June 24, 2002
BaptistWay Bible Study for Texas lesson for July 21
James supplies answers to some of life's pop tests
____By Bobby Broyles
__James 1:2-8, 11-15, 22-27
___2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. ...
___11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
___12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
___13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. ...
___22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
___26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
___The writer of the book of James is generally agreed upon to be the brother of Christ. One can only attempt to imagine the pilgrimage of James as he grew up with Jesus as his brother.
___What would it have been like to live with someone who was perfect? A brother who never got angry without cause, never dishonored his parents, literally never sinned. As a youngster, James must have felt a little resentment. This may partially explain why the conversion of James took place after Jesus' death.
___But convert he did. In 1 Corinthians 15:7 we read, "then he appeared to James and then to all the apostles." He became a leader in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 12:17). He apparently presided over the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15:13-21). He evidently wrote the message from the conference to the Gentile churches (Acts 15:22-29). In Acts 21:18-25, Paul sees James as an elder in Jerusalem.
___If anyone would have known that Jesus was not who he said he was, it would have been a family member. One would have to doubt that James would have given his life in the service of the Master if he had seen hypocrisy in that Master.
___The book was likely written to Jewish Christians near Palestine, although some believe it was meant for Christians all over the world. Regardless of who it was written for, the book had great benefit for the readers of that day and this.
___Some have compared the book of James to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. There is not necessarily a visible outline, but a collection of guidelines or principles by which Christians should live. Some have suggested preachers should read it in its entirety out of a modern translation as a sermon. Certainly the book does have much to say about how we ought to live.
___Luther has given the book somewhat of a black eye by calling it a "right strawy epistle." He was concerned that people would misunderstand that salvation comes only through Christ by grace. Christ is mentioned only twice in the book, but some have suggested there are at least 23 references to the Sermon on the Mount.
___Simply put, the book understands that simply going down an aisle and repeating a prayer, unless accompanied by repentance and faith, is worthless.
___Facing trials
___In verse 1, James describes himself as a "doulos" or slave. As already noted, one does not generally relish the thought of being a slave, especially to one's brother. James confidently asserts he was a slave with absolute obedience, complete loyalty and total commitment.
___It is in that humble state that James admonishes us to "consider it all joy when we face various trials." James is not talking here about a facade of happiness when bad things happen. Who is joyful at the loss of a loved one, the news of cancer or the failure of a business?
___Some have suggested that the word "consider" could be translated "think forward." Thus, as you live in the present, consider the future--tribulation now, but joy and peace in days to come. The future holds a "crown of life" for those who persevere (v. 12). In New Testament times, the crown signified at least four things--joy, royalty, victory and honor.
___In heaven, we will have joy unspeakable, victory in Jesus, a shared inheritance of the King of Kings and be elevated to a place of honor. All this makes our trials much easier to bear.
___The word "trials" can be translated "temptations," as is seen in verse 13. The use of the word "trials" is better here. As the new bird tests its wings to make them stronger, so the Christian is made stronger by the inevitable tests that come in life.
___Helping a butterfly out of the cocoon will only cripple it for life. The struggle to be free of the cocoon is what makes it possible for its wings to grow strong. A life of ease is a life bound for laziness and self-indulgence.
___Enduring trials, assuming one turns to God, produces patience--a much-needed characteristic in our world. There is a patience that allows one to not flee under pressure; to stand firm. Also there is a patience that allows one to face even death with calm resolve.
___ William Barclay asserts that "the thing which amazed the heathen in the centuries of persecution was that the martyrs did not die grimly, but died singing." It was that same kind of resolve that served Paul and Silas so well in the Phillipian jail.
___Finding wisdom
___"If any of you lacks wisdom ... ." This, of course would be all of us. Unless we seek God and his wisdom, we will follow the path that seems right to a man and the result of that path is always destruction and death. But humbling ourselves before God, and admitting that we can do nothing without his leadership, will result in him responding with generosity.
___Also, we are blessed with a God who gives this wisdom without finding fault. How easy it is for us to withhold blessings from others because, for whatever reason, in our minds, the blessing is not deserved. If God imparted wisdom on the basis of our goodness, how dumb and foolish we would be. But because of God's grace, he gives without finding fault. Praise the Lord!
___What God requires of us is a firm and steadfast belief in him. Many today seek God by moving from church to church, book to book, feeling to feeling. They are tossed by every wind of doctrine. Others simply doubt God can or will grant wisdom.
___Again, he does not grant us wisdom on the basis of our goodness but on his. Still others want God to give help in order to get them out of a self-inflicted jam only to return to the same lifestyle after the problem is resolved. These fence straddlers or doubled-minded people miss the blessing of God. Nowhere in Scripture is a half-hearted or divided loyalty tolerated.
___Taking responsibility
___James is clear in verse 13 that God does not tempt men to sin. This is "tempt" in the evil sense. Since Eden, man has looked for someone to blame for his sin. James does not even blame Satan for man's sin but his own evil desires.
___A person's lust for power, money or sex lures him into sin as a fish is lured to the bait. Just as with the fish, once we have been captured by sin we are "dragged away."
___Verse 15 is horrible but poetic in its depiction of how sin destroys us. The desire in itself is not good or bad, but when it is nourished it "gives birth to sin." That sin, when allowed to continue, "gives birth to death."
___Sin still causes destruction. We want to blame our sin on our parents, our teachers, our bosses, Satan and even God. The fact still remains that God does not tempt us, but gives us a way to escape. "If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
___Pew potato
___The term "couch potato" became popular several years back, describing a person who laid around and watched television all day. This person is generally viewed as someone who is lazy and overweight (if not physically, mentally)--"not much count," as my mother would say.
___The people James is describing in these verses might be called "pew potatoes"--people who hear a lot of information, but do nothing with it. These folks think they can be saved by just going to church and hearing about Christ. The fact remains that simply going to church and hearing the word saves no one. There must be a response to those words.
___Jesus illustrated the need for action in the parable of the builders: "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24). It is certainly foolish to not act upon what gives a life of joy and peace, a life of hope and security, a life that anticipates eternity with Christ in heaven.
___Someone who looks into a mirror and sees his shirt-tail out and a piece of lettuce between his teeth but refuses to see any correction that needs to be made would certanly be considered blind to what is wrong with him. James describes just that sort of man who takes a glance at his spiritual life but gives little thought to the obvious changes that need to be made.
___James quickly becomes specific in what he believes can demonstrate real Christianity. First, he speaks of keeping a tight rein on the tongue. In chapter 3, James refers to the man who controls his tongue as a perfect man. In verses 18 and 19 of chapter 1, James admonishes us to be "slow to speak and slow to anger."
___Who among us has lived his life without at least thinking, "I wish I hadn't said that." Our mouths can get us into a great deal of trouble. On the other hand, a soft answer still turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1).
___Finally, James tells us that if we really understand the message about Christ's love, we will be meeting the obvious needs of those around us. There was no welfare program in those days, so widows and orphans were at the mercy of those around them.
___As we look at the great needs around us today, spiritual and physical, we are challeneged by James' words to keep our minds off of ourselves by serving those around us.
Questions for thought and discussion
___If you can, try to put yourself in James' sandals. How do you think you would have reacted to growing up with a perfect sibling?
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