
14
And the Devil does not need to be very creative when he tempts up, our own fleshly desires are enough.
15
15
If we give into our desires of the flesh that we all have we fall into sin, and the wages of sin is death, for the unrepentant this is their own bodily and spiritual death and eternal punishment in Hell, but for the saved all of that was placed on Jesus on the cross.
16
16
James says do not be deceived the KJV saying do not err, do not be wrong in your thinking that God is the reason or the cause of your own sinning instead of placing all of your faults and failings in the correct place, directly at our own feet.
17
17
The word gift is used twice in verse 17 but in the Greek it is two separate words, the first is ‘dosis’ the act of giving a gift and the second is ‘dorema’ and means that which is given. God is gracious in his giving of gifts and these gifts given graciously will never change of fade because God does not change and is eternal.
18
18
God in his infinite wisdom and the power of his will created the whole universe and us in it, and in his wisdom and through his grace he chose whom he would choose for salvation, and the saved, Christians, are the firstfruits of the culmination of God’s plan to make everything anew with the new heavens and the new earth.
19-27
19-27
19
19
The first part of chapter one was telling of perseverance in trials and suffering, and warning against blaming God for our temptations and trials. James now moves to how we as a saved people should respond to the word of God. We should be always patient and quick or eager to listen to the word of God through scripture, read our Bibles over and over, take advantage of every opportunity to be taught sound doctrine. But we are to be slow to speak, cautious and careful to preach the will of God in the Bible. James also says slow to anger, and in this context of hearing the word, slow to take offence to disagree or be angry at what God has commanded of us through his word.
20
20
Because to reject the word and thus the will of God will not produce righteousness.
21
21
Read and accept the word of God as Jesus says, like a child, without our fallen minds filthiness and inherent desire to be our own king, our own personal god, and receive the living word of God that has the power to save our immortal souls.
22-25
22-25
Also we are not to only read and hear the word of God we are to act, we are to be doers of the word. The Pharisees read and understood the law and the prophets but had no desire to live according to God’s will. We are not to be modern day Pharisees, we are not to be ones who read and understand what the gospels, epistles and letters say but not have them have an effect on our day to day lives. We must live according to the word and will of God, and be those who read the bible without any passion or desire to really know what is says and live out what it commands. Like reading the terms and conditions of some website, skimming over what it says, if reading it at all, then as soon as we are done reading it, we forget anything that is says, or as James says like one who looks at himself in a mirror and as soon as he turns away forget what he looks like.
26
26
Those who claim to be religious but do not take care what they say, do not bridle or control where their tongue goes or spews forth, and deceives themselves by thinking that they are righteous because they are “religious” are proclaiming a worthless religion.
27
27
Christianity commands that we are careful and watch with all diligence what comes out of our mouths and that we care for those who are in need. Live not according to the world but according to God’s word and God’s will that is commanded of us in the bible.
