James 1:19-27

James 1:19-27

What is the practical application of understanding the nature and the effect of temptation? It is not just a moral theory but a holy life. The place James begins for the holy living is anger. Anger generally comes from our being offended. Verse 19 is not about being a thoughtful student. It is about responding to insults or criticism that are personal in nature. Anger or offenses are often roadblocks to our spiritual development. They block us off from others and from God. They also are opportunities for temptation. It is not uncommon for anger to be the bad seed for filthiness and a daydream of malice. We in numerous ways will justify bad behavior that grows out of offense, showing that we are deluded about the gospel and its impact on our lives. When we are offended, we don't really care what the word/gospel has to say about our lives or conduct. Like a man who sees himself in a mirror and sees that he is a mess but is too distracted to do anything about it.

But when we take seriously the word/gospel, we find that our offended state and our anger must be shaped by the word/gospel. It is interesting that the first symptom of the disordered life is that of the tongue. It is the place anger and offenses first begin to seep out. Maybe it comes out in rage-filled, hateful words, or gossip, or lies, or cursing a person. The tongue is not an inaccurate barometer of our heart. The place where the whole and righteous heart manifests itself is not in words but in action. Words primarily express a problem area. Actions show a good heart. James expresses two of Jesus' teachings in specific but different ways in verse 27. In this verse he sums up the gospel lived out by restating the Golden Rule and the command to be “perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” Mt 7:12, Mt 5:48

“Lord, help me let go of any anger that keeps me from maturity and Holiness. Amen”

James 1:12-18

James 1:12-18

If you want a faith system to relieve you of struggle, then I do not recommend Christianity. In verse 12, the clear implication is that the perseverance under trial doesn't end until we are approved, at which point we are given the Crown of Life, i.e., we enter into glory. Trials and temptations are a part of our life as disciples. It is the refining process that God uses to make us more of ourselves than we already are. God uses both trials and temptations to accomplish His purposes and our good, but we must not assume from this that temptation comes from God. There is the need for careful discernment between testing, which is from God for the purpose of revealing and manifesting what is within, and temptation, which comes from our own lusts, in cooperation with Satan, for the purpose of leading us to death and away from God.

Verse 15 is one of the most powerful descriptions of the sin process. While the word “lust” is generally associated with sexual desires, it is not exclusively so. The word comes from “focus” plus “desire” and means “passionate longing” and can be a positive. When, however, the focus of our desire is sinful, it is an evil power that ends in ruling over us. The root word for “conceive” literally means “together” and “take hold of.” It is easy to see the description of a couple's conception of a child in this word. It carries the implication of inescapability. The lovers held by passion cannot escape the other's grasp. The implications for us are profound. When we give in to our desires, we embrace something from which we are incapable of escape. That moment begins the growth process that ends in death, separation from God. There is much more to say on this subject. For the moment we need to focus that temptation to sin doesn't come from God. Since the sin of the garden, humans have wanted to blame someone else for our failures. But the One who is so pure that no darkness can dwell in Him and who is the source and origin of all light is never the source of our sin. 

James makes a marvelous point in verse 17 about God's consistency. In that culture so heavily influenced by astrology and the idea that the stars, planets, and constellations are growing and declining in influence, God's power never weakens and has no dark side. In verse 18, James pictures us as having been born, not conceived by lust, but by the word, and of this we are only the beginning.

“Lord, give me a heart to resist and grow in all things, even in times of temptation. AMEN”

James 1.1-11

James 1.1-11

This early, if not first, book of the New Testament is unique. Written as it was when the church was still mostly Messianic Jews, it has a different feel or tone about it. While most of the letters define what it means to be a Christian, this book is more about how to live as a Christian. While most epistles, especially Paul's, were written to the church in a pagan culture, this book was written, for the most part, to believers in a Jewish context. While Paul concentrates on justification by faith, James focuses on behavior as an expression of that faith. Sometimes those with an agenda attempt to push or overstate the conflict between James and Paul.  If it is not an agenda they are too lazy to study carefully. This being the case, this book is not so much theological as it is practical. The fundamental question of James is not, “What does this mean?” The fundamental question is, “How shall I live, act, and respond?”

James begins with great practicality in verse two by addressing our response to trials and temptations. The word “trial” here is not specific to hardship or suffering but a more general word that even includes temptation to moral failure. It is in adversity that we have an opportunity to discover what our faith is made of. The testing is like the testing or purification of precious metal in a crucible. From time to time we ought to consider the crucible from the perspective of the silver.

Faced with trials and temptations James suggests that we ask God for wisdom. The wisdom is not to be smart in the academic sense. It is the practical application of knowledge to pass the test of moral and spiritual growth or compromise. God generously gives wisdom to know how to live holy without reproach or upbraiding. This is specifically about God not condemning us for past failures as we move forward, and avoiding those failures in the present. The practical help of not sinning is given despite our past behavior. This adds depth when we pray, “Father, forgive my past and give me wisdom to not repeat it.” James does, however, insist on sincerity. The doubting in verse 6 is not doubting God, but rather doubting if we want to be holy. We cannot pray, “Lord, deliver me from lust, but just not yet.” Such a prayer is a waste of time and thought. Such a prayer comes from a double-minded man. It appears that James coined this term. Literally it means “Two Souls.” It is, perhaps, the only condition worse than being a hypocrite. The hypocrite has two masks or faces, and beneath them is one person. The double-minded or “two-souled” man is split at the core of his being.

James at this point makes what feels like a sudden shift. He moves from how we think about ourselves to our position in life. The shift is not as great as one might believe. Both the humble, that is, the poor or the slave Christian, and the wealthy Christian need to find their glory in a sound, not double-minded, way of thinking. He offers more advice to the wealthy because their temptations may be more obvious. Wealth is as fleeting as grass. If that is your identity, they will last as long in trials as cut flowers.

“Lord, help me to live out the truth of the Christian faith. AMEN”