James Chapter One
Commentary by
Pastor
Timothy H. Burdick
Verse 1. “James, a bond-servant
of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are
dispersed abroad: Greetings.”
Verse 2. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various
trials,”
Verse 3. “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
Verse 4. “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Verse 5. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives
to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Verse 6. “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who
doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”
Verse 7. “For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything
from the Lord,”
Verse 8. “being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Verse 9. “But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his
high position;”
Verse 10. “and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like
flowering grass he will pass away.”
Verse 11. “For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the
grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is
destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade
away.”
Verse 12. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has
been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has
promised to those who love Him.”
Verse 13. “Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by
God;' for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt
anyone.”
Verse 14. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed
by his own lust.”
Verse 15. “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when
sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Verse 16. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”
Verse 17. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shifting shadow.”
Verse 18. “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word
of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His
creatures.”
Verse 19. “This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick
to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;”
Verse 20. “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of
God.”
Verse 21. “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains
of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to
save your souls.”
Verse 22. “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely
hearers who delude themselves.”
Verse 23. “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is
like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;”
Verse 24. “for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has
immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”
Verse 25. “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of
liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an
effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
Verse 26. “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not
bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is
worthless.”
Verse 27. “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and
Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to
keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Commentary
James calls himself “a
bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” While I like the
rendering of the New International Version, I feel that the New American
Standard Version and the King James Versions of the Bible are more
accurate here. A bond-servant was one who continued service by choice.
The bond-servant therefore has nothing that he calls his own. Everything
of the bond-servant belongs to the master. In this day of possessions,
we need to realize that whatever has been given to us by the Master is
intended to glorify God. Ask yourself: How can you make this concept
come alive in your life?
The concept of a bond-servant is
found in Exodus Chapter 21. If we have received Christ, we should
consider this concept of bond-service. Bond-servants are those who
CHOOSE to do His will. Jesus expounds upon the principal of servant-hood
in Mark 10:43 and 44. In our self-service culture, we know very little
about the servant hood that Jesus was talking about. A true servant is
often one who stands in the shadows or works behind the scenes. He or
she looks out for the OTHER person’s best interests, always trying to
build them up. While servant hood is not an easy lifestyle, it is one of
the major keys in becoming a disciple of Christ. I think in the fast
lives that we are all caught up in, it is easy to overlook this concept.
As a visually impaired person, I have had people bring groceries to my
door while others opened their Bibles and brought nothing. Who was the
servant in these cases?
As we touched on in the
Introduction, the twelve tribes of Israel have most likely been
dispersed through Jewish persecution. Since we all face different
problems in life, it is important to talk about this subject. Paul makes
it quite clear that we are all in constant spiritual warfare. When you
have the time, read Ephesians 6:12 and the verses that follow. Whatever
you are going through, you are NOT being singled out for punishment. The
Bible calls Satan a liar and the father of lies. Among many descriptions
that the Bible gives, the name “liar” is one name out of many for him.
Just know that Satan is very real, and that he is your number one enemy.
Jesus said, as recorded in John’s Gospel, that Satan came to steal,
kill, and destroy. Secondly, whatever you face, know that you are the
apple of God’s eye. He loves you. If you have given yourself to the Lord
by making Jesus the Lord of your life, you can be secure in His love.
Jesus spoke of the value that we all have in God’s sight when He spoke
about the hairs on our heads being numbered. In context, read Luke
Chapter 12, where the writer goes into detail about your value to the
Lord. God has additionally given a promise of freedom and hope in Jesus
Christ. Paul talks about this in Romans 8:2. James says to “count it all
joy when we fall into various temptations.” This seems like a strange
response until we really think about it.
I don't know about you, but my
first response to any kind of trial isn't positive. Later, we will look
at the difference between happiness and joy in more detail, but for now
let us just say that happiness is circumstantial whereas joy is a
product of what Christ has done for us. But before we leave this verse I
want to say that I think that word “temptations” could be better
rendered “test” because the Lord “doesn’t tempt” anyone as James later
says.
Peter sums up this verse for us
when he says that in our tests or sufferings we, in a minute way, share
in the sufferings of Christ. James goes to say in Verse three that the
proving or testing of our faith works patience. I don't about you, but I
don't have much patience. This is an impatient culture where we want
everything instantly. Some examples of our “right now” culture might be
found in microwaves, television, computers, etc. To be a disciple of
Christ in this age we really have to be counter-culture. God wants the
best for us, and sometimes that takes time. If you have children, you
know that you don't give them the first thing that they ask for.
Sometimes you have to make them wait in order to give them the very
best. Our heavenly father is like that. When we think we see God saying
“No;” instead know He is often saying “wait” until something better
comes along.
In the first part of Verse 4,
James talks about how we are supposed to let patience have it's perfect
work. What does that mean you might ask? Let’s use the example of God as
our Parent. I remember when I was a kid and my dad gave me some spending
money. I had to be patient because I wasn’t allowed to spend it on the
first thing I wanted. I look back on that now and realize that the
waiting to spend played a big part in my growing up. We are to be
patient and let the Holy Spirit work in us because the Bible says in
other places that God wants us to grow up into the image of Christ.
Patience isn't easy. That is why we need to stay in the Word and
fellowship. We need to both encourage and be encouraged.
If truth be known, I have gone
through a lot of experiences in my life where I wondered: what is God
doing? I think that James is telling us here that many times like a
child, we don't see the big picture. Or like Paul says in 1st
Corinthians 13, “we see through a glass darkly.” You are God’s
masterpiece and he wants to make a beautiful picture out of your life,
one step at a time. But in order for God to do his magnificent art work,
we must trust Him and let Him have His perfect work.
In the last part of Verse 4,
where it says “lacking nothing;” it would seem to refer to the spiritual
qualities or “fruit” we are supposed to bear as we become more and more
mature in Him.
Jesus called this kind of
dependence, “abiding” in Him (John 15 4). Paul named this same kind of
lifestyle “walking in the spirit” (Galatians 5:16). Many think of asking
God as a kind of “rolling the dice,” so to speak. Such an idea couldn't
be further from the truth. To help us develop a moment-by-moment,
second-by-second dependence, James tells us a little bit about God's
character. Not only will God give wisdom freely and with an open hand,
He will also not scold you for asking. On the contrary, He says, “Come
unto Me all of you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest” (Matthew 11:28). A lot of people come to God in fear and trembling
– period! They think of Him only in terms of punishment. So many people
have been rejected in life, and they think that God will reject them,
too. Like a child coming to his father, God longs for this kind of
companionship – with you. Read Luke Chapter 15 to learn more about this.
To be honest, Verse 6 of James
Chapter One has always troubled me a little bit. James tells us here:
“Let him who asks, ask in faith, NOTHING doubting. For he that doubts is
like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” A lot of times,
you'll see faith healers on television. These people usually say
something like this: if you believe strongly enough, you'll be healed.
That is not what James is talking about. That kind of faith is not
really “faith” because it is based on my works. To state it another way
- ALL of us have questions and doubts, and if it was left to us to
develop the kind of faith which was created through our effort, it would
be based on our own merit.
So I had to ask myself what
James meant by His statement. It would almost seem on a superficial
reading, that our faith has to be perfect in order to please God. I
think the answer is given to this dilemma in Mark 9:23 and 24.
In that place we find that
"Jesus said unto him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to
him who believes.’” Then Jesus went on to give the man’s response in
verse 24. “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with
tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.’” We have a right, if we have
been born again, to ask the Holy Spirit for faith. Paul lists “faith” as
one of the gifts of the spirit. Verse 7 of James One says, “that man
ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.” Again
I think that it is important to note that we are talking about the man
who asks in unbelief. Aside from what I have already said, let me say
that God will not reject an honest question; an honest need. He is
talking about that man who changes his mind like shifting sand, a
“double-minded” man, as in Verse 8. We have all met people like James is
speaking about - this “double minded man” is “unstable in all his ways.”
Remember the song that many of
us sang in Sunday school; it includes these words: “the wise man built
his house on a rock, but the foolish man built his house on the sand.”
Think about that house built on sand. It will shift and eventually fall.
The next verse of that song says, “So build your house on the Lord Jesus
Christ.” He is the Rock, the only anchor that will keep us from
double-mindedness. I would ask: Are you double-minded?
Verses 9, 10 and 11 all speak
about how short life is from differing viewpoints. Verse 9 says to let
the brother of low degree, glory in his low estate. In the Roman world,
you had either the very rich or the very poor. There was no middle class
as we know it. Most of the early Christians came from the ranks of the
poor, and most of them were slaves. In our world where we have so much
compared to the Romans, at first glance that doesn't seem to make much
sense. But listen to what Paul has to say about the subject of our
position in Christ: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17).
Both James and Paul point to the
endless riches that we can dwell in when we are in Christ. If we find
ourselves living in humble circumstances, we can rejoice that God is
using our circumstances to form in us the image of Christ. Many of us
have special needs, and I know that this can sound like it’s pie the
sky. But when God has already given us so much, we can step back as it
were and see that this is only a down payment. Peter tells us in his
epistle that it is a privilege to suffer for Christ. And Paul also says
that if we suffer with him we shall also reign with Him. Therefore, if
we have put our faith and trust in the Lord, this is much more than
positive thinking. By contrast, when he talks about the rich man in
verse 10, James says that he can also rejoice, but because he is made
low.
There is no merit, nor is there
any curse on riches. James is talking about the man who has put his
faith in Christ rather than uncertain riches. He realizes that this life
and the riches will pass away. By contrast, he also has found true
riches in Christ. In Verse 11, James sums this up when he says that
those who do not trust in Christ will “fade away.” Jesus summarizes the
whole matter in Matthew 6:20 and 21, where He says, “lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy.” He
goes on to say, “for where your treasure is there will your heart be
also.”
Verse 12 of James Chapter One,
says, “blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he is tried,
he shall receive the crown of life.”
Blaming God is one of the first
things we do when we have a problem. Insurance companies even call
natural disasters an “act of God.” But when we narrow this down to the
temptations we face in another places, James makes it clear that we are
tested when we are drawn away by our own desires. I have felt this pull
in my own life as we all have. But Jesus was tempted when Satan tried to
play on his desires, and Jesus had to use God’s Word in order to be
victorious. Instead of blaming God when we are tempted, we need to study
and memorize the Word. In order to get out of a mindset, we need to
meditate on God’s character also. Isaiah 6:3 reveals God’s nature by
saying, "And one cried to another and said, holy, holy, holy is Yahweh
of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” The writer of Proverbs
said that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Many when talking about this
“fear” of God, explain it away by only using the idea of “reverence.” I
like to think about a parent and child here. When I was growing, I had a
reverence for my parents. I knew though, that I should not do certain
things and if I did them, I was in fear.
It’s the same with God. We need
to develop a healthy respect for Him. God is love, but I think that we
have gotten too “buddy-buddy” with Him. James says here what I have
already commented upon; that we are drawn or carried into temptation by
our own desires. The reason I even mention this again is that James is
talking about personal responsibility. You can't blame it on the devil
and you can't blame it on someone else. The Bible invites us to a
personal relationship with God, and Paul says that we all will stand
before the judgment seat of Christ.
James goes on to say: not only
do our desires lead us into sin, but that sin brings forth death. To
further examine this principle, let’s look at Genesis 3:6, where we
read, "and when the woman saw that tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to the eyes and that tree was desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof, and gave also to her husband and he did
eat.” Notice the three ways Satan tempted Eve, including the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. They are the three
ways he still tempts today, which includes the appetite. The tree was
bearing interesting looking fruit, and Eve saw that it was good for
food.
Satan uses the “eye gate” to our
souls. Think of all the sins that start with a longing glance. The
fruit, according to Satan, could make her wise. How do you rely on your
wisdom, instead of trusting God? We are to use our intellect, for
Proverbs says that the mind of man plans his way, but we are to submit
those plans to God, for it goes on to say that Lord directs his steps.
The death which James is talking
about is not only physical death which is brought on by sin, but Paul
tells us in Romans 6:23 that the “wages of sin is death;” agreeing with
James, but in that context he is talking about spiritual separation from
God.
David, talking about how we can
avoid and eliminate sin, said this: "How can a young man keep his way
pure? - By living according to Your Word.” He goes on to say: “I have
hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You" (Psalm
119:9-11).
Who of us doesn't face
calamities? Since a lot of us struggle with certain challenges this idea
is all too familiar. Rather then having a chip on our shoulder because
of our circumstances, James tells us again that in order to face life
head-on, so to speak in that context, we need to examine the character
of God further.
Everything in this world
changes; many our hopes and dreams are shattered. That is why James
wants to really focus on God as the one Being who will never change. In
Lamentations 5:19, the writer says, “You, O Lord, remain forever, Your
throne from generation to generation." James says that of God’s own will
He brought us forth (Verse 18). God loves you – you weren't some kind of
“cosmic accident.”
Our text in Verse 18 says that
He did this “by the Word of truth.” The “word of truth” is the Word of
God. John the Apostle said, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and
the Word (Jesus) was with God and the word (Jesus) was God” (John 1:1).
Jesus is not only the Word, but
He is also the truth, for he said, "I am the way, the Truth, and the
life” (John 14:6). James says also that we should be a kind of “first
fruits” (Verse 18). Since James is talking in terms that the people
would understand, he uses this term, “first fruits,” which was a phrase
that spoke about the first part of the harvest. Just as the first part
of the harvest was to be given to God as an offering, so our lives are
to be that same kind of offering. This concept is found in Exodus 23:16,
where it says, "Celebrate the feast of harvest with the first fruits of
the crops you sow in your field."
Some see the term “first fruits”
(Verse 18) as referring mainly to the new church, and since it was in
it's infancy at the time this Book was written, I can see this point of
view. I however, think we need to hang to the idea which was mentioned
as the primary concept here. This is because each believer has a unique
offering that only he or she can give to God. We all have differing
talents and abilities that can yield a harvest which is a product of the
new birth. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, that “if any person is
in Christ, he is a new creation and old things have passed away.”
Paul goes ahead and enlarges on
the believer’s relationship to God, when he says in Romans 12:1, "I
beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God to present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your
spiritual (some translate this as “reasonable”) service.”
Before we go to the next verse
of Scripture, you might think about “service” to God. This is a rich
concept for all of us. How can we offer our lives more completely to
God?
In the next verse, James goes on
to say that we should be “swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to
anger.” “Swift to hear,” just means to be a good listener. This is so
neglected in our culture. Just speaking for myself, a lot of times, when
my wife speaks to me, I notice that I start to prepare my answer before
she's finished. Listening is such an important skill, and many times you
can say more to a person by listening than you can by talking.
I was in a nursing home one time
talking to people. I went into a man’s room, who had lost his leg or
legs to amputation. He had been shot in the war, and was angry at
everyone including God. I didn't say much; I just listened. If I had
talked, it would have done more harm than good. He didn't want someone
to simply dismiss his words by interrupting him and telling him about
God’s love. He needed to talk about his missing legs.
If we go into a tragic
situation, people will often dismiss our words until they see that we
are “real” (credible). After we have listened, our words will have more
credibility. But I believe hearing also has to do with listening to the
voice of God. Many times we have what we think is a good idea, and move
out in our own strength. I think that when James is talking about our
being good listeners, he is saying much the same thing. In other words –
don't speak in haste.
In referring to our speech, Paul
says in Colossians 4:6, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned
with salt, that you may know how to answer each one.” I confess that I
don't like it when James talks about “anger.” So many stupid things make
me angry. I used to think being “slow to anger” meant to bottle up my
feelings. But I notice that James doesn’t say to suppress your anger; he
just says to take time and think. Have you ever noticed what a little
time will do in mending a fence, so to speak? After I have weighed my
words, I can say the things I feel necessary, in a more rational way.
In another place, Paul mentions
a list of things that we are to have nothing to do with, and the first
is “anger.” The second thing on Paul’s list is “wrath.” “Wrath” as I
understand it, is when anger is blown out of proportion. The person
wants to stay in an angry mode. It becomes a lifestyle that leads to
physical, mental, and emotional harm, both to himself and others.
In Ephesians 5:15, Paul seems to
me to sum these two verses up: "Look therefore carefully how you walk,
not as fools but as wise.” We live in a filthy culture. We are
encouraged to participate in our culture, but we are told both here and
elsewhere to have nothing to do with it. Paul talks about this when he
says in Romans, not to be conformed to the world. Or as the Phillips
translation renders it: “don't let the world squeeze you into it's
mold.” Like everything else in Scripture, how I live my life is my
choice. Do I want to watch that program or movie that is questionable?
What about music?
In order to do what the author
(James) suggests in this light, we must lay aside every weight and the
sin that so easily ensnares. James tells us how to do this: He tells us
to receive with meekness the Word (Verse 21). But in order to put things
like anger and wrath away, we need to spend time studying God’s word,
which will renew or reprogram your mind so that old habits and desires
have a harder time coming to the surface.
But just like you don't want to
eat physically unless you are hungry, part of receiving God’s Word is
asking the Holy Spirit to put a hunger in your heart. Jesus said in
Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they will be filled.” Jesus is saying that when you
get a taste of God’s Word, and allow the Holy Spirit to quicken it to
your heart, you'll want more and more of eternal things and less of what
the world has to offer.
In the last part of Chapter One,
when James talks about salvation of the soul, it is important to note
that salvation is spoken of in three tenses in the bible. These three
are: 1) I have been saved, and that requires the Word of God and the
work of the Holy Spirit in my heart. 2) I am being saved is not to
suggest that I wasn't saved once in time. It simply talks about a daily
work that God is doing in all of the hearts of them that know Him, to
continue to mold them into His image, delivering them from the world.
And 3) I will be saved, when He returns to this earth.
If you have ever met a very
pious person on Sunday, and have seen the same person on Monday, acting
like there is no God, James says that this kind of religion is in vain
(Verse 26 & context). Verse 27 sums up Chapter One this way: "pure
religion and undefiled, before our God and Father is this: to visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted
from the world.” Stop and ask yourself, how am I able to not go over the
field a second time, or pick up the grapes that have fallen, that should
be left for the poor and alien. I am the Lord your God” (see Leviticus
19:10).
Timothy H. Burdick, Associate Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
PO Box 92131
Long Beach, CA
90809-2131 USA
www.fridaystudy.org
TSBurdick@msn.com
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