Can Faith Save Him?

James 2:14-18, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

“What doth it profit, my brethren…”

Christians ought to profit others. We need a focus on the benefits of the people around us over our own comforts. It would do the testimony of Christ and His church well if we would put ourselves aside more often and consider the cause of others. What would benefit my neighbor? What needs do others have around me? How can I be a blessing?

“…though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”

The focus here in James 2 is actionable faith that benefits others. We learned in James 1 that we are not to be hearers of the Word only but doers. Chapter 2 continues that line of thinking: we are not only to speak of having faith, but we are to show our faith by our works. In fact, in a practical reality and as stated in a coming verse, faith without works is dead.

Many have been stunned by the last question of verse 14, “Can faith save him?” Faith is absolutely necessary for salvation. We have to place our faith in Jesus and ask Him for salvation. Ephesians 2:8, a foundational verse, teaches us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” We have freewill to place our faith in Christ, and we are saved by the grace of God through that faith.

But “can faith save him?” the verse asks with such rhetoric that we know the answer is, “no.” How can this be? First, remember the context established in verses prior of not showing respect of persons against the poor. In other words, can your faith save the poor or those in need? Let us leave this point for the moment, as the next verses address this well. Second, the passage is not discussing the salvation of the souls of the poor but the physical saving from a person’s need. Is your faith alone enough to physically save a person in need? One might say that if I can trust God for my needs, then I can trust God for the needs of others. True, but let us see the example given in Scripture.

“If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

Let’s understand the example. We are dealing with a Christian who is confronted in some way with the need of the poor, a scenario not at all unfamiliar to us. The Christian understands the legitimate need and owns the means to be able to fill that need. But this Christian is “super-spiritual.” In fact, he is so spiritual that instead of just filling the need, he piously states, “Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled,” as if to say, “I have faith that your needs will be filled.” But this Christian does nothing personally to fill that need; he only states his “faith” that the need will be met. What did that statement “by faith” profit? Was it even really faith?

We have to wonder why the Christian didn’t just fill the need right then and right there. It is evident that he could have: “notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body.” The Christian had the means but withheld. Why?

Perhaps he didn’t want to do without for himself. Sometimes, we Christians are more interested in having a storehouse built up for ourselves and our eventualities than we are in meeting the immediate needs of others. “If I give this, then what happens if I need it?” If that is the case, then where is the actual faith? It is easier to say that I have faith that God will supply your need than to give what is in my possession to take care of your need and trust that God will supply my need. Truthfully, however, our faith is dead if we won’t give because we are keeping for ourselves.

It is also possible that this Christian was using faith to mask his lack of love and compassion for the poor. The words of faith are easy to utter and can be given insincerely in a situation such as this. If this is the reason, then this is not a show of real faith but a lack of Godly love for others. The mouth here says, “I know by faith your need will be met,” but the heart is saying, “Yes, but not met by me. You can’t have what is mine.” We could find ourselves with this heart if we value ourselves more than others or if we value the things of this world more than others. Either way, the truth of the matter is that we value something over God. How then could we expect to express true faith? Our faith, again, is dead if we can’t even find the love to help the needs of others.

“I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

We once again find ourselves faced with the truth that words are cheap. If you really want to show the love of God and if you really want to exercise faith, you must but works to it. Work out of your faith.

What does working out of your faith look like? If the Christian in the example had done the right thing, it might have looked like this: “God has given to me so that I can help in your time of need. I know that when I give to you God will take care of my need as well.” That’s what real faith looks like, giving and working by faith that God will take care of you as you take care of others. Then we are able to show Jesus Christ to others by the faith that they will see in us.

We need living faith, but we are prone to (in our flesh) trying to exercise dead faith. How can we tell if our faith is alive or dead? Verse 17, “faith, if it hath not works­, is dead, being alone.” You can try to show me that you have faith without works, but you can only show me you have faith by your works.

That Worthy Name

James 2:5-10, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

“Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith?”

Let’s be honest: we don’t always choose well. We don’t always choose as God has chosen. As the previous verses of James 2 describe, sometimes we show partiality to the man with the “gold ring, in goodly apparel.” We sometimes “have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing,” and we give preference to them. Meanwhile, we tend to give less priority to the poor, saying something like, “Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool.” Maybe we take a more modern approach and say, “you need to get back into line” or “we will deal with you later.” Maybe we won’t say it from the mouth, but we do in our heart with our actions reflecting such.

But we are not choosing well, because we are not choosing as God has chosen. You see, what some are doing is targeting groups that they think will be a greater financial benefit to the church and leaving out groups that won’t be able to give as well. It is a cold-hearted, pragmatic outlook on God’s house and the body of Christ. It is a corporate approach, but it is not a Godly approach. A pragmatic analysis would naturally conclude that if you want more money for more programs then you favor and attempt to attract people with more money to fill the coffers. To be clear, there are religions that practice this. They figure that having more funds means that they can afford more programs, and then they can afford to reach the poor in some way. This is not the approach for God’s people. After all, “hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”

“But ye have despised the poor.”

This is a stunning indictment. Can this be true of us? Do we despise the poor? But we have charity events, soup kitchens, bill-paying programs, etc. We can’t possibly despise the poor.

Programs can be good, but that doesn’t mean we have the right heart in this matter. Despising the poor comes from having respect of persons. Who gets the best treatment? Are you more afraid of losing a rich person from the congregation than a poor person? Do you feel more confident of your financial position by reaching out to the wealthy? Do you give preference to this person of affluence?

We should consider this: who builds the church? Is the church built on the riches of man or the care of our Lord? Is the church sustained by the wealth of benefactors or the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus promised, “upon this rock [referring to Himself] I will build my church.” We, as the body of Christ, are built on the Rock that is Jesus. He is the Builder, and He is the Sustainer. Speaking of the church, we truly can echo Zechariah 4:6 which declares, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Because Jesus builds the church and because God has chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, then we ought not have respect of persons in this matter. Not that we should despise the rich either, but we should realize that all need to be saved and all are saved the same way, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The rich will struggle more with this because they tend to trust in their riches. They must become poor in spirit in order to become rich in faith.

“Do not rich men oppress you…do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?”

We should take a moment to understand the “rich” in this passage. Merely having wealth is not being vilified in these verses. God does bless some believers with more means than others so that they can use those means for His honor and glory. God gives in more abundance to some so that they can be a blessing to others. Though these people have wealth, they understand what it is to be humble or “poor in spirit,” and they desire to be used of God as much as anyone. But some (and truly the tendency may be such) have developed the love of money, which is the root of all evil. They are a greedy bunch that place their faith in their riches, and use their wealth to obtain power for their own glory. These are the ones who “oppress you” and “draw you before the judgment seats.” These are they who use their power and influence to hinder the work of God. They file lawsuits, abuse their power, and attempt to pass laws to hinder the work of God.

Herein lies the irony of showing partiality to the rich: aren’t they the ones that tend to cause us the most trouble? Aren’t they the ones who “oppress you”? Aren’t they the ones that “draw you before the judgment seats”? Aren’t they the ones who “blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called”? Why are we showing respect of persons toward them?

“That worthy name by the which ye are called.”

Do you consider that worthy name by the which ye are called? We are called “Christians,” named after Jesus Christ. We represent Him in all that we do. Our actions show a picture to the world of Jesus Christ. Here, these rich men who abuse their power and trust their wealth are also shown to blaspheme that name, but do we not the same when we show that respect of persons? Did Christ show that kind of partiality? Christ died for sinners—all sinners, rich or poor. We blaspheme the name of Christ when we show a false picture of Him to the world by our actions. Verse 9 plainly teaches, “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” You might think that you are a good person and you do all this good, but if you have transgressed the law even in this one area then you are just that, a transgressor of the law.

We need to accurately and wholly represent that worthy name—the name of Christ. And if the Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” and if He says “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life,” then we ourselves ought never show respect of persons. Can you imagine if Jesus had shown respect of persons? None of us would make the cut.

James 2:1-4, "Have Not Faith with Respect of Persons

James 2:1-4, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?”

“Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”

Worldly, carnal thinking does not serve the Christian well. We are not to be bound by the confines of pragmatic philosophy. The reasoning we would employ to solve our own problems or seek the favor of others fails us. Our own understanding fails us. We must learn to “trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

The sensible thing to do if your church needs money is to attract those who have money and coax them into giving. Send special invitations to impress them to come. Give them a special place to sit—only the very best in order to make a good impression. Grant them priority access to whatever conveniences them most. Once they are happy, then perhaps they will give of their wealth, and it will have been worth the extra attention. Christians becoming fundraisers can be very tempting, but we must be extremely wary of this path. We need to trust God.

Maybe it isn’t a matter of money, but maybe you want to impress the affluent in order to gain your own measure of influence. You might think you are being ministry-minded because if you can impress those who are important then you can become important and have greater influence to all. This reasoning also fails because we who are saved and make up the church cannot operate as the world does. God is the One who can grant you favor before others. We aren’t going to impress the world with Scripture and Biblical reasoning. If we try to impress the world in this way, we just end up compromising truth to their way.

There is no place in the church for “respect of persons.” Praise the Lord that God does not show respect of persons toward us, else none of us would qualify for His saving grace. We are poor and needy in our sins, but God is gracious so that “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

When we show respect of persons, we are taking the grace and love that God has given us freely and rationing it out to those we deem worthy. This does not represent who God is to anyone, the rich or the poor. The rich have to humble themselves to receive Christ (this is the difficulty spoken of in Luke 18:25, “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”). Showing the rich this special favoritism does them no favor at all. The poor also does not see Christ because they are shown lesser favor though Christ gives to all. We need always to represent Jesus Christ.

“Are ye not then… become judges of evil thoughts?”

When we become partial in this manner and show respect of persons toward those we deem worthy, we have become judges of evil thoughts. This doesn’t mean we are judging evil thoughts, but we are judges who have evil thoughts. In other words, we become unrighteous judges.

A judge is supposed to be impartial when it comes to upholding the law. We rely on judges to consider the merits of a case based on its accordance to the established law of the land. Other considerations should have no bearing on the decision of the judge.

An unrighteous judge, however, does not judge according to the law but according to himself. He would focus on what pleases him most or what suits him best. He can be bribed and manipulated, and he desires to show favor when it suits him. He has no place in a courtroom and has no business exercising judgment. He is not suitable for the task given him.

But a righteous judge considers a case based on the law, and no outside influence will matter to him. The prominence of a person in society will have no bearing on his decision. He will treat all equally under the law. A society functions well only under the judgment of righteous judges.

When we show favor, we assign to some a higher value than others, and we unrighteously judge those we consider less important. We need to see people—all people—as God sees them. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” but “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” All are sinners either saved by grace or who can be saved by grace.

I am reminded of the great equalizing passage of Ephesians 2:1-10:

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

God had every right to be a respecter of persons when it came to us. Praise God that He made us alive and changed us. Let us show God’s grace to all others.

James 1:27, Pure Religion

James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father.”

We need to be honest to ourselves about what we call religion today. Man corrupts religion. Man has defiled religion before God, perverting it to serve self. We can learn much about what religion is not as we study the history of man.

Religion is not words. Even Christians get caught up sometimes in saying what sounds devout but is just words with no action. James 1 deals with being a “hearer of the word, and not a doer.” Man has become a master of speaking pious words and giving compelling arguments, but man has also well demonstrated that words alone mean nothing.

Religion is not wealth. Man’s religion throughout history has often shown itself to be a thinly veiled get-rich scheme for its leaders. Mainline religious establishments have decked their temples with wealth built off the backs of the people they claim to serve as those followers suffer in poverty. Man’s religion even resorted to claiming to be able to sell the forgiveness of sin and the grace of God. Today still we see greed underlying so much of what passes in the world as religion. Some wealthy so-called preachers seek after every dollar they can from followers who often have very little.

Religion is not works. By this I mean that religion is not the works that we would consider our own righteousness. The Pharisees in Scripture thought themselves very religious because they did great works of the law in their own eyes. When Ephesians 2:8-9 speaks of salvation by grace through faith, verse 9 concludes, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” The Pharisees thought themselves great workers which did indeed lead them to boast of themselves. Man’s religion still tries to teach that you can save your soul by doing good deeds. These false teachers lead people away from God by telling them that doing good will bridge the gap to God. But the Bible rightly refers to our righteousness as “filthy rags.” Romans 3:10 further states, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” You don’t get to God by good deeds.

Religion is not a weapon. Perhaps one of the greatest abuses against mankind is the weaponization of religion. Wars have been fought in the name of man’s religion. People have been oppressed by way of man’s religion. True Christians have been persecuted and even martyred by the command of these false religions. Masses of people have been subjugated to serve the whims of the leaders of these manmade religions. Some have even used the name of religion to kill their own followers for a greater, evil purpose.

Satan has abused the idea of religion. Even the word itself now tends to carry a connotation that Christians would rather avoid. Satan seems to get special pleasure from taking the beautiful things God has created and perverted them among unregenerated man.

But there is such a thing as pure and undefiled religion. There is religion that man cannot corrupt and Satan cannot touch. It is religion that we can live before God our Father unashamedly. Would to God that our religion be labeled pure and undefiled!

“To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

You might be thinking, but aren’t these works? In fact, they are works, but the work itself is not the emphasis. We cannot take this verse out of the context of the previous verses about being doers of the word and not hearers only. We must also have an understanding of passages such a James 2:18, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” If we plug the thoughts of James 1:27 into James 2:18, it might read, “I will shew thee my faith as I visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and as I keep myself unspotted from the world.”

You see, pure religion is not focused on self but places others first. Remember Matthew 25:40, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Pure religion to God is expressed in our outpouring of love into action toward others. Undefiled religion seeks to lift those in need, but man’s religion exploits the lowly. Pure religion before God visits the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. False religion perpetuates the affliction of others to its own advantage. Pure and undefiled religion before our Heavenly Father is practiced with a heart to be a blessing to those who need it most.

One who practices pure religion also sees the necessity of remaining unspotted from the world. He does not seek material gain. He is not worried about his status in society. He does not feel the need to entangle himself in the affairs of this life. Man’s religion is all about materialism and earthly power, but those who practice pure and undefiled religion have eternal goals in mind. They know that the filth of this world hinders the practice of pure religion, and so they endeavor to remain unspotted. They are not perfect, but they know what is truly important. They have a heart after God to remain separated for His good use.

What does pure and undefiled religion before God look like? It looks like people who love the needy, the outcast, and the forgotten so much that they want to show the love of God through their actions. And it looks like people who love God so much that they do not want the filth of this world to cast a shadow on the testimony of God in their lives.

James 1:26, Vain Religion

James 1:26, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”

“If any man among you seem to be religious.”

At first glance, you might think this is a verse giving us license to judge each other’s sincerity, but quite the opposite is true. This verse should compel us to judge ourselves about our own religion. 1 Corinthians 11:31 warns, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” We too often are ready to criticize another’s relationship with God while we struggle ourselves. We’ve all met people that seemed “too religious.” Perhaps we often thought they were faking it, but often these thoughts reflect our own condition. Someone seems just a little too friendly as they greet you at church, yet often we are judging based on our own lack of friendliness. “Why do they smile so much?” Maybe because they can remember what we should be smiling about. We ask how they are doing, and they respond, “Better than I deserve!” What a pretentious answer! No, what an honest answer. Let’s take the beam out of our own eyes so we can honestly see if there is a mote in our brother’s eye.

That is not to say that we don’t need to exercise discernment with outhers. We need to maintain awareness so that we will “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7 teaches us that “ye shall know them by their fruits.” We are taught to watch the fruits of a person and compare their teachings to Scripture to know if they are of Christ. 1 John 4 tells us to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” The great test is given in this passage also: “Every spirit that confeseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.”

However, James 1:26 teaches us to look inward at our own religion. The thought here is that there are those that seem to be religious, but they are not. Are YOU one of them? Am I one of them? How do I know?

“And bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart.”

Religious-seeming people talk a good talk. They know the right things to say to make a good impression. They speak without thought to the truth of what they are saying. They might “Amen” the preacher and express how good the message was without making the actual change taught from Scripture. Their tongue speaks unbridled so much that they begin to believe what they are saying, even though their words are contrary to their actions. They are deceiving themselves.

You have to put this passage in the light of the previous verses that dealt with being a doer of the word, and not a hearer only. A person who is a hearer only takes in God’s Word in some way but makes no change to conform. He does not allow himself to be transformed by Scripture. James 1:25 refers to this person as a “forgetful hearer,” one who hears but doesn’t remember the lesson. This “hearer-only” is the same who seems religious with his unbridled tongue, but the Bible says that he “deceiveth his own heart.” He is fooling himself about his religion.

“This man’s religion is vain.”

Vain means empty. What makes empty religion? Talk without truth. Hearing without doing. Words without action. The man who thinks himself to be religious but speaks in empty words practices vain religion. So many people have been turned away from truth as casualties of empty religion. We talk of the impending judgment of God, but what are we doing to warn others? We speak of the love of God, but are we showing it? We praise God for His mercy and grace, but do we reflect these from our own lives? We discuss the importance of holiness (being set apart from the world), but are we living out that holiness or are we entangled in the affairs of this life? We need to preach and teach the truth of God’s Word, but we need to live in the light of that truth. Don’t let your religion be in vain. Speak the truth, meditate upon it, then do it. James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

James 1:25, This Man Shall Be Blessed

James 1:25, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

“This man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Do you want to be blessed of God? Do you want God’s generosity poured out on your life? We all want to be joyful, and certainly we want to prosper in the way God leads us. James 1:25 promises a three-part formula to receive God’s blessing in relation His Word, “the perfect law of liberty.”

Of course, this perfect law of liberty is a great blessing in itself. Under the Mosaic law, we are all guilty before God. In no way can we hold the standard of perfection required by the law because of the truth that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Yet, because we fall short, Jesus offered a new law, this perfect law of liberty. When Jesus atoned for our sin with His death on the cross, He liberated all who call on His name for salvation from the law and from the wages of sin which is death. We who are saved are free from the slavery of sin, free from the guilt of sin, and free from the wrath of God!

Notice also that this law of liberty is perfect or, in other words, complete. What Jesus did by dying on the cross and rising from the grave pays in full the penalty of our sins and offers us eternal life. Nothing can be or needs to be added. We who are born again are certainly blessed by the truth of this perfect law of liberty.

God also promises here a special blessing by the three-step formula of James 1:25.

1. “Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty.”

How can you expect to receive blessing from God’s Word if you never look into it? It should be no surprise to note that we must open God’s Word and read in order to be blessed. By the hearing of God’s Word, we are able to look into the perfect law of liberty. As we look, we learn. We learn what we are and what we need, we learn Who God is and what He has done, and we learn how to obtain the grace that God offers. We must hear the Word of God in order to believe. Romans 10:17 teaches us that, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We must observe God’s Word, taking it into our hearts, in order to receive God’s blessing. We need to study so that we show ourselves approved unto God, leaving no reason to be ashamed.

2. “And continueth therein”

Looking is a wonderful first step, but then we should continue therein. We must meditate on God’s Word. We ought to reflect on what we learn. The word translated continueth has two great, complimentary meanings.

First, continueth means “to remain beside, continue always near.” Once we have looked into God’s Word, we then need to remain beside it throughout the day. God’s Word should always be close to our lips so that we can “be ready always to give an answer,” and it should always be near our heart to allow us to “draw near…in full assurance of faith.” (1 Peter 3:15; Hebrews 10:22) We need Scripture close.

Second, continueth means “to survive, remain alive.” God’s Word gives life to the Christian: it is necessary for our survival. When we neglect to spend time in God’s Word, we become dead Christians. We need revival in God’s Word to make us alive again. God’s Word brings us vitality.

3. “Being…a doer of the work.”

Then we take what we have meditated upon in Scripture and act upon it. We make the change that we saw in the mirror of God’s Word. We don’t become forgetful hearers, but we allow ourselves to be molded. God gave us His Word so that we can learn doctrine, receive the reproof to show our error, understand the correction to show us how to get right, and follow the instruction in order to stay right (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We look, we continue, and we do: this is how we receive this promised blessing from God’s Word. What God has for us by following this simple formula far outweighs anything the world can offer us. But we can’t do as God leads from His Word if we don’t take the time to meditate on it. We cannot learn all things at once. We must not quench the work of the Spirit as He teaches us. Furthermore, we cannot meditate on Scripture if we aren’t looking into it. Take time each day to look a little more. This small effort gives much-needed reward. We need God’s blessing!

James 1:22-25, Be Ye Doers of the Word

James 1:22-25, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.”

When we put away the filthiness and the superfluity of naughtiness as mentioned in James 1:21, then we can with meekness receive the engrafted word. And what a need we have for God’s Word! After all, it is that which has the power to save your soul! God’s Word makes all the difference in you, but it only means something if you are a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.

Most Christians spend quite a bit of time “hearing” God’s Word, which is important for all people. Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” In order for us to believe we must hear. A few verses earlier in Romans 10, the question is asked, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” Hearing the Word is necessary for faith in God.

Hearing is also necessary for Christian growth. We only become what we ought to by the careful hearing of God’s Word. As we listen to solid preaching and teaching, as we take Godly, Biblical counsel, especially as we study the Bible for ourselves, we are hearing the Word. The only way you can “study to shew thyself approved unto God” is by taking in Scripture through some form of “hearing.” In this sense, hearing the Word of God is any of several means of consumption. We must be good listeners to what God is trying to teach us.

But hearing is not enough on its own, we must be doers. Do we think that God gives us the instruction of His Word just to make a good point to us or just to say something interesting? Don’t you think that the “instruction in righteousness” is meant to make a change in us? Hearing God’s Word is a wonderful thing, but it should not stop in our ears. God’s Word should be lived out in our actions.

“Deceiving your own selves.”

Some Christians think themselves to be quite spiritual because of what they have taken in, but they deceive themselves. You can spend years being a hearer, but if you never become a doer then you haven’t really grown. When the knowledge of something is just in the head, a person is just a hearer, but when the knowledge affects the actions of a person, we would say they have taken it to heart.

We could give several different examples, but Scripture here gives a fantastic example of how the hearer deceives himself if he is not a doer.

Imagine this scenario. You wake up one morning after a particularly rough night of sleep and look in the mirror. The mirror, which tells you the truth no matter your feelings about it, shows how rough a night you truly had. Your hair is perma-pressed to an odd shape, your face has the impression of something you slept on, the remnant of dried drool is on your chin, and your breath is so bad you are certain you can actually see it in the mirror too! You are disgusted by what you see, but you turn away from the mirror and go your way, doing nothing to address the deficiencies you discovered. You might think you did something great by looking in the mirror, but you would be deceived if you did nothing to change what you saw.

As absurd as that scenario is, we do this spiritually far too often. We look into the mirror of God’s Word (as hearers of it) and see the mess of our lives. Maybe we see how we are too close to the world and that which is carnal. Perhaps God’s Word reveals in our hearts a habit that should be abandoned as it pulls us from God. Maybe we see that we are entangled in the affairs of this life (2 Timothy 2:4). We look into God’s Word, and God reveals a needed change, but we do nothing. Hearing is good, but what a wasted opportunity to be a hearer and not a doer of the Word!

“But whoso looketh…and continueth…shall be blessed in his deed.”

However, if we look into God’s Word, the perfect law of liberty, and we continue in it and meditate on it (allowing it to work a change in us), then we become a doer of the Word. Not only do we hear the truth, but we also make the change. This is the blessing God has for us! We need to set the conditions in our heart to be able to receive the engrafted Word, and then we need to be a doer of that Word. It stands to reason that if we had more doers, we would get more done. We say, “Many hands make light work.” This saying is only true when the many hands are working on the work to be done. If we had churches full of Christians not just hearing God’s Word only but actually doing it, we could really accomplish something wonderful for the cause of Christ! Just imagine churches full of Christians who sought deeply the Word of God and heeded God’s instruction! What a light we would be in the darkness of this world! Imagine in your own life if you were a doer of the Word that you hear. What kind of difference would that make in you? Do you want the blessing promised in James 1:25? Be a doer of the Word, not a hearer only.

James 1:21, Receive the Engrafted Word

James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

“Receive…the engrafted word.”

I hope it is the heart of every Christian to receive the Word of God in our hearts. After all, it is God’s Word that molds us to be what God wants us to be. Scripture tells of itself that it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The reception of God’s Word is an absolute necessity for Christian growth. God tells us here in the book of James how we can receive His Word.

First, though, notice the description of the word to be received: the “engrafted” word. The Word of God must be engrafted or implanted in us in order for us to receive it. We must be instructed in God’s Word. The engrafting process is not necessarily a quick process; it is a careful action with the purpose of growth. It also is not a solitary process; instruction requires instructors. The greatest Instructor of God’s Word for the Christian is the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 teaches us that “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand spiritual truth, but as the Holy Spirit engrafts God’s Word in our hearts, we can receive it. We must also recognize the importance of the teaching of the faithful mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:2. These are the teachers who take “the things thou hast heard of me among many witnesses” and “commit [the same] to faithful men.” Godly pastors, preachers, and teachers who are “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” are also necessary for every Christian to take part in engrafting the word into the hearts of believers.

“Receive with meekness.”

If we will receive this engrafted word, we must do so in meekness. A meek person can be taught because he is submissive, but a stubborn, prideful person will not be able to receive the Word of God whereby he may grow.

Are you teachable? Being teachable is not natural to our flesh. Pride, stubbornness, and laziness are natural, but these qualities only serve to hinder our growth as a Christian. We must humbly and submissively approach the matter of receiving God’s Word, allowing the Holy Spirit and Godly teachers to engraft Scripture into our hearts.

We need the attitude of the Psalmist who prayed, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” We rely on God to open our stubborn eyes to the wonderful things He has. We are blinded by our pride, our preferences, our prejudices, and our preconceptions so much that only God can shine the light of His Word into our hearts.

We must also be ready to receive the correction and instruction of Scripture. Our heart should repeat the prayer in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” To meekly receive God’s Word, we must expect that we will discover in our hearts that which must be forsaken in order to grow further.

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness.”

We have much to “lay apart” or lay aside in order to grow in God’s Word. Engrafting involves two things: the removal of the old and the adding of the new. In order to receive the new things of the engrafted word, we have some old things to remove.

We must lay aside all filthiness. Filthiness is that which defiles and dishonors. We must lay aside the sin “which doth so easily beset us.” (Hebrews 12:1) We have no room for the purity of Scripture if we are holding to the filthiness of sin. Don’t expect to have a successful grafting of God’s Word in filthy conditions. When plants are grafted together, sanitation is paramount to prevent infection in the plant. If the conditions are filthy, the graft will fail and the plant may die. We cannot rightly expect that we will see the flourishing of God’s Word in our hearts if we don’t clean out the filthiness of sin revealed to us.

Superfluity (or the abundance) of “naughtiness” must go as well. The emphasis here is the overflowing of this wickedness that exists in our flesh. To see God’s Word implanted successfully, we cannot afford to walk in the flesh where sin abounds. We must die to the flesh. Romans 8:13 expresses, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Our flesh is corrupt and must be put off so that we can “put on the new man” and see the successful engrafting of the Word.

“Which is able to save your souls.”

Aren’t you thankful that your soul can be saved? We do not deserve saving, but God made a way through Jesus Christ anyway. Romans 10:13-17 states, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?…So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Hearing God’s Word leads a person to place their faith in God’s saving grace.

Salvation is just the beginning of the effect of the engrafted Word of God on our hearts. Colossians 3:16 asserts, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” God’s Word saves our souls from Hell, and then it continues to work in us in all wisdom. Let us never forget the value of God’s Word.

Slow to Wrath

James 1:19-20, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

“Slow to wrath.”

Swift to hear not only means slow to speak but also slow to wrath. It becomes a Godly individual to listen to a matter carefully and weigh the truth of that matter before reacting. We sometimes find ourselves the servant who has been forgiven a very large debt but in anger refuses to forgive one that owes a much smaller amount. [See Matthew 18]

Wrath is natural to the flesh and is the quick reaction. You don’t have to give much thought in order to become angry. A small piece of gossip, an action quickly observed out of context, or an accusation made in haste are just a few things that can snap us into wrath.

“The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

What you can guarantee about quick wrath is that you will not act Godly as a result. Man’s wrath does not work God’s righteousness. A quick temper will not reflect Jesus. It will bring a stain to your personal testimony and to the cause of Christ. One might try to defend by saying, “didn’t Jesus act in wrath when He overthrew the tables and drove out the money changers in the temple?” One should first note that Jesus, while He was man, was also 100% God. Jesus did not work the wrath of man, and the wrath of God is a holy wrath. Also, the force that Jesus used, while never in Scripture described as anger or wrath, worked to the good of the work of God and gave occasion for Jesus to teach afterward. We see questions asked afterward giving Jesus opportunity to instruct. We even see in Matthew 21 that after this incident, the blind and the lame came to Jesus for healing. What Jesus did furthered His work, but the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Ephesians 4:31 instructs us to “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” We need to give over our wrath to God and allow Him to transform our heart. The wrath of man is sinful, as is anything that hinders the righteousness of God. A Christian who struggles with wrath must confess this to God and ask for Him to change us by His Word. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God cleanse me of my quick wrath, and help me to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

James 1:19, Swift to Hear, Slow to Speak

James 1:19, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.”

 What’s your first reaction when someone cuts you off while driving? Sometimes, our tongue acts as the first responder to these situations. Words come often before our brains have a chance to process the situation. Have you ever cut someone off by accident? Do you think that maybe the bad driver in front of you had a reason he cut you short? We recognize that on our bad days we make mistakes, but we are often much less understanding to other drivers. I mean this only as an example that we have conditioned ourselves to the opposite of the instruction in this verse.

We often are too swift to speak. Human nature tends to react before thought is applied. We tend to react to a situation before allowing common sense to play out. If someone is said to be guilty, we attribute shame before proper judgment. We react before we factcheck. Sometimes, we even “find a solution” before we have heard the entirety of a problem. How often do we gather the perspective of each side objectively before casting judgment? After years of working retail banking, I have been approached by many people in foul moods. How easy it was to be annoyed with someone and think poorly of that person instead of gathering information and learning what might be causing their attitude! Proverbs 18:13 states, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Our quick-reacting tongue will bring us nothing but shame and folly.

Instead, we need to be swift to hear. The word translated “hear” is more than just detecting a noise through our senses, though certainly that is included. Being swift to hear and slow to speak involves real listening and comprehension. When I taught junior high English, I knew my students were hearing me because I was a fairly loud teacher. In fact, I was loud enough that, when I started teaching, I could hear doors shutting down the hallway. I could also tell that sometimes my students were not listening though they heard me. This is why repetition is so important when you teach: you hope that at least one of the times your message will break through.

If we would be swift to hear, we will take the time to actually learn before we speak up. We would become perceptive to the needs and situations of others, and we may end up with something valuable to contribute. We could observe a person and notice an unusual mood change or out-of-the-norm behavior. Sometimes after a tragic crime, those who knew the perpetrator will say something like, “He didn’t seem like that type of person.” You have to wonder if perhaps no one was really listening. We might hear someone speak certain key words that give deeper insight to a situation.

Being swift to hear involves active listening. Active listening is total attention to a person as they speak with the goal of learning from verbal and nonverbal communication in order to fully comprehend what a person is saying so as to be able to respond appropriately and thoughtfully. Engaging in active listening means that we care enough about a person to invest a certain amount of time to the speaker. That type of investment means a great deal and shows that you do care.

When we are swift to hear, we will be slow to speak. It isn’t that speech isn’t helpful at all; it is just that we should take a moment to listen and consider before answering. Too often when someone is speaking, we are thinking about our response more than we are listening almost as if that person is not worthy of our time and full attention. In fact, it would be easy to connect being swift to speak with pride. We must think awfully highly of ourselves if we believe to know the answer before hearing the question.

I know we live in a fast-paced, multitasking society, but we all need to slow down the speaking and speed up the listening. In fact, this verse addresses “every man.” Take the time to listen before forming your opinion. Look at both sides before passing judgment. Hear the whole matter before deciding. Let us be swift to hear and slow to speak.

James 1:18, Giving Life of His Own Will

James 1:18, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

“Of his own will begat he us.”

Of His own will, God begat all things. Read Genesis 1 and you will see that as God created all things that He said each was “good.” God created according to His perfect will. He gave purpose to each part of His creation according to His will. Colossians 1:16-17 teaches us of God’s will in creation: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” This verse tells us that not only were all things created by God but they were created “for Him” as well.

God records special attention regarding His will for mankind. Scripture gives a rare glimpse into what seems to be a conversation within the Trinity of God in Genesis 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” It was God’s will to create man set apart from the rest of creation, not separated in interaction but in purpose. It was the will of God that mankind bare the image and likeness of God. He did not create man to be God, but He created man to reflect God. God also willed that man should have dominion over the rest of creation. Verse 27 tells us that God carried out His will: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” After creating man, God set mankind to His will, as shown in verse 28 which reads, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…” He gave us life of His own will.

James 1:18 dives further into God’s will for us: God begat us spiritually of His own will. When Adam and Eve sinned, they brought onto this world death, both physically and spiritually. Romans 5:12 teaches, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” We are born spiritually dead and separated from God, but God’s will for mankind is life. 2 Peter 3:9 gives us the heart of God regarding His creation, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God desires to give life to all so that not “any should perish,” but He maintains our free will in noting that His desire is that all “should come to repentance.” God’s love for mankind and His will to give spiritual life is so strong that “he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16b) God gives spiritual life “of his own will” to “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord” for salvation (Romans 10:13). John 1:12-13 beautifully joins God’s will to give spiritual life with His maintaining of our free will when it states, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” God gives us eternal life of His own will.

“With the word of truth.”

By His spoken word, God created. Genesis 1:3, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” If I say, “let there be light,” I’ll probably hear the response, “Go turn it on yourself.” My word does not carry the authority that God’s word carries. Mankind has developed by God’s grace some pretty amazing advances, but every invention man produces pales to God’s design. There is much talk these days of AI (artificial intelligence), but God designed true AI (actual intelligence). The struggle and “advancements” that people are making in the field of artificial intelligence is just to try to copy what God did with His word.

Similarly, God begets us into spiritual life with the word of truth. God’s Word gives us life in Him, and we are born into the family of God as “joint-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9) God does not save us because He is obligated or out of some kind of biproduct of another work, “of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.”

James 1:17, The Un-variable and Unchanging Father of Lights

James 1:17-18, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning..”

“The Father of lights.”

The first title given to God in this passage is Father. This title reminds us of the dearest relationship we have to God: we are His children, and He is our Father. It is very appropriate to see this title used when speaking of Him giving gifts. Matthew 7:11 explains, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” A loving father knows how to give his children exactly what they need. It may or may not be what the child wants, but it is a good and timely gift. How much greater ability does God our Heavenly Father exercise when giving us gifts. He gives gifts to meet our needs in a way that only He can. He gives gifts that are extra blessings that sometimes we don’t even know to ask for. Often, He has to give the gift of a reprimand to bring us back to the good and right way, as taught in Proverbs 3:11-12, which states, “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: for whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” We can always trust that the gifts we receive from God our Father are good and perfect.

It is good to consider God’s full title given here, the Father of Lights. We read of many important associations of light throughout Scripture. When we see light in a passage of God’s Word, we connect such ideas as truth, holiness, righteousness, direction, wisdom, and other Godly characteristics. We recognize the need for light, both spiritually and physically. God designed our bodies to depend on light directly and indirectly. Sunshine produces Vitamin D, which has many health benefits. We also benefit from the plant life that receives energy from the sun in order to grow, while both producing the oxygen we need and serving as a food source. We can thank God who is the Father of Lights.

Light has many spiritual applications as well. Light illuminates our condition and shows the path that we should travel. Psalm 119:105 teaches, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Light also draws those in darkness toward God. Light brings comfort and joy; while darkness brings fear and depression. Light is energy and warmth; darkness lacks both. Darkness obscures, but light gives understanding. God is the Father of Lights; He gives good and perfect gifts.

“With whom is no variableness.”

We have grown accustomed to variable lights. Many of our flashlights have bright and dim settings, which can be great for different uses, but honestly, I just get annoyed with having to push the button four times to turn the light off. I really only need my light to be bright! Our cars have headlights with variable settings to give extra light when needed (please turn off your brights when approaching oncoming traffic!).

Sometimes the sun appears to have variableness of light which sets up a very interesting comparison. There are days that the sun shines brightly in the sky and outshines all other lights. Today, I was working indoors on a project which required cutting some boards outside the house. The sun was shining so brightly that, when I returned indoors, my eyes took several minutes to adjust to the dimmer light. But on some days, sunlight seems dimmer because of cloudiness and storms. Where did the light go? At night, the light of the sun seems gone altogether. Truthfully, the sun’s light has no variableness, but our perception of it does. Clouds obscure our vision of the light, and the earth’s rotation hides sunlight, yet evidence of the light lingers in both circumstances. During a storm, light breaks through the clouds, and at night, light reflects off the moon. If we rise above the storm clouds, we see the light as bright as ever, and at night on the other side of the earth, we find day. There is no variableness in the sun, but our position to the sun makes a difference.

At times we may feel that there is variableness with God, but, if we examine ourselves during these times carefully, we find the variableness lies with us. God hasn’t moved: we have. God’s love hasn’t changed, but something we have allowed into our life has created distance. God hasn’t abandoned us, but we have turned our back to Him and no longer observe His light. Get close to God, and His light will be clear.

“Neither shadow of turning.”

One of the earliest manmade timepieces is the sundial. A relatively simple device, the sundial consists of a flat plate and a vertical stick or object called a gnomon. As the earth rotates, the sun appears to cross the sky casting a shadow that moves along the flat plate pointing to the various numerical values of time. The shadow would appear to turn along the dial in different positions throughout the day.

With God, there is no shadow of turning. God doesn’t change. Hebrews 13:8 asserts, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” In Malachi 3:6, God declares, “For I am the LORD, I change not.” Psalm 90:2 proclaims, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” An everlasting God has no need to change; therefore, we can totally and absolutely depend on Him.

We live in an ever-changing world. Things break down, wear out, deplete, and become unreliable. People are one thing, then another, then change again. They say something, but then they do something else. Landscapes change; ideas morph; customs differ; and attitudes range. We change too. We grow older. We can’t do what we once did, and we often don’t care if we do. Things that were important seem less important as we mature. We don’t know how we will feel tomorrow, and we can’t remember how we felt yesterday. How can we rely on a world that changes as we also change? We can’t.

But God does not change. He is the rock of our refuge. All things in this world experience atrophy, but God is as strong today as He has been for all of eternity past and as strong as He will be for all eternity future. His wisdom does not escape Him; His mercy is still plentiful; and His grace still helps in time of need. He has not failed, and He will remain faithful. His love is still bountiful, and His judgment is still true. We have no need to fear in a world full of shifting sand because we rely on our unchanging Father. There is no shadow of turning or variableness in our Heavenly Father, and every good and perfect gift is from Him.

James 1:17, Good and Perfect Gifts from God

James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”

James 1:13 told us that “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” Temptation to evil does not come from God. Our own lust is what draws us away to entice us. God gives to us out of His great love for us. He gives in recognition of our temporal needs during this life and our spiritual needs in regards to our eternal future. We see in James that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”

Before considering the two types of gifts mentioned in this passage, we should meditate on the word every. We have every reason to give God all the glory for the good things in our life, and we have every reason to reprimand our lust and our flesh for the sinful things we allow to enter our lives. Our flesh is self-destructive, but God gives every good and perfect gift. Every one of these good and perfect gifts come from God because He knows how to give such good and perfect things far beyond our ability to give.

“Every good gift.”

God cares for us in this life. Some believe God to be the Beginner of all things, but He has left us to fend for ourselves as history unfolds of its own accord. They picture God as a “great Clock-winder,” having set us in motion to just watch without interference or not watch and care at all. Logically, this position makes no sense as it does not match any character we can understand. Why would God create as carefully as He did to just remain “hands off” for the rest of our time? But more importantly, the Bible asserts frequently that God is concerned with the affairs of mankind. After all, we belong to God; we are His creation made in His image.

“Every good gift…is from above” shows us that God cares about us in this life. He wants us to be able to live for Him without the burden of having to fend for ourselves. God takes care of our physical need. He does expect us to work the opportunities He allows, providing through the jobs He sends our way. He knows that work is good for us. After all, He did design for us to work (the curse is in the pain of work, not the work itself). But God is interested in meeting our physical, temporal needs. We can and must trust Him for these needs.

Jesus teaches us in Luke 12 that God cares for our physical needs. He first directs us to “consider the ravens: for they neither son nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them.” We worry about our physical state and want to make sure we have done everything we can do to have a guaranteed, secure future, but our worry and our planning removes our faith. We need to trust God, for if God feeds the ravens who does nothing to prepare his own way and considering “how much more are ye better than the fowls?” as Jesus also stated, then we see that we can rely on God’s good gifts to sustain us. In fact, Jesus concludes by stating, “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind…but rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” He guarantees that if we will keep our eyes on the kingdom of God instead of on the temporary, He will take care of all these other things. God gives every good gift.

“Every perfect gift.”

God also gives what we need with eternity in mind. Everything that we will receive to mold us into the Christian we ought to be comes from God. God gives every gift that perfects us and brings us to maturation as God sees fit. Eternity should be the main focus of our lives, and God gives us what we need in this area also.

The design of God’s Word equips us with the necessities to mold us. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 instructs, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” All Scripture, given by God, profits us by bringing us to completion and fully furnishing us unto all good works. God’s Word is a perfect gift that is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). We rely on Scripture to guide us toward laying up treasure in Heaven with eternity in mind.

In reflection of God’s perfect gifts in his own life, Paul asserted in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” God’s grace is another of His perfect gifts that brings us to spiritual maturity. God sees in us what we can be in Him and molds us, if we are willing, into what we never thought we could be. We can only attribute the outcome to God perfect gift and echo, “Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” For it is not in ourselves that we find what we need, but it is in the perfect gifts of God. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” Philippians 4:13. God gives every perfect gift.

Consider today the gifts that God gives, and it should not surprise us that every good and every perfect gift is from God. Luke 11:13 notes, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” God knows how to give.

James 1:14-16, Do Not Err

James 1:14-16, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

“Drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Twice in Proverbs we are told, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” (22:3, 27:12) In other words, any reasonable person will evaluate a situation. If he sees evil, he keeps away from that evil. He actively seeks how to avoid sin, though he is not perfect. He is conscience of how temptation works so that he can defend against it. But the simple do not so. They clumsily and carelessly pass on without notice to the evil or care toward the temptation, placing themselves under punishment and consequence.

So many times we are quick to blame Satan for our sin, and certainly Satan does work against us. We are warned in 1 Peter 5:8 to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” We are told in the next verse, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith.” James 4:7 instructs us to “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Satan wants to lead us astray, but he has no actual power over God’s children. He cannot force you into anything. James 1 brings the responsibility to rest where it belongs, upon us. “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

“When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin.”

The sin is not in being tempted. Jesus Himself was tempted of Satan. In fact, Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus didn’t have the sin nature of lust to draw Him away, but Satan did his best to try to entice Jesus without success. Jesus being tempted in all points allows Him to be “an high priest” Who can be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). The sin is not in being tempted.

Sin comes when we allow lust to conceive. Our own lust draws us away from the safety of the closeness of God and entices us toward sin. It works as Satan did in the Garden of Eden with Eve. When Satan spoke to Eve, he did so away from the direct presence of God. Not long after Eve and Adam sin, we see God calling unto Adam saying, “Where art thou?” There is distance where once was fellowship. We are safe when we are close to God, but our lust draws us away to entice us. We are susceptible to sin when we are drawn away. Our flesh is enticed; and we either rely on God for the way of escape that comes with every temptation, or we allow lust to conceive. By faith, we can rely on the truth of 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” But when our faith wavers, we give room for our lust to conceive and bring forth sin. We are led by our own lust to do that which we know is against God’s commandment and desire for us. We sin.

“Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Sin always results the same, death. This is what God warned Adam and Eve from the beginning, and it still is true today. Romans 6:23 tells plainly, “For the wages of sin is death.” Death is separation. We are most acquainted naturally with physical death, which is the separation of spirit and body within a person. The body cannot continue on its own. Physical death was a natural consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin, but it wasn’t the worst consequence. Spiritual death, or separation from God, was also introduced that day. Immediately, Adam and Eve lost fellowship with God. We all are born into this condition through the bloodline of Adam. Romans 5:12 explains that “as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Thankfully, Jesus conquered death on the cross to offer salvation from this condition. Romans 6:23 begins by explaining that the wages of sin is death; however, the end of that verse asserts that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” To escape the eternality of spiritual death, God by His grace sent Jesus as the payment of sin so that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Once saved, we are held in God the Father’s hand, where we are safe for eternity.

Sin can still cause a type of death for the Christian, however. Understanding that death is separation, sin will separate the immediate fellowship and closeness a Christian has with God. There is no permanent separation for a Christian, but we can lose the joy of our salvation and are in danger of quenching the Spirit. But God is gracious and promises in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can confess that which is breaking our fellowship with God and seek restoration as did David in Psalm 51 after being confronted about his sin. God, in His grace, will restore those who return to Him.

“Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

It is wonderful to be “beloved brethren.” The word beloved is not just loved, but it is “worthy of love.” We are not worthy of God’s love in any way of our own doing, but Jesus made us worthy. God has placed that value upon us. Because God loves us, He does not want us to err. Better to not have to suffer through the consequence of sin. Also, if we are told not to err, we are not bound to err. We do have a choice; there is another way. God’s Word tells us how to stay right with God, but God also knows us and loves us enough to give us a way back to Him when we do sin. 1 John 2:1-2 explains it well: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

James 1:13-14, God Is Not the Tempter But the Redeemer

James 1:13-14, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

“Let no man say…I am tempted of God.”

“The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.” (Psalm 33:5b) Our God is a good God, and He is working for our good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Knowing these two truths helps us understand that we are not tempted of God, though he uses temptations and trials to build us into spiritual maturity. Remember Joseph’s words in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.”

James chapter 1 speaks of the trying of our faith by the tribulation we face, but the passage speaks also of another temptation that tries our faith. Our faith is tried when we are tempted to sin. How we withstand this type of temptation tells much of the faith we have in God. If our faith is weak, we waver and give the temptation room to work. But if our faith is strong, we can escape unspotted. Consider 1 Corinthians 10:13 which promises, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” God promises that with every temptation is “a way to escape” so that we are not bound to sin. Our faith must be firmly held in God and His Word to escape the temptation. We have to trust God more than our flesh. When our faith wavers, we give opportunity to be drawn away of our own lust and enticed. Sin soon follows.

We need also to recognize that God is not the tempter. God does, however, allow temptation, and we should be thankful that He does. The choice makes us different and special from the rest of His creation. Consider Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden not to tempt Adam and Eve but to give them free will. Without a way to disobey God, there would have been no way to choose Him either. God did not entice Adam and Eve to eat of that tree; in fact, we see the opposite is true. God gave strong warning to the couple that if they ate of the fruit of this tree that they would surely die! God placed them in the garden, gave them free will, and gave them protection to help them avoid sin.

The tempter was that old serpent, Satan. Satan twisted God’s Word, lied about God’s motivation, and appealed to the pride of man. He denied God’s truth about the consequence of sin, a lie that persists still today. Now we are born with this sin nature passed down through Adam, and we deal with a corrupt flesh that leads us to be drawn away of our own lusts and enticed.

“But every man is tempted.”

Everyone faces temptation because each of us has a lustful flesh that draws us away. None are immune. In fact, throughout history, only one person has ever been born without sin nature, that is Jesus Christ. Jesus lived sinless and perfect. He had no sin nature, but even He was tempted of Satan. We can read Matthew 4 of Satan’s temptations to Christ and how Christ remained without sin through them. In fact, we learn of Jesus being tempted in Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus knows what it is to be tempted, and He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” He remained “without sin,” but we fall under the category of “all have sinned.” Yet He is still touched with the feeling of our infirmities! Romans 5:8 expresses that “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He knows the temptation we experience, and He lovingly made a wonderful way of escape. He died for us. He rose again to offer eternal life. For those that place their faith in Him for salvation, He gives freely eternal life. You see, God is not the tempter, but He is the Redeemer! And because He knows how much we need to escape temptation, He has given us an opportunity to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

When you are tempted (and you will be), come boldly to God’s throne to obtain mercy and find grace, which is exactly what you need in time of need. Come early and come often! The more time you spend at the throne of grace, the less opportunity your lust will have to draw you away.

James 1:12, Endurance Rewarded

James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

“Blessed is the man that endureth.”

Enduring temptation has a purpose. We learned already in this chapter of James that the trial of our faith works patience, and that patience brings us to maturity as a Christian. We also learned the importance of unwavering faith as we endure trials and temptations. We can trust that God will use trials for our good. Who can speak more of enduring trials than Joseph in the book of Genesis? Hated by his brothers and left for dead, sold into slavery in a foreign land, accused of horrific crimes for doing the right, wrongfully imprisoned and forgotten—Joseph understood trials. When reunited with his brothers after many years and after God brought him to a great position of power, Joseph told his brothers, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.” Joseph recognized that all the trials served a divine purpose.

Joseph also saw the reward of endurance through God’s blessing. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.” God exalted Joseph and used him to save many people. The passage promises a blessing to the one who endures, but those who waver under the weight of the trial never get to see the joy of God working. God rewards the Christian with great blessing for following Him in faith. Matthew 5 and Luke 6 both record Jesus’ great teachings on the blessings given to those who are faithful in following Christ. Here in James 1:12, we learn that there is a special blessing given for enduring temptation: “for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life.”

“When he is tried.”

Dokimos, the word translated into this clause “when he is tried,” holds a very interesting meaning. In New Testament days, this word was used to describe people who maintained their integrity in financial dealings. In those days, coins were of a softer metal and could be shaved to appear of proper size but actually be underweight. There was a major problem in society with what was essentially counterfeited currency. But some merchants were known to deal honestly and were careful to only put proper currency into circulation. These merchants were labeled as dokimos. They were merchants of honest report.

James 1:12 connects the idea of dokimos with the Christian enduring temptation. In order for the honest merchant to remove improper coins from circulation, they had to put the coin to a test. The Christian who endures shows himself to be dokimos, that is to say, he shows himself to be genuine as a Christian. The trials of life serve as a test that sorts those with wavering faith from those who fully trust God. After all, if you can place faith in God during the most difficult of times, then you can endure until the end.

“He shall receive the crown of life.”

The endured trial produces the opportunity for the Christian to receive a special reward from God in eternity, the crown of life. We see this reward referenced also in Revelation 2:9-10 which states in a letter to the church in Smyrna, “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” This church suffered through trials of tribulation and poverty, but God promised that He would reward their enduring faithfulness with this special crown. What an honor to receive recognition from Almighty God for remaining faithful!

Another great honor is attached to this reward: it is “promised to them that love him.” There is a connection of enduring temptation to loving the Lord. Maybe we don’t make this connection enough in our minds. We will struggle with wavering faith if we don’t love the Lord as we ought. Demas was unable to endure because he “loved this present world.” 1 John 2:15 warns us to “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” If you love the world, you have no love for our Heavenly Father in you. There is no room left for Him. Matthew 6:24 asserts, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Don’t expect to endure if God is not first in your life. We need to really fall in love with God again and draw close to Him if we will endure the trials and receive the wonderful honor of the crown of life. I am reminded of the lyrics, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” When we focus more on Jesus and draw closer to Him, we will find solid, enduring faith that allows us to remain constant and endure the trial.

James 1:12, Endure

James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

“The man that endureth.”

We need endurance. We need men and women of God that can endure. We are not promised an easy race, but God does promise that we can endure. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “run with patience the race that is set before us.” Running this race is not about being the fastest and crossing the line first. We need to be faithful to finish. The best tool a long-distance runner can develop is endurance. How do we endure the temptations and trials in order to finish?

Hebrews 12:1 further instructs us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” Sin is a terrible thing that will cause us not to finish this race to receive the reward. Sin easily besets us. While we know that none of us are perfect or will reach perfection this side of eternity, how we regard sin makes a great difference in how we run this race. Unconfessed and unforsaken sin in our hearts interrupts our relationship with God. Psalm 66:18 warns that “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Sin ruins our joy, our peace, and even our ministry. David prayed in Psalm 51 for the cleansing of his heart from sin so that he could see restoration in these areas and more. We will not endure if we allow sin to beset us.

Sin is not the only besetting factor in this race; we can also be hindered by weights that we carry along. In my college days, I would try to schedule my classes spread apart enough for time in between for travel. But for an odd semester or two, I would have to schedule back to back classes that were located on the top floors of buildings at opposite ends of the campus. The only way to make that trip successfully was to sprint carrying the books and materials for both classes in my backpack. What I learned is that if you are going to run a race, better to not do so with a heavy weight strapped to your back. In fact, runners can be so conscious of excess weight that they choose their shoes by which weighs less (ounces of difference) to be as light as possible. Extra weight can beset you or hold you back in a race. You want every advantage possible.

Another way to understand the idea of besetting weight is from the wisdom of 2 Timothy 2:4 which states, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” The last thing a soldier needs when going to battle is to be thinking of things at home or elsewhere that might distract him from his mission. If his mind is elsewhere, it may cost him his life or the life of a fellow soldier. A soldier must be focused on the job at hand.

So must we Christians not be entangled with the affairs of this life, or, in other words, we cannot burden our backs with unnecessary weights of which have no eternal value but simply encumber us and hold us back. Maybe it isn’t something you can find listed as a sin, but maybe it falls under the category we find in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” It might be lawful (not a sin per say), but it also might not be expedient or profitable. We need to strive to not be under the power of any such weight.

What are these weights? This varies from person to person. A good test is to ask yourself, “Is this activity or thing hindering my relationship to God? Am I doing this more than or instead of spending time in prayer and in God’s Word? Do I allow this to keep me from regular attendance to church? Do I think about this more often than it really deserves? Is this my drive more than service to God?” You may think of other questions that could help identify the weights in your life that could beset you in this race and cause you not to endure.

More importantly, we need to ask God to reveal the weights and the sins that would hold us back and cause us not to endure temptation. We need to pray as the Psalmist did in Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Let God reveal to you what you can lay aside for the cause of endurance and allow Him to make the change in your life. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“When he is tried.”

We can endure when we are tried! This is another example of “when” used instead of the word “if.” We will be tried, and when this happens, we need to endure. We must endure, if not for our own sakes, then for the sake of the next generation. We must be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus so that we can teach the next generation to do the same and “teach others also.”

James 1:9-11, We Have Reason to Rejoice

James 1:9-11, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”

“The brother of low degree…is exalted.”

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:10-14)

We have a choice to make: either “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” or “those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” In the above passage, the Pharisee thought he could lift himself up before God with his impressive giving and righteousness, but what do we have to offer God that might impress Him? The Pharisee thinks himself better than other men, fasts often (improperly so, as fasts are not to be noticed), gives tithes of everything he has, and really thinks himself to be something special. But the publican could not even lift his eyes to heaven. This publican was humbled in God’s presence knowing the he didn’t do anything to deserve God’s favor. He said, “Be merciful to me a sinner.” He was no more or less a sinner than the Pharisee, but he was wise and humble enough to recognize his own condition. The publican humbled himself and God exalted him, but the Pharisee exalted himself and he would God abase.

Whether rich or poor, we have reason to rejoice in the Lord.

“Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted”

The brother who is poor can rejoice in that God exalts him. He easily recognizes his dependence upon God, and he easily traces God’s working in his life. He knows that he won’t be able to impress God with anything he has, but he sees God time and again provide to meet his needs. He lives Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

“But the rich, in that he is made low.”

The rich also have reason to rejoice in that he is made low. The rich have to take great care to recognize that God provides for them also. It is imperative that the rich remember how wealth so easily fades. We see here in James that riches are fleeting. The passage describes the rich “as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.” In the Old Testament, we read of Job who was both a wealthy man and a righteous man. He was humble before God, though he certainly had an amount that could lead him to trust in his riches. And having lost all of his earthly riches, Job proclaimed, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” He mourned for the loss of his sons and daughters, but he could bless the name of the Lord because he trusted God. If his rejoice had been in his wealth, he would have fallen apart. But because of his reliance on God, it could be said of Job, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

It may seem odd that these verses are placed in the middle of a passage teaching about faith and trials, but God intends for us to connect these. There is not a person on earth, whether he be of low degree or rich, that should be rejoicing in anything or anyone but God. It takes faith for the poor to understand that God exalts them, which gives the them reason to rejoice. It takes faith for the rich to trust God despite their riches and rejoice that God makes them low. The trying of the faith is for the rich and the poor; all must rely on God, and all can and should rejoice in Him.

James 1:9, Let the Brother Rejoice!

James 1:9, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.”

“Let the brother of low degree rejoice.”

When was the last time you rejoiced over being poor? God provides for our needs, but He doesn’t necessarily make you materially rich, and for this we ought to be thankful and rejoice! Seem contrary? Maybe our perspective is contrary. Maybe we don’t value enough what is eternally important, and maybe we have set too much importance on that which is temporary.

There is an epidemic of comfortability among today’s Christians. I don’t know too many Christians who are in pursuit of extreme wealth (probably related to the company I keep), but there are some who just want to reach a particular level of comfort in order to be happy. They believe that once they reach that level they will be able to do more to serve the Lord. So they work toward their pension, make sure they have specific comforts to enjoy, and insure a certain level of fallback wealth in case things take a turn. Ministry is secondary and an afterthought, placed among the leftovers. This mindset destroys the pioneering spirit of ministry. These Christians look for a comfortable place to serve instead of exercising a pioneering vision to build a ministry within a church. The spirit of comfortability is said to be the responsible thing to do, but this thought process is grounded in man’s philosophy.

We should look back to the followers of God of old times to see what it means to rejoice in our low degree. Paul said that he took “pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake.” Paul wasn’t one looking to be comfortable; He wanted to serve God from a state of low degree. He closed that verse by saying, “for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Paul added in an earlier passage, “If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.” Nearly all the apostles gave up whatever future they might have had to suffer reproach with Christ. Moses is mentioned in Hebrews 11:25-26 for “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” We read of men like George Mueller who dedicated his life to God’s work and by faith saw God provide for every need, living purely by faith and not the comforts of this life. We read also of David Livingston, Jim Elliot, and many missionaries of old who were not concerned about comforts but dedicated themselves to God’s work. We also see many modern examples of God’s servants who leave the comforts of their homes to live by faith in order to see God use them for a work. What we see in their lives is the joy of low degree as they exercise faith in God.

Christ gives us the greatest example of low degree in Himself. Philippians 2 teaches us, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Christ didn’t come to earth to set an example of being comfortable; He set the example of humility in low estate.

What we often miss is that wealth and comfort can actually be at best a hindrance and at worst a curse. Comfortability from our own hands gives us space that we don’t have to trust the Lord. We can instead find pleasure in the stuff with which we surround ourselves, we can find provision in our good-paying job, we can find peace in our bank accounts, and we can find rest in our retirement. We can see everything we need and can therefore relax and afford to do some giving. Why exercise faith? “But without faith it is impossible to please [God].” There is great danger in this lifestyle. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 clearly teaches us the danger of this type of pursuit: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” The pursuit of comfort is the pursuit of a level of riches. The love of money doesn’t always look like the old Scrooge McDuck cartoon of swimming in your gold, but it is also a person who looks to their money to provide comfort and stability instead of looking to God to supply.

“Rejoice in that he is exalted.”

We need to learn 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” Those of low degree can rejoice because he understands that true gain is in Godly character and eternal riches and in a life dedicated to the cause of Christ. The brother of low degree doesn’t have to build himself up, but he rejoices “in that he is exalted.” God will exalt this brother! The Philippians 2 example of Christ reminds us that after Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” Paul tells us the reason that he gloried in his infirmities is because God is glorified, which is what really mattered to him and what should matter to us.

The brother of low degree can rejoice because he has learned the truth of Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The brother of low degree has an easier time keeping his heart in the right place because his treasure is not in earthly comforts but in heavenly places. He has learned to seek “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” He knows that “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” and can therefore rejoice in low degree.

James 1:6-8, The Danger of the Double Minded

James 1:6-8, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

“Ask in faith, nothing wavering.”

The Christian walk requires faith. We start this life by faith as declared in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” These verses reason clearly that if salvation were by works, we would have saved ourselves giving us cause to boast of ourselves. We know that we don’t have the ability to save ourselves. We rely on God for all matters, and we have no cause to boast in our lives. What we have is cause to give God the glory. “By the grace of God I am what I am.” (1 Corinthians 15:10a)

We also know that “without faith it is impossible to please [God].” (Hebrews 11:6a) It is no wonder that we also must ask in faith, whether we are asking for a quality like wisdom, or we are asking for growth, or we are asking for God’s intervention in a matter. Unwavering faith is required to see God work.

“Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

My dad’s testimony is that he was not saved the first time he recited words asking for salvation. His heart was that maybe it was true that Jesus would save him and that he would give it a try. He was not placing his faith in Christ the first couple of times he recited words, and he knew that there was no difference in his heart—that nothing had changed. But he came to realize that he had to ask in faith, and upon placing his faith in Christ for salvation, Jesus saved him. Dad could then testify that he knew that he had eternal life!

Christians approach prayer in this way sometimes. We might ask God our petition, but do we really believe? We know we need to grow in an area such as wisdom or the like, and we ask for God to work so that we can grow, but we waver at the trial as if God had made some sort of mistake. If we don’t place our full faith in God AND in His ways, why should we expect to receive anything from Him? In fact, it is presumptuous on our part to expect God to do some kind of work when we don’t even trust Him. Scripture describes this person with wavering faith as “a double minded man.”

“Unstable in all his ways.”

The double minded way presents danger to the Christian. This type of believer has some sort of desire to follow God but lacks the faith to do so. He might want to grow, but he struggles to trust God’s methods of growing him. God allows the trials that will work patience and thereby grow the Christian to completion, but the double minded man sees the trial and runs toward his own way. He becomes a Christian at variance with himself, opposed to his own new nature given to him at salvation.

One danger, which we have already discussed, is that this double minded man will have an ineffective prayer life. James 5:16 remarks that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” We see effectual prayer from the righteous man in chapter 5, but in chapter 1 we see ineffective prayer from the double minded man. What a contrast! The faithless should not expect to see God work, but the righteous man exercising faith in God will see much victory! We should take serious warning to the double minded lifestyle if we want to see God work in and through us.

A second danger is that this double minded man is unstable “in all his ways.” In a previous post, I referred to the person with wavering faith as a “seasick Christian” using the image from verse 6, “For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Seasickness makes you stagger. It is difficult to remain stable no matter what direction you try to go. The double minded Christian thinks to follow God but, with the application of trials, turns another way and spins around enough to make him unstable in any direction he goes. The only stable way is the way of faith to follow Christ. The only surety we can have find is in trusting Christ for our growth and our needs.

The bottom line is that we should ask of God, but we should ask in faith. God desires to give liberally, but we must ask with unwavering faith. We have no right to expect anything of God if we are not going to trust Him. Trust His methods, trust His timing, trust His answer, and trust His heart.