Walk Through the WORD James 1-5

In today’s study we are going to sidetrack to the book of James since chronologically, it falls in the time frame between the events of Acts 14 and 15. So here is today’s walk through the WORD: James 1-5.

If you’ve missed our Acts study so far, you can find all the posts here:

Acts 1-3
Acts 4-6
Acts 7-8
Acts 9-10
Acts 11-12
Acts 13-14
Acts 15-16
Acts 17-18:17
Acts 18:18-19:41

Walk Through the WORD James 1-5
Background:

Author – James (the half-brother of Jesus and the leader of the church in Jerusalem)
Main Theme – Proving our faith through good works. (NOTE: We must understand from the beginning in our study of the book of James, that the author is not advocating good works as a means to gain God’s favor and entrance into His kingdom. Instead, his point is this: Those who truly belong to God will bear fruit for His kingdom through what they do. Our works are always to be done as the fruit of our salvation, not the root of our salvation. The book of James is very much the “Magna Charta” of practical Christianity.)

Passage:

Read: James 1:1-27.
Key Points:


“Papyrus 23 James 1,15-18” by Unknown – Papyrus Oxyrhynchys 1229, designated by P23 on the list Gregory-Aland. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.

{vss. 1-3} Typical to the letter-writing style of the day, James first identifies himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he identifies his intended audience, the twelve tribes of Israel scattered around the world. He promptly begins the body of his letter with a shocking statement: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…” The word “consider” is an accounting term which means to evaluate. So we’re to evaluate our trials and be joyful. After all, an untested faith isn’t worth much. Notice, too, that James doesn’t say “if” you encounter trials, but “when.” The Jerusalem church, in the shadow of the Jewish temple, lived in constant threat from the power-hungry religious leaders. The church would undoubtedly face trials, and many of them. Honestly, we all do, sometimes in direct ways, and at other times indirectly. We live in enemy territory. The trials mentioned are also called temptations in different translations. It suggests an unwelcomed and unanticipated event, a difficulty or adversity. Just as the trunk of a sapling is made stronger through winds that whip it from side to side, so too, we become stronger in the face of adversity. How? We learn to persevere, or stand up under, the difficulty, which brings about a change in character. That is why we can be joyful in such times. The way we react to difficulty is a good indication of the depths of our spiritual maturity and faith.
{vss. 4-5} Allowing perseverance to finish its work in us, making us mature and complete, requires a surrendered will on our part. Perseverance is an active, triumphant fortitude that never gives up. Christ started this work in us and is faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). Satan and his kingdom in the world will do everything they can to make us give up on our faith, but our job is to keep on keeping on. Wisdom isn’t a human attainment, but rather the gift of God (1 Kings 3:3-14; Luke 11:9-13). It begins with fearing the Lord (Proverbs 9:10; Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 2:1-5). In the context of this passage, wisdom carries with it a basic understanding of the true nature of life’s decisions, a realization that we need God’s wisdom. Thankfully, He doesn’t criticize or belittle us for seeking Him and His wisdom, but instead grants us a generous helping of His wisdom.
{vss. 6-8} However if we ask for God’s wisdom, we must do so in faith, and without doubting. Why? Because doubt is like tossing waves and shifting sand. It’s unstable. When we doubt, our allegiances are divided. True wisdom is being aligned only with God and fearing Him only. If we ask for the gift of God’s wisdom, which He promises to give, we must accept His answer in faith. The word “believe” in verse 6 means a full commitment of self to God and what God wants done. James clearly tells us that doubters will receive nothing from the Lord.
{vss. 9-12} Regardless of our current earthly circumstances and socio-economic status, this quickly-fleeting life ends at the same place for all of us: physical death. We’re all flowers quickly fading. In a day when a man’s worth is determined by his wealth, we need to remember that true wealth isn’t found in the abundance of our possessions (Luke 12:15), but in Christ. So all of us who belong to Jesus should rejoice in whatever circumstances in which God has placed us, because for us, this earth is not the end. We are blessed when we stand up under our trials, because once the test of this earthly life is over, we will receive the crown of life God has promised those who love Him. That is the reward of endurance.
{vss. 13-15} We must also be aware that temptation does not come from God. Because He is good, He will not ever tempt us to do evil. That process comes from within our flawed and sinful hearts. Notice the progression, because it will replay itself several times in each of our lives: Evil Desire –> Sin –> Death. So when those evil desires creep into our heart to tempt us to sin, we must squelch them immediately! Temptation is not our outward situation, but our inward condition. While it isn’t sin, yielding to it is, and it leads to death in some shape, form, or fashion.
{vss. 16-18} I find James’ admonition to not be deceived very telling. Just like Adam and Eve, we are all so capable of being deceived. And our very hearts are deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9). In sharp contrast to the tempting lies of Satan, our God gives good and perfect gifts. And He never changes! He chose to give us new life through His Word, Jesus (Romans 10:17). No gift is more good and perfect than that!
{vss. 19-21} As the book of practical Christianity it is, James gives us very wise advice: “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Sometimes I find myself, in a conversation, not truly listening, but already thinking about my reply. Oh, if I would learn to truly listen to people, and then (and only then) consider my response deliberately, praying for the Holy Spirit to guide my speech. What a difference it would make. And I love that the words “slow to become angry” are attached here. Is there anything like the words of another, to not only make us spout words in return, but to do so in anger? We need to take to heart the fact that anger never brings about the righteous life God desires for each and everyone of us. Anger is next attached to other moral filth and evil, which we are to rid ourselves of (Hebrews 12:1). The solution to all of it is to submit to God’s Word, which has the power to save us.
{vss. 22-25} The human heart is truly wicked and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). We’re deceived because we want to be deceived. Lies are often more palatable than truth. When we hear the Word and look into the “mirror” it provides, but don’t actually do what we hear, we are self-deceived. Jesus never called anyone to be merely a listener (Mark 1:17; Acts 1:8). We cannot be changed unless we submit to what God says through the Bible. The passage then contrasts those who deceive themselves with those that earnestly look into the Scripture and acts upon what he sees there. These people are blessed. We should never forget that God’s Word is the means of making us new (James 1:18), a means of seeing ourselves in light of what God wants (James 1:23), and our guide to human ethics (James 1:25; James 2:8). It will also be the standard for judgment (James 2:12).
{vss. 26-27} Another mark of a person who lives by God’s Word is those that control their tongue. Are there any more convicting words in the Bible than these and James 3:1-12? (Maybe I feel that way because I’m often convicted by them!)


Read: James 2:1-26.
Key Points: 

{vss. 1-13} In these verses, James addresses the problem of showing partiality based on socio-economic status. In my humble estimation, I see this as huge problem in at least some of our American churches. We say we welcome those of lesser means, but do we really? How many of them are marginalized within our churches? How many of them truly feel accepted? We may “take care of them” in the sense of meeting a few physical needs, but do we “take care of them” in making them feel loved and accepted? Jesus’ life proved that our God values the poor and outcast. He chooses those who are poor to be rich in faith. In contrast, people tend to value those of wealth, when these are often the very people who oppress us and deny their need for God. We wrongly assume that people with great wealth are blessed by God, while those without aren’t. Not true. He just blesses them in different ways. If we truly keep the command to love all people as we love ourselves, we’re doing God’s Word and way. But if we demonstrate partiality based on wealth, we sin. If we want God’s mercy, we must be people of mercy. A right relationship with Him is demonstrated by our obedience to His will (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 16:24). In both James 1:25 and James 2:12, we see reference to the term “law of liberty.” This expression isn’t found in any other place in the Bible except the book of James. As believers, we live, not under compulsion from without, but under constraint from within. (Problems arise when we try to do both, as I can testify to from my own life.) In Christ, we’re bound to Him. Yet we’re also liberated from this world and to the abundant life. The “law” part of this refers to living by God’s claim to on our lives. Christians must by nature accept His cross of denying ourselves. But this very law brings our freedom.
{vss. 14-26} Faith is proved by what we do, and James spends considerable time supporting that truth. The danger comes when we try to make works our means of meriting salvation. Works are to be the fruit of our salvation, not the root. A faith without works is without power, significance, or value. James gives Old Testament examples as proof with the person of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19) and Rahab (Joshua 2:1-21).


Read: James 3:1-17.
Key Points:

{vss. 1-6} We will one day give an account for every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36-37), a thought that should make us stop and consider our words carefully. James compares our tongues to a horse bit, ship rudder, and a small spark–all very small objects capable of causing big results, then concludes this section by saying that our tongues are evil, with a destructive power straight from hell  itself.
{vss. 7-12} James continues his “tongue” discourse, first with the thought that man is able to domesticate wild animals, but unable to tame the tongue. How can we bless God with our tongues and then turn around and curse our fellow man who is made in God’s image? James even goes so far to suggest that the destructive use of our tongues gives evidence of our soul’s condition.
{vss. 13-18} The marks of godly wisdom include humility, purity, peace, submission to God, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, and sincerity. This sincerity is in sharp contrast to the Pharisees of the day, whose hypocrisy was pointed out by Jesus. Of the rest of the qualities listed by James, peacemaking is once more touted as a positive, since it produces a harvest of righteousness (James 1:19-20). On the opposite end of the spectrum is a worldly wisdom that reveals selfish ambition and envy. James bluntly says that kind of wisdom is inspired by Satan and brings with it chaos and every evil practice.


Read: James 4:1-17.
Key Points:

{vss. 1-3} Here James preaches against the evil within humanity. We think our battle is with other people, but in all honesty our battles stem from evil within: murder, covetousness, and selfishness. Even our prayers are often motivated by greed and selfishness. Thankfully, God, in His divine wisdom, knows our motives and refuses to grant that sort of prayer.
{vss. 4-6} If the generation of James’ day was adulterous (unfaithful), how much more are we today. We forget that we can’t be friends with both God and the world, yet our behavior often reveals that our friendship with the world is stronger than our relationship with God. God is jealous for us, but He also is a God of grace. While He is an enemy of those who are proud, He bestows grace to the humble.
{vss. 7-10} Notice the strong verbs that begin each phrase in this section. These are surely actions for us to take in order to break away from our relationship with the world: submit to God; resist Satan; come near to God; wash our hands; purify our hearts; grieve, mourn, and wail; change our laughter to mourning and joy to gloom over our sin; and humble ourselves before God. Then His grace will descend to lift us up. When we’ve become a little too friendly with the world, this is the only cure. And it’s a cure we sorely need.
{vss. 11-12} In these verses, James moves from our relationship to God to our relationship with our fellow man. Surely both of these are of concern to God, since His old covenant of the Law dealt with both, and since Jesus agreed that the greatest commandment was to love both God and man. When we slander and judge others, we old ourselves up as better than both our fellow man and the Law. In that way we treat God, the Law, and our fellow man with contempt.
{vss. 13-17} The importance of these verses deals with the fact that we often make plans without stopping to consider what God wants. All of mankind is but a vapor that eventually disappears, so how can we say we will do this or that, when it is God alone who determines our steps and each breath we take? Anything less than seeking God’s plan is boasting and bragging, both evil. Tacked on to the end of this discourse is a simple verse that truly gets to the crux of the book of James. If we know to do good, but refuse to do it, we sin.


Read: James 5:1-20
Key Points:

{vss. 1-6} The discourse here is against the wealthy who oppress others to gain their wealth, who take advantage of others, and hoard wealth. But God knows and will repay. I think the indictment here stands against many Americans. Of all nations on earth, God has blessed us above and beyond. We should never think that we’ve done anything to deserve it, or that our wealth is for us alone. To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48). It is our duty and responsibility to care for our fellow human beings, both here and around the world. We will one day give an account for our stewardship of what God has given us.
{vss. 7-12} The believers in Jerusalem, who were under the leadership of the apostle James, underwent persecution in a way we find difficult. Under the shadow of the temple and the religious leaders who clung to their power with talons, believers of The Way were often shunned by their families, excommunicated from their synagogues, and even lost jobs and the means for survival. They endured suffering. Though that sort of life is difficult for us to comprehend, the day may come when we need these words from James. No matter what sort of persecution we may suffer, we are to be patient and persevere. God’s coming is near. When we are hurting, it is easy to hurt others in return, sort of a “kick the dog” mentality. We will be judged for grumbling against each other! In addition to suffering in patient endurance without grumbling, we are to be completely honest. If we say “yes,” we should mean “yes” and follow through. And the same holds true for saying “no.”
{vss. 13-20} This section on prayer is a perfect ending for such a practical guide on Christian behavior and living. Prayer is the appropriate response no matter what we’re going through–joy, sickness, confession of sin, etc. God has put us within a body of believers for our good, no matter how flawed each of us are. We are to pray for each other. James gives Elijah as an example of the power of the prayer of a righteous man. He then ends with the call for us to bring back those who are wandering from the truth.



Walk Through the WORD James 1-5

Prayerfully consider the following questions. Feel free to add to our study by sharing in the comments below.

What are your thoughts concerning faith and works? Which comes first? What is the inherent danger of works?
Have you experienced a time when you felt God’s joy in the midst of trials and tribulations?
What quality is a prerequisite to perseverance?
Where does true wisdom comes from? What part does faith play in the acquisition of godly wisdom? How would you compare God’s wisdom with earthly wisdom?
What is the progression that leads to sin? Where does it come from?
What are your thoughts on deception’s role in the sin process? Why do you think we are deceived?
If God were to rank us on a scale of 1-10 in being a Bible-doer, what would your score be? (Please don’t answer this in the comments. It’s just a way for us to give strong consideration to our ability to not just hear God’s Word, but do it.)
Why do you think James places so much emphasis on controlling our tongues?
How is the “law of liberty” so unique?
What is the connection between our relationship with God and our relationship with mankind?
Do you think James’ comments on wealth are meant to be a disapproval of wealth in general? What is the inherent danger of wealth? What are your views on money? How is our wealth as Americans a detriment?
What should be our attitude and goal when it comes to suffering persecution?
What lessons can we learn from the section in James 5 on prayer?

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