A Christianity that Moves from Perishing to Persisting
James 1:1-25
Below are a few notes that I have taken upon reading through
the first chapter of James. These are
rough notes and are being published for
the purpose of being used for your own personal Bible study.
For the purpose of thought, I consider that many Christians
are perishing in their Christianity; not as a loss of salvation, but a failure
to grow or to be cultivated into fruit bearing.
To many examples exist of a man becoming Christians yet never
demonstrating any evidence of the Holy Spirit changing his life. As a matter of fact, without this evidence I
am reluctant at all to call someone a Christian. I strongly suggest at this point a reading of
Matthew Meade’s book, The Almost Christian or the first chapter of Richard
Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor.
As disciples, we ought to be persisting for the evidence of
perseverance. This is the demonstration of
God’s grace to renew our minds, break sinful chains, and to be addicted to
nothing by being a bond-slave of Christ.
This is true discipleship.
Therefore, I share these notes from James chapter one as a herald to
live your Christianity in a persistent manner with strength from God rather
than the mediocrity of worldly influence.
1.1 The book of
James is addressed to Christians. Thus
the directives given within are for our growth.
1.2 Count it all Joy when (in the midst of) various trials ( Good and bad events are
opportunities and a trial in themselves)
Trials are
given continually. The supposed absence
of trials is often a time of peace so that one may rest and prepare themselves
for future reliance upon God. I strongly
suggest scheduling times of retreat, getting away from the routine influences
that seem to bring about trials, for the purpose of seeking God. One great place for the entire family to do
this is the camp ministry of Life Action Ministries. Lifeaction.org.
The testing (That
is part and parcel of the journey of life) of
your faith
Produces
steadfastness
(Faith that holds, faithfulness, unmoved
character, unswayed by circumstances, based on a sure foundation) Do not be surprised at trials. Prepare for trials scripturally, Psalm
119:105.
Let it have its full
effect
Don’t quit or shortcut, too often we give in
too early (1 Cor 10:13).
When we give in early we fail to
finish, this is why we often have trials over and over, until we get it right.
So that you may be
Perfect and complete (That is like
Jesus, Romans 8:29, Romans 12:1-2)
Lacking
nothing. Notice God’s goal is much different
than ours. Often, the goal of man is
happiness. God sets the standard as our
goal is His glory. When we glorify
ourselves it is a temporal joy that culminates in frivolity. When we glorify God, as is our purpose, we
actually receive a joy beyond expectation.
1.5 Thus If (In this situation you try and fail,
try and fail) you lack wisdom (How
then do I do this?) Then ask of God
(Go to Him as the authority)
God gives generously
That is He
gives what we need, what is best, and He gives out of love.
Properly
seeking God is humbly submitting as abiding in love, as a child to his or her
father. Usually, as evidences later in
James, we fail to receive because we ask amiss(James 4:1-11). We tend to ask out of wrong motives. James chapter one is all about the process of
ordering our life unto God rather than our own enthronement.
It will be given
1.6 How shall we
ask?
Asking incorporates our goals, attitudes, and understanding.
Ask in faith with no
doubting
Doubters are
tossed by the winds, that is a lack of steadfastness. Doubters are influenced by whatever blows
this way and that. This could be public
opinion, the last opinion heard, emotions without logic, logic without
emotions, ignorance, or any form of sway.
A man in this state is in a very sad state, he is perishing. The world around him has a great
influence. The latest news sways his
confidence and affects his hope. He is driven
by the winds of change.
We need wisdom thus we ask God, thus to ask God we need not
to doubt, but we are asking because we are doubting.
Question: You
need faith to get faith, but what if you have no faith?
Answer: This
passage is written to Christians, thus they have faith as it has been given by
God. Their faith is based upon Jesus,
not themselves. Faith should never be
based upon ourselves but upon God, His word and His promises. Therefore, as James illustrates, to seek
greater faith is to seek more of God.
A wind tossed person is such for many other reasons than
lacking faith. However, being wind tossed is always a result of being swayed by
influences other than the person of God.
Thus it is imperative to our faith that we know not just God’s word, but
that we know Him through His word. Do
not read the Bible as a mere book of rules; read it as a revelation to His
nature and character.
If you find yourself doubting, stop. Refuse to dwell on the
doubt by going to God in prayer, seeking His word, and by talking to your
pastor. Go back to God and isolate the other
influences of your doubt as being under His control. Remember the sovereignty of God and the power
of the Cross over death and sin. The
victory of Jesus is proven in the resurrection.
1.8 Otherwise, the double minded man is unstable. That is to say, a double minded man is
someone who is driven by winds of change and not the gospel.
1.9-11 Let the lowly brother boast in his
exaltation,
the rich in his humiliation, for like the
flowering grass/he will fade
The rich
man puts his hope in the temporary, the perishing pursuits of his wealth.
1.12 Blessed in the steadfast under trial
When he has stood the test
He will receive a crown of life. Notice the rich man was clothed with
temporary flowers, the lowly brother was tested in his poverty of circumstance
and yet is now rewarded with a crown of exaltation. This is a fulfillment of God’s promise, and
that is a faith building blessing.
1.13 God does not tempt.
God however
can turn our temptation into trials that ultimately bless in the purposes of
God.
1.14 Temptation
come from within
No one
makes you angry, or causes you to lust, or sad, or whatever. These reactions come out of our heart simply
because they are within our heart to begin with. No one makes you angry, they simply may bring
an opportunity for you to vent your vexation.
You are not responsible for what happens to you, but you are responsible
for your response.
Lured by own desire
We are
baited into sin by our own personal treasuring of what that sin offers. If we treasure it we will go for it.
1.15 Desire, when
conceived
Desire is
not sin. It is a part of the conception of sin, but we can defend against
it. Again, desire is not sin; only when
it is allowed to develop does it lead to sin.
Desire, if allowed to
conceive gives birth to sin.
Sin leads to death.
The puritans would say, “Be killing sin or it will be
killing you.”
1.16 Do not be deceived (Realize that sin is
a powerful enemy)
Deception
is the nature of sin. Sin seeks to
deceive, to lie, to give false promises, and to enthrone us either above or
alongside of God. Sin offers a pursuit
of the world; it is a pursuit of wind driven waves.
We want/desire that which
satisfies, that which makes us happy, we seek fulfillment. God created you with a desire for
satisfaction, knowing that it can only be fulfilled in Him. Sin and failure come when we try to find
satisfaction in anything other than Him.
This search for satisfaction is
affected by our values, influences, our own heart, our pride, wisdom,
knowledge, experiences, peers, and etc.
Think about how allowing particular influences affects your heart and
mind. Have you ever given thought to the
means and habits by which you make decisions?
What is your process? Where do
you begin and end? How are you ever
changed? Why are you steadfast? Do you ever weigh consequences? Do you consider short term and long term
factors?
God wants
to give us satisfaction, it is His nature. Being God, He only gives what is
100% best; thus the best is Himself.
So, God in
giving, gives of Himself that we look to Him rather than creation. This is the point of Romans chapter one. Since earthly things do perish, God wants us
not to fret, but to look to Him. Sheep
once having eaten the green pasture bare look to the shepherd as the means by
which they we be led to greened pastures.
1,17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from God, coming from Him.
No variation, no
shifting shadow
He does not
change. He is not driven by winds of change. He is going to bless as that is His
nature. We do not influence His decision
to bless, we simply ask in faith to receive.
This He is glorified when we put faith in Him. Prayer does not change things to get God to
do things. Prayer changes us that we may
then receive the blessing that God hold out before us.
The battle
is to be faithful to Him.
1.18 God works His
own will, it is part of what it means to be God.
1.19 Know this
Our
part is to be faithful and produce a heart that God can bless.
BE
Quick to hear (Use your ears, not your
mouth, think and check facts, make sure you understand before proceeding)
Slow to speak (Only use your mouth when
needed)
Slow to anger (Anger is to be avoided)
Notice: all of these are a test that requires humility,
wisdom, restraint, patience, and going to God before acting or finalizing a
decision.
The anger of Man does
not produce the righteousness of God.
Man’s goals
and means are often failures because
1. Often
they are not of God’s wisdom.
2. They are
influenced by wind driven waves.
3. They
lack hearing, speaking, and righteous motives.
God requires a righteousness in all situations, for these
are the trials that we are being tested by.
Therefore, in every situation in should be clear that we are dependent
upon God for wisdom.
1.21 Therefore, (See here how holiness is
often the missing ingredient in our pursuits)
Because we
often react rather than seeking God, start to grow in faith, that is seek God’s
wisdom, to….
1. Put away all filthiness in life (Anything unrighteous must go)
2. Put away
rampant wickedness (Get rid of
sinful habits. Habits are those rampant
or reactionary behaviors of our life that make up our character.)
3. Put on, receive, with meekness (Humility,
knowing your need of God, restraining your sinful desire to give opportunity to
walk by faith.)
The implanted word
His word,
not our own
His ways,
we need change even in the little details.
This word, is what can save
your souls.
Mind you,
James is talking to Christians, thus they are saved eternally, not losing their
salvation. However, many of their lives
are shipwrecked by the continual living in sinful habits.
So often our souls fall into sin, they perish, fail to find
God, simply because we are so caught up in our own hubris. We operate out of our own abilities, our
wealth, our experiences, our opinion that we are not quitters, that we are
better than _________, that pride, or the esteem of our self simply fails to
walk humbly before God.
Stop pretending, stop excuse making, blame shifting, it only
keeps you as a wind driven wave.
Rather, put off the old self-reliance.
Put on being a doer
of the word, not a hearer only. A
hearer has head knowledge, but never a heart change.
Hearers are content to look into the mirror of the word, but it is only taken as a vanity of the soul.
But, one who looks at
the perfect law, the law of liberty..
They see
God’s word not as restricting but liberating.
They have found the faithful wisdom of God to bring freedom.
This means
abiding in God. This brings about God’s
blessing. The crown of life, the saved
soul.
Why are you perishing?
Like Peter drowning after walking on the sea. Keep pursuing Jesus for a faith that persists
rather than perishes.
