14-07-2019
James 1:1-18 New King James Version (NKJV)
Greeting to the Twelve Tribes
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings.
Profiting from Trials
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [a]patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be [b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The Perspective of Rich and Poor
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Loving God Under Trials
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
James is a practical minded man. There is a progression of thoughts in the Book of James.
James is the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude (or Judas) is another brother of Jesus.
He had mocked Jesus in Galilee.
But later on, he was so devastated when Jesus died that he went on a death fast.
James was tremendously wise. But he died a terrible death. He was martyred.
James addresses some major inconsistencies in the Christian faith, eg. life. Everybody wanted to be happy but when they became Christians, they were whacked with persecutions.
Christianity is about faith at work. It is never a religion.
Faith is doing what you believe. Christianity is not about saying or attending a church.
There is a lot of disagreements in churches because of worldly ideas.
There are things to be addressed about your faith.
Real harmony is about having real wisdom, exercising real faith, enjoying real joy. Life is about spiritual blessing. When you are sick, ask for prayer. When you have sin, confess your sin. It takes real effort to do what needs to be done.
Understand James in all its context.
Money can buy happiness but how long can it last?
Joy is the quiet confidence and peace that you have with a certain assurance that you are living in the eternity that God wants for you. The death is not the end of it all. Death is the greatest equaliser in man. In life, it is joy that matters, not happiness.
There are three types of trials in life:
1) You face difficulties because you are a Christian. God will bless you. You need to persevere and be strong.
2) We fall sick because we live in a fallen world. Because of what happened to Adam. When you face this kind of trials, you still persevere.
3) What happens when we face difficulty because of our own stupidity? What ever the trials, God will still take care of you.
A lot of problems are caused by greed and foolishness.
You cry to God. Because He is your Heavenly Father, the breakthrough will come.
You need wisdom to handle these situations.
God allows trials in our lives in order to ascertain our faith.
God allows trials in order to perfect the saints. (Hebrews 12)
God allows trials so that the world will see your light and give glory to God.
If you are in a mess, go to God with a contrite heart and acknowledge that you have messed up big time. Be honest to look at yourself objectively.
Wisdom tells us to go back to God in humility.
Romans tells us to count others better than ourselves. (Romans 12:16)
Let the Holy Spirit work in you first. Then you really have something to teach the church. This is wisdom. How do you obtain wisdom? You ask. And you ask in faith. When you go to God, He will give you ideas beyond your capacity. To some, when wisdom is given, they are double-minded.
Life is short. Don't put your faith in money. The rich man has a greater problem than the poor man. Wisdom is what God gives.
You don't need to be rich to enjoy your life. Happiness has to do with what's inside you. Happiness has nothing to do with your position in life. Walk in the will and the peace of God. Know that all things work for good for those who love Him.
God never tempts you. Have the humility to understand what your role is in the Lord.
Ask ourselves, "Am I real? Is my faith real? Is my wisdom real? Or am I pussyfooting around and still playing religion?"
RELATED:
REAL JOY (JAMES 1:1-18)
REAL FAITH (JAMES 1:19-2:26)
REAL WISDOM (JAMES 3:1-18)
REAL HARMONY (JAMES 4:1-17)
REAL BLESSING (JAMES 5:1-20)
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