James 1
James 1:2
Temptations and trials are two different experiences. Though they often
occur at the same time, there is a fine line between them. In the New
Testament a single Greek word covers both situations. James 1:2 tells us
to rejoice when we fall into various trials, but in Matthew 26:41 Jesus
tells His disciples to pray that they enter not into temptation. The
first is an occasion for good, the second a danger to avoid.
In a sermon entitled "Faith Tested and Crowned," Alexander Maclaren
distinguished between being tempted and being tested or tried. He said
that "the former word conveys the idea of appealing to the worst part of
man, with the wish that he may yield and do the wrong. The latter means an
appeal to the better part of man, with the desire that he should stand.
Temptation says, `Do this pleasant thing; do not be hindered by the fact
that it is wrong.' Trial or proving says, `Do this right and noble thing;
do not be hindered by the fact that it is painful.' The one is a sweet,
beguiling melody, breathing soft indulgence and relaxation over the soul;
the other is a pealing trumpet-call to high achievements."
Every hardship holds the potential to be a temptation and a trial. By
resisting all suggestions we know are wrong and accepting all
circumstances as opportunities for growth, we cooperate with the Holy
Spirit in His sanctifying work in us. We move toward that desired goal of
being "perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:4). —Dennis De Haan
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us; God tests us to bring out
the best in us. .
James 1:2 "Count it all joy
when you fall into various trials."
JOY IN CALAMITY - Celebrate bankruptcy? How foolish that seems to us! Yet
author Leo Buscaglia's mother did just that.
Her husband came home one evening and sadly told the family that his
business partner had stolen the assets of the firm. Bankruptcy was
unavoidable.
Instead of despairing, Leo's mother went out, pawned some jewelry, and
prepared a delectable dinner. When family members protested, she replied,
"The time for joy is now when we need it most, not next week."
Mrs. Buscaglia's response to her family's financial crisis reminds me of a
New Testament directive: "Count it all joy when you fall into various
trials" (James 1:2).
Have you run into difficult circumstances recently? Has some calamity
gripped your heart with fear and sorrow? God doesn't want you to wear a
hypocritical, smiling face. But He does want you to trust Him through all
your circumstances -- including calamities! He wants you to accept
failure, sickness, and loss as opportunities for growth in faith and
obedience.
Our wise and loving heavenly Father longs for us to submit to His
sovereign control. Only as we do that can we agree with James and rejoice
even in calamity. - Vernon Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Though times be dark,
the struggles grim,
And cares rise like a flood,
This sweet assurance holds to Him:
My God is near and good.-- Hager
Life's trials should make us better
- not bitter.
James 1:2
Faith Tested - Alexander Maclaren, in a sermon entitled “Faith Tested and
Crowned,” distinguished between being tempted and being tested or tried.
He said that “the former word conveys the idea of appealing to the worst
part of man, with the wish that he may yield and do the wrong. The latter
means an appeal to the better part of man, with the desire that he should
stand. Temptation says, ‘Do this pleasant thing; do not be hindered by
the fact that it is wrong.’ Trial or proving says, ‘Do this right and
noble thing; do not be hindered by the fact that it is painful.’ The one
is a sweet, beguiling melody, breathing soft indulgence and relaxation
over the soul; the other is a pealing trumpet-call to high achievements.”
Every hardship of life holds the possibility of being a temptation and a
trial. By resisting all suggestions we know are wrong and accepting all
circumstances as opportunities for growth, we cooperate with the Holy
Spirit in His sanctifying work in us. We move toward that desired goal of
being “perfect and entire, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). -
Dennis De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Count your
blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.
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James 1:2-3
Amy Carmichael wrote that "The best training is to learn to accept
everything as it comes, as from Him whom our soul loves. The tests are
always unexpected things, not great things that can be written up, but the
common little rubs of life, silly little nothings, things you are ashamed
of minding (at all). Yet they can knock a strong man over and lay him very
low. (Candles in the Dark)
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James 1:2-3 "Count it all joy
when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience."
HIGHER MATH - Mathematical formulas work well with numbers, but not with
people. That's why this equation in James 1 sounds unworkable:
FAITH + TRIALS =
PATIENCE
One might better try to mix oil and
water. But what makes this formula work is confidence in God's unfailing
love, which allows for all the human emotions that come with life's
trials.
Shirley and her husband Roy proved that this equation is still up-to-date.
Here's their story: Roy was told that in 6 months the plant where he
worked would close but he would receive severance pay.
Shirley wrote, "Praise the Lord for that -- but also praise the Lord that
He loves us so much He's given us yet another trial in our lives. (This
will be the fourth time we're starting over in the 13 years we've been
married.) At first I panicked and questioned God's love. But I kept
reading my Bible, stopped feeling sorry for myself, and started to pray
for others. As long as God gives us this roof over our heads (and even if
we lost it), I'll thank Him."
So when you face trials, you can "count it all joy" if you add faith,
knowing that God's love will never fail. As you do, you will develop an
attitude of patient expectation, confident that God will do what is
best.-- Dennis De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Afflictions may test
me,
They cannot destroy;
One glimpse of Thy love
Turns them all into joy.- Willett
The first lesson in patience is
learning to count our trials as joy.
James 1:3 The testing of your
faith produces patience
One of the delights of my carefree days of childhood was flying a kite.
What happy, peaceful hours I enjoyed with that soaring paper bird tugging
on the string anchored to my finger! But if that kite could have talked,
it might have said, "Look how high I'm flying and how gracefully I'm
floating through the sky. And I'm doing all this in spite of that
aggravating boy down there hanging onto the end of the string. I don't
need that. Look, I have a tail and broad wings, but that pesky kid is
hanging onto that cord as if he expects me to lift him into the wind. Why,
if I didn't have the handicap of this string he is holding, I could fly up
and reach the moon. If only I were not tied down in this irritating way."
Sometimes when flying my kite I would be distracted and I'd let go of the
string. The kite would go wobbling down and become tangled in the branches
of a tree. What might that proud paper bird have said then? If it had been
an honest kite, it would have admitted, "The very thing I thought was
tying me down was holding me up."
Likewise, much of our Christian growth and spiritual progress can be
credited to our trials and testings, which so often make us fret. If God
were to remove the restrictions that go with these difficult experiences,
our lives would be wobbly and weak like that wandering kite. "The testing
of your faith produces patience," James said. These testings are the
rewarding restraints of One who desires to see His children soar to
spiritual heights. —Paul R VanGorder (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Adversity is only sand on your track to prevent you from skidding.
James 1:1-18
While visiting an inlet of the sea that reached deep into land, leaving a
sheltered bay, I noticed that the pebbles on that protected beach were
rough and jagged—not smooth and polished. But out on the open shore where
fierce waves break over the rocks, the pebbles were sleek and round.
The same is true of Christian character. Just as the harsh treatment of
the ocean waves makes the rough stones smooth, our trials, difficulties,
and testings can produce in us the luster of Christian maturity. When
circumstances become difficult, we can rest assured that God has only one
design in view—the perfection of our character. That's why the psalmist
could testify, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may
learn Your statutes" (Ps. 119:71). Echoing that statement, Scottish pastor
Samuel Rutherford declared that he "got a new Bible" through the furnace
of adversity. The Scriptures took on fresh meaning for him when his faith
had been tested and his character enriched.
The popular idea that bad things happen because we are being punished is
contrary to what God says. The Word of God indicates that troubles can be
a badge of honor for the Christian. Through them we can see that God is at
work in us to produce the patience that James said would help us become
mature, lacking nothing (James 1:4). Through the rough seas of trouble,
God "rounds" the stone of our character and conforms us to the likeness of
His Son. —Paul R VanGorder (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
God sends trials not to impair us but to improve us.
James 1:1-4
A University of Michigan microbiologist tells his students that the human
body is made up of ten trillion cells, which are home to some 100 trillion
bacteria. He supports this claim by citing studies con-ducted by
University of Pennsylvania researchers who once estimated that a
dime-sized patch of skin may hold up to two million bacteria.
The presence of all those little critters might seem to be an
overwhelming threat to our health. But scientists who have come to
understand and appreciate the role of bacteria say that we would actually
be sicker without them than we are with them. They apparently help ward
off other bacteria that cause diseases.
This is not an argument for careless personal hygiene. But it is an
interesting parallel to the setting in which Christians are called to
live. Contrary to what we might think, we can actually benefit from a
hostile environment.
God calls His children to show patience, love, and faith in a world
polluted by sin and opposed to righteousness. Many of the troubles we
encounter can help us avoid greater problems of independence,
self-sufficiency, and pride that set in so quickly when all goes smoothly.
The problems in our lives can help us to realize the need for dependence
on the Lord and faith in His Word. Obstacles can contribute to our health
if we'll see them as tests of our faith and as opportunities to develop
endurance. Until Jesus comes, we can be healthier with them than without
them. —M R De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
The difficulties of life are intended to make us better—not bitter.
James 1:4
C H Spurgeon writes: If his dark nights are as bright as the world’s days,
what will his days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the
sun, what must his sunlight be? If he can praise the Lord in the fires,
how will he extol Him before the eternal throne! If evil is good to him
now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then? Oh, blessed
“afterward”! Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the
present cross for the crown which comes afterwards? But herein is work for
patience, for the rest is not for today, nor the triumph for the present,
but “afterward.” Wait, soul, and “let patience have her perfect work”
(James 1:4). (Daily Help)
James 1:5
“If any of you
lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and uphraideth not,
and it shall be given him.”
Wisdom for the Asking - IF any of you lack wisdom. There is no “if” in
the matter, for I am sure I lack it. What do I know? How can I guide my
own way? How can I direct others? Lord, I am a mass of folly, and wisdom I
have none. Thou sayest, “Let him ask of God.” Lord, I now ask. Here at
thy footstool, I ask to be furnished with heavenly wisdom for this day’s
perplexities and for this day’s simplicities; for I know I may do very
stupid things even in plain matters, unless thou dost keep me out of
mischief. I thank thee that all I have to do is to ask. What grace is this
on thy part, that I have only to pray in faith, and thou wilt give me
wisdom! Thou dost here promise me a liberal education, and that, too,
without an angry tutor or a scolding usher. This, too, thou wilt bestow
without a fee—bestow it on a fool who lacks wisdom. O Lord, I thank thee
for that positive and expressive word, “It shall be given him.” I
believe it. Thou wilt this day make thy babe to know the hidden wisdom
which the carnally prudent never learn. Thou wilt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory. (Spurgeon, C. Faith's
Checkbook)
James 1:6 ... He that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
"Nothing Doubting"
1. We are to believe without doubting. "If ye have faith, and doubt
not . . ." (Mt 21:21). We may be tempted to doubt. We may have to pray,
"Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief " But we can take sides with our
faith and by the exercise of it give doubt no chance to grow. Such faith
moves mountains.
2. We are to pray without doubting. I will therefore that men pray
every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Tim.
2:8). The man who lacks wisdom must ask of God "but let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering" (James 1:6). The doubting man, says James, is like a
storm‑driven wave of the sea and he need not expect anything of the Lord.
3. We are to obey without doubting. Peter was told to go with the
men from the house of Cornelius "nothing doubting" (Acts 10:20; 11:12).
When the Holy Spirit sends us on a mission we are to ask no questions.
Peter had his scruples on this occasion and sometimes we have to give up
well‑established objections if we are to help Cornelius.
Doubting means wavering, double‑mindedness. Without faith it is impossible
to please God (Heb. 11:6). A man displeases God to the extent of his
doubts. Doubt may assail you but do not pray, "Lord, I doubt; increase my
faith"; pray, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." (Vance Havner)
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The field mouse who illustrated
James "Double-minded man" - Driving in country at night when headlights
showed up a field mouse dead ahead. He first started toward the left, then
right, then left, and finally stood still as the car passed over him.
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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.”
Mark of Divine Approval - YES, he is blessed while he is enduring the
trial. No eye can see this till he has been anointed with heavenly eye
salve. But he must endure it, and neither rebel against God, nor turn
aside from his integrity. He is blessed who has gone through the fire and
has not been consumed as a counterfeit. When the test is over, then comes
the hallmark of divine approval, “the crown of life.” As if the Lord
said, “Let him live; he has been weighed in the balances, and he is not
found wanting.” Life is the reward: not mere being—but holy, happy, true
existence—the realization of the divine purpose concerning us. Already a
higher form of spiritual life and enjoyment crowns those who have safely
passed through fiercest trials of faith and love. The Lord hath promised
the crown of life to those who love Him. Only lovers of the Lord will hold
out in the hour of trial; the rest will either sink or sulk, or slink back
to the world. Come, my heart, dost thou love thy Lord? Truly? Deeply?
Wholly? Then that love will be tried, but many waters will not quench it,
neither will the floods drown it. Lord, let thy love nourish mine to the
end. (Spurgeon, C. Faith's Checkbook)
James 1:1-12
Trial By Fire - F. B. Meyer explained it this way: “A bar of iron worth
$2.50, when wrought into horseshoes is worth $5. If made into needles it
is worth $175. If into penknife blades it is worth $1,625. If made into
springs for watches it is worth $125,000. What a ‘trial by fire’ that
bar must undergo to be worth this! But the more it is manipulated, and the
more it is hammered and passed through the heat, beaten, pounded, and
polished, the greater its value.” Christian, are you wondering about the
trials through which you are passing? With impatient heart are you saying,
“How long, O Lord?” The heat of the flame and the blows of the hammer
are necessary if you are to be more than an unpolished, rough bar of iron.
God’s all-wise plan, though it calls for the fire, produces the valuable
watch spring of maturity. His very best for your life has behind it His
perfect timing. - Paul R VanGorder (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
James 1:13–15
George Keenan served as adviser to U.S. diplomats and ambassadors to
Russia from the 1930s to the 1950s, then as ambassador to Russia in the
1950s. His writings on Soviet aims and ideals were widely accepted. He
became noted for advocating containment of Communism, meaning that
wherever it appeared, the democracies would counteract it. Containment
didn’t work well against communism; it died under the weight of its own
inadequacies. Containment never works in the spiritual life. Either we
conquer Satan or he conquers us. If we attempt accommodation, Satan wins.
We fail to understand that he has more willpower than we, and that he has
far more openings into our lives to develop than he ever exploits. The
only answer to evil is annihilation. It must be obliterated, because the
alternative is its horrendous growth, our gradual acceptance of its
presence, and our eventual downfall. The best time to get rid of sin is
now.
James 1:13
Alexander Maclaren, in a sermon entitled “Faith Tested and Crowned,”
distinguished between being tempted and being tested or tried. He said
that “the former word conveys the idea of appealing to the worst part of
man, with the wish that he may yield and do the wrong. The latter means an
appeal to the better part of man, with the desire that he should stand.
Temptation says, ‘Do this pleasant thing; do not be hindered by the fact
that it is wrong.’ Trial or proving says, ‘Do this right and noble
thing; do not be hindered by the fact that it is painful.’ The one is a
sweet, beguiling melody, breathing soft indulgence and relaxation over the
soul; the other is a pealing trumpet-call to high achievements.” Every
hardship of life holds the possibility of being a temptation and a trial.
By resisting all suggestions we know are wrong and accepting all
circumstances as opportunities for growth, we cooperate with the Holy
Spirit in His sanctifying work in us. We move toward that desired goal of
being “perfect and entire, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). -
Dennis De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
James 1:13
"What is temptation? Seduction to evil, solicitation to wrong. It stands
distinguished from trial thus: trial tests, seeks to discover the man’s
moral qualities or character; but temptation persuades to evil, deludes,
that it may ruin. The one means to undeceive, the other to deceive. The
one aims at the man’s good, making him conscious of his true moral self;
but the other at his evil, leading him more or less unconsciously into
sin. God tries; Satan tempts." (D. Pentecost, J D: The Words and
Works of Jesus Christ)
James 1:14
Each one is
tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
IT'S MY FAULT! - The first step in overcoming sin is to admit that we are
the ones who are responsible. To look for someone else to blame is to
evade the real issue.
A man in a parking lot backed into another car. He simply didn't look to
see if the way was clear, and he was obviously at fault. But he jumped out
of his car, yelled furiously at the woman driving the car he hit, and told
her it was her fault for getting in his way. I learned later that he
continued to blame her when he spoke to his insurance agent. Eventually
she was cleared, but only after going through tremendous anguish.
This is similar to what happened in the Garden of Eden. After Adam ate the
forbidden fruit, he said he wasn't to blame. It was the fault of the woman
God had made.
Sometimes we respond like that. When we do something wrong, we immediately
look for someone to blame, even if it's God. But James says we sin because
we listen to our own selfish desires.
Troubled by a sin that won't go away? Maybe you're not overcoming it
because you are blaming someone else. You might even be blaming God
because He didn't stop you from doing it. Nonsense! You'll never conquer
your sin until you're willing to say, "It's my fault!" - Dennis
Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
God cannot prosper
those who try
To cover sin and wrong deny;
But all who humbly will confess,
The Savior with His love will bless. -Dennis De Haan
You can never conquer sin with an
excuse.
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Knowing how much an acquaintance
despises his wife’s parakeet, I was surprised one day to hear him coaxing
it to speak. Upon listening more closely, however, I nearly choked holding
back my laughter. Now, along with its constant, annoying jabbering, the
bird also calls out a suicidal, “Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” (Reader's
Digest)
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James 1:15 Desire . . . gives
birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. --
My Sin - The woman explained the rules to the Tempter. She and her husband
could eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except for the special one
in the middle. Just touching it, she said, would bring death.
I can imagine Satan throwing back his head and with mocking laughter
saying, "You will not surely die" (Gen. 3:4). He then suggested that God
was holding back something good from her (v.5).
For thousands of years the Enemy has repeated that strategy. He doesn't
care if you believe in the authority of the Bible as a whole, as long as
he can get you to disbelieve at the one sin standing between you and God.
"You will not surely die," we are told. That is the theme of so many
modern novels. The hero and heroine live in disobedience to God but suffer
no consequences. In TV shows and movies the characters rebel against the
moral laws of God but live happily ever after.
There is even a perfume called "My Sin." It's a fragrance "so alluring, so
charming, so exciting," the ads tell us, "we could only call it 'My Sin.'"
You would never guess that sin is a stench in the nostrils of God.
In the temptation you face today, will you choose to believe Satan's lie,
or will you obey God's warning? --Haddon W Robinson (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Personal Reflection
How has sin damaged the lives of people I know?
How has disobedience to God harmed me?
Have I experienced God's forgiveness? (1 Jn. 1:9-10).
A bite of sin leaves a
bitter aftertaste
James 1:17
The conclusion is unavoidable: self-salvation simply does not work. Man
has no way to save himself. But Paul announces that God has a way. Where
man fails God excels. Salvation comes from heaven downward, not earth
upward. “Every good action and every perfect gift is from God” (James
1:17). Please note: Salvation is God-given, God-driven, God-empowered, and
God-originated. The gift is not from man to God. It is from God to man.
(Lucado, Max: In the Grip of Grace)
James 1:17 Every good gift
and every perfect gift is from above.
DOUBTING GOD- When Satan tempted Eve, he did so by enticing her to doubt
God's character. He told Eve, "God knows that in the day you eat of (the
forbidden fruit) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5).
Satan was implying, "God has a hidden agenda, and it is an evil one." The
devil knew that once Eve doubted the goodness of God, the temptation would
work.
We may not think we doubt God. But when events happen in our lives that
make us question Him, that's exactly what we do. We seldom stop believing
in Him, but we do stop believing in His goodness. And that is a
faith-poisoning idea!
John Greenleaf Whittier knew that at the center of trust is a confidence
in God's goodness. He wrote:
I see the wrong that
round me lies,
I feel the guilt within,
I hear, with groan and travail cries,
The world confess its sin.
Yet, in the maddening maze of things,
And tossed by storm and flood,
To one fixed trust my spirit clings:
I know that God is good!
Never doubt God's goodness. Even
when our trials seem beyond our understanding, we can trust God to give us
perfect gifts (Jas. 1:17). - Haddon W Robinson
Don't put a question mark where God has put a period.
James 1:19 "Let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."
JUMPING TO ILLUSIONS - How frustrating to have someone interrupt you,
thinking he knows what you're about to say and then jumping to a
conclusion! We've all done that. We've jumped to "illusions" about what
the person was actually saying. We've heard the words that were spoken,
but we didn't really listen to what was being said. And what mis-understanding
has resulted!
Recently I "sat on the sidelines" as a husband and wife argued, firing
volley after volley of accusations at each other, both talking at the same
time, and constantly interrupting each other. Each word drove the wedge of
misunderstanding deeper and deeper into their relationship. I could hardly
call for a ceasefire above the din of their verbal warfare.
I can't imagine that Jesus ever engaged in discourteous conversation.
People listened to Him, and He listened to them. James, in his letter to
the early church, wrote, "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"
(1:19). I'm sure he saw this modeled in Jesus many times over.
Respectful listening keeps anger under control and promotes righteousness.
Let's listen carefully and avoid jumping to illusions. Dennis De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
It's easy to listen
to words that are said
And not hear the facts at all;
But listening for truth, and not just to words,
Will save you from many a fall.-- Hess
You can win more friends with your
ears than with your mouth.
James 1:19 Let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak.
GOOD LISTENERS - In his book "Life Together", Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,
"The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of
listening to them. Just as love for God begins with listening to His Word,
so the beginning of love for the brothers is learning to listen to them.
It is [because of] God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word
but also lends us His ear."
Listening was a key element in
solving a problem between two ethnic groups in the infant church in
Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-7). One group felt that their widows were being
discriminated against in the distribution of food. So the apostles wisely
listened to their complaint, worked out an acceptable solution, and
settled the dispute.
Listening to others is also important today because our churches are
becoming increasingly diverse. We come from broad ethnic and racial
backgrounds and are at different levels of maturity. But if we show our
love by listening, our common faith in Christ can bind us together.
Are we so driven to express our views or vent our feelings that we don't
really hear what others have to say?
Lord, teach us how to love. Make us good listeners to others, as You are
to us. -Dennis Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Be this our common
enterprise:
That truth be preached and prayer arise,
That each may seek the other's good,
And live and love as Jesus would. - Brewster
Listening may be the most important
thing you do today.
My Problem Tongue: Various
passages in James
The average person speaks 18,000 words a day, and the Bible warns, “In the
multitude of words sin is not lacking” (Prov. 10:19). This theme is woven
throughout the little Book of James, who warns us of:
1. The Hasty Tongue—James 1:19 and 26
2. The Haughty Tongue—James 2:2–4
3. The Hellish Tongue—James 3:2–12
4. The Hateful Tongue—James 4:11
5. The Heathen Tongue—James 5:12
Conclusion: If your problem is your
tongue, spend some time reading through the Book of James, underlining his
references to the tongue and memorizing some of these verses. Ask God to
help you restrain your tongue and give you the tongue of the wise.
(Morgan, R. J. Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook : 2003 edition. Page
77. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
James 1.22 Be ye doers of the
Word, and not hearers only.
This letter of James is pre-eminently ethical, practical, forceful. In it
there are more references to sayings in the Sermon on the Mount than in
all the other letters of the New Testament. All this is of great interest
when we accept the view, which is almost beyond dispute, that the man who
wrote the letter was a brother of the Lord. He had lived with Jesus in all
the early years in Nazareth. While it would seem that he did not join
himself outwardly to the disciples till after the Resurrection, there are
evidences that in the company of Mary, these brethren were much with Jesus
in the central period of His ministry. All this would suggest that looking
back, and thinking of all those years, this man was impressed with the
harmony there had ever been in the Lord, between His teaching and His
life. Thus he argued, and rightly, that a faith which was not expressed in
deeds was of no value at all. This does not mean that he was in any way
ignorant of the deep spiritual mysteries of Christian life. If in these
words he urges us to be doers of the Word, we must remember that the Word
he refers to is that which he has just described as "the inborn word"
(James 1:21, marg.). He was referring, not merely to any written Word, nor
to his Lord as the Word incarnate alone; but to the Word of God received
into the soul through the written Word, and by the Word incarnate. That
Word is only of real value as it is obeyed, as what it enjoins is done.
There is no profit, but rather the reverse, in hearing, if there be no
doing. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible).
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves
'Take Heed How Ye Hear" It is important that we hear. It is important what
we hear. It is important how we hear what we hear.
1. Consider the privilege of hearing the Word of God. We take it
for granted in America. Few people would want to live where there are no
churches but millions live as though there were no churches. Multitudes
the world around cannot hear the truth of God for various reasons. As
lightly as we regard it now, this privilege cost aplenty in days gone by.
And how grateful we ought to be that God has spoken both in His Book and
in His Son! What if He had remained silent and there were no word from
heaven!
2. Along with privilege goes responsibility. Where much is given,
much shall be required. Today sees a famine of the hearing of God's Word,
not because we cannot hear it, but because we do not listen to it.
Moreover, as the text declares, there is the duty of doing it when we hear
it. Throughout the Bible runs the note, "My commandments to do them"; "Ye
are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."
3. Often overlooked in our text and almost never quoted is the penalty
for not doing the Word we hear, "Deceiving your own selves." Away with
the notion that it does not matter much how we hear! The man who hears and
refuses to obey walks out of church having betrayed himself into
deception. One cannot hear the truth and remain the same. (Vance Havner)
James 1:21-27 - Excuses
Unbelief, indifference, busyness, and laziness are some of the excuses
people give for not reading the Bible. Gamaliel
Bradford, a renowned American biographer who explored the lives and
motives of famous individuals, candidly admitted, "I do not read the New
Testament for fear of its awakening a storm of anxiety and self-reproach
and doubt and dread of having taken the wrong path, of having been traitor
to the plain and simple God."
Fear of facing up to failure, guilt and sin is not a very reasonable
reason to avoid reading the Bible! It's about as irrational as refusing to
see a doctor because there's a suspicion that cancer has started to
develop in one's body.
Yes, the Bible does indeed compel us to face ourselves. It is like an
x-ray machine that penetrates below the facade of
goodness and shows up any spiritual malignancy. It enables us to see how
God views all the worst diseases of the soul. But the Bible does more than
expose a fatal condition. It introduces us to the Great Physician, who can
cure our sin and bring spiritual healing.
If you read the Bible with a willingness to obey the truth, you will find
life's greatest cure. - Vernon Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Instill within our
hearts, dear Lord,
A deep desire to know Your voice;
We need to learn to hear
Your Word That we may make
Your will our choice. -Dennis De Haan
Many people criticize the Bible
because the bible criticizes them.
James 1:22
I read about a man in New York City who died at the age of 63 without ever
having had a job. He spent his entire adult life in college. During those
years he acquired so many academic degrees that they “looked like the
alphabet” behind his name. Why did this man spend his entire life in
college? When he was a child, a wealthy relative died who had named him as
a beneficiary in his will. It stated that he was to be given enough money
to support him every year as long as he stayed in school. And it was to be
discontinued when he had completed his education. The man met the terms of
the will, but by remaining in school indefinitely he turned a technicality
into a steady income for life—something his benefactor never intended.
Unfortunately, he spent thousands of hours listening to professors and
reading books but never “doing.” He acquired more and more knowledge but
didn’t put it into practice. This reminds me of what James said: “Be
doers of the Word, and not hearers only” (1:22). If we read the Bible
or listen as it is taught but fail to put to work what we have learned, we
are as bad as that man with his string of degrees. His education was of no
practical benefit to anyone. Hearing must be matched by doing. - R W De
Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
James 1:22: "Be doers of the
Word..."
An unknown author captured eloquently the way in which we so practice
religion but fall short of truly being "doers of the Word"...
I was hungry and you formed a
humanities club and discussed my hunger.
I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for
my release.
I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love
of God. I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me. You seem so
holy, so close to God.
But I’m still very hungry and lonely and cold.
James 1:22
Many Christians have allowed their knowledge of the truth to outdistance
their practice. They remind me of a story in Glad Tidings by James Kallam.
He tells of a young book salesman who was assigned to a rural area. Seeing
a former seated in a rocking chair on his front porch, the young man
approached him with all the zeal of a newly trained salesman. “Sir,” he
said, “I have here a book that will tell you how to farm 10 times better
than you are doing it now.” The farmer continued to rock. After a few
seconds he stopped, looked at the young fellow and said, “Son, I don’t
need your book. I already know how to farm 10 times better than I’m doing
it now.” - Paul R VanGorder
The story is told of King Edward VI
of England who attended worship service and stood while the Word of God
was read taking notes which he later studied with great care. Throughout
the week King Edward earnestly tried to apply them to his life. That’s
the kind of serious-minded response to truth the James means when he says
"Be doers of the Word...". A single revealed fact cherished in the heart
and acted upon is more vital to our growth than a head filled with lofty
ideas about God.
Martin Luther wrote...
“The world does not need a definition
of religion as much as it needs a demonstration.”
Andrew Murray wrote...
What a terrible delusion to be content
with, to delight in hearing the word, and yet not do it. And how prevalent
the sight of multitudes of Christians listening to the Word of God most
regularly and earnestly, and yet not doing it! If a servant were to hear
but not do, how quickly the judgment would be given. And yet, so complete
is the delusion, that Christians never realize they are not living good
Christian lives. Why are we deluded in this way? For one thing people
mistake the pleasure they have in hearing the Word of God for Christianity
and worship. The mind delights in having the truth presented clearly; the
imagination is gratified by its illustration; the feelings are stirred by
its application. To an active mind knowledge gives pleasure. A person may
study some branch of science—say electricity—for the enjoyment the
knowledge gives him, without the least intention of applying it
practically. So people go to church, and enjoy the preaching, and yet do
not do what God asks.
Oswald Chambers adds that
"One step forward in obedience is worth
years of study about it."
John Calvin adds that...
“We must observe that the knowledge of
God which we are invited to cultivate is not that which, resting satisfied
with empty speculation, only flutters in the brain, but a knowledge which
will prove substantial and fruitful whenever it is duly perceived and
rooted in the heart.”
James 1:27 Unspotted from the
world.
“The white flower of a blameless
life!” The view of pure and undefiled religion presented in this
definition was characteristic of James, surnamed the Just, who was revered
even by the Jews for his austere piety, and whose vesture of simple white
was emblematic of his stainless character. Whatever may be our views about
the doctrines of Christianity, we must see to it that their outcome be in
pure and holy living. Orthodoxy of view is utterly worthless unless it be
combined with orthodoxy of life. This was the side of truth on which James
insisted.
What a beautiful conception is here!
The unspotted life! No book is like the Bible in its conceptions of sin;
indeed, we owe to it the thought of sin, and its evil in the sight of God.
But there is no book with so lofty an ideal of what life may become when
it is yielded to the grace of Christ. A cleansed heart, and an unspotted
robe; no sin allowed and permitted in the soul, and no evil habit allowed
to dominate and enthral the life.
But how is it to be ours? (1) Put
the grave of Christ between you and your former life, and so reckon that
you are dead to all solicitations that would induce you to live according
to the lusts and passions that dominate the rest of the Gentiles, (2) Seek
by use to exercise your spiritual senses, that you may be quick to discern
the first and most distant approach of temptation, that so it may find you
hidden in the risen living Savior. (3) Let the blood of Jesus be instantly
applied, so that you may be immediately cleansed from the least spot that
may have defiled your dress. (4) Keep away your eyes, and speech, and
feet, from all scenes and society that have a defiling influence. (Meyer,
F. B. Our Daily Homily)
From an Unknown Source
Two theological students were
walking along a street in the Whitechapel district of London, a section
where old and used clothing is sold. “What a fitting illustration all
this makes!” said one of the students as he pointed to a suit of clothes
hanging on a rack by a window. A sign on it read: SLIGHTLY SOILED—GREATLY
REDUCED IN PRICE. “That’s it exactly,” he continued. “We get soiled by
gazing at a vulgar picture, reading a course book, or allowing ourselves a
little indulgence in dishonest or lustful thoughts; and so when the time
comes for our character to be appraised, we are greatly reduced in value.
Our purity, our strength is gone. We are just part and parcel of the
general, shopworn stock of the world.” Yes, continual slight deviations
from the path of right may greatly reduce our usefulness to God and to our
fellowman. In fact, these little secret sins can weaken our character so
that when we face a moral crisis, we cannot stand the test. As a result,
we go down in spiritual defeat because we have been careless about little
sins. (Source unknown)
James 1:27 Keep oneself
unstained by the world.
After a violent storm one night, a
large tree, which over the years had become a stately giant, was found
lying across the pathway in a park. Nothing but a splintered stump was
left. Closer examination showed that is was rotten at the core because
thousands of tiny insects had eaten away at its heart. The weakness of
that tree was not brought on by the sudden storm; it began the very moment
the first insect nested within its bark. With the Holy Spirit's help,
let's be very careful to guard our purity. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
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Robert Murray McCheyne wrote
to Dan Edwards after the latter's ordination as a missionary, "In great
measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will
be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great
likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God".
(Paul Borthwick, Leading the Way, Navpress, 1989, pp. 65)
><>><>><>
Paul Borthwick writes...
We can supplement our accountability to others by reading slowly through
literature designed to challenge our Christian maturity. Consider, as an
example, these questions related to sexual purity that I had to read
carefully as I read Kent Hughes' Liberating Ministry from the Success
Syndrome:
1. Are we being desensitized by the present evil world? Do things that
once shocked us now pass us by with little notice? Have our sexual ethics
slackened?
2. Where do our minds wander when we have no duties to perform?
3. What are we reading? Are there books or magazines or files in our
libraries that we want no one else to see?
4. What are we renting at the local video stores? How many hours do we
spend watching TV? How many adulteries did we watch last week? How many
murders? How many did we watch with our children?
5. How many chapters of the Bible did we read last week? (Leading the Way,
Navpress, 1989, pp. 120-121)
James 1:27 "Pure religion and
undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the
world."-- (R.V.).
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER - IT IS the experiences of life
that reveal us to ourselves. They cannot put into us qualities that are
not there, but can develop them. The whole of this wonderful chapter is
filled with the diverse discipline of life. "Manifold trials" (Jam1:2),
which probably refer to the persecutions and losses of the early
Christians., "Temptations" (Jam1:12) which refer to the solicitation of
evil from without and within. The burning heat of the fire of prosperity
(Jam1:11). The "good gifts" which are strewn around our pathway by the
Father of lights--home, parents, friendship, love!
The greatest training-ground for us all is the Word of God (Jam1:21-25).
It is here compared to a mirror which reflects us to ourselves, but alas,
too often we go our way and forget what manner of men we are. The human
soul has a wonderful habit of forgetting any statements that seem to
reflect on itself, and to contradict its own notions of its pride and
respectability. If, however, we avoid this mistake, and set ourselves to
doing, and not hearing only, then we shall grow into strong, brave, and
beautiful souls, and shall be blessed in our deed.
Do not stand gazing at the imperfections which the Word of God reveals but
having learnt where you come short, dare to believe that Jesus Christ is
the true counterpart of your need; that He is strong where you are weak,
and full where you are empty.
"Keep himself unspotted from the world." We love the dimpled innocence and
purity of a sweet child. But there is something nobler--the face of man or
woman who has fought and suffered in the great battle against corruption
that is in the world through lust. To keep oneself unspotted from the evil
of the world, though perpetually accosted and surrounded by it, is a
greater thing than to live in a glass-house, where the blight and dust
cannot enter. What a training for character is this daily warfare!
To visit those in affliction. We are related to the world of pain and
sorrow by the troubles which are constantly overtaking those with whom we
come in contact in dally life. Where the conditions of life are hard, we
obtain our best perfecting in Christian character.
PRAYER Make our life deeper, stronger, richer, more Christlike, more full
of the spirit of heaven, more devoted to Thy service and glory. AMEN. (F B
Meyer. Our Daily Walk, July 7)
James
2
James 2:1
In his Prison Fellowship newsletter, Chuck Colson tells of a pastor
who was putting the final touches on his sermon early one Sunday morning
when he heard a knock on his study door. There stood three ragged boys who
had received gifts from church members. Their home was ravaged by drugs
and prostitution. They had never been in a church before and wanted to
look around. So the pastor gave them a quick "tour."
Fifteen minutes later they were back, asking what time the service
started. "Can people come to your church if their socks don't match?"
asked the oldest. The pastor assured them they could. "What if they don't
have any socks?" Again, the pastor reassured them. "That's good," said the
boy, "because my socks
don't match, and my little brother hasn't any." That morning those boys
came to church and were warmly welcomed. Since then the church has helped
the entire family.
Just as the gospel is open to everyone, everyone should feel welcome in
our churches. Wealthy and poor, child and aged, police officer and ex-con,
handicapped and athlete are all objects of Christ's love. They are all
potential members of His body. May there be no barriers in our churches
nor in our hearts
toward anyone! Dennis Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Lord, may some weary
souls find rest
Because Your people took them in
And helped them see the love of Christ
That frees us from our guilt and sin.--Dennis De Haan
Poor is the church that values
programs more than people.
James 2:1
Many years ago, when my father, Dr. M. R. De Haan, was president of
Radio Bible Class, a well-known minister came to our office. Initially I
was awed by the presence of this distinguished visitor.
My impression soon began to change, however, as I listened to him talk
about himself. He seemed to exemplify what the apostle Paul said a
Christian should NOT do, that is, "to think of himself more highly than he
ought to think" (Rom. 12:3).
When my father asked the noted pulpiteer about another preacher in the
same town, he ridiculed the man's ministry to those who lived "on the
other side of the tracks." I've never forgotten that incident.
What about our attitudes? Is there favoritism in our churches? Are we as
interested in the "down and outer" as much as the "up and outer"? Do we
greet those on the bottom rung of the social ladder with the same
enthusiasm we show to those who have riches and enjoy worldly prestige?
Christians should never neglect a needy soul. The Lord is not pleased when
we show undue favoritism to some and snub others.
Is the word "welcome" printed on your church bulletin? Does it apply to
everyone? - R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
No one is excluded
from the circle of God's grace,
We cannot get beyond His love and care;
Why then do we close our minds and turn away our face
From all who in the gospel have a share?-- Hess
A heart that is open to Christ will
be open to those He loves.
James 2:1 My brethren, do not
hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of
personal favoritism.
Million Dollar Mistake - Elisa Tinsley, in USA Today, described how
a Spokane, Washington bank lost one of its best customers, a construction
company owner named John Barrier. John Barrier had just come from a
construction site and his clothes were dirty. He went to the bank to cash
a $100 check. When he tried to get his parking slip validated, the teller
refused, saying he hadn’t conducted a transaction. “You have to make a
deposit to get your parking slip validated,” she insisted. John Barrier
told the teller he was a substantial depositor but she was obviously
doubtful. He asked to see the manager, who also refused to validate the
parking slip. The next day, John Barrier went back to the bank and
withdrew a rather large sum of money, one million dollars to be exact.
><>><>><>
Wrong Motives - Someone once penned a clever rhyme to illustrate
the problem of favoritism:
... many people go to
church,
As everyone knows;
Some go to close their eyes,
And some to eye their clothes.
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Favoritism Challenged -
Muretus, a wandering scholar in the Middle Ages was very learned but very
poor. In his wanderings he fell ill, and he was taken to the place where
the destitute were kept. The people who cared for him did not know that he
was a scholar and that he understood Latin. The doctors were discussing
his case in Latin, saying that he was a poor creature of value to no one
and that it was hopeless and unnecessary to expend care and money on
attention to such a worthless individual. Muretus looked up and answered
in their own Latin, “Call no man worthless for whom Christ died.”
The King of Sweden -
I remember reading a story about a
plainly dressed man who entered a church in the Netherlands and took a
seat near the front. A few minutes later a woman walked down the aisle,
saw the stranger in the place she always sat, and curtly asked him to
leave. He quietly got up and moved to a section reserved for the poor.
When the meeting was over, a friend
of the woman asked her if she knew the man she had ordered out of her
seat. “No,” she replied. Her friend then informed her, “The man you
ordered out of your seat was King Oscar of Sweden! He is here visiting the
Queen.”
James 2:5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world?
There is nothing that men dread more
than poverty. They will break every commandment in the Decalogue rather
than be poor. But it is God’s chosen lot. He had one opportunity only of
living our life, and He chose to be born of parents too poor to present
more than two doves at his presentation in the temple. All his life was
spent among the poor. His chosen apostles and friends were, with few
exceptions, poor. He lived on charity, rode in triumph on a borrowed
steed, ate his last meal in a borrowed room, and lay in a borrowed grave.
“Hath not God chosen the poor of this world?” Why is poverty so dear to
God?
It is in harmony with the spirit of
the Gospel. — The world-spirit aggrandizes itself with the abundance of
its possessions. Its children vie with each other in luxury and display.
The spirit of Christ, on the other hand, chooses obscurity, lowliness,
humility; and with these poverty is close akin.
It compels to simpler faith in God.
— The rich man may trust Him; but the poor man must. There is so much
temptation to the well-to-do classes to interpose their wealth between
themselves and the pressure of daily need; but the poor man has no
fortress in which to hide, except the two strong arms of God. He waits on
Him for his daily bread, and gathers the manna falling straight from the
sky.
It gives more opportunities of
service. — The rich are waited on, and pay for servants to wait on those
they love. The poor, on the contrary, are called to minister to one
another, at every meal, and in all the daily round of life. Herein they
become like Him who was, and is, as one that serveth, and who became poor,
that through his poverty we might be rich. (Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)
James 2:9 If you show
partiality, you commit sin.
A PREJUDICED USHER - In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that
during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered
converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he
could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people
of India.
So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to
the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary,
however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go
worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned.
"If Christians have caste differences
also," he said, "I might as well remain a Hindu."
That usher's prejudice not only
betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior.
The "prejudiced usher" described in today's Bible passage welcomed a
wealthy visitor but insulted a poor one. Perhaps he felt he was doing his
job and only carrying out the wishes of the members in the church. But he
displayed bad manners, and he was guilty of a sin as serious as murder and
adultery (James 2:9-11).
When people visit your church, do you warmly welcome them regardless of
their race of social status? -Haddon W Robinson (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
God's love that drew
salvation's plan
Embraces every class of man;
It breaks the toughest racial wall
Because it offers Christ to all.--Dennis De Haan
Prejudice distorts what it sees,
deceives when it talks, and destroys when it acts.
James 2:10 "Whoever shall
keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty in all."
GOD'S MERCY SYSTEM - In the United States justice system, it's important
that jurors have an open mind. They can't have their minds made up before
they get into the courtroom. They must always remember that a person is
considered
innocent until proven guilty.
Even for those who never expect to find themselves on the wrong side of
the law, it's a comfort to know that guilt is not assumed, but has to be
proven.
Yet, this system of justice is not like the one God has devised for
mankind. We are declared guilty before we even enter His courtroom! And
though that may not sound fair, it is. God's perfect holiness demands it.
In a courtroom, when a person is found guilty, he or she faces punishment.
But the wonderful thing about God's courtroom is that when we admit our
guilt, we are offered mercy! We are all guilty and face an eternal
life-sentence of death. Yet the penalty for sin is meted out only to those
who refuse to acknowledge their sin, and who reject God's forgiveness
through Jesus Christ.
Guilty -- that's our status. But we can be granted forgiveness and be
pardoned from our sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. That's God's
mercy system! -- J D Branon (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
God's pardon is so
full and free,
For Jesus died on Calvary;
It's granted to each sinful soul
Who truly longs to be made whole. -- Dennis De Haan
God's justice condemns us -- but His
mercy redeems us
James 2.12. So speak ye, and
so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.
Again the purpose of James is practical, but the arresting word here is
the description of the standard of speech and action as "a law of
liberty." The phrase had already been used, as a definition of "the
perfect law" (r. 25). Its repetition shows that it suggests an aspect of
law which impressed the writer, and it is interesting to remember that the
phrase is peculiar to James. He had referred a little before to the "royal
law"—"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"—words taken from the law of
Moses, and emphasized in the teaching of Jesus. Was it not the sum-total
of the conception of life as implicated in that "royal law" that he
described as a "law of liberty"? To keep that law is only possible when
that which the Lord had connected with it is obeyed: "Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God." When that law is kept, the soul is set free from all the
bondage which results from the breaking of any of the enactments of the
moral law. The law of liberty is the law which defines our relationship to
God and man as love-mastered. To speak and do under that impulse, is to be
free indeed. If that law be disobeyed, if no mercy be shown, then judgment
based upon that law will show no mercy. Love is the most vigilant and
severe sentinel that watches words and works. If it be obeyed, then is
life a life of liberty. If it be disobeyed, then are we in bondage every
way. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible).
James 2:14
The well-known apparent “conflict” between James and Paul focuses
especially on this verse. The Apostle Paul says emphatically: “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” (Ephesians 2:8,
9). Yet James, also an apostle, insists: “But wilt thou know, O vain
man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20) There is no real
conflict, of course. In our text verse, there is a definite article before
the word “faith.” That is, James’ question is, literally, “Can that
faith save him?” This is obviously intended as a rhetorical question,
with a negative answer. In the context, James is saying that a
“profession of faith” is not enough to produce salvation, if that faith
“have not works.”Since that kind of faith does not save, then what kind
of faith does save? The answer is given by Paul, in the very verses quoted
above. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that—i.e., that
faith (which is the inference in the original)—is not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God.” In other words, true saving faith is not a
man-generated faith of some kind; it is a supernatural gift of God!” And
that faith does save, because it is part of the new nature implanted by
the Holy Spirit when a new believer is born again. Furthermore, this faith
does inevitably produce good works, for the verse following says that “we
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Faith must be faith in something, of course, and true saving faith must
have its proper object. It must be centered in the saving gospel of Jesus
Christ as revealed in His inerrant Word. Such faith will inevitably result
in a changed life and good works, as well as a sound and growing
confidence in the deity of Christ, His substitutionary death and bodily
resurrection, the full authority of Scripture and the assurance of one’s
personal salvation. That is the faith that saves. - HMM
James 2:14 What use is it, my
brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith
save him?
Kent Hughes writes about a cartoon in The New Yorker that showed a large
sign out in front of a church which read:
“The Lite Church: 24% Fewer
Commitments, Home of the 7.5% tithe, fifteen-minute sermons,
forty-five-minute worship services. We have only eight commandments—your
choice. We use just three spiritual laws. Everything you’ve wanted in a
church … and less!”
Unfortunately that cartoon paints an
accurate picture. Many people today are looking for a “lite church,” a
“lite faith,” and a “lite commitment.” In the passage we’re studying
today, James asks each of us a question, “Is your faith genuine?” How can
we know if we have real faith or “lite faith?”...
Belief and Behavior—If you don’t
live it, you don’t believe it.
Faith in many ways is like a
wheelbarrow. You have to put some real push behind it to make it work
A line from a Rich Mullins song
says,
“Faith without works is like a screen
door on a submarine.”
It’s worthless and it sinks. Do you
claim to have faith? Does your life really show it? A workless faith is a
worthless faith. We must ask ourselves, “If I were arrested for being a
Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?”
From the Peanut Gallery: The Peanuts
comic strip written by Charles Schulz once featured a brilliant
illustration of faith without works: Charlie Brown and Linus come across
Snoopy shivering in the snow. Charlie says, “Snoopy looks kind of cold,
doesn’t he?” Linus replies, “I’ll say. Maybe we’d better go over and
comfort him.” They walk over to the dog, pat his head, and Charlie Brown
says, “Be of good cheer, Snoopy.” Linus adds, “Yes, be of good cheer.” In
the final frame, the boys are walking away, still bundled up in their
winter coats. Snoopy is still shivering, and over his head is a big “?”.
><>><>><>
Faith without Works: “No man can come to Christ by faith and remain the
same anymore than he can come into contact with a 220-volt wire and remain
the same.”—Warren Wiersbe
><>><>><>
“A person who professes Christ but who does not live a Christ-honoring,
Christ-obeying life is a fraud.”—John MacArthur
><>><>><>
“Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone.”
— John Calvin
><>><>><>
A Story of Fruitful Faith - In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Keith Green
was highly influenced by his culture. As an aspiring and incredibly
talented musician on the rise, he experimented with eastern religions and
drugs. In 1975, however, he gave his life to Jesus Christ and his music
changed to reflect an energetic faith. While inspirational or worshipful,
it was also exhortative, asking questions like, “How can you be so dead,
when you’ve been so well fed?” And, “How can you be so numb, not to care
if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done; don’t close
your eyes and pretend the job’s done!” His life reflected his faith: he
took in the homeless, the drunks, the drug abusers, and anyone else. His
Spirit-filled music and ministry to the needy yielded much fruit. (all the
above from Morgan, R. J. Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook : 2004
Edition. Page 218. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
><>><>><>
An old boatman painted the word
“faith” on one oar of his boat and “works” on the other. He was asked
his reason for this. In answer, he slipped the oar with “faith” into the
water and rowed. The boat, of course, made a very tight circle. Returning
to the dock, the boatman then said, “Now, let’s try ‘works’ without
‘faith’ and see what happens. The oar marked “works” was put in place
and the boatman began rowing with just the “works” oar. Again the boat
went into a tight circle but in the opposite direction. When the boatman
again returned to the wharf, he interpreted his experiment in these strong
and convincing words, “You see, to make a passage across the lake, one
needs both oars working simultaneously in order to keep the boat in a
straight and narrow way. If one does not have the use of both oars, he
makes no progress either across the lake nor as a Christian. (10,000
sermon illustrations. Dallas: Biblical Studies Press)
James 2:17
When we believe in Christ as Savior and Lord, we long to express our faith
through some act of love. The apostle Paul spoke of “faith working
through love” (Gal. 5:16). We demonstrate what we believe, not only by
what we say but also by what we do. The genuineness of our faith,
therefore, is proven by our works. An incident in the life of John Wesley
illustrates this truth. An associate of Wesley, Samuel Bradburn, was
highly respected by his friends and used by God as an effective preacher.
On one occasion he was in rather desperate financial need. When Wesley
learned of his circumstances, he sent him a five-pound note (then worth
about $10) with the following letter:
“Dear Sammy: ‘Trust in the Lord, and
do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.’
Yours affectionately, John Wesley.”
Bradburn’s reply was prompt.
“Rev. and Dear Sir: I have often been
struck with the beauty of the passage of Scripture quoted in your letter,
but I must confess that I never saw such a useful expository note on it
before.”
Someone has said,
“Pious talk cannot take the place of
downright helpfulness.”
This is especially true in the
matter of both faith and love. To profess faith in Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord and ignore the needs of fellow believers is incongruous, for
“the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit”
(Ro 5:5). Let’s learn from John Wesley and from James by giving a
practical exposition of our faith every day. - Paul R VanGorder
There are two parts to the Gospel.
The first part is believing it, and the second part is behaving it. The
hearer only is the one who is satisfied with just believing without
behaving.
James 2:19 "The devils also
believe, and tremble."
If there be a faith (and there is) which leaves a man just what he was,
and permits him to indulge in sin, it is the faith of devils. Perhaps not
so good as that, for "the devils believe and tremble," whereas these
hypocrites profess to believe and yet dare to defy God and seem to have
no fear of him whatsoever. (C H Spurgeon)
James 2:20
In nature, lightning and thunder present a striking illustration of the
relationship between faith and works. When lightning flashes across the
sky, we know that the roar of thunder will follow. Without lightning,
there would be no thunder, because the one is the cause of the other.
Likewise, good works always accompany saving faith, because one causes the
other.
We must keep before us the clear truth that we are saved by grace and
grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 says,
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast."
But many believers who glibly quote this passage ignore the verse that
follows: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (v. 10).
In the same manner that thunder contributes nothing to lightning, good
works add nothing to our salvation. Rather, they are the "sound" of faith
and will follow every genuine conversion experience. The one without the
other is not the real thing.
Genuine faith is always evident by what follows—a life of good works. —R W
De Haan. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Faith without works is presumptuous; faith with works is precious.
James 2:23 [Abraham] was called the friend of God.
Our Unfailing Friend: As a young man, Joseph Scriven had been engaged to a
woman he deeply love. But tragedy struck the night before their wedding
when the boat she was in capsized and she drowned. In the hope of
forgetting the shock, which he never did, Joseph left his home in Ireland
and went to Canada.
There he taught school and served as a tutor. He chose to live very
simply, spending his money and strength in generously providing for
destitute people. At times he even gave away his own clothing. He was
considered an eccentric by some, yet all he tried to do was obey God's
Word as best he could understand it.
In his loneliness, Joseph Scriven needed a steadfast friend. Having found
that friend in Jesus Christ, he wrote these simple words, which movingly
express his experience:
What a friend we have
in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Even if we have been blessed with
deeply enriching friendships, we all need Joseph Scriven's Friend. But
before we can know Jesus as our Friend, we must know Him as our Savior.
Then, through all of our changing circumstances, He will be the One we can
depend on -- our unfailing Friend. -Vernon Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Christ's friendship prevails even when human friendship fails.
R C Sproul writes...
James argues straightforwardly that
Abraham was justified by works. When was Abraham justified by works? When
he offered Isaac on the altar. To understand this, we need to bear in mind
that James is using the term ‘justification’ in a different sense, with
a different nuance, than Paul does. Paul deals with the issue of how a
sinner is reconciled to a just and holy God. He uses the term
‘justification’ in its supreme theological sense. James, however, is
asking how a person is justified before men, not before God. His question
is: How do we know that a person has authentic faith? Jesus said, “By
their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). James labors in
the second chapter of his epistle to show that a person’s true faith is
shown outwardly by acts of obedience or works of righteousness. He says,
“Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I
do” (James 2:18). Now, does God need to see your works to know if
you have faith or not? Of course not. James is speaking of man’s sight.
Paul says that in God’s sight, Abraham was justified by faith (Genesis
15). However, James says that in man’s sight the most telling proof that
Abraham was a justified man is that he was willing to obey God even to the
point of offering up his only son on the altar. (Tabletalk, May,
1989)(
James
3
James 3
Experts tell us that people often hide what they are trying to say
behind a wall of words. This is a kind of doubletalk in which their words
do not coincide with their feelings. Gerald Nierenberg, a New York lawyer,
wrote a book about this problem called Meta-Talk: Guide to Hidden Meanings
in Conversation. In it he gives 350 examples of verbal distortion.
A communication consultant who holds workshops on this subject says many
people fear that honesty in speech will cost them friend-ships, love, or
respect. So they either keep their lips zipped or say something other than
what they mean. Shyness, lack of self-worth, fear of displaying ignorance,
fear of criticism, and fear of hurting someone's feelings also may impede
honest communication.
Christians are not immune to this problem. Trying to be both loving and
truthful can be extremely difficult. The Bible, however, provides a
balanced and optimistic approach to this dilemma. Being honest with people
may hurt, but if we speak kindly and with compassion we give them the
support they need to face reality.
The third chapter of James indicates that divine wisdom can help us talk
effectively, for it is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to
yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without
hypocrisy" (v. 17). Believers who let these characteristics govern their
speech will not have to hide behind a wall of words. —M R De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Gentle words fall lightly, but they have great weight. .
James 3
Author Mark Twain was often outspoken about his bitterness toward the
things of God. Sadly, church leaders were largely to blame for his
becoming hostile to the Bible and the Christian faith. As Twain grew up,
he knew elders and deacons who owned slaves and abused them, and he knew
ministers who used the Bible to justify slavery. He heard men use foul
language and saw them practice dishonesty during the week after speaking
piously in church on Sunday. Although he saw genuine love for the Lord
Jesus in some people, including his mother and his wife, he was never able
to understand the bad teaching and poor example of certain church leaders.
Leadership is a privilege, and with privilege comes responsibility. God
holds teachers of His truth doubly responsible because they are in
positions where they can either draw people toward Christ or drive them
away from Him.
Serving as an elder, a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, or a Bible club
leader is an awesome responsibility. Those who are called to these
positions are responsible to lead people to the Savior rather than away
from Him. According to James 3, they can do this by exemplifying true
wisdom, which is "pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of
mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" (v. 17).
—H V Lugt. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
The best kind of leadership produces fellowship.
James 3:2
If any man offend not in word, the same
is a perfect man.
Think of the sins of speech! How
innumerable they are! When we see them in the light of this chapter, we
can understand the holy Isaiah saying, “Woe is me, for I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King.”
The sins of speech about ourselves.
— The tongue boasteth great things. We are all apt to be vain, boastful,
exaggerated. We tell stories that redound to our own credit; contrive to
focus attention on our own words and deeds; and even in delivering God’s
messages manage to let it be seen that we have a clearer insight into
truth or a closer familiarity with God than our fellows.
The sins of speech about others. —
“We break the law of courtesy, and become harsh, insolent, and uncivil; or
the law of purity, and repeat stories that leave a stain; or the law of
truth, and practise insincerity, equivocation, and dissimulation; or the
law of kindness, and are harsh and implacable to those who are beneath us
in station. Or in our desire to stand well with others we are guilty of
flattery, servility, time-serving, and the like.”
The sins of speech in connection
with God’s work. — We disparage other workers; compliment them to their
faces on addresses they have delivered, and disparage them behind their
backs; pass criticisms which take away the effect which their words had
otherwise exercised over others; contrive to indicate one defect in which
was otherwise a perfect achievement. Alas for us! How greatly we need to
offer the prayer of the psalmist: Set a watch, O God, upon our lips!
(Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)
James 3:5 Behold, how great
a matter a little fire kindleth!
Recently I came across an article which underscores in a most effective
way the value and import of so-called "little things," and I want to share
it with you today. J. Ellis tells us: "In the state of Ohio stands a
courthouse which is uniquely constructed so that the raindrops which fall
on the north side go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while
those falling on the south side go into the Mississippi and the Gulf of
Mexico. At that point just a puff of wind can determine the destiny of a
rain drop. It will make a difference of over 2,000 miles. What a
suggestive thought that you and I may, in certain situations by the
smallest deed or choice of words, also set in motion influences that shall
not only change lives here and now, but also affect their final Home as
well."
A sympathetic glance, a kind word, a helpful deed, a sincere testimony, a
solemn warning, an invitation to church, yes, even a "pat on the back" —
any one of these "little things" can become a big thing. It could be like
that "puff of wind" on the raindrops. It could well help to determine the
happiness, the direction, and even the destiny of an eternal soul. It is
an old truth, but it still can stand underscoring, that "no one lives to
himself, for no man is an island." Either by what he does, or does not do,
every person has a positive or negative effect upon his "neighbor." We are
either hindering or helping others.
So let us remember the story of "the wind and the raindrops," and that
sometimes it doesn't take much to alter the course or affect the destiny
of a friend's life. A small bit turns the horse, a little rudder guides
the ship ,on a long journey, and a spark can ignite a great fire. Be
careful about those "little big things" in life!
No service in itself
is small;
None great, though earth it fill;
But that is small that seeks its own,
And great that does God's will. —Anon.
God hangs the greatest weights upon
the smallest wires.—Bacon
James 3:8 "No man can tame the tongue."
TAMING A TIGER - My granddaughter Bree loved the circus, but she was
afraid of the tiger. She had no reason to be, however, because the huge
old cat had been tamed and was caged. It was hopelessly overweight, and I
suspect it no longer had any teeth. Along with its lion friends, the
striped beauty went through its routine in meek subjection.
You can tame a tiger, a lion, a leopard, a cheetah, and other wild
animals, especially if you work with them from birth. But according to the
apostle James, you cannot tame the human tongue. He wrote, "It is an
unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (3:8).
James used other vivid analogies to illustrate the enormous power of this
little member of the body. A bit in a horse's mouth can turn the animal to
the right or to the left (v. 3). A ship's rudder can steer a huge vessel
in a raging storm (v. 4). A single match or even a small spark can start a
fire that can destroy an entire forest (v. 5). So too, though the tongue
is a small organ, it can do great harm.
Even under the strictest self-discipline and constant monitoring, the
tongue's unruly nature lurks dangerously below the surface. You can tame a
tiger, but only by prayer and watchfulness can you control your tongue. --
Dennis Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Lord, set a watch
upon my lips,
My tongue control today;
Help me evaluate each thought
And guard each word I say.-- Hess
He cannot speak well who
cannot hold his tongue.
><>><>><>
A young lady once said to John
Wesley, “I think I know what my talent is. It’s to speak my mind.”
He replied, “I don’t think God would mind if you bury that talent.”
><>><>><>
James 3:10 Out of the same
mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to
be so. --
Olives On A Fig Tree - When I became a Christian as a young teenager, I
remember watching closely the men of our church. Most of them lived solid,
consistent lives. They were good examples to a young person saved out of a
non-Christian environment, and I owe them a debt of gratitude.
But one man in our church did not set a good Christian example, and he
caused me great confusion. He was probably the most outspoken in
expressing his commitment to the Lord. Not only did he give glowing
testimonies, but he also collared people in the church and challenged them
to a deeper spirituality and commitment.
Yet his speech was inconsistent. I remember that when he was a counselor
at our youth camp he sometimes made off-color remarks. And on more than
one occasion, as my Sunday school teacher, he made degrading comments
about the pastor and others in the church. Once I even heard him use the
Lord's name in vain.
The apostle James said that cursing is out of place in a Christian's
life--like salt water in a freshwater spring or olives on a fig tree (Jas.
3:11-12). So let's control our tongues. Then we can be sure that what we
say will be consistent and will bless others. --Dennis Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I do not ask for
mighty words
To leave the crowd impressed,
But grant my life may ring so true
My neighbor may be blessed. --Anon.
Children of the King should use the
language of the court.
James 3:11-18
The very nature of jealousy is to turn on those who harbor it; and it will
ultimately destroy them. The Old Testament word for jealousy means "to
burn or to inflame"—an apt description of what goes on inside the person
who allows jealousy to smolder.
A legendary Burmese potter became jealous of the prosperity of a washerman.
Determined to ruin him, the potter induced the king to issue an order
requiring the man to wash one of his black elephants white. The washerman
replied that according to the rules of his vocation he would need a
vessel large enough to hold the elephant, where-upon the king commanded
the jealous potter to provide one. Though carefully fashioned, it crumbled
to pieces beneath the weight of the giant beast. He made many more
vessels, but each was crushed in the same way. Eventually the potter was
ruined by the very scheme he had devised to defame the man he envied.
In a similar way, Saul's jealousy eventually caused his own destruction.
In Proverbs 6:27 we read, "Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his
clothes not be burned?" The coals of jealousy quickly become a raging fire
that will burn us severely. Unless we douse it with confession and
repentance, it will eventually consume us. —Paul R VanGorder (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
As a moth gnaws a garment, so jealousy consumes a man.
James 3:14
Inequality seems to cause jealousy. When we see someone with more wealth
than we have or with qualities we lack, we become jealous.
While recording interviews for a radio program, I asked people on the
street in New York City if they believed all men are created equal. Most
of them answered no. They cited our differing abilities, appearances, and
environments. One man complained that he had to eat hotdogs for lunch
while others ate in fancy restaurants. Only one person showed a deeper
understanding of the question. She said, "Under God we are all equally
human."
The Bible teaches that all people are created in the image of God, that
they are all accountable for what they do with whatever He has given them,
and that someday they will all die. So, "under God" there is equality—but
only under God. Apart from Him and His plan to bring about eventual
justice, we see much in life that is not fair.
Christians are in the best position
to keep the right perspective. They have all come to God as sinners and
have found forgiveness in the cross of Christ. Therefore, the rich person
and the poor person stand together on the common ground of Calvary. The
rich rejoice that they have discovered the emptiness of material wealth,
and the poor rejoice that they have discovered eternal riches. And
according to James, this is the wisdom that enables us to avoid the
pitfall of jealousy. —M R De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
No one can take from us the gifts that God gives us.
James 3:16 Where envy and
self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there.
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea, causing a
tragic loss of life. The news of the disaster was further darkened when an
investigation revealed the cause of the accident that hurled hundreds of
passengers into the icy waters. The blame did not belong to defective
radar or thick fog but to human stubbornness. Both captains were aware of
the other ship's presence and could have taken evasive action to avert the
collision. But according to news reports, neither wanted to give way to
the other. Each was too proud to yield the right-of-way.
Even greater havoc and loss can be created in human relationships for much
the same reason—"envy and self-seeking." We prefer to blame the world's
problems on religious or political differences, but James says that the
root problem is pride and self-centeredness. It caused the archangel
Lucifer to fall from the heavens (Isa. 14). And our first parents, Adam
and Eve, lost their innocence for the same reason.
The only way to keep jealousy and envy from turning into major disasters
is to draw on the wisdom that comes from above, wisdom that is pure,
peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, and full of mercy and goodness. That
will mark the beginning of harmony—not havoc.—M R De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Some troubles come from wanting to have our own way; others come from
being allowed to have it.
James 3:17 The wisdom that is
from above is . . . full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and
without hypocrisy.
Level Ground - Racial prejudice can take root early in human hearts.
Children are colorblind until they hear adults making unfounded statements
or see them shunning people of a different race. Prejudices soon become
well-established weeds with deep taproots. Eradicating them isn't easy.
Laws can help to minimize discrimination in housing and the workplace. But
no legislation eliminates prejudice in the heart. Its only sure killer is
a long and hard look at what Jesus accomplished when He died on the cross.
It's there that we can receive a wisdom "full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality and without hypocrisy" (Jas. 3:17).
It is said that after the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee, a devout
Christian, visited a church in Washington, D.C. During the Communion
service, he was seen kneeling beside a black man. Later, when someone
asked how he could do that, Lee replied, "My friend, all ground is level
at the foot of the cross."
What makes that ground so level? The awfulness of our sins, the terrible
price Jesus paid to forgive them, and the love He has for all people.
Prejudice cannot survive in soil from that ground.
We can all kneel together at the foot of the cross. --Dennis De Haan
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Forgive me, Lord, for
prejudice,
Remove its subtle lie;
Remind me that for everyone
You sent Your Son to die! --Dennis De Haan
To keep from looking down on others,
look up to the cross.
James 3:17 - The wisdom that
is from above is...without hypocrisy.
SPEAK AND DO - In ancient Greek dramas, a person behind a curtain spoke
the lines while the performer on stage acted out the role. We might refer
to the speaker behind the scenes as the one who didn't "practice what he
preached."
This person behind the curtain reminds me of a problem we as Christians
experience today. Many of us are skilled at
sounding religious, but we don't put our words into action. This is
hypocrisy.
When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create
confusion in the minds of our "audience." That's why many nonbelievers do
not take the gospel message seriously.
A Christian who makes the greatest impact on a watching world, and who
furthers the cause of Christ, is one whose
actions harmonize with his speech. When James spoke of the "wisdom that is
from above," he described it as "pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to
yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without
hypocrisy" (3:17).
Our role as Christians is vastly different from the ancient Greek actors.
They had speakers who didn't do and doers who didn't speak. We are to be
people who speak and do the truth! - R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
You're writing a
"gospel," a chapter each day,
By the deeds that you do, by the words that you say;
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true -
Say, what is the "gospel" according to you? -Gilbert
When actions and words agree, the
message is loud and clear.
James 3.18 The fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
The marginal reading of the Revised Version suggests the substitution of
the word "by" for "for," and that would seem to be the real thought of the
writer. He had been contrasting the wisdom from beneath with that from
above. The first produces jealousy, faction, confusion. The second is
first pure and then peaceable. Now carefully observe that he says much
more than that peace is the fruit of righteousness. That is true, and it
had already been said in the declaration that heavenly wisdom is first
pure, then peaceable. But here the thought is that of the propagative
power of life according to heavenly wisdom. Righteousness bears fruit
after its kind, and that is peace. When this is sown, still in peace, it
produces righteousness again, wherein is the further fruitage; and so
ever on. Those who make peace had been declared by the Lord to be blessed,
the sons of God. Here the blessedness is shown in its effect. The
peacemakers are those who live by the heavenly wisdom, which is first pure
and then peaceable, that is, by righteousness. These are the men who make
peace. To compromise with wrong, to seek for quietness by the sacrifice of
righteousness, is not to secure peace, but to make it impossible. On the
other hand, to stand for righteousness, even though there must be conflict
and suffering, is to sow the fruit wherefrom peace will come. The ways of
- God are all severe, but they are the only ways of goodness. To do right
at the cost of ease, is to make peace. To seek ease at the cost of
righteousness, is to make peace for ever impossible. (Morgan, G. C.
Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible).
James
4
James 4:4
Suppose that in a certain community lives a man and his wife who love
each other very much. Across the street lives a man who develops a hatred
for the woman’s husband. One night he invades their home and kills him.
Although he is arrested, a loophole in the law allows him to escape
punishment, and he is released to return to the community. Now imagine
that in a few short weeks you see the widow and her husband’s murderer
walking down the street together. Her hand is slipped into his arm and she
looks smilingly into his face. She says to him, “I’m so happy.” What
would you say about a woman like that? Surely you would brand her as
disloyal to her husband’s memory and unworthy to bear his name. We must
never forget that this godless world hated Jesus enough to kill Him. One
who walks hand in hand with a system headed by our Lord’s enemies and
becomes friendly with them is disloyal to Jesus Christ. Only those who
keep themselves “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27) have a right
to bear the name Christian. Let’s avoid all unholy alliances. -Paul
R VanGorder
James 4:5
A very deep and remarkable verse! The apostle is contending against the
worldliness which was so rife among the believers he was addressing. They
were set on pleasure; they sought the friendship of the world, and became
unfaithful to their divine Lover; they were proud and high-minded. He went
so far as to speak of them as adulterers and adulteresses; and then
adopting a gentler, pleading tone, he says, “You are grieving the gentle
Holy Spirit who has come to dwell within you, who yearns with a jealous
envy to possess your entire nature for Himself.”
The Spirit of God dwells within
thee, O believer in Jesus Christ. If a man have not the Spirit of God, he
is none of his; and since thou art undoubtedly one of us, thou hast most
certainly the Holy Spirit. But the mistake of thy life consists in this,
that He hath not thee. Some part of thy heart is given, but not all; and
this causes Him the most intense pain, resembling that which we suffer
from jealousy.
No keener pain is possible to the
heart of man than to have good reason for the belief that a loved one is
not wholly true; that there has been an alienation of affection which was
once whole and entire; that another is receiving a part at least of the
heart’s devotion. The fire and screw are light in comparison with our
anguish then; but, this is what the Spirit of God suffers when we share
between Him and the world that love which should be all his own. “I, the
Lord thy God am a jealous God,” is as true as when first spoken from
Sinai. The person of Jesus Christ must be the Sun of our system, though
that system may include many planets beside. (Meyer, F. B. Our Daily
Homily)
James 4:6 “He giveth grace
unto the humble.”—Grace for the Humble
HUMBLE hearts seek grace, and therefore they get it. Humble hearts yield
to the sweet influences of grace, and so it is bestowed on them more and
more largely. Humble hearts lie in the valleys where streams of grace are
flowing, and hence they drink of them. Humble hearts are grateful for
grace and give the Lord the glory of it, and hence it is consistent with
His honor to give it to them. Come, dear reader, take a lowly place. Be
little in thine own esteem, that the Lord may make much of thee. Perhaps
the sigh breaks out, “I fear I am not humble.” It may be that this is
the language of true humility. Some are proud of being humble, and this is
one of the very worst sorts of pride. We’re needy, helpless, undeserving,
hell deserving creatures; and if we are not humble, we ought to be. Let us
humble ourselves because of our sins against humility, and then the Lord
will give us to taste of His favor. It is grace which makes us humble, and
grace which finds in this humility an opportunity for pouring in more
grace. Let us go down that we may rise. Let us be poor in spirit that God
may make us rich. Let us be humble that we may not need to be humbled, but
may be exalted by the grace of God. (Spurgeon, C. Faith's Checkbook)
James 4:6 God is against the
proud, but he gives grace to the humble.
A small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of
Jesus. Behind a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by
silver lamps. You can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient
church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the
floor recognizes the birth of the King. There is one stipulation, however.
You have to stoop. The door is so low you can’t go in standing up. The
same is true of the Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to
witness the Savior, you have to get [down] on your knees. (Lucado, Max:
The Applause of Heaven)
James 4:7
Just a Small Sin - Toddling about his grandparent’s home, a small boy
discovered a bottle of lye and swallowed a single mouthful. Nine years
later, after numerous surgeries, his digestive tract could function once
again. Nearly nine years of restorative and reconstructive surgery were
necessary to compensate for a small mouthful of lye. And we think small
sins are harmless? That no one needs to worry over “insignificant” wrongs?
It was only a mouthful of lye! But it was enough to endanger his life and
bring years of misery to him and his family. Even the smallest wrong can
be destructive. (Hurley, V. Speaker's sourcebook of new illustrations.
Dallas: Word Publishers)
James 4:8 “Draw nigh to
God, and he willdraw nigh to you”
Drawing Near to God - THE nearer we come to God, the more graciously will
He reveal Himself to us. When the prodigal comes to his father, his father
runs to meet him. When the wandering dove returns to the ark, Noah puts
out his hand to pull her in unto him. When the tender wife seeks her
husband’s society, he comes to her on wings of love. Come then, dear
friend, let us draw nigh to God who so graciously awaits us, yea, comes to
meet us. Did you ever notice that passage in Isaiah 58:9? There the Lord
seems to put Himself at the disposal of His people, saying to them, “Here
I am,” as much as to say: “What have you to say to me? What can I do for
you? I am waiting to bless you.” How can we hesitate to draw near? God is
nigh to forgive, to bless, to comfort, to help, to quicken, to deliver.
Let it be the main point with us to get near to God. This done, all is
done. If we draw near to others, they may before long grow weary of us and
leave us; but if we seek the Lord alone, no change will come over His
mind, but He will continue to come nearer and yet nearer to us by fuller
and more joyful fellowship. (Spurgeon, C.. Faith's Checkbook)
James 4:8 Come near to God,
and God will come near to you.
Some of us have tried to have a daily quiet time and have not been
successful. Others of us have a hard time concentrating. And all of us are
busy. So rather than spend time with God, listening for his voice, we’ll
let others spend time with him and then benefit from their experience. Let
them tell us what God is saying. After all, isn’t that why we pay
preachers? …If that is your approach, if your spiritual experiences are
secondhand and not firsthand, I’d like to challenge you with this thought:
Do you do that with others parts of your life? …You don’t do that with
vacations.… You don’t do that with romance.… You don’t let someone eat on
your behalf, do you? [There are] certain things no one can do for you. And
one of those is spending time with God. (Lucado, M., & Gibbs, T. A. Grace
for the moment : Inspirational thoughts for each day of the year.
Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman)
James 4:1-12
A man who had just been elected to the British Parliament brought his
family to London and was giving them a tour of the city. When they entered
Westminster Abbey, his eight-year-old daughter seemed awe-struck by the
size and beauty of that magnificent structure. Her proud father, curious
about what was going on in her mind, asked, "And what, my child, are you
thinking about?" She replied, "Daddy, I was just thinking about how big
you are in our house, but how small you look here!"
Pride can creep into our lives without our awareness. From time to time
it's good for us to be "cut down to size." We need to be reminded not to
think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. It's easy to become
proud when we stay in our own circles of life. But when we are thrust into
larger situations, with increased demands, pressures, and competition, we
come to the shocking realization that "big fish in small ponds" shrink
quickly in a large ocean.
One thing that stands out in the Word of God is that the Lord despises the
haughty. Under inspiration the psalmist said, "One who has a haughty look
and a proud heart, him I will not endure" (Psalm 101:5) . And James said,
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).
If we ask the Holy Spirit to help us see ourselves as we really are, He
will enable us to control our foolish pride. —R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
James 4:10
Phillip Brooks said “The true way to be humble, is not to stoop until you
are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some
higher nature.”
James 4:11 "Do not speak evil
of one another."
JUST ASKING A QUESTION? - Slanderers slaughter reputations. Sometimes they
attack with the bold strokes of a butcher. At other times they do their
evil work with the finesse of a surgeon.
Satan is an expert in subtle slander. Knowing the power of a well-placed
question to destroy a reputation, he simply asked, "Does Job fear God for
nothing?" (Job 1:9).
Satan's question is shrewd because it evades the dangers of an outright
lie. An accusation flirts with the embarrassment of being proven wrong.
But no one can call you a liar or a slanderer if you merely ask a
question.
A question also avoids punishment. It's difficult for someone to attack
you if you have simply asked a question. It's unlikely that you can be
sued or pulled into court. Yet, Satan's query savaged a good man's motives
by implying that all of the good Job did was a coverup for selfishness.
When we are inclined to ask a
malicious question, let's stop and remind ourselves that we will be
playing the devil's game. Our tongues were not given to us to rip people
apart; they were given to us to build people up. We ought to speak well of
others not only to their face but also behind their back. -- Haddon W
Robinson (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
The tongue can be a
blessing
Or the tongue can be a curse;
Say, friend, how are you using yours:
For better or for worse?
Our words have the power to build up
or to tear down.
James 4:12
There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to
destroy. Who are you to judge another?
The seventeenth-century French churchman Fenelon said,
"It is often our own imperfection which
makes us reprove the imperfection of others; a sharp-sighted self-love of
our own which cannot pardon the self-love of others."
Sometimes our own faults and
imperfections make us see faults in others that don't even exist. A woman
complained that her neighbor's windows were always dirty. One day, after
complaining about them to a friend, the visitor encouraged her to wash her
own windows. She followed the advice. The next time her friend visited,
she exclaimed, "I can't believe it. As soon as I washed my windows, my
neighbor must have cleaned hers too. Look at them shine."
Criticism also blinds us to the good that others accomplish. A man who
built a large drinking fountain in a public square drew derogatory
comments from an art critic about its design. Though somewhat hurt, the
builder asked, "Is anyone drinking from it?" The builder was happy to
learn that the fountain, even though the critic didn't like its design,
was doing its job—and doing it well.
Instead of calling attention to others' imperfections, we should examine
ourselves. What we don't like in someone else might be the same thing
that's wrong with us. And instead of judging others, we should look for
the good in them and love them in spite of their faults. —R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
When criticizing, don't forget: God is listening.
James 4.12.
One only is the Lawgiver and Judge,
even He Who is able to save and to destroy.
These words were written in connection with a warning against speaking
against or judging a brother. They are clear and sharp and incisive, as
they show the wrong of all such action. It is impossible for any man to
find a final verdict against his brother. One only is able to do that, and
that is the One Who makes the laws for the government of human lives. This
is so because He alone knows those whom He governs, and because His laws
are the result of that perfect knowledge. Therefore His laws are just, and
so will His judgments be also. He only, therefore, can pass sentence of
salvation or destruction. If these words thus warn us off from all
judgment of our brother, what a glorious truth they reveal as to the
rights of the individual soul! Every man is to be governed and judged by
God. Every man has the right of final appeal from all the findings of men
to the just judgment of God. To recognize that just in all things, is to
be lifted to the highest realm of life. If my judgment is to come from the
Lord, then with what care I should live! But it is also true that I shall
be judged with the strictest justice. Not by the seeing of the eyes, nor
by the hearing of the ears, does He judge, but with righteous judgment. If
that fact fills the soul with a perpetual sense of awe, it also gives it
much comfort and courage; for righteous judgment passes beyond all the
actions, to the underlying motives and aspirations. These can only be
known to God, Who is the Lawgiver, and the Creator of that which He
governs. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the
Bible).
James 4:14
"What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for
a little time and then vanishes."
WILL YOU LIVE TO BE 100? - Magazine publisher J. I. Rodale, a zealous
advocate of health foods, claimed at the age of 72 that he would live to
be 100. The same week that his prediction appeared in The New York Times,
he was being interviewed for a television program, again claiming that his
bones were as strong as ever. Moments after making his boast, he died of a
heart attack.
Dr. Stuart Berger, a nutritionist, claimed that he had the formula for
living past the century mark. Although he had supposedly found the secret
of youthfulness and had convinced many to follow his advice, he died in
his sleep at the age of 40, grossly overweight.
Then there was author Jim Fixx, who advocated running to prevent coronary
trouble. Yet at the age of 52 he died of a heart attack -- yes,
ironically, while running.
Common sense dictates that we ought to take every possible measure to keep
ourselves healthy. But in the final analysis, each of us must pray, "I
trust in You, O Lord....My times are in Your hand" (Ps. 31:14-15).
Because any day, even today, may be our final day on earth, we need to be
sure that we are ready to depart. Are you? - Vernon Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Whether we're old or
young, not one of us can say
Just when will come to each his final earthly day;
Thus while this life is ours, Lord, may we now prepare,
So death may never come and take us unaware.-- Anon
If we are prepared to die, we're
prepared to live.
James 4:15 “if the Lord
wills”
In earlier centuries, believers ended letters with “D.V.”—an abbreviation
of the Latin Deo Volente, meaning “God willing.” The phrase, “if the Lord
wills,” whether stated verbally or believed quietly, helps maintain a
trusting submission to God’s will. The great Latin phrase, Deo Volente
should be our watchword as we live in dependence on the providence of a
sovereign God.
James 4:15
Will You Be Around? - I read the following account in a medical magazine:
When the physical examination of a 78-year-old man had been
completed, the doctor recommended that he come back in 6 months for
another checkup. At this suggestion the aged patient shook his head and
said, "Doctor, I don't think I'll be around then."
"Nonsense!" replied the physician with a reassuring smile. "You'll be
around for years yet."
The elderly man gave him an odd look, then explained, "I mean that I'll be
in Florida. I go there every January."
The story may cause us to smile, but the question it raises is very
sobering. Will you and I be around tomorrow, next month, next year? It
surely is sensible to make plans for the future, but we must always do so
with an awareness of life's uncertainty.
As James reminded us in the Bible reading for today, life is "a vapor that
appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:14). Because
of this we ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or
that" (James 4:15).
Will you be around in 6 months? Let this question prompt you to live
faithfully for the Lord Jesus Christ today. - R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
The present only is
our own,
Live and toil with a will;
Do not wait until tomorrow,
For life's clock may then be still.- McCartney
Settle all accounts today; you can't
bank on tomorrow
James
5
James 5.7 Be patient
therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.
These words follow a stern denunciation of those prosperous men who have
gained their prosperity by wronging their fellows. The ultimate in all
such action had been reached when such men had "killed the Righteous One."
Thinking of the sufferings of many to whom he wrote, sufferings resulting
from the oppression of such men as he had denounced—James first reminded
them that this Righteous One did not resist, and then called them to be
patient, that is, long-suffering, until the Coming of the Lord. In that
word his outlook on life shines out. The day of redress, when all wrongs
will be righted and all oppressions cease, will be the day when the
Righteous One will come again. For that day His suffering ones are to
wait, and in their waiting, to be long-suffering even towards those who
oppress them. The word of exhortation he then enforces by declaring that
this is the attitude of God Himself, and that the reason of His patience
is that He is waiting for the precious fruit of the earth. Is not this
injunction to patience much needed? Too often we are inclined to become
impatient as we wait. Sometimes, indeed, the very hope of the coming of
the Lord has seemed to increase impatience rather than patience. To the
true child of God, the Coming of the Lord is always at hand, and the glory
of it sheds unceasing light upon the way. The true way of walking in that
glorious light is ever that of thanking God at every morning's dawn, and
evening's shadows, that He has not come, because He is still waiting for
the precious fruit of the earth. Oh, to be patient in fellowship with God!
(Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible).
James 5.7 Be patient
New England preacher Phillips Brooks was known for his poise under
pressure, but close friends knew he struggled with impatience. One day a
friend, seeing him pacing, asked, “What’s the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” The
great preacher replied: “The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God
isn’t!”
James 5:8
“Be ye also
patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
It Will Not Be Long- THE last word in the Canticle of love is, “Make
haste, my beloved,” and among the last words of the Apocalypse we read,
“The Spirit and the Bride say, Come”, to which the heavenly Bridegroom
answers, “Surely I come quickly.” Love longs for the glorious appearing
of the Lord, and enjoys this sweet promise, “The coming of the Lord
draweth nigh.” This stays our minds as to the future. We look out with
hope through this window. This sacred “window of agate” lets in a flood
of light upon the present and puts us into fine condition for immediate
work or suffering. Are we tried? Then the nearness of our joy whispers
patience. Are we growing weary because we do not see the harvest of our
seed-sowing? Again this glorious truth cries to us, “Be patient.” Do our
multiplied temptations cause us in the least to waver? Then the assurance
that before long the Lord will be here preaches to us from this text,
“Establish your hearts.” Be firm, be stable, be constant, “steadfast,
unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Soon will you hear
the silver trumpets which announce the coming of your King. Be not in the
least afraid. Hold the fort, for He is coming; yea, He may appear this
very day. (Spurgeon, C. Faith's Checkbook)
James 5:12 Do not swear
Someone suggested the top ten lies told in America: 10) Your table will be
ready in a minute. 9) One size fits all. 8) This will hurt me more than it
hurts you. 7) I’m sorry I’m late; I got stuck in traffic. 6) The check is
in the mail. 5) This offer is limited to the first 50 callers. 4) It’s not
the money; it’s the principle of the thing. 3) I need just five minutes of
your time. 2) I’ll start my diet tomorrow. 1) I’m from the IRS and I’m
here to help you. Our culture doesn’t place much value on integrity, but
Scripture does. James helps us sort out what characterizes a life of
integrity: "do not swear"
James 5:13
Anyone who is
having troubles should pray. Anyone who is happy should sing praises.
Do you want to know how to deepen your prayer life? Pray. Don’t prepare to
pray. Just pray. Don’t read about prayer. Just pray. Don’t attend a
lecture on prayer or engage in discussion about prayer. Just pray.
Posture, tone, and place are personal matters. Select the form that works
for you. But don’t think about it too much. Don’t be so concerned about
wrapping the gift that you never give it. Better to pray awkwardly than
not at all. And if you feel you should only pray when inspired, that’s
okay. Just see to it that you are inspired every day. (Lucado, Max: When
God Whispers Your Name)
James 5:13-15
This familiar passage is a difficult passage. Many suffering Christians
have tried in all sincerity to follow the instructions given here, yet
have not been healed. This may be because the promise has a specific,
rather than general, application.
First, “is anyone afflicted?” This
word means “troubled,” referring especially to persecution or
deprivation. For such a person, the admonition is: “Let him pray.”
Assuming that he is right with God, and is praying in His will (1 John
5:14, 15), he can expect either the needed relief or the needed grace.
Secondly: “Is there one who is
sick?” Here the Greek word actually refers to physical illness. However,
the context shows that this particular sickness has come specifically
“since (the true connotation of ‘if’) he have committed sins.” There
are “many weak and sickly” believers who have so persistently refused to
judge and confess their sins (1 Corinthians 11:30–32) that the Lord
finally has laid them aside with sickness or injury. The remedy is for
such a person to call for the church elders (not the reverse), and “let
them pray” (after he has first openly confessed and repented of his sins)
in faith anointing him with oil. then the promise is that, if the elders
themselves have faith and are right with God, the Lord will forgive his
sins and raise him up.
Furthermore, their prayer of faith will “save the
sick.” The Greek word in this case means “wearied,” rather than
“ill,” and it tells us that the sinner has been delivered from the heavy
burden of guilt which had wearied his soul, as well as the illness which
had weakened his body. There are other reasons for illness besides unrepented
sin, when other courses of action are indicated, but this is a wonderful
promise of both spiritual and physical healing when sin is the problem. -
HMM
James 5:13-20
In his book Helping Those Who Don't Want Help, Marshall Shelley told
of a pastor who was backing out of his garage when he heard a "snap." When
he got out to look, he discovered his favorite fishing pole in two pieces.
"Who was using my fishing pole?" he asked. "I was, Dad," said his
five-year-old son. "I was playing with it and I forgot to put it away."
The pastor wasn't pleased, but he said to his son, "Well, thank you for
telling me," and said no more about it. Two days later, while shopping
with his mother, the boy said, "Mom, I got to buy Dad a new fishing pole.
I broke his other one. Here's my money." And he handed her his total life
savings—two dollars. "You don't have to do that," said his mother. "But I
want to, Mom," the boy said. "I found out that Dad loves me more than he
loves his fishing pole."
Later, the pastor told his congregation about the incident. "When I heard
what my son said, I felt great. I felt that for once I had done something
right." After the service, several men told the pastor that they
appreciated what he had said about doing something right for once. They
had the idea that pastors always did everything right.
This is a good lesson for other
leaders also. We don't always have to appear to be "on top of it." We need
to admit that we struggle some-times; we need to reveal some of our own
faults and failures. When leaders are open and honest about their own
lives, others will be helped and encouraged by what they say. —Dennis
Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
We should acknowledge our own sins—not our neighbor's.
James 5:16
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
It might be rendered literally:
“Very strong is the supplication of a righteous man, energising.” When a
man is right with God, not regarding iniquity in his heart, nor seeking
aught for his own pleasure, the energy of the Divine Spirit moves mightily
within him, and his prayers become very strong. They recall the Master’s,
with their strong cryings and tears.
The righteous man finds relief for
suffering in prayer. — “Is any among you suffering? let him pray.” There
are sorrows we cannot tell to our dearest. Surges of grief sweep over us
for which we have no words. Life is a stern fight for us all; and each
heart knows its own bitterness. But there is always one resort: we can
pour out our sorrows into the ear of our compassionate and merciful High
Priest.
The righteous man prays the prayer
of faith. — The prayer of faith is that which is so sure of the Divine
answer that it knows that it has received it, though there is no
appearance of its having been granted to the sense. We can only pray that
prayer when we have asked what is in God’s will to bestow. But righteous
men cannot always pray thus, because they do not know the Lord’s will on
matters not recorded in this book. There are some sicknesses which are
,,into death, and we cannot pray the prayer of faith for these. If you
cannot pray the prayer of faith, take medicine, and use the best means in
your reach.
The righteous man can affect the
whole history of his fatherland by his prayers. — It was so with Elijah,
as we learn here. It was so with John Knox, whose prayers were more
dreaded by Mary of Scots than the armies of Philip.
(Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)
James 5:16
Too often our petitions fit the description of prayer given by Thomas
Brooks, who said, “Cold prayers are as arrows without heads, as swords
without edges, as birds without wings; they pierce not, they cut not, they
fly not up to heaven. Cold prayers always freeze before they reach
heaven.” To become more effective in our praying, we should heed these
words of Bishop Hall: “It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many
they are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they be; nor the
geometry of our prayers, how long they be; nor the music of our prayers,
how sweet our voice may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly
they may be; nor even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine
may be—which God cares for. Fervency of spirit is that which availeth
much.” James reminds us that Elijah “prayed earnestly.” And what
answers he received—the very forces of nature were changed! By contrast,
indefinite praying by indifferent people brings little results. Fervent
prayer, if it be for God’s glory and presented in the name of His Son,
will accomplish great things for time and eternity. - Paul R VanGorder
James 5:16 The
Effective Prayer
D. L. Moody once wrote, “Though we may not live to see the answer to our
prayers, if we cry mightily to God, the answer will come.”
Rev. E. M. Bounds said: “Prayers are
deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart
that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God,
and God’s heart is set on them and prayers outlive the lives of those who
uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world . . .
Fortunate are they whose fathers and mothers have left them a wealthy
patrimony of prayer.”
Someone has summarized how God answers different prayers: If the request
is wrong, God says no. If the timing is wrong, God says slow. If you are
wrong, God says grow. When the request, the timing, and you are right, God
says go!
Someone Once Said . .
.God sovereignly delights to answer the passionate prayers of his
children. This is not to suggest that he delights in manufactured passion,
nor that passion is a meritorious work. Nor are we suggesting that sweaty,
frantic prayer is necessarily pleasing to God. But real passion, however
it is expressed through the medium of one’s personality, is a part of
prayer that God is pleased to answer. (Kent Hughes)
James 5:16
Morning and Evening
"Pray one for another."
As an encouragement cheerfully to offer
intercessory prayer, remember that such prayer is the sweetest God ever
hears, for the prayer of Christ is of this character. In all the incense
which our Great High Priest now puts into the golden censer, there is not
a single grain for himself. His intercession must be the most acceptable
of all supplications-and the more like our prayer is to Christ's, the
sweeter it will be; thus while petitions for ourselves will be accepted,
our pleadings for others, having in them more of the fruits of the Spirit,
more love, more faith, more brotherly kindness, will be, through the
precious merits of Jesus, the sweetest oblation that we can offer to God,
the very fat of our sacrifice. Remember, again, that intercessory prayer
is exceedingly prevalent. What wonders it has wrought! The Word of God
teems with its marvellous deeds. Believer, thou hast a mighty engine in
thy hand, use it well, use it constantly, use it with faith, and thou
shalt surely be a benefactor to thy brethren. When thou hast the King's
ear, speak to him for the suffering members of his body. When thou art
favoured to draw very near to his throne, and the King saith to thee,
"Ask, and I will give thee what thou wilt," let thy petitions be, not for
thyself alone, but for the many who need his aid. If thou hast grace at
all, and art not an intercessor, that grace must be small as a grain of
mustard seed. Thou hast just enough grace to float thy soul clear from the
quicksand, but thou hast no deep floods of grace, or else thou wouldst
carry in thy joyous bark a weighty cargo of the wants of others, and thou
wouldst bring back from thy Lord, for them, rich blessings which but for
thee they might not have obtained:-
"Oh, let my hands forget their skill,
My tongue be silent, cold, and still,
This bounding heart forget to beat,
If I forget the mercy-seat!"
