The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work! (Chapter 1:12-20)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through “The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!”

The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work! (Chapter 1:12-20)

This week we will continue our reading of verses 12-20 in chapter 1 as we consider Loving God Under Trials…

As we’ve discussed, James refers to his readers as “brethren” several times throughout his epistle. In fact, he even calls them "my beloved brethren." So the underlying assumption here is that the people who make a claim of “faith” are indeed true “believers” in Jesus Christ. James doesn't explain what it is to be a “Christian” because his readers already had that “knowledge” of their “salvation” glory! James is simply saying throughout his excellent epistle: “It won't benefit you eternally unless there's clear evidence that your salvation is the real thing!” – Very serious indeed!

In the previous section of his Epistle, James began to give us several tests to indicate whether or not our profession of “faith” is the real thing. We considered the first three last week:

The first test is “patience” through “various trials“ of “suffering” and “hardships” in life.

The second test is how one relies on the “wisdom” of “God” in life.

The third test is how one “responds” to the various financial perspectives in life.

Now James outlines another three tests:

The fourth test is enduring the “temptations” in life.

The fifth test is the direction of blame for the “temptations” in life.

The sixth test is trusting in the “perfect” provision of God in life.

James begins this section with our focus on the “promised” reward from the “Lord” in difficult times of “temptation” in life…

Loving God Under Trials

The fourth serious “test” of true “faith” is enduring the “temptation” of life:

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 – James 1:12

THEOLOGICAL THOUIGHTS: This “promised” reward is one of five “crowns” that the Apostle Paul outlined throughout his New Testament epistles. It was also the Apostle Paul who also reflected upon the “temptation“ of “man” and the “faithfulness” of God in speaking to the spiritually immature church in Corinth:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Indeed, “God is faithful” in all our “trials” and “temptations” that “we” will experience in life! That's the “blessed” reward of “salvation” for the “approved” true “believer” whose “faith” is demonstrated by the way he “endures” the “temptation“ of “trials” experienced throughout his life time. James reassures “us” that “we” will “receive” the “crown of life” which the “Lord” has “promised” to those who “love Him” – Praise the Lord!

The fifth serious “test” of true “faith” is the direction of blame in the “temptations” of life:

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. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death – James 1:13-15

True “faith” accepts personal responsibility for “sin” and ungodly decisions. James is very clear in regards to the “false converts” who say “I am tempted by God” when in fact “He” does not “tempt anyone” at all! Why then, would “he” say this about the Lord who “cannot be tempted by evil” and the wickedness of man? Because these “liars” do not want to accept personal responsibility for their own “sin” and rebellion against “God” – That’s the issue!

The “he” James is referring to here is the unbelieving “one” who has a false professing “faith” demonstrated by the fact they will not accept the “truth” and are “drawn away” from “God” by their “own” wicked “desires” and “enticed” by them. Then “sin” is “conceived” and when it becomes a “full-grown” and unrepentant, habitual life-style pattern of personal choice will “bring forth death” for the “false convert” – Physical and Spiritual!

It was the Apostle Peter of whom also reflected upon “living” in willful “sin” and the “flesh” verses “walking” in “obedience” according to the perfect “will of God”:

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit – 1 Peter 4:1-6

In other words, we once “lived” in wicked, willful “sinfulness” through a “flood of dissipation” in our fallen “flesh” natures. Why? Because that is all we could do in our lost state of “sin” and “rebellion” against God… Until the “gospel” of Jesus Christ “saved” us! Therefore, Peter exclaims: “Stop living in your willfully wicked and sinful ways!” These passages are indeed convicting and yet comforting thoughts from our “faithful” and “loving” Holy “God” of promise – Amen!

The sixth serious “test” of true “faith” is regarding the “perfect” loving provision of God’s “gifts” in life:

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 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 – James 1:16-17

Here James commands the “beloved brethren” not to “be deceived” in their “understanding” of God’s blessings. Why? Because the only “gift” that comes “down” from the “Father of lights” is His “good” and “perfect” will for the true “believer” in Him. Therefore, we must see our own “sin” as the bad “fruit” of our own “lust” for worldly enticements and fleshly desires – God did not create our trouble… We did!

James also says there is “no variation” nor “shadow of turning” in God’s perfect “holiness” and nature. Why? Because in Him there is “no darkness” what so ever! The Apostle John confirmed this “message” regarding the “light” of God:

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all – 1 John 1:5

IMPORTANT TRUTH: Our “sin” doesn't “come down” from God. Our “sin” comes up from within ourselves! In other words, James and John both concur: “Show me a true believer and I'll show you the one repenting of his own sin” – Absolutely!

Re-born to Holiness!

James continues with a beautiful thought of which simply articulates the meaning of the “new birth” in Jesus Christ – “salvation” in Him:

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 1:18

In fact, it was of “His own will” by the “word of truth” that we were “saved” by God before the “foundations of the world” in Him! The Apostle Paul expands on this poignant point in speaking to the church in Ephesus:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved – Ephesians 1:3-6

Similarly, the Old Testament repeatedly admonishes His people to be like God: “Be holy for I the Lord am holy!” The New Testament echoed these instructions to “believers” concerning God’s “holiness” throughout the epistle letters to continually “Be holy, for I the Lord am holy.” However, in order for depraved and “sinful” man to one day “enter” into the “holy” presence of God, we must first be set apart from our “sin” unto “righteousness” according to the “good pleasure” of “His will” and “grace” through the atoning shed blood “sacrifice” of Jesus Christ. Why? Because we are not at all “holy” or “righteous” in our wicked “fallen” nature – That’s quite obvious!

In our “unregenerate” condition, we do not think, speak, act or rightly perceive God. We do not “understand” God’s perfect “truth,” “law” or His “will” for “our” lost soul. Nor do we correctly “discern” ourselves as wicked “sinners.” Therefore, the Word of God reminds “us” that of His “own will” God “brought us forth” by His “word of truth” through the “Gospel” of His Son Jesus Christ for the “forgiveness of sin” through His “death,” “burial” and “resurrection” from the dead! Therefore, all “believers” are “firstfruits” of “His creatures” through spiritual “regeneration” from “death” into “eternal life” in Jesus Christ – We are born again!

Again, “God” has “created” us to do “good” – not “evil” – and through His Only Begotten Son gave us “power” over “sin” and “death” as a part of a “new creation” in Him, just as the Apostle Paul had promised:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new – 2 Corinthians 5:17

REMNANT REMINDER: Every once in a while, we need to go back to the simple reality of what the “gospel” of Jesus Christ really is from a Biblical understanding. It is through God’s Word where James, Paul, Peter, the other Apostles and the Old Testament Prophets help us to “understand” this “promise” in a greater way. The true “Christian” is a “kind of firstfruits” to resurrection “glory” in Jesus Christ – We are re-born to Holiness!

James then closes this section with the following three points of instruction as a warning for “our” own spiritual benefit regarding God’s Word:

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God – James 1:19-20

The issue here is our response to the Word of God. This passage is not speaking in regards to a silly or quick answer given before listening to the full context of a conversation. In other words, when James says to "be swift to hear" he means to listen intently to the Word of God. It's how “we” respond to the Word of God that is James’ main concern. The idea here is an eagerness to grasp every opportunity to increase our “hearing” of God's Word and to pursue every privileged occasion to obtain the “wisdom,” “discernment, “knowledge” and “understanding” of God and His divine “will” for our lives – That is the mark of a true believer!

We must also be equally as “slow to speak” on God’s behalf. In other words, we must never presume to “speak” on behalf of God’s Word unless “we” are prepared for all that this honor encompasses. Everything we “believe,” “teach” and “live” by must be “tested” with the Word of God in its proper context – We must never willingly misrepresent the Word of God!

James then ties it all together with an exhortation to be “slow to wrath.” Why? Because it is antithetical to the “righteousness of God” of which is produced in the heart of the true “believer” in Jesus Christ! In other words, when we “hear” something properly taught from the Word of God, we must not build up resentment against it – either because it doesn't agree with what we thought it said or because it may confront our “sinful” bent. That's the main point here. It implies an unwarranted “wrath” against the “messenger” who lovingly and correctly “teaches,” “admonishes” or “confronts” us with the Sovereign Word of God – Do not be angry towards God’s Word!

In closing:

These are very important and poignant points James makes in these passages concerning our response to – The Word of God!

Similarly, the Apostle Paul bluntly questioned the saints in Rome regarding God’s distain towards man’s “foolish” and “sinful” opinion concerning God’s “sovereign” rule over everything:

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? – Romans 9:20

In other words, Paul says:"Shut your mouth and don't ask that question! Don't you dare impugn the character and nature of God or His Word!"

Therefore, both James and Paul remind us in their excellent epistles that our “wrath” against the “Word of the Lord” will never incite the “righteousness of God” within our lives. We must never presume to challenge God’s final written authority – Found in His perfect Word!

With this information as a foundation for your personal studies, please read through verses 12-20 of the first chapter of James.

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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