Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (James 1:9–11, ESV)
James was quite possibly writing to Christians who were forced to flee persecution in Jerusalem and seek asylum in Syria or Northern Palestine. Many would have been struggling to find work and make a new life for themselves but the wealthy were using their money to manipulate and were wallowing in self-indulgence rather than minister to those in need. As Americans, we are far more afraid of being poor than rich. If given the option, most of us would prefer the bigger house, newer car and money in our pockets that wasn't already committed to bills. The Bible warns of the dangers of wealth in places like 1 Timothy 6:10 and Luke 18:25. Having money (even lots) is not a sin. Our attitude towards it and what we do with it can be. When it comes to our spiritual lives, James issues a caution for the rich (not his last, either). He reminds us that material wealth, just like life, is transient -- temporary. It will fade. It will not last forever. It's spring now and we wait expectantly for the grass and wildflowers to return to life. But we remember a few months ago as they faded from the scene as winter began to make its entrance. Wealth is only temporary and there is no glory in the temporary and insignificant. There is glory, however, in the eternal. Rich and poor alike, we should all find great satisfaction in a life of humility. The point of what James is saying is summed up well by Douglas Moo: To the poor believer, tempted to feel insignificant and powerless because the world judges a person on the basis of money and status, James says: take pride in your exalted status in the spiritual realm as one seated in the heavenlies with Jesus Christ himself. To the rich believer, tempted to think too much of himself because the world holds him in high esteem, James says: take pride not in your money or in your social position—things that are doomed all too soon to fade away forever — but, paradoxically, in your humble status as a person who identifies with one who was “despised and rejected” by the world. The point of the passage is, then, that Christians must always evaluate themselves by spiritual and not material standards(Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 68-69). Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24, ESV)
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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5–8, ESV)
In today’s passage, James commands the Christian to ask God for wisdom when we find it lacking in our lives. James, however, reminds us how important it is to ask in faith, without doubting. Those who do not believe God will provide are compared to a wave which is at the whim of the wind. It has no real direction itself, but is driven by outside circumstances. We are to keep our faith anchored in a trustworthy God rather than have our environment and immediate situation dictate our belief. So we know that we should ask God for wisdom and we know that we should trust when we ask, but an even more fundamental issue that I sometimes neglect is: what is wisdom anyway? I found what I thought was a pretty good answer: It is legitimate to ask God for wisdom in each and every circumstance of life. How often we find ourselves lacking it! But we never need wisdom more urgently than when we are facing difficulties. First, a word about wisdom. What is it? We must not confuse it with knowledge. Knowledge is information; wisdom is application. Knowledge is comprehending facts; wisdom is handling life. Knowledge is theoretical; wisdom is practical. We can think of it in terms of driving a car. We can have very good knowledge of a car and not drive very well at all! Conversely, we can have little knowledge of how a car operates and still expertly handle it. Life is a lot like driving a car. We are tooling along, and suddenly someone darts out in front of us, or a huge pothole appears. In those situations, we must know how to respond in such a way that we are able to preserve our lives and the lives of others. The trials and difficulties of life are much like the driver who pulls in front of us or the potholes in the road. We are driving along the roadway of life, and suddenly a trial comes. We need wisdom to respond to that trial. We need to know how to respond in such a way that we do not encourage a mistaken notion about what Christianity is. We need to know how to respond in such a way that we do not dishonour God. We need to respond in such a way that we do not discourage our fellow-Christians. How often Christians drive the car of faith into the ditch when a trial pops up in the road! (Roger Ellsworth, Opening Up James (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 27-28.) So when James exhorts us to ask for wisdom, we are seeking God for the practical skill to handle the situation we're in. It's a great thing to know that we have a God who not only has the resources for whatever comes our way, but he's generous with them and wants to dole them out to all who are in need. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:1–4, ESV)
That first line is a tough one to swallow. "All joy"? Some translations say "pure joy." Really, James? Do you mean that I am to be filled with joy when the pain of life and circumstances comes knocking at my door? Yes, that's what he's saying. The joy comes from knowing, not that something awful happened, but that an awfully loving God is up to something good in the midst of this despairing time. He tells us specifically when our faith is tested that it produces steadfastness (patience, endurance and fortitude). Many of us understand the importance of the process that a butterfly has to go through to emerge from the cocoon. If he is robbed of the opportunity to struggle, he will die. He must go through the difficult and slow battle of breaking out of his temporary home so that he will be strong enough to be what God created him to be. Trials are what God uses to make us into the kind of men and women he wants us to be. None of us welcomes the "cocoons" of life, but we all know that they are necessary. Welcome God's testings into your life. Let them have their full effect. When you finally break through and emerge from the pain, you will be stronger, more mature and able to fly like never before. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. (James 1:1, ESV)
Today we’re beginning a study of the book of James here on the intranet. I’ve wanted to walk through a book of the New Testament for some time and James has been at the forefront of my mind. It is a book filled with wisdom and bold challenges to live out the faith we profess to believe and I’m looking forward to studying it together. As we read the opening verse, we discover the author is James, who considers himself a servant of God and of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t introduce himself by his list of accomplishments or rattle off his resume. He’s simply a servant. How many of us, I wonder, would be content with such a bio? If someone chose one word to describe us, would it be anywhere near “servant”? Would we want such a label? Jesus taught that such a mentality should pervade our lives. If we are to be well thought of by God, we must be a servant to all (Mark 9:35). Certainly runs against the grain our natural inclination, doesn’t it? Giving ourselves completely over to Christ, putting aside my wants and desires, is a daily step of faith but it’s God’s path to greatness – greatness in his eyes. We are also told in this verse the name of the author: James. Most Bible scholars agree that this James is the same one who was Jesus’ half-brother (Matt. 13:55). James became an important leader in the church (Gal 2:9) and lent his opinion on crucial issues faced by the early believers (Acts 15:13-21). But he wasn't always such an ardent follower of his brother who would be the Messiah. The Gospel of John tells us that earlier in Jesus' ministry: For not even his brothers believed in him. (John 7:5, ESV) I find that intriguing. James went from being a critic and skeptic to being a sold-out follower of Jesus. What changed? When did this happen? Scripture doesn't tell us, but my best guess is the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7). He encountered the risen Christ and all of a sudden it made sense. Everything Jesus had been saying was true and the one written off as the "crazy brother" had now proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the Son of God. The power of God's saving grace has the ability to save even the staunchest doubters. Are you praying for a skeptic? Don't give up. Never underestimate the power of God's relentless pursuit of sinners. A Prayer About Jesus, the Friend of Sinners, and Our Call to FriendshipA friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Prov. 17:17
Lord Jesus, first and foremost, this Scripture is about you. No one loves “at all times” like you. You will never leave us or forsake us, and there’s no ebbing or flowing, rising and falling, heating up or cooling down of your love for us. You stick much closer than a brother, because you’re so much more than a brother. You humbled yourself to become a spouse to us—the perfect bridegroom who died to make rebels, fools, and idolaters, like us, your cherished wife. What wondrous love is this, indeed? Your lavish, constant affection should spell the end of all our poutings and pity-parties, and our whinings and worry-fests. It should also radically affect how we relate to our friends. I come before you today convinced of your love and therefore convicted about the way I relate to my friends, especially those who are in various stories and stages of adversity. I’ve even been too busy to pray for them. That’s a confession of sin, not an excuse or alibi. (As I pray for a few of my friends, just substitute your stories) I repent, and I bring a friend to your throne of grace who’s stuck in the throes of a toxic marriage. He simply doesn’t know what to do. His heart is treading water in the Bermuda triangle of hopelessness, rage and numbness. Show me how to love him well. I need wisdom. I need courage. O God of resurrection, bring the power of the gospel to bear. Give his wife hope than men can change—that her husband can change. Please redeem this marriage for your glory. I pray for another friend who’s suffered sequential betrayals and losses. She’s beyond being angry, and she doesn’t have many tears left. She loves you as only a broken woman filled with the gospel can, but Jesus, she needs relief. Her willingness to trust and hope is gone. How much more can this one sister sustain? It is one thing to be brokenhearted, but she’s nearly broken down. Please intervene, Jesus. For a pastor friend now filled with cynicism and a heart bent on revenge; for a relapsed sex-addict whose family is “done”; for the sister whose cancer has returned leaving only the hope of heaven… Lord Jesus, in this season of Lent, help us prove the power of your resurrection and the sufficiency of your grace. We’re so ready for you to return and finish making all things new… How long, O Lord, how long? Jesus, give us fire and faith for loving as all-weather friends. What do we do next? Do we get in our cars, buy an airline ticket, call up, show up? How can we best come alongside of our hurting friends? Show us, Jesus, lead us. So very Amen we pray, in your faithful and compassionate name. By Scotty Smith We’ve already mentioned three good reasons to spend time daily in God’s Word:
Reason #4: To Discern Truth from Error Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11, ESV) These Christians from Berea were highly regarding by the author of Acts because they compared the teachings they heard to what was written in the scriptures. What an outstanding model for us to follow. We need to know what God’s Word says so that when we encounter error, we’ll recognize it. God takes it very seriously when truth is twisted into something else, especially if the message of the Gospel is being distorted. Look at the apostle’s striking words: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6–9, ESV) Those are serious and intense words, but Paul knew what he was up against. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and you can bet he wants you to believe those lies. So study up! Make time to study God’s Word today and make it a regular habit. Find the right time and place that works for you and enjoy a deepening relationship with almighty God. Start today! |
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