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Biblical Faith, Part 7

Published September 6, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: biblical faith, faith of Moses, Hebrews, Moses, truth faith

The late Jim Elliot, missionary, once observed,

God always gives His best to those who leave the choice up to Him.

That sounds good and makes for an inspirational meme on the Internet, but it’s not true. It doesn’t make any sense. And it’s also not Biblical. The Bible is replete with examples of people who made choices, good ones and bad ones. God doesn’t and won’t make the choice for anybody. He gave us the ability to choose and as believers it’s up to us to make the right choices – the God-glorifying choices. That’s up to us. Ayn Rand was right when she wrote,

[Man] has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice.

We make choices all the time; hundreds of choices every day. There are big choices and small ones but as Christians, all our choices should reflect the character and nature of God.

Moses’ hard choice

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. (Hebrews 11:24, 25 NIV)

You’ll recall the amazing story of the faith of Amram and Jochebed, the parents of Moses, as they defied the Egyptian “law of the land,” which called for the killing of all Hebrew baby boys. In faith, they hid baby Moses and then floated him down the Nile, where he was retrieved, unbelievably, by the pharaoh’s daughter! She then raised him as her own, employing Jochebed, Moses’ real mother, as his full-time nanny! You have to shake your head in astonishment at how God honored the faith of those two Hebrew parents. But, then, God honors the faith of all believing parents, as they in faith entrust their children to the care and providence of God. It’s their choice to make.

At the age of 40, Moses made a conscious decision to side with his people, the Hebrews, and to forsake the Egyptians. No other Old Testament character holds such an esteemed position among the Israelites than does Moses. He was their deliverer and their lawgiver. Both inside and outside of the Bible, Moses is the kind of person legends are made of. Josephus, for example, wrote that when pharaoh’s daughter brought the child to the king, he put his royal crown on the boy’s head. Little Moses, though, hurled it to the ground and stomped on it.

That may or may not be Hebrew lore, but what we do know for sure is that Moses made the most important decision of his life as a man, not as an impulsive child. The phrase, “when he had grown up,” it has been suggested, may mean something like this: “having become great.” Stephen in Acts says Moses was 40 years old when he decided to side with the Israelites. In all probability both ideas are true. Moses had become a great man and he was a mature man when he made the choice that would trigger the fulfillment of God’s will, not only his life but for the life of a nation.

Never underestimate the power and influence of a single decision you must make. No wonder the Bible has so much to say about making the right choices! A lot can hinge on making the right one. God is very interested in making sure we do just that, so He leads us and guides and has given us some excellent advice:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 ESV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5 ESV)

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21 ESV)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV)

Very often, in the absence of all the facts or flying in the face of common sense or cultural norms, a decision will have to be made in faith. Such was the decision of Moses, and he was commended for that.

But it wasn’t an easy one for this man to make.

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. (Hebrews 11:25 NIV)

Facing those consequences

Game developer and atheist Ken Levine, who was so wrong about God, was right when he said this:

We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us.

Moses, the guy who had such a good life, needed to become a leader and a deliverer. Think about his decision. He knew going into it that the consequences would not be so great, at least in the short term. He could have kept on enjoying the “pleasures of sin,” but he chose to side with those who were facing persecution and hardship. He was going to learn firsthand why his people needed to be delivered; he needed to feel firsthand what persecution and ill treatment felt like.

This man, Moses, was not a reformer or a revolutionary, but a man of pure faith who deliberately sided with God’s people, even though that decision appeared to make no sense, to Egyptian and Hebrew alike.

That phrase, “the pleasures of sin” deserves a second look. It in no way suggests that Moses was some kind of rakish, spoiled party boy. Rather it’s a phrase that carries a much deeper thought. Once Moses was made aware of God’s call on his life, to not respond to that call would have been sinful. To simply ignore the decision God wanted him to make and return to Egypt would have been a sin. He may, in fact, have been a decent and moral man living in the Egyptian court. But if he was there out of God’s will, that would have been sinful.

That’s why making the right decision is so important. Even those so-called “small decisions” should be made, not in the light of the present, but in the light of eternity. Esau is the classic example of the way most of us make decisions. Here was a guy who was hungry who made a choice to satisfy a genuine temporal need he had, but at the expense of taking into consideration how that decision would affect his future.

Moses’ decision made him into the kind of leader and deliverer he needed to be. He already had the right character – his outward and courageous refusal to become part of the Egyptian machine was the result of who he was on the inside. One Bible scholar put it this way:

The ability to make up one’s mind, and to settle always on the right side, is the mark of strong character.

But the Hebrew Christians to whom this letter was written weren’t like Moses. Their faith was wavering. They seemed to be questioning their decision to follow Jesus. They needed to pay attention to the faith of a guy like Moses and emulate his faith.

And we should, too!

Counting the cost

Moses is, perhaps, the first example of a believer who consciously counted the cost of following Jesus:

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (Hebrews 11:26 NIV)

David Meece wrote about this idea of “counting the cost,” and the lyrics of his song are right on:

You gotta count the cost If you’re gonna be a believer, You gotta know that the price Is the one you can afford! You gotta count the cost If you’re gonna be a believer, You gotta go all the way If you really love the Lord!

Moses knew the value of “the treasures of Egypt,” but he determined in his own mind that “disgrace for the sake of Christ” was of greater value. We’ve discussed this idea of Moses and Christ previously. Somewhere in the recesses of Moses’ heart and mind, there was the inkling that he was not the final deliverer of God’s people. Moses, using the prophetic insight available to all people of faith, knew he was just a spoke in the great wheel of God’s will. But what he knew of a coming Messiah was enough to help him make the right decision.

It was some choice: “disgrace for the sake of Christ” versus “the treasures of Egypt.” Imagine what would have become of Moses had he not chose to side with his people. Moses might well have become a pharaoh of Egypt. His sarcophagus might have been dug up by Howard Carter and his mummified body on display in some musty museum today. Instead, he chose to become associated with the people of God. He became Israel’s deliverer and lawgiver and here is his name listed among the greatest of all people of faith.

Moses was far from perfect, though. He had a self-doubts. He had a temper. And in the end, he didn’t quite make it into the Promised Land. He died in the obscure mountains of Moab. But, oddly enough, that wasn’t end of Moses.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. (Matthew 17:1, 2 NIV)

What an honor. No wonder the writer to the Hebrews listed Moses as a man of faith.

True, Biblical faith always esteems suffering for the sake of Christ above any kind of riches. James Stephenson wrote:

If you are reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are you; your position is to be coveted.

It’s not that suffering is so great, it’s because of something Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:14 –

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (NIV)

We need to remember this verse, because sometimes the evidence of our faith is seen in our suffering for Christ, not in the blessings we receive from Him.

James, Part 2

Published September 3, 2015 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Tags: church ushers, discrimination, faith without works, favoritism, James

Given that the believers to whom James had written his letter were experiencing trials and tribulations, it’s remarkable the next topic he deals with covers problems we would associate with growing, prospering churches.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. (James 2:2 NIV)

In our day and age of shrinking churches in the midst of a growing secular society, this problem encountered by these early believers seems almost out of place. After all, who would want to be associated with a group of people routinely persecuted? It’s a testimony to the true nature of faith that the churches receiving this letter were growing in spite of their difficulties and attracting members across the social spectrum!

Actually, the first paragraph of James 2 is connected to chapter 1 in two ways. First, James is simply continuing his discussion of “true religion.”

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 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. (James 1:26, 27 NIV)

Godly behavior will always express itself in a loving attitude toward those who need God most: those in great spiritual need or physical distress.

And secondly, James returns to a line of thought be began earlier on in the first chapter:

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 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 will fade away even while they go about their business. (James 1:9 – 11 NIV)

Faith sees all people as equal. Either they are all equally lost – from the murderer to the unsaved wife – or all equally saved – from the wealthy businessman to the poor beggar.

Avoid discrimination

“Discrimination” is not the invention of our politically correct-obsessed culture. It’s been going for as long as man has been living on this earth. James’ big concern is that a congregation of believers should not court the favor of the wealthy for the sake of their wealth. This makes James’ letter as up-to-date as tomorrow’s newspaper, for this problem still persists to this day. What church, struggling to meet its annual budget, wouldn’t try to attract and hold onto members who have jobs and wealth? James, though, says that’s wrong-headed thinking.

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”… (James 2:3 NIV)

That’s discrimination, or favoritism, in action. These verses show how NOT to be a church usher! The people in James’ homey illustration are probably visitors to the church, not members. And whether these visitors were already saved or not isn’t the point. The great spiritual truth is that favoritism of this sort in the church is always wrong and must be discouraged.

...have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:4 NIV)

It doesn’t get any plainer than that! To treat people with the kind of crass discrimination illustrated is the result of incorrect judging springing from evil thoughts. Christians are called to judge one another, but certainly not like this! Judgment of individuals must never be based on things as shallow as clothing styles or other social distinctions, good or bad.

Christians should seek to treat all members of their church with the same level of respect and consideration. F.F. Bruce offers an interesting take as to why we should –

God bestows His blessings without discrimination. The followers of Jesus are children of God, and they should manifest the family likeness by doing good to all, even to those who deserve the opposite.

Isn’t that the truth?

The Bible never teaches that there is virtue in being poor, although some people seem to think it does. Nor does it teach that the rich are unrighteous on account of their wealth. Here’s how James continues his reasoning about treating rich and poor the same:

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (James 2:5 NIV)

If you read that the wrong way, it sounds like God has engaged in some discrimination Himself. Or, rather, reverse discrimination by preferring the poor over the so-called rich. But that’s not what James is illustrating here. James is using God’s treatment of the poor as a way to show his readers what impartiality looks like. In choosing the poor to be rich in faith, James isn’t teaching that God chooses some to be poor and others to be rich – it’s amazing what some people read into otherwise simple verses! It’s a matter of historical record that the those who are “poor” seem to be more receptive to the Gospel. Also, as a matter of Biblical fact, there is this great Messianic prophecy –

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners… (Isaiah 61:1 NIV)

How God treated the poor is in contrast to how man favors the rich and snubs the poor. And this made no sense at all given the situation that existed during James’ day –

But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? (James 2:6, 7 NIV)

John Calvin wrote that it was odd for these Christians to honor one’s executioners while hurting their friends! In all likelihood, it was wealthy Jews James had in mind. They were responsible for inflicting trouble on the Christians.

So, for all kinds of reasons, from spiritual reasons to practical ones, it was wrong, not to mention senseless, for these Christians to be favoring the wealthy instead of respecting all people and treating all people the same.

The royal law

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. (James 2:8 NIV)

It all boils down to this very simple principle. And it’s not a new one. It’s found in Leviticus 19:18 –

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. (NIV)

We don’t have to figure things out; all we need to do is what this verse tells us to do! That sounds simple, but practicing this kind of agape love cuts against the human grain. It’s not normal to treat others this way. But Christians aren’t called to be normal! John Broger helps us out –

Learning how to love your neighbor requires a willingness to draw on the strength of Jesus Christ as you die to self and live for Him. Living in this manner allows you to practice biblical love for others in spite of adverse circumstances or your feelings to the contrary.

This is called “the royal law” because it is the supreme law that must govern all human relationships and because it was given by God and later by His Son.

But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. (James 2:9 NIV)

In showing partiality, a believer is breaking the royal law. It is, in fact, a blatant sin. And it’s a serious one. William Barclay tells how serious a violation it is –

A man may be in every all respects a good man; and yet he may spoil himself by one fault. He may be moral in his action, pure in his speech, meticulous in his devotion. But he may be hard and self-righteous; ridgid and unsympathetic; and, so on, and his goodness is spoiled.

It’s as simple as this: We can’t please God in this life if our conduct violates the royal law. That’s how important it is.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12, 13 NIV)

The beauty of salvation, and the thing that makes it so attractive, is that we are set free and are now governed, not by laws and regulation, but by the law of liberty. However, the law of liberty is a double edged sword. We who enjoy it will be judged by it. The two imperatives are placed at the beginning of the verse because the emphasis is on them: “speak” and “act.” Not only are they in the place of emphasis, but they are present-tense verbs, meaning “speaking and acting” in the proper way should be a way of life, not a one-time deal. We are to “speak” and “act” always consciously aware that we will be judged accordingly. Even so, and fortunate for us, God is a God of mercy and, therefore, He will show mercy even in judgment. In the words of John Stott:

The Gospel is the good news of mercy to the undeserving. They symbol of the religion of Jesus is the Cross, not the scales.

In light of this admittedly difficult teaching, we can only pray the words of Psalm 139 –

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23, 24 NIV)

Work your faith

The Pauline teaching on justification by faith is so powerful, but James makes an equally powerful and compelling argument for the other side of that teaching –

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (James 2:20 NIV)

In other words, it’s not enough to talk the faith, you must live it – deeds must accompany confession. And the deeds that accompany faith must reflect the moral character of God. It’s more than “What Would Jesus Do,” it’s doing what Jesus did and allowing Him to act through you. Spurgeon –

Faith and works are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith.

That’s pretty uncomplicated. The important bit is what Spurgeon wrote about “trusting God.” Paul understood that was essential, not just for salvation, but also for conduct.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9 – 11 NIV)

Paul referred to the “works of faith” as “fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” And when we live by the Spirit, the Spirit lives through us –

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

Works are supposed to follow faith, and works are the perfect barometer of where our true faith lies. Our good works won’t produce salvation, but if we possess salvation, we will produce good works. We are Christ’s representatives on earth, so we are obligated to live as He did.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10 NIV)

Faith without works is dead because faith transforms life. We become “new creations” when we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ. A new life of faith results.

Biblical Faith, Part 6

Published September 1, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: biblical faith, generational blessings, Hebrews 11, Moses, true faith

We tend to think faith is all about us. We possess it, therefore we believe God has given it to benefit us, the one who possesses it. We’re such a self-centered people. In our previous studies of this topic, we discovered that faith isn’t all about us. It does involve us and faith does benefit us. But faith is primarily about God – God working out His will in our lives for the benefit of, first of all, His kingdom, and secondary, for our benefit. And then there’s this:

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. (Hebrews 11:20 | NIV84)

Did Isaac have that power? Do we have that power? Do believers have the power to bless others? Specifically, does the present generation have the power to bless the upcoming generation? That’s a good question, and how you answer it will determine the kind of parent you are and what the future of your children will look like. The short answer is “yes,” Christian parents do have the power to bless their children. Unfortunately, many Christian parents think so little of their faith, that they rob their children of this essential blessing. They don’t know it. They’re not bad parents. They’re not bad Christians. But they don’t understand the spiritual power that resides within them.

Let’s take a look at how this works by looking once again at the patriarchs.

The blessings of faith

Faith, it has been said, “gives to its possessor the eyes of the seer, and a quiet confidence in the future of God’s people.” That’s a good way to look at the issue. And it hints at the kind of power faith endows its possessor with: “the eyes of the seer.” The ability to see life beyond the horizon. That’s what faith gives us, and that’s part of the blessing Christian parents may pass on to their children. The son, grandson, and great grandson of Abraham span the generations and centuries by faith, and in their declining years with death approaching, the patriarchs Jacob and Joseph passed on blessings and instructions concerning the Promised Land.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. (Hebrews 11:20 | NIV84)

With this verse, the writer of this letter begins to show us what the tradition of the “patriarchal blessings” involves. In the case of Abraham, it was Isaac that received his father’s blessing, not his brother Ishmael. It’s not that there was something wrong with Ishmael, it’s that Isaac was destined to become the son of the Promise. In the following generation, it was Jacob, not his brother Esau, that received his father’s blessing. Again, it wasn’t that Esau was an evil person, it was God’s will that the Promise be passed onto Jacob. And in the generation that followed, it wasn’t Rueben, Jacob’s first-born that received the blessing, it was Joseph who was blessed. And it wasn’t Joseph’s first born who received the blessing, it was Ephraim who received the choice blessing.

What this teaches us about God is vitally important for the modern believer to understand. It is God who is in control, and His sovereign will does not abide by man’s traditions or rules. In other words, regardless of our wants and wishes; regardless of what our society deems to be the norm, God’s will is accomplished as He sees fit.

Yet, God still used those to whom He had given a measure of faith. Each of the patriarchs blessed their children with a prophetic insight, and while each time a single son was blessed with that special blessing related to the Promise, all the children were blessed.

But we notice something else. In addition to passing on God’s blessing to the next generation, something else was passed on:

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. (Hebrews 11:21-22 | NIV84)

Words of worship and instruction were passed on. God’s Word was given to the younger generation by the older one. They didn’t have a Bible – no Old or New Testament to read to them – all they had was the promise given to Abraham. That’s all these patriarchs had, and that’s what they gave to their children. That Word from God was never forgotten; it was so important it was spoken from the deathbed, as it were.

What Joseph taught his family is important. Of all the things Joseph could have talked about; of all his amazing experiences he could have passed on to his family, he chose the Promise, and how his descendants would relate to it. Again, it’s the prophetic insight talking.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” (Genesis 50:23c-25 | NIV84)

He actually spoke those words to brothers, though his descendants would have heard them too. The thread of the promise binds the patriarchs in faith that transcends time.

It’s the thread of the Word of God that binds your family together, too, and it transcends time. Of all the things we can pass on to our posterity, none is more vitally important than God’s Word. We want so much to pass on a heritage – usually financial – to our children, without realizing how temporal that kind of heritage is. It’s dangerous too because unearned wealth almost always causes problems. The Word of God, though, is what solves problems. It was Peter who said these words in one of his great sermons:

“The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39 | NIV84)

Indeed it is. The Christian parent receives it and passes it on to their children. Or, at least they’re supposed to. If you are a believing parent, hopefully you have or are passing the Word of God onto your children. But even if you aren’t a parent, you’re still on the hook. Others may be blessed by your faith. That’s right! If you are living a life of faith, then all those whom you rub shoulders with, stand to be blessed simply because of your possession of faith.

Now, that’s some kind of power you have!

The secrets of faith

By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. (Hebrews 11:23 | NIV84)

The theme of faith working within a family unit is carried on in Hebrews 11:23. Moses’ parents exercised incredible faith when they defied “the law of the land” in hiding their infant son. If Abraham is considered to be the spiritual father of all believers, everywhere, then Moses must be be seen as the father of the nation of Israel. It was essential for him to grow into adulthood. Moses’ parents saw a certain “something” in their infant son that told them he must survive in spite of the Pharaoh’s determination of destroy the Israel within the nation of Egypt by killing all baby boys. What Moses’ parents saw in their son is not stated. Josephus, writing in his Antiquities of the Jews, relates that Amram, father of Moses, had a vision from God, in which he was told not to fear or despair because Moses would be Israel’s deliverer. No wonder, then, they took the chance to let their baby son go, floating down the Nile. They, like Abraham before them, were instructed by God to do something crazy.

There’s the prophetic insight again, working with faith for the blessing of the next (and future) generations. The parents exercised faith, and faith combined with prophetic insight, led to Moses surviving, prospering, and eventually delivering his people out of the land of Egypt and into the land of Promise. But the future had happened yet. It hinged on Amram and Jochebed being obedient to God and risking the very life of Moses.

Because Moses had parents that followed the Word of the Lord, we read this:

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. (Hebrews 11:24-25 | NIV84)

Where did Moses get his character? He was the “son of Pharaoh’s daughter,” but he was raised by his own mother. The man’s character descended from his real parents, not his adopted parents. Over in the New Testament, Stephen, who had access to records we don’t, said this of Moses:

When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. (Acts 7:21-23 | NIV84)

Moses had it all going for him. He might have risen to the highest rank possible within his adopted family, perhaps even ascending to the very throne of Egypt. But he would have none of that. He refused to be identified with the Egyptians, choosing instead to suffer along with his people, the people of God. Hebrews says it was “by faith” that Moses came to this shocking decision. At 40 years of age, Moses deliberately and thoughtfully of his own free will chose to side with the Israelites.

Moses’ faith was manifested in a forthright choice. How is your faith manifested? Is it manifested in eternal pursuits or temporal ones? The pleasures of Egypt would have lasted just a short time. Association with God’s people might bring some hardship, but it would be temporary, with a bright future waiting just over the horizon.

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (Hebrews 11:26 | NIV84)

This is fascinating verse for three reasons. First, the writer to the Hebrews mentions Christ. Of course, Jesus Christ hadn’t been born when Moses walked the earth, so why mention Him at all in relation to Moses? It has to do with that prophetic insight. In the original Greek, the definite article is there, making it “the Christ.” Moses did what he did for the sake of the Christ, the writer of this letter wrote. Moses never used the name “Messiah,” but clearly his actions were motivated by an awareness that at some point in the future, the Messiah, the Christ, the Final Deliverer, would come. Christ, like faith, transcends time.

Second, we have a stark comparison between spiritual riches (disgrace for the sake of Christ) and earthly treasure (the treasures of Egypt). Spiritual riches are infinitely more valuable than earthly ones, and often come disguised as persecution. Jesus clarifies this for us in Matthew 5:11, 12 –

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12 | NIV84)

Moses did what he did – he gave up everything he had in the world and risked his life – because he was pursuing a spiritual objective which would end in his “reward.”

And finally, what about this “reward?” Scripture teaches in the clearest way possible that salvation cannot be earned. Yet we see the word “reward” all over the New Testament. No man can earn salvation, but God rewards man on the basis of divine sovereignty, not merit. Simply put in a way our finite minds can grasp, the believer’s reward has everything to do with his obedience to the Word of God.

We’ve looked at how faith works within the family. Christian parents have a responsibility to bless their children by passing on to them the Word of God. It’s that Word that activates God’s richest blessings in their lives. The power you, as a believing mother or father, have is to bless your children with the Word of God. It’s life-changing. It’s life-preserving. In the case of Moses, it’s life-saving. The faith of his parents translated into a godly character, which in turn caused Moses to become a man of faith; a man who in turn would bless an entire nation because he exercised the kind of faith he learned from his real parents.

James, Part 1

Published August 28, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: James, patience, trials

The apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament, but he didn’t write the letter we call James. Still, the shortest and best commentary on the whole letter written by James is a single verse written by Paul:

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6 | NIV84)

That’s the theme of James in eleven words.

Authorship

The identity of the author of this letter presents himself in 1:1 –

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. (James 1:1 | NIV84)

We learn two interesting things about this “James.” First, he must have been well-known to his readers. He gives only his first name with no other means of identification, like a last name or a location or a statement of affiliation. He assumed his readers would know who he was. And second, he showed a lot of humility; he wished to be known only as a “servant of…Jesus.”

In all, there were five men named James mentioned in the New Testament. James, the son of Zebedee, brother of John. He was a prominent apostle, always mentioned near the top of any list of apostles. No scholar thinks he wrote this letter for he was martyred by Harod Agrippa I very early in the history of the Church. Another James, who was the son of Alphaeus, was also a follower of Jesus, but is dismissed as the writer of this letter. A third James, who had the unfortunate moniker, James the Less, or James the Shorter, was present at the Crucifixion, but was otherwise virtually invisible. Still another James was the father of Judas (not Iscariot), and that’s his only claim to fame.

The fifth James is the James most scholars believe wrote the letter. He is our Lord’s brother, or more accurately, His half-brother. He was not an apostle of Jesus and was late to the party, so to speak. But James rose quickly to prominence in the early Church, in spite of the fact that he was not a believer until after Jesus’ resurrection. His devotion, however, was complete. Church historian Eusebius notes that James spent so much time on his knees praying that they became like those of a camel.

Destination

His letter is addressed to Jews who had been “scattered among the nations.” So it was probably what we call a “circular letter,” not written to any one group of Jewish-Christians in particular, but meant to be read and copied and circulated to many groups of believers. These “scattered Jews” were probably the Jewish believers who fled Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen and the widespread persecutions broke out.

Another Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote about the martyrdom of James as occurring around 62 AD, so this letter must have been written before that date.

Controversy

James’ letter has been in our Bibles for as long as the oldest member of the congregation can remember. But it wasn’t always. Martin Luther had a real problem with this letter and it’s emphasis on justification by works. This verse drove Luther crazy –

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (James 2:24 | NIV84)

The one-time monk thought that Paul’s emphasis on justification by faith was more important for Christians to practice. His opinion of James’ letter caused some to question its inspiration and its place in the canon of Scripture. Fortunately for us, eventually the theological eggheads came to realize the powerful and vital message of James came to us straight from the mind and heart of God.

Growing through trouble

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2-3 | NIV84)

Presbyterian theologian B.B. Warfield wrote this –

If [God] governs all, then nothing but good can befall those to whom He would do good. He will so govern all things that we shall reap only good from all that befalls us.

That’s a good attitude to have when you face problems in life. The readers of James’ letter were facing all kinds of troubles (troubles of “many colors” in the Greek), so many and of such great magnitude that their very faith was being tested. These first century believers had it bad, but the truth is we all face trials, or we will face them. We don’t have a choice. These trials are not of our choosing nor of our making. We “fall” into them, usually when we least expect it or at the most inconvenient of times.

James wrote that we should be joyful when this happens. We might think James had lost his mind writing such a thing. But somebody else thought exactly the same way about trials that test our faith:

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:6, 7 NIV)

Neither Peter nor James suggest Christians should rejoice when they get into trouble because of their misbehavior or mistakes. The idea is to rejoice when, seemingly out of the blue, a trial floats into our lives. Contrary to the normal, fleshly response to trials, Christians need to consider them to be a foundation for joy. This joy is not happiness or pleasure. Only somebody with severe mental problems would be “happy” in the midst of a trial! Christian joy is defined by Adamson like this:

A man’s pleasure in his (and his brother’s) progress toward Christian salvation.

Perseverance

B.B. Warfield’s perspective is the Biblical perspective. When trials come – and they will – instead of seeking to avoid them or cut them short, we need to realize that God has allowed them to touch us for a purpose: to teach how to persevere and grow into Christian maturity. Face it, during any trial or testing of our faith, He’s in control of the situation from start to finish.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4 NIV)

What we view as negative is really a great positive that will force us to grow into maturity, strengthening our faith and our character. That’s why need to let the trial run its course. Gloria Gaither, who may not be a theologian in the same class as Warfield, wrote something just as profound (and easier to understand!):

No matter what we are going through, no matter how long the waiting for answers, of one thing we may be sure: God is faithful.

Amen to that! God is faithful, and He provides these trials, making them wonderful opportunities for growth. They are wonderful opportunities for something else. When we face trials the way James says we should, we get to see a side of God we don’t normally see. And that’s precious; it’s a blessing (in disguise!).

Not all Christians are serious about their faith, but Paul reminds us of something very profound –

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted… (2 Timothy 3:12 NIV)

Or, as we might say today, “The more seriously you take your faith, the hotter it will get for you!”

Perspective

James makes it clear that trials are valuable and work for us, not against us, when faced the right way. But when we fall into trials, our perspective isn’t always right; we don’t make the right judgments because our spiritual vision has been warped by the trial. James understands this, so he gives this piece of indispensable advice:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5 NIV)

That’s right! In the midst of a many-colored trial, what we need most of all is wisdom! We don’t need perseverance; the trial is giving us that. We need wisdom not only to cope with the trial, but also to understand how that trial is shaping us and molding us into the kind of people God wants us to become. The wisdom we need won’t come to us unless we pray in faith for it. In the midst of the trial, we need to have the presence of mind to pray in faith. When we do, God will give us the wisdom to see with the right perspective.

Blessing

It’s human nature to avoid pain. Christians aren’t immune to this. Our first instinct is to run from a trial; to find a way around it or to end it prematurely. To do this may make sense to our human nature, but our spiritual nature is different. When we end a trial too soon, we are short changing our spiritual nature!

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 NIV)

This is a powerful verse because it serves as a bridge between two ideas. First, James makes this verse his conclusion to his discussion about trials. And what a conclusion it is! The man who faces trials with courage and joy is blessed. The Greek word also means “happy,” and it’s the same word Jesus used in His Sermon on the Mount. It has to do with the “inner quality” of life; things like peace, contentment, and even satisfaction. All these things – things man is always searching for, sometimes spending a fortune trying to attain – can be sustained and even acquired in spite of external difficulties. This special “God-based happiness” isn’t so much an emotional feeling, although it may be sometimes. It’s really a state of happiness or blessedness Christians can experience in this life as citizens of God’s kingdom. Just like being able to vote is a perk reserved for citizens of a country, so spiritual happiness is a perk of our Heavenly citizenship! What we are allowed to experience now is but a glimpse of our future lives in the kingdom. What needs to be noted is that this wonderful happiness or blessedness is not the result of being free of trials, but is rather a result of the perseverance that comes from facing trials the right way.

Second, verse 12 also introduces a different but related topic.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone… (James 1:13 NIV)

The trials that Christians face can actually tempt us to sin. The trial itself is not sinful, nor is it a temptation from God, for God never tempts anybody to sin. That trial, however, may tempt us to sin, if we don’t face it the right way, with wisdom from God. The immediate goal for the believer is to endure the trial by facing it with wisdom, coming forth victorious, not yielding to the temptations of the flesh that adversity tends to produce. Again, the need for divine wisdom cannot be overstated. Wisdom is also needed to spot the way out God provides the believer:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

The believer who avoids the temptation to sin (but endures the trial) will receive “the crown of life.” Just what does this mean? The Bible frequently speaks of rewards faithful Christians will receive at the end of this life. Jesus Himself spoke of the rewards persecuted believers will receive:

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven… (Matthew 5:12 NIV)

And Paul wrote about rewards for faithful service:

If what has been built [his work] survives, the builder will receive a reward. (1 Corinthians 3:14 NIV)

Those are real rewards, but they aren’t what James had in mind. “Life” in James 1:12 is appositional, in other words, the phrase looks like this: “the crown that is life.” But even that’s not quite right, for “life” also has the article, “the,” making it “the crown of the life.” Eternal life, THE life, is the reward for enduring trials and resisting temptation.

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