Introduction
James is my favorite book of the Bible. I have always been drawn to its practical approach and straightforward method of approaching the subject of living one’s faith. James doesn’t spend a lot of time discussing doctrine, though the book is full of doctrinal concepts. Instead, James concisely proclaims how believers are to respond to various people and situations and in doing so truly demonstrate a superior faith.
James was written not to one particular congregation, but overall to congregations that were dispersed throughout the known world. Despite that, James scores a direct hit to a common problem in churches both then and now. There were those in the churches that James was writing to that considered themselves to be more spiritually mature than others. They asserted this so-called maturity and attempted to seek positions of authority, social prominence, and power within the church.
While there were those willing to submit to such assertions and view these assertions as true, others objected and battled in an effort to assert their own prominence within the church.
Into these sad circumstances, James writes his letter, establishing a measuring stick for true spiritual maturity. By the time the churches completed the reading of this letter, I can imagine there were some red faces in the local congregations. Some should have been embarrassed because they had accepted the assertions of superiority. Some should have been ashamed because they had made the assertions. Still others should have recognized areas of shortcomings.
Years ago I went shooting with my younger brother. We went to an indoor target range for the first time. Rather than shooting at those familiar circular targets, Doug opted for a man-shaped silhouette target. After winding the target out the full length of the range he proceeded to empty his six-shooter at the target. When he drew the target back he removed it from the clip and held it up for me to see. In the target was one bullet hole, down near the bottom, where the man’s wrist would have been. Doug approached his target with a grin, “I winged ‘em!” (His next series of shots were much improved)
Doug wasn’t really proud of the fact that he had winged his target. Instead, he was glad he hadn’t missed all six shots. He used what he learned and quickly corrected his aim and began to do more than wing the imagined burglar. This is what believers need to do when they read James. They have an opportunity to recognize their shortcomings, correct them, and begin to do better.
Reading the book of James provides the believer an opportunity to measure himself not on the scale used by the world or even the church. It allows the believer to measure himself based on God’s ways. We can be pleased in the areas where we believe we are succeeding. Being proud of our occasional success in hitting the target will never be adequate before the Lord. James offers us the opportunity to sharpen our spiritual shooting skills.
James touches on so many areas of a walk with God. He deals with temptations and hard times. He spends a great deal talking about the tongue and how we talk. He talks about the need to put our faith into action. He deals with the issues of fighting over position within the church. He lays it on the line.
James hits the target dead center. I hope you will not find one or two areas of spiritual success and be satisfied, but rather adapt and correct those areas where you are missing the mark.
CHAPTER ONE
Verse 1: Introduction and Greeting
Unlike most of Paul’s letters, James begins with a very simple explanation of his role in Christ’s kingdom. He calls himself a servant. He doesn’t claim apostleship, though his readers likely knew he had been the leader of the church at Jerusalem before the believers were scattered about by persecution. Instead, he calls himself a servant.
James is going to condemn self-promoters and position seekers as his letter develops. It is interesting to note that he chose for himself a simple title of humility before Christ rather than asserting authority.
Though the Greek word used is different, a Jewish reader might have related James’ reference to being a servant of Christ to the bonding of a servant to a household. (Exodus 21:2-6). Under Old Testament Law a servant was to be freed during the Jubilee year. However, a servant could by choice refuse freedom and become part of the household. If he freely chose to do so, he would be taken to the doorpost of the house and his ear would be pierced with an awl. This choice was made out of a sense of love and loyalty.
I believe James may have been referencing this choice. He was (by choice) a servant of Christ. He humbled himself to this position and it was the perfect position to use to present the truths he was about to share in this letter. He did not assert authority even though he spoke with authority. His priority was the message he was sharing rather than his own personal position or reputation. He chose to call himself a servant in order to demonstrate what he was preaching-- that believers were not to be seeking to claim spiritual authority over other believers.
1:2 The Joyful Response to Trials
James tells the reader that he is to respond to trials in joy. The New International Version uses the phrase “pure joy” to describe the type of emotion that the believer should respond with. The Greek word is pas, which is often translated as all. In other words, the believer has nothing to feel sorry about when he experiences these terrible trials.
The Greek word for trial that is used here is peirasmoi and can be used to refer to trials from within or from without. It is used for personal periods of crisis, tests of character, as well as to refer to an outward temptation to become involved in sin.
Christians are not any more immune to suffering than Christ Jesus. Jesus stated that the believer is blessed when people heap disrespect and persecution upon him for the cause of Christ (Matthew 5:11). Peter commands us (I Peter 4:12) us not to be surprised when we encounter trials. The Apostle Paul said “All that will live godly will suffer persecution.” (II Timothy 3:12) Adrian Rogers once said of suffering for the cause of Christ, “It is a false gospel that says just come to Christ and it’ll be all honey and no bees.”
Students who truly study and have firm confidence in material welcome a time of testing. I remember going to the Department of Motor Vehicles to take the written test to get my learner’s permit. I was thrilled to go and even more thrilled to pass the test. However, the real test came when I reached the car and my dad tossed me the keys to the family car and said, “You’re driving!” I protested because I knew that we would have to take the freeway, but Dad persisted. I’m not sure whose nerves were tested more in that drive, but the point is that Dad felt I was ready even though I did not. God knows whether you are ready for a test, despite your own personal feelings and/or lack of confidence.
The emphasis in this verse really is the proper response to a time of testing. We are to respond in joy because it is at the very least a demonstration on God’s part of His confidence of our growth. We CAN pass every test God gives us, but sadly we DON’T pass every test that God gives us.
In order to see James’ point about testing and trials we need to comprehend the Jewish cultural concept of trials and tests. In order to gain an insight let’s look at some Scriptural examples of typical Jewish attitudes about such times of trial.
We all know the story of Job. God was so pleased with Job’s faithfulness he even pointed out Job to Satan. This brought about a tragic series of tests and trials into Job’s life. Job has some good friends. They came and sat with him for seven days without saying a word. They sat there and suffered with him. When they began to speak, however, they were insistent that Job had committed some sort of secret sin and that he was under the judgment of God.
In John chapter nine Jesus and his disciples encounter a man who was born blind. The disciples simply assumed God’s judgment was at work and even had the nerve to ask Jesus whose sin had brought about the man’s blindness. They wondered aloud if it was the man’s own personal actions or something that his parents had done.
In Jewish thought, when tragedy struck, it was because of a person’s sinfulness. In Luke 13:1-4 Jesus encounters just this sort of thinking when Pilate killed some Galileans in a bloody manner. In that same passage Jesus refers to another tragedy as he speaks of a Tower that had collapsed and killed a group of people. His words indicate that although repentance is important that we should not automatically assume that tragic experiences are always judgment for sin.
God does use circumstances and trials to judge his people. However, God never does so without warning unless the act is so evil that the person he is judging knew that he was inviting God’s judgment when he committed the act. King Uzziah was struck with leprosy after being warned not to burn incense on the altar. God judged Israel and Judah by sending them both into exile. This judgment only came after they were warned by prophets that God was offended by their idolatry, oppression of the poor, and perversion of justice. God does use circumstances to judge people. Even James acknowledges (see 5:14-16) that sin sometimes brings sickness upon a person.
Jewish history is full of examples where God did use terrible tragedy, war, and pestilence to judge his own people. Obviously, during the period of the judges, God used opposing nations to judge Israel. Both Israel and Judah suffered exile because of their failure to repent.
A person who asserts moral and spiritual superiority over another may attempt to suggest that another person’s tough times have come about because of sin. James is writing to people who had been repeatedly told that their own personal crisis had come into their lives because of sinfulness or spiritual shortcomings. I believe that verse 9 will bear this out even more.
Believers in a time of crisis will often wonder what sin they might have committed in order to be brought to such a time of tragedy. If we believe that God is a righteous and Holy God then we have to believe He also communicates with us regarding our sin before He judges us for it.
My father was a strict disciplinarian. I cannot recall ever once being disciplined by my father and thinking to myself, “what did I do?” He made it clear what I had done and why it was so offensive to God and man. Sometimes I repented and sometimes I resented. The point is that I never had to wonder what the discipline was about—I knew.
How can we not think that God would speak clearly regarding our sin? I believe that God in his righteousness speaks to us through His convicting Holy Spirit before He begins to mete out judgment. If you are in a time of stress and testing, don’t let someone else point at you and tell you that it is because of your sin unless they can point out a Biblical principle you have violated. The very existence of tough circumstances and a testing of your faith is not in an of itself an indication that you have sinned.
Obviously, we may be able to point out how a person’s sinful behavior might have brought them to a time of judgment. When a person experiences financial hardship it may be because of poor spending habits. The threat of divorce may be the result of infidelity or other mistreatment. In other words, there may be an obvious scriptural violation. However, unless we can demonstrate a Scriptural principle being violated we would be wrong to claim that someone is being judged because of their own sinfulness.
Some of James’ readers had been beaten down by those who claimed spiritual superiority. They were being told that God was mad at them. James encouraged them to take heart because their testing (from within and without) did not mean that God was angry with them. The presence of conflict in the believer’s life is not necessarily an indication that God is punishing him. Often, it is an indication that God is about to truly bring a blessing into that person’s life.
1:3-4 God’s Purpose in Trials
James states that the testing has a purpose and that purpose is to bring about perseverance. As we endure we come into maturity. Spiritual growth occurs during a time of testing.
A few years ago, I served as a bi-vocational pastor. I was blessed to pastor the church I pastor today, but I also served on the educational staff of another Baptist church. I took a vacation and went to visit my folks in Oklahoma. During this time, I had some special alone time with God and God gave me a sermon that grew in my heart as the time away progressed. The sermon was about the disciples following Jesus into the boat to go across the Sea of Galilee where Jesus eventually calmed the storm. One important point was that following Jesus will lead us right into the eye of some storms.
I returned home on a Tuesday morning, eager for Sunday to arrive because I could not wait to preach that sermon. Little did I know that God was going to bring a test into my life and cause me to have to live that sermon for a number of days before I could get into the pulpit to preach it.
I received a telephone call on Tuesday afternoon from another staff member who indicated that I had been attacked by another staff member in a letter that had been distributed to the rest of the staff. The caller offered to read the letter to me over the phone and the real test began. I wanted to know what was in that letter. I wanted to be prepared to go in and fight for my rights. I was prepared to put up a good fight. Inwardly, the Lord told me that I needed to follow closely to Him and ignore the letter. In a moment of spiritual growth I made the decision to ask the person to simply destroy the letter and not to share its contents with me.
The next morning, I reported to work and the senior pastor called me into his office. He told me that while I was gone a letter had been circulated that was generally attacking me and that the letter inappropriate, unfair, etc. and that he had already disciplined the employee over her actions. He pulled a copy of that letter out and once again I was offered a chance to know the contents of that letter. Once again, God gave me the grace to ignore it. Through the next year I struggled to maintain a proper attitude towards this employee who in some measure continued her attacks on me in a terrible campaign of half-truths and exaggerations. She gained the support of a committee that I had to deal with which caused my position to be even more uncomfortable.
During the next eleven months or so I grew by leaps and bounds in my spiritual walk. At times, I succeeded in having a right attitude. At others, I had to repent.
I learned during that period to be truly concerned for my enemies. I learned not to return evil for evil. I learned not to go around defending myself, but to allow God to do my fighting for me. I learned not to dwell on the attacks, but to focus on the Lord. I learned that vengeance belonged to God and that when I tried to take matters into my own hands I was stealing from God.
As that period of persecution and testing came to a close I was able to look back and acknowledge in amazement that every member of the committee had approached me at some point and indicated to me that they were well aware that I had been a victim. Every one of those committee members came to a point where they could clearly see the situation.
The very experience James describes became my own personal experience. I was tested from without by the attacks of another. I was tested from within as I was tempted to respond in negative ways. I was forced to deal with spiritual turmoil and wrong attitudes in my heart. The devil sought to draw me into fighting and playing political games. However, thanks to God’s grace, God’s strength, and God’s Work I matured. I encourage you, if you are going through a similar time of testing to read Psalm 37, especially verses 1-8. These became the pattern for my life during this period of spiritual warfare and helped me to grow and become more prepared for conflict.
Those trials built the spiritual muscles and endurance needed for future conflicts and trials. Some of those trials were even more difficult. The fact remains, God continues to teach and educate me in the spiritual school of hard knocks. The trials won’t end until I graduate by learning what God is trying to teach me.
1:5-8 Seeking Wisdom During Trials
As we proceed on in this study we are going to find that some of those who thought that they were morally and spiritually superior were really double-minded. James is firing his initial volley at them. In fact a major portion of this book is aimed at those who claimed to be spiritual but were “double-minded” because they were following man’s ways instead of God’s. James begins teaching about real faith in a straightforward dogmatic fashion. His message is meant to educate both those who felt inferior in their faith and those who asserted such supposed superiority.
The Greek construction of this section is interesting. It is a conditional sentence that assumes that those going through trials WILL need wisdom. Interesting that in verse 4 the reader is told that the purpose of trials is to bring us to a place where we don’t lack anything and then verse 5 contrasts that we WILL need wisdom.
What is wisdom? Wisdom is applying God’s methods to our own life circumstances. How do I respond to trials? The best way I can respond is to seek God’s ways of dealing with the situation. I do that by asking God what to do. I do that in the prayer closet and I do that as I search God’s Word. I seek his ways and seek to apply them.
God wants to give us wisdom. He wants to reveal his ways to us. He wants to give us an opportunity to seek His blessing by seeking to respond to tough times using principles we have learned at his feet. One of the really neat ideas expressed here is that God joyously responds to our request for His wisdom. God doesn’t rebuke us for our immaturity, but responds to our expression of our need for him.
I can never think about asking God for wisdom without remembering God’s response to the newly crowned King Solomon. Solomon’s request was that he might be able to meet his responsibilities as King with a discerning heart. God responded by not only giving him that wise and discerning heart, but also gave him riches and honor. With the Biblical example of Solomon before us how can we ever think God would do anything but reward us when we seek to learn his ways?
God does not seek to humiliate those who come before him seeking knowledge of His ways. Instead, he offers the greatest reward a believer can experience, a revelation of His nature and His character that can be applied to our lives.
James then points out that those who seek God’s wisdom should approach God in faith and not be double-minded. The man who truly wants to handle his trials in a godly manner cannot vacillate back and forth between handling his situations in a worldly way and handling them in a spiritual manner. He needs to be consistent in both his quest to discover God’s will and his commitment to doing God’s will.
In other words, don’t ask God for His direction if you plan on handling things in your own strength or your own ways. Don’t expect God to be your attorney if you are planning out your own defense! Don’t expect God to help you lose weight if you plan to continue eating the way you have in times past! God is never going to help you deal with your trials if you are simply going to ignore His direction and follow your own. That’s being double-minded and God will not honor that.
James uses a vivid word picture as he describes the double-minded man like an ocean wave driven by the tides and winds. The Wave doesn’t get to decide where it will crash onto the shore, it is driven.
The New Testament indicates that believers are not to be driven by their lusts or emotions. Instead, as the Holy Spirit works within us he teaches us to have control of ours emotions and desires. Man can choose to be controlled or man can choose to be driven by his own desires, fears, and emotions. James indicates the importance of choosing to find that control by seeking God’s wisdom.
Man is not supposed to be an emotionless creature. Since we are created in God’s image and the Scripture describes God as having emotion (he laughs, he is angered, etc.) then we are supposed to have emotions. However, as the Holy Spirit teaches us to place our emotions under control we learn to experience joy in the midst of sorrow, mercy in the midst of anger, and peace in the midst of stress. We do this by having the right mind-set. This is accomplished only by submitting to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The wishy-washy uncommitted and overly emotional believer lacks stability. He cannot get a firm grip on life because he attempts to use God’s methods at times but at others he is hanging on to his own ways. His commitment level is sadly lacking because he switches back and forth between serving God and himself. (We all do this to some extent as we deal with the spiritual warfare of the inner man that the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 7) The double-minded man’s ways are unstable because he cannot do some things God’s ways and other things his own way and expect stability.
1:9-12 Financial Circumstances not the measurement of our faith
In this section, James contrasts the position of someone who is suffering financially and contrasts it with the position of someone who is financially set. He uses the Greek word tapeinos to describe “humble” circumstance. This Greek word can have the basic meaning of humiliated, pressed down, lowly, weak, less than significant, or poor. Because the situation of this brother is contrasted with the rich brother we can safely assume he is talking about poverty or at the very least financial reversal.
We are forced once again to tackle that Jewish cultural idea that if a person was rich it meant he was being rewarded by God and if he was poor he was being judged by God. When Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus (and I believe that those who heard the parable knew exactly who the rich man was) he audience must have been shocked to think of a rich man being in Hell. After all, weren’t riches a reward for living a righteous life?
The one thing that is odd and sticks out a bit like a sore thumb is that James refers to the poor person as a brother but does not count the rich man as a brother. Perhaps James had a specific rich man in mind. This seems a likely possibility to me since James turns to the response of the believer to the rich in chapter two.
It seems clear that James is indicating that neither poverty nor wealth is a true indication of where we stand in Christ Jesus. Rather, the rich and the poor are on a level playing field when it comes to spiritual standing before God. The rich man would be wrong to attempt to use his wealth to commend himself before God.
Some interpret that which fades away like the Green grass in James’ example to be the riches of the man. However, the text is quite clear that it is the man himself that will fade away. James is renouncing the idea that wealth has any spiritual benefit. He is planting spiritual dynamite at the root of this cultural idea and reminding his readers that financial blessing is not a “get out of hell” card. If he is trusting in his riches (rather than Christ) then he fades away even while occupied in his business.
In verse twelve, we encounter Old Testament language as the author begins to discuss the blessings of those who have stood the test. The Greek word dokimos has the meaning to be tested and found true and is often used of coins, metals, etc. Have you ever seen in the movies or cartoons a person biting a coin to see if it is real or not? Once he discovers that it is real, it would be considered dokimos.
The believer who passes the test receives a crown of life. The word that is used for crown is more like a badge or a trophy in modern usage. However, in New Testament times, a winning athlete or someone else being honored for great achievement would literally wear a wreath made from laurel. This crown was the mark that that the wearer had triumphed.
The crown of life that the believer receives is NOT salvation, but literally it is a crown that relates to life that is strongly contrasted with the wasting away of the wealth of the rich man. This crown is a badge of honor while the rich man’s wealth is dead and worthless.
There have times when I did not respond to the test in the right way The greatest sense of accomplishment in my own personal life has always been those times that I managed to get through a time of testing and remain in God’s will. . The richest rewards I have ever experienced were the growth of spiritual muscles that God was accomplishing and being able to say I did it God’s way.
1:13-15 Sin’s Source and outcome
I once had a person justify his usage of marijuana on the basis that God created it. “Why would God create it if he did not intend for man to enjoy it?” was his question. My response was that God created cliffs but that didn’t mean he meant for man to jump off of them.
James declares that God is a holy God and therefore since he cannot and will not sin because he is clearly above temptation. Since he is above temptation it naturally follows that He would not be responsible for his children being drawn into sin. It is completely against his holy nature. In other words, it is absurd for people to blame God when they fall into sin. The fact that James takes the time to mention this indicates that there must have been some people making the absurd declaration that God was tempting them.
James once again pulls out his blueprint for faith that is superior and begins to show us that true superior faith doesn’t blame God for our failures. People of superior faith take responsibility for their own sin. Moral and spiritual failure come from within, not from without. We sin because we have wrong desires.
It is interesting to note that James does not mention Satan’s role in temptation, either. We are specifically told that we fall into sin because of our own sinful desires. If it is our own lusts that draws us into sin then we cannot declare like Flip Wilson’s Geraldine character, “the devil made me do it.” God has given man free will choice. Satan can make sin look attractive and appealing. Man chooses whether he will become involved in it or not. Sin is a choice. Man chooses to sin or to avoid sin. No one has the power to make me sin. If I sin it is because of my own wrong choice.
This verse has a special meaning to me. God taught me a long time ago that nobody has the power to make me angry. My sinful anger comes from my own sinful desires and pride. When I become angry I have made that choice because God has given me the power and the responsibility to control my emotions and my actions. Nobody else can push the angry button in my control center. I get to choose how I will respond to people and almost always anger is a wrong choice.
Anger is not necessarily sin, however. Jesus was angry without sin. Paul wrote “Be angry and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26) It is very easy to step over the line of righteous and appropriate anger and then we are captured and dragged away. We had the choice when we were tempted, but once we gave into sin it became our master and it trapped us and seeks to hold us prisoner.
James says that death is the ultimate result of sin. Paul emphasizes this as well in the book of Romans (3:23). While a literal physical death is probably not the intended meaning, James wants his readers to understand the destructive power of sin. As one old cliché says, “only a fool fools with sin.” It is like playing with a live hand grenade. It can only end with destruction.
I’m reminded of the comic book story of “The Incredible Hulk” who was created by Stan Lee for Marvel comics. Dr. Banner is a nice, milk-toast type character who, when he becomes angry turns into a raging Green monster. The monster is almost unstoppable as the army discovers when they bring their tanks and missiles against him. In his rage, the Hulk smashes everything in his sight. When he grows calm, however, he shrinks back to normal size, often leaving his alter-ego, Dr. Banner, in the most embarrassing and dangerous situations. He may be left half-naked in the middle of snowstorm. He might be stuck on top of a mountain. Everywhere the Hulk goes, trouble follows for Dr. Banner.
I think this illustrates the sin nature. We let it loose (and it may not be anger, though James discusses it in this very chapter) and it brings destruction into our lives. Sin destroys relationships. Sin destroys physical and mental health. Sin eats away at our finances. It consumes our time, our energy, and our zeal for God. Sin breaks fellowship between God and man. Sin is destructive.
The demoniac of Gadara is a Biblical example of where sin, if left unchecked, will take a person. His example demonstrates where the devil wants us to be. First, it will make a person uncontrollable. They had bound the man with chains in an effort to restrain him. Second, it will make a person unpopular. He was living in isolation because the people would not put up with his behavior. Third, it will make a person live unnaturally. He was living among the graves. Finally, it will make a person unhappy. He cried out and moaned in his absolute agony. If you continue in sin, this is how Satan will use it in your life.
A Holy and Righteous God will never lead you into sin because He knows of its destructive power. His goal is to build you up and bring you towards holiness. To do otherwise would be a gross violation of his own character and nature.
1:16-18 God the Source of Righteousness
The Greek construction of the phrase translated “Don’t be deceived” suggests an alternate translation- “stop being deceived.” It is used here as an introduction to an essential doctrine. God’s intention is to bring righteous living into the believer’s life.
John declares in his first letter that “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” God provides spiritual gifts—not sinful gifts. God does not send evil upon us but rather blessing. Superior faith understands the nature of God. Superior faith understands that God wants to provide all we need to live the Christian life. He does not want us to fail.
Our shadows change as the day progresses. At noon there is little shadow, yet late in the date our shadows grow longer and longer. However, since God is the Father of the heavenly lights which cause the shadows, his shadow does not change.
This illustration is meant to show that God remains the same Holy and just God that he has always been. He always seeks righteousness from His children. He expects the believer to accept the spiritual gifts that he provides in order to bring righteousness into the believer’s life. God never tempts us because he knows the destructive power of sin.
James wants the readers to come away with the understanding that God is not some sort of split personality. God is not the “force” described in the Star Wars films, with both a good and bad side. He is completely Holy.
God’s holiness caused God to choose to give us life (as opposed to death and destruction) through His Word. God acts to build the believer rather than to tear the believer down. God’s purpose in saving us is to draw us away from sins. Therefore, it is absurd to think that God would save us and give us life only to tempt us and thereby bring about death and destruction.
1:19-25 Valid Measurements for Superior Faith
Superior Faith is demonstrated by right living. The apostle now begins to lay down some simple guidelines for the conduct of those who claim to have superior faith.
First, Superior faith is demonstrated by being quick to listen. Good communication is essential for proper fellowship. We miss a blessing when we do not listen to others. Hearing the voice of God is essential and God sometimes speaks through others. Therefore, we must be prepared to listen to others. If David had refused to listen to the prophet Nathan he might have missed God’s call to repentance over his sin with Bathsheba.
If God can choose to speak to Balaam through the mouth of a donkey, a dumb animal, then how much more can God speak to me through my fellow believers! Yet, far too often we fail to listen to these people. We fail to listen to others because somewhere down deep inside we feel that we are spiritually superior to others. Even the elderly priest Eli needed to hear young Samuel repeat the prophetic word about his sons. Doubtless, Eli was shocked to hear Samuel pronounce the same judgment on his sons as the stranger he met sometime before. God confirmed his prophetic word through the mouth of that young boy.
Second, we must be slow to speak. One goal of my life is to learn to slow down and to select a right response rather than reacting to what people say and do. If we react we will lash out in anger or hurt. If we respond we get to select the right words and tone for the situation.
Jesus demonstrated this careful response to those who brought to him the woman caught in adultery. He even stooped down to write in the dirt as he composed a righteous response to these people who were acting disgracefully. We don’t know if what he wrote in the dirt was doodles, or something more specific to the situation he was facing. We do know that his verbal response was not harsh or sinful, in fact, it was exactly what was needed for the specific situation.
Peter offers us several Biblical examples of speaking out of turn. I doubt anybody ever had to stop and try to understand where they stood with Simon Peter. When Christ told the disciples that they were on the way to Jerusalem and that he would be crucified there immediately Peter tried to get Jesus to turn back. Jesus’ response should remind us that our spur of the moment speech can be used by Satan. Jesus said strongly to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan.”
We see another demonstration of Peter’s rush to speech on the Mount of Transfiguration. In a moment of excitement Peter declares that they should immediately begin building shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Before he completes his description of his plans to Christ, God speaks from heaven with a simple declaration “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him!” Spur of the moment speech can interfere with our spiritual hearing. We utter emotional outbursts when we really should be listening to what God has to say.
Being quick to speak is the surest way of catching “foot in mouth” disease. Some of the readers of James’ letter were anxious for the spotlight. They desired to be teachers of the gospel and were pushing themselves upon the church. (See chapter 3) God has given men two ears but only one mouth. By doing so he has implied that we should listen twice as much as we speak. Exercising superior faith means we learn to be good listeners.
Third, we should not be quick to anger. Human anger does not bring righteousness into anyone’s life. Anger has a way of moving us towards sinful words and actions rather than righteousness. We can not in our anger bully people into repenting over their own wrongdoing. Brute force does not cause people to suddenly want to live moral and righteous lives.
The king James translates the word as “wrath” while the New International Version renders the word as “anger.” I tend to lean towards the King James here as (at least as a personal interpretation and application) the word ‘wrath’ implies a stronger, less controlled, and more enduring anger. The Greek word used by James here is orge, which is used of a longer lasting vengeance-filled anger such as when we hold a grudge. This is probably while Paul used a derivative form of this word in Ephesians 4:26 when he said “Be Angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon thy wrath.” Allowing our anger to burn and smolder for a long time is condemned. We are bound to be provoked, it is how we handle the provocation that matters. In other words, those that enjoy holding grudges and maintaining an angry attitude do not really have superior faith.
Orge is often used of God’s wrath. The Scripture portrays God’s wrath as a justifiable payback for man’s sinful actions. However, when we seek to demonstrate orge (our own wrath) it is not normally justifiable. When we seek to take vengeance upon others we put ourselves in God’s place. He has declared throughout His word that vengeance is his own personal possession and that He will bring about justice. Our concept of justice is warped by our own sin nature and therefore when we seek to punish others with our anger we cannot bring them to righteousness.
James uses “therefore” to ties the communication and anger problems to moral filth. Perhaps his readers were shocked to see him use such strong words. Perhaps they thought that as long as they were not involved in sexual sin, drunkenness or thievery that they were okay. However, James will throughout this letter use strong words to describe the conflict between believers. In chapter four he calls the conflict “wars” and “fighting.”
The apostle tells his readers to throw away the sin that is abundant and prevalent. The sin is in their conduct towards one another. It isn’t that the readers have just made mistakes in their behavior. James declares that their conduct is evil in nature, it is filthy and disgusting. He describes to them the need to separate themselves from it. They are told to throw it away as if it is a disgusting pile of garbage.
Instead of championing their position over others they are told to have a humble response to the Word of God because God’s Word produces Christian growth. They are challenged to allow God’s Word to grow in their lives instead of the sinfully angry demeanor that they were demonstrating. God’s Word could bring about His righteousness, not man’s anger and the fighting that accompanied it.
Obedience to God’s Word is essential. We are to do more than be an audience to the preaching of God’s Word. We are to put it immediately into practice. God’s Word requires an active response on our part. Just as we sin by choice we also obey by choice. We become doers when we get in step with God and choose to obey.
Obedience is a demonstration of belief. Just saying that we hear or understand God’s Word is inadequate. Actions always speak louder than words. Do you see the clear context of James message? In short he is saying that people of superior faith don’t just talk and they don’t just listen. Instead, they actively put into practice the things that God is teaching them and act in obedience. If talk is cheap then actions are costly.
There are people who enjoy the “entertainment factor” of God’s Word. There were people in the multitudes that heard Jesus speak, enjoyed his preaching, but never responded positively in obedience. It is not real faith that simply listens to the Word despite what these people thought.
James tells his readers that superior faith is demonstrated when we leave the audience and begin to perform the Word. Superior faith is putting into action the word. Those who are listening are only fooling themselves about the value of their faith.
I personally do not understand people who set their watches or clocks five minutes ahead. When they look at the clock and it appears that they are supposed to be somewhere don’t they just tell themselves they have five more minutes? I know I would automatically add those five minutes every single time I looked at a clock or watch that was set ahead. I feel like it is foolish to try to convince myself that it really is five minutes later than it is. If I need to do better about getting places on time then I need to leave earlier.
The people who were only listening to the word and telling themselves were trying to fool themselves. They could not imagine that they were not superior in faith. They had deceived themselves by placing a false value on their faith just by being an audience member who heard the word of God. In context of the superior versus inferior faith message verse 22 can be summarized as: Superior faith is demonstrated by becoming one who accomplishes the Word, while inferior faith is simply being a member of the audience that hears God’s Word.
The apostle describes the person who after hearing God’s Word and fails to put in into practice as a person who looks in a mirror and then immediately forgets what he looks like. How foolish.
I was watching a nature program about bears recently. A man who has made his life’s mission to study bears is conducting an experiment with a mirror. He strategically placed mirrors in an error where he could observe some bears as they reacted to their reflection. This is a test of intelligence that has been used on chimpanzees. Chimpanzees recognize themselves and begin to groom themselves, etc. when they see themselves in a mirror. The man hopes to prove that bears are as intelligent. Thus far, however, the bears seem more inclined to ignore their reflection and not react at all. It was rather comical to watch the bear continue to chew its food as it ignored its own reflection.
When I look into God’s word, I see myself. I see the error of my ways, my character flaws, my personal selfish desires, and my sins. If I refuse to respond to what I see as I read the Word or hear it preached, then I am like that bear, nonchalantly chewing my food and going on with my life unaware of reality. How can I have a right type of faith if I don’t see the proper relation between God’s Word and my own personal walk with Him?
We are to look intently into God’s Word. We are to look carefully into God’s word with a desire to absorb and comprehend what we see. The Greek word (parakypto) is the word which is used in John 20:5 to describe how Peter stopped and peered into the tomb of Jesus. He looked carefully, searchingly, and intently. He was focused on nothing else for that moment.
The man who looks into the word and adjusts his life in obedience to the truth seen there is not only demonstrating superior faith, but is promised blessing. The Bible spends a great deal of time telling the believer how to be blessed because God clearly wants to bless us. One of the ways we obtain His blessing is by adjusting our lives, in obedience, to be in tune with God’s Word.
1:26-27 Proper Speech and Compassion for the Downtrodden
If a person does not curb his tongue he is fooling himself about the very level of his spiritual growth. His worship and claim of a spiritual walk is worthless. Earlier in the chapter James told his readers to be slow to speak, now he reminds them of the importance of keeping their tongue in check. We are called to keep a tight rein on our tongue. The bridle on the horse (King James version) is not used to just STOP the horse, but to control the horse and lead it in the right direction. We have a responsibility from stopping our tongues before they say wrong things and leading our tongues to say the right things.
There are more scriptures dealing with sins of the tongue than dealing with sexual immorality. This is how important our speech is. Yet, some of these people felt as if they could say anything and get by with it. James tells us that our worship is worthless if we haven’t made some effort to curb our tongue and properly direct our communication. We cannot ignore the hurt we have caused others with our tongues and expect God to honor our worship. This echoes Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Sacrifice is worthless without obedience.
James will strike several more blows against sinful speech throughout this letter. For now, suffice it to say that he makes a strong case against the superior faith crowd by pointing out the inferiority of their speech.
There must have been those who boasted of the superiority of the faith who looked down upon the widow and the fatherless. They are quickly reminded that God himself is concerned with widows and orphans. We must develop a concern for the downtrodden. The concern for the downtrodden should never be an obstacle or replacement for personal holiness. We should never develop a worldly attitude about the widow or orphan. The believer’s life must be marked by both an active love for others and a constant guard against unrighteousness.
I once heard a pastor talk about a convalescent ministry he was involved in as a young pastor. He would go and visit the elderly and pray for them or read Scripture. One day, he complained to a senior pastor regarding whether this ministry was effective at all. After all, much of them time these elderly folks slept through his ministry or didn’t seem coherent. The older pastor reminded him that he was ministering as unto Jesus. (Matthew 25:33-40)
We need to develop a heart of compassion for those who are hurting. Jesus counts our ministering to such people as the downtrodden as if we were ministering directly to Him. Therefore, we must open our eyes to the needs of those who are hurting.
