Day #351
Scripture Reading: James 1 - 3 …
James writes to those from Israel who had been
scattered among the nations, who had now come to believe in Jesus Christ as
their Savior and Lord, calling them to examine the faith they claim to have.
He explains that saying you believe is one thing, but it's another to
live out your faith by the power of the Spirit within you.
He begins by addressing their response to trials.
He says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance" (1:2-3). No one would choose trials or
suffering, but the wisdom James tells believers to ask for is the wisdom to
understand that God works through the trials to teach us to trust in Him and to
be His witnesses in this world. "Blessed is the man who
perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the
crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (1:12).
That should be incentive enough to endure!
Of course, with the trials comes the temptation to
question God and to wonder what He is doing and why? Some even blame God
for allowing the trials to come, but the temptation to sin by doubting, or
becoming anxious or angry comes from within us. God doesn't tempt us to
do bad things or to respond in negative ways. He tests us to purify us,
to strengthen us for what lies ahead, to remind us of our dependence on Him,
but it is always to draw us near to Him, not to push us away. This, too,
requires wisdom, which God promises to give to those who ask.
As if to summarize, James says, "Don't be
deceived, my dear brothers, every GOOD and PERFECT gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting
shadows. HE chose to give us birth through the word of truth!" (1:17-18).
God is working for your GOOD! Do not allow the temporary trials of
this life to cause you to doubt. Stand firm and know that your heavenly Father
is on your side!!
In all things, then, you and I must pursue "the
righteous life God desires" (1:19). Some have twisted James'
words to contradict what Paul writes in Galatians 2:16: "We
know … that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in
Jesus Christ. … because by observing the law no one will be
justified." As he talks about being DOERS of the Word, and not
only listeners, and about not showing favoritism and "proving" your
faith by your deeds, James says, "You see that a person is justified by
what he does and NOT by faith alone" (2:24). How can we
reconcile these two passages?
It is really quite simple: In Galatians, Paul
is talking about our standing before God and he explains that we can never do
enough works to earn our salvation and so be "justified" in
God's sight. We are guilty, as James agrees when he says, "For
whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of
breaking all of it" (2:10). We are "justified," declared
righteous in God's sight, only through faith in Jesus Christ, for by faith the
righteousness of Christ is credited to us. Amazing grace!!
While Paul is writing about our standing before
God, James is writing about the evidence of true faith, that which is produced
by the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. James is saying that if you
say you have this faith, that you have been born again and the Spirit lives
within you, it WILL show!! And if it isn't showing, can you really have true
faith?! God doesn't make the mistake of beginning a work in someone and
forgetting to give them the desire and the power to live for Him, to produce "the righteous
life" He desires for His children. While none of us ever
reaches perfection in this life, that must be our constant goal, for the glory
of the One who saved us to be His!
James emphasizes some very practical applications
of faith to life. In Chapter 1, James uses the illustration of looking in
the mirror of God's perfect law of liberty and discovering a new identity in
Christ. You now understand that obedience brings blessing (1:25). In Chapter 2, James speaks about favoritism,
explaining, "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus
Christ, don't show favoritism!" (2:1).
James then goes even one step
further and states emphatically in verses 14-26 that the faith that does not
produce good fruit is DEAD!! It is not faith at all, but only head
knowledge. "You believe that there is one God. Good!
Even the demons believe that - and shudder!" (2:19). "As the body without the spirit is dead,
so faith without deeds is dead" (2:26).
The goal, then, for us who believe in Jesus Christ,
is to BE what God wants us to be as we do what God wants us to do. James
mentioned the importance of how we use our tongues in Chapter 1, verse 26,
explaining there that "religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (1:27). The
way we use our tongues and the way we care for others reveals what's on the
inside! Now James comes back to the tongue in Chapter 3 and expresses the
power the tongue holds, to build up or to destroy. He describes the
tongue as "a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the
tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been
made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.
My brothers, this should not be!" (3:8-10).
Where the Spirit is working the tongue is under the
control of the Spirit. Tearing others
down with your tongue displeases God, grieves the Spirit and dishonors Christ,
whose name you bear. So James concludes, as he already stated in Chapter
1, verse 5, that we need to ask for wisdom.
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it
by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom" (3:13).
What does God's wisdom look like? "The
wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving,
considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (3:17-18).
"Father in heaven, as I live in this world as
a follower of Jesus I thank You for Your Spirit's work within me. I see
the remnants of sin in my life, but I rejoice in the wisdom and strength You
give me to bear fruit in obedience to Your Word. Help me daily to be one
who hears Your Word and responds in thankful obedience. In Jesus' name, Amen"
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