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James, Part 5

Published September 29, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Anointing, anointing oil, Christian persecution, James, medication, Wealth

Simon Legree

King Solomon, who knew a thing or two about wealth, wrote this:

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. (Proverbs 10:22 NIV)

We know this is true because it was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and since we believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture, that verse not only conveys God’s thoughts on the matter, but also the words He would have used had He written personally. John Milton wrote something about wealth, too. What he wrote isn’t inspired, but it’s noteworthy:

There is nothing that makes men rich and strong but that which they carry inside of them. Wealth is of the heart, not of the hand.

Riches may be a blessing of the Lord, but wealth without the Lord’s blessing is always accompanied by trouble in the form of jealousy, misery, oppression, theft, murder, abuse, and even fear. A believer may start out with love for God and neighbor, but that love can become love for wealth and money when that believer takes his eyes off God and begins to pursue the things of the world. When possessing wealth and money becomes more important that possessing God, a believer becomes a friend of the world and an enemy of God.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10 NIV)

Pursue justice

Wealthy church members need not be offended because James 5:1 – 6 is directed at wealth unbelievers; Christians are not the targets of James’ admonitions. That comes later on the chapter.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. (James 5:1 NIV)

Wealthy people, by the way, are never condemned anywhere in the Bible simply because they are wealthy. Rather, God always warns against the temptations to which the wealthy are especially prone. Wealth without God’s blessing, as noted previously, causes problems. That’s why even the Apocrypha says this:

Lose your money to a brother and a friend, and let it not rust hidden beneath a stone. (Sirach 29:10)

James has in mind unbelievers who are in the habit of hoarding their riches. Here’s a good example of the power and influence of the Word of God. It’s teachings are for everybody, believer or not. James will deal with wealthy believer in a few verses, but here’s his warning to the non-Christian –

Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. (James 4:2, 3 NIV)

Unsaved people already live lives that are empty, unsatisfied, and often full of misery and fear, but wealth that is hoarded piles on even more problems. Wealth takes many forms, but James teaches all forms of wealth, if hoarded, will rot, will get eaten up, and corrode over time. His more famous half-brother taught the same thing, a few years earlier –

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19 – 21 NIV)

Nothing in this world is permanent, as much as we may wish otherwise. When wealth is not used for positive things, like helping other people, it testifies against the person who possesses it. In other words, that wealth will most certainly harm the possessor, or at the very least, that hoarded wealth won’t do the poor schlub any good at all.

Christians shouldn’t live like that; ungodly people do, but Christians shouldn’t. Our attitude toward wealth and earthly possessions should be based on the notion that not a single possession is permanent; they are all like the waves of the sea – they come and go. How foolish is it to build your destiny on the instability and impermanence of earthly riches? Instead, believers ought to receive God’s blessings with gratitude but then use them wisely, for the glory of God and the benefit of others. Why is this benevolence and philanthropy so important? It’s because when we take note of the needs of others and do what we can to help them out, we are reflecting God’s generosity toward us.

But remember, James is addressing unbelievers, and pretty despicable ones at that. They were guilty of treating other people very shabbily.

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. (James 6:4 NIV)

James is addressing certain wealthy people, not all of them. These verses shouldn’t be read with a universal application. Not all wealthy people and business owners are like this; most of them are not. God always hears the cries of the oppressed. He heard the Israelites in Egypt and when any person or people are oppressed or caused to suffer anywhere in the world, God hears them. He is the great equalizer. The wealthy who hoard their wealth thus causing others to suffer will themselves be the recipients of suffering caused their attitude toward what they possess. That’s the Biblical “law of reciprocity” at work. A person reaps what they sow. A lot of people are familiar with that so-called law even if they don’t know it’s in the Bible. But here it is in its full context –

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:7 – 10 NIV)

It’s pretty clear. When God blesses people, they are to bless others. This is especially true of Christians.

The last beef James has against these wealthy unbelievers relates to something he wrote back in chapter 2 –

Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? (James 2:6 NIV)

And here James fleshes out what he wrote above –

You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. (James 5:6 NIV)

It’s not Jesus James is referring to, although you might find some Bible scholars who think that. Apparently James is addressing a particular incident that happened. Some wealthy unbelievers had literally dragged at least one innocent righteous man into court and had him executed for no reason.

Rarely does a New Testament writer turn his attention to anybody outside the church, but here James is fullbore accusing these men of a crime.

Be patient

Knowing what we know now, we can easily understand why James encouraged his readers earlier on in his letter. They were facing persecution – all kinds of persecution including that from these wealthy unbelievers. The persecution was bad enough, but it seemed to the Christians that these non-Christians were prospering in spite of what they were doing. That’s a seeming inequity believers in God have long wondered about.

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. (Psalm 73:3, 4 NIV)

Believers need to be careful what thoughts they allow to remain in their heads! If you’re not careful and you dwell on the unfairness of it all, you’ll slip into sin. Patience is what’s needed.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. (James 5:7 NIV)

This sounds like a cliché, but it really is the very best way to approach the situation of persecution and suffering, and for two very good reasons. First, when the Lord returns in glory, the ungodly will be judged. They will finally get theirs and all their wealth and prestige will be for nothing. And second, when the Lord returns believers will be completely vindicated in every way.

If we truly believe this, then our attitude should reflect it.

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:9 NIV)

More good advice from James! We ought to be careful what attitudes we harbor because those attitudes will dictate our actions. The Lord who is returning is also the Judge. That should govern what we think and how we behave. Lee Strobel comments –

Acrid bitterness inevitably seeps into the lives of people who harbor grudges and suppress anger, and bitterness is always a poison. It keeps your pain alive instead of letting you deal with it and get beyond it. Bitterness sentences you to relive the hurt over and over.

Respect the Lord’s Name!

All of a sudden, James takes a sharp turn:

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. (James 5:12 NIV)

A lot of Christians like to take this verse and apply it globally. That is, some see this as a complete prohibition of all oath-taking. That’s not what James is getting at here. “Above all” is a phrase the NIV uses to tie the admonition of verse 12 to what he’s been dealing with. In spite of all the persecution, Christians need to be patient because the Lord is coming back and He will make everything right. Christians should take care to treat all people, rich or poor, equitably. Christians should keep it simple: just say “yes” or “no” and stop misusing the Lord’s good Name. The Christian should be honest in his attitudes, honest in his actions, and honest in his speech. Using the Lord’s Name to buttress questionable attitudes must never happen. D.A. Carson made a shrewd observation –

No oath is necessary for the truthful person.

Learn to depend on God

Here’s more good advice for these persecuted Christians who were trying to gain the favor of the wealthy people who were persecuting them: Depend of God! Instead of wasting time and effort currying the favor of people harming them; instead of misusing God’s name, these Christians needed to learn how to depend on God through praying properly.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. (James 5:13 NIV)

Don’t complain, don’t grumble, don’t seek to mollify those mean, nasty rich people! Pray about it! Turn to God and depend on Him. And if you’re happily living without persecution for the moment, thank God for it. In other words, God should always be first on the mind of believers no matter what the circumstance.

Included in circumstances one should depend on God is sickness. James gives Christians the template for dealing with that circumstance –

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14 NIV)

That’s more good advice from James, an elder himself. If a Christian is sick, he should call for guys like himself – elders from the church – to come and pray for them and anoint them with oil. By adding the phrase, “in the name of the Lord,” James is simply saying that both acts need to be done in faith believing that God’s will concerning the sick person will be done.

A word about the word “anoint.” The Greek word James used, aleipsantes, is not – NOT – sacramental or sacred anointing, but rather a word that simply means to “smear.” James is not advising a religious use of oil here. For example, when we want to fix a leaky door, we don’t “anoint” the hinge with oil, we “oil” it. That’s what James is getting at. In the first century of the Church, oil was used by sick people like sick people today use aspirin. If you were sick during James’ day, you would apply some oil to your hurting body. Today we take two aspirins and call the doctor in the morning. What James is getting at here is powerful common sense. When you are sick (in any age), trust God and call your pastor or an elder to come and pray for you. But take an aspirin, too. Do both things trusting the Lord will bring about His will for you.

James, Part 4

Published September 21, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: God's will, James, obedience

It’s a classic movie, but it’s wrong. God should be your pilot, not your co-pilot! If He’s your co-pilot, it’s time to switch seats!

The very first thing you notice as chapter 3 ends and chapter 4 begins is the sharp contrast between how one chapter ends and the other begins.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:17, 18 NIV)

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:1, 2 NIV)

Those were some Christians James was writing to! Of them, he wrote: “You desire but do not have, so you kill.” I hope James was exaggerating. But you never know. Worldliness isn’t a problem unique to the American Church of the 21st century. It’s always been a problem – the elephant in the sanctuary pastors are afraid to confront for fear of offending a member or two. James, however, wasn’t afraid to address the issue. And it should be addressed in the strongest possible terms because worldliness isn’t just the polar opposite of righteousness; it’s something that destroys a Christian testimony, makes God look bad, and rips apart churches. It causes non-Christians to shake their head and roll their eyes in derision when Christians, who know better, are caught displaying worldly attitudes.

Far from being worldly, Christians are called to be righteous and to display the righteousness of Christ through their lives. That’s a challenge for Christians today, as it was during James’ day.

Controlling your desires

If you think the early church was characterized by peace and harmony, you couldn’t be more wrong. Just after Pentecost, we are told:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. (Acts 4:32a NIV)

But that didn’t last long. Within a decade, the young church looked a lot like our churches today, filled with quarreling, hard feelings, envy, and selfishness. In the first verse, James is likely using figurative language but his point is well taken. Actual killing wasn’t going on, but worldly attitudes were killing relationships and breaking hearts, giving truth to the old saying:

Wars without come from wars within.

How we treat other people starts with our attitude – not about the people, but about the world. If we set our hearts on the world and what the world can give us, we are in trouble. When we “covet,” we necessarily end up hurting other people as the object of our desire becomes more important than the person or people in our lives may be. A.F. Harper observes –

The basic trouble is that you allow unholy desires to possess your spirits. Those desires if uncleansed and unchecked lead to spiritual disaster.

The Christian is potentially the most deluded person on earth. They covet. They desire things contrary to God’s will. So they engage some prayerful chicanery –

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:3 NIV)

The worldly Christian is so spiritually dull he doesn’t know what God’s will is. He foolishly imagines that his wants and desires constitute God’s – will so much so that he prays for his wants and desires not knowing he’s wasting his time. Naturally God won’t give him the answer he’s looking for since that answer isn’t His will in the first place! Deluded and frustrated, this carnal Christian gets the wrong idea of God. To Him God can’t be trusted and his faith just “doesn’t work,” so why bother? Having a worldly attitude always results in a ruined spiritual life.

But James is also trying teach us a little something about prayer. James had wrote –

You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:2b NIV)

We ought to be asking God for everything in our lives, but our motives have to be right. The things we are asking for need to be within God’s will and our motives need to respect that will. If God doesn’t give us what we’ve asked for, we shouldn’t then turn around and covet the thing.

Why is it important to control our desires? Why is worldliness and a worldly attitude so bad? It’s not just bad form, it’s a outright sin.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4 NIV)

James likens worldliness to adultery. Straddling the line, as any driver can tell you, is dangerous. You’re always safest on your own side of the road. A Christian can’t straddle the line for long, either. You can’t be a friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time. James isn’t teaching a new thing. Jesus said this –

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24 NIV)

Worldliness is like spiritual adultery. Of this attitude, one Bible scholar noted –

Worldliness is succumbing to the seductions of a fallen world. Worldliness is being concerned with worldly affairs to the neglect of spiritual needs. Worldliness is the state of being directed by the outward influences of the surrounding culture. Christians must reject worldliness.

The opposite of a worldly attitude

Or what do you think the Scripture means when it says that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, watches over us with tender jealousy? But he gives us more and more strength to stand against all such evil longings. As the Scripture says, God gives strength to the humble but sets himself against the proud and haughty. (James 4:5, 6 TLB)

If we belong to God, our worldly attitudes necessarily have to go. If we, for whatever reason, cherish as friend worldly attitudes, we become – we make ourselves – the enemy of God. But the opposite to a worldly attitude is that of humility. Augustine cleverly noted –

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.

We’re not exactly sure what Scripture James had in mind when he wrote verse 5, but his point is well taken. God wants our undivided attention. God has placed within every believer His Holy Spirit, and He is intensely concerned about our attitude. And the Holy Spirit will help any believer who wants the help to overcome any worldliness that may be lingering in his life.

It may well be that James had Exodus 34:14 in the back of his mind –

Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (NIV)

Our God is a jealous God and He allows no rivals; He refuses to share our love with any other so-called god. It’s our complete loyalty, love, and devotion He’s after because those are the things He has given us. The best thing we can do to build our relationship with God into a strong and functional one is to humbly admit our worldly tendencies and then allow the Holy Spirit to change us.

A worldly Christian is in love with himself and the world; he is always looking for ways to make himself feel good. He may go to church, sing in the choir and to everybody appear to be a model Christian. Yet if he refuses to come closer to God he is condemned by God because of his pride.

Get close to God

In our struggle against worldliness, there are two things we should be doing all the time:

So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 TLB)

A great many Christians want the latter without bothering with the former. But the truth is, you can only resist the devil IF you first “give yourself” or “submit” to God. Very simply that means living in obedience to God. So if you can’t obey God, you won’t be able to resist the devil, hence you will sin, or more accurately, you’ll forever remain in the rut of sin, unable to get out of it.

It seems like such a no-brainer, it’s a wonder all Christians aren’t running around, resisting the devil all the time. But we know that certainly isn’t the case. As to why so few are, the answer is found in the word – humbly. We are supposed to be submitting to God humbly, but since so many of us have problems with that part of the deal, we choose to sin.

Make God part of your life

The theme of the last paragraph of James 4 is a simple one: Self-centered living produces Christians who ignore God’s will.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” (James 4:13 NIV)

That’s probably addressed to you. And to me. We all make plans, and we naturally expect God to fall in line with them. Dr McGee, in his commentary on the Bible, makes an interesting comment about Christians who “make big plans for the future.”

It has taken me a long time to learn just to play it by ear.

That’s a tongue-in-cheek thing to write, but he’s not wrong. We all have to make plans, but in all our planning we have to be very careful not to plan God out of our lives. God does exist and we need to plan our futures around Him and His will. Being a worldly Christian doesn’t always mean behaving like the prodigal son or Judas Iscariot. Sometimes worldliness manifests itself in something as simple as indifference – indifference to God in the form of disregarding His presence and His will.

What is the mark of a true Christian as opposed to a “cultural Christian”? It’s this: A true, born again believer in and disciple of Jesus Christ not only believes that God exists, but he lives like he believes He exists. A cultural Christian believes in God but lives as though He doesn’t exist by never considering His will for their daily lives.

Why is it so important for Christians to seek after God’s will and to live according to it? Verse 14 provides the obvious answer: We don’t know what the future holds. Human beings without consideration of God, foolishly make plans as if they know what they will be doing or where they will be living years down the road. We act as though we are secure, but the opposite is the truth. We are frail. We are, in God’s long view of things, here today and gone tomorrow.

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15 NIV)

But really, James was just echoing thoughts of Psalm 102:11-

My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. (NIV)

And that’s why Christians (and intelligent sinners) shouldn’t live presumptuous lives. God should always be the “silent partner” in all our plans and work. He should be consulted and His will followed when He reveals it to us. As one scholar put it:

The boaster forgets that life depends on the will of God. The right feeling is, both my life and my actions are determined by Him.

It’s not what we say but how we live that shows the world that we belong to Christ.

James, Part 3

Published September 8, 2015 Uncategorized 1 Comment
Tags: James, speech, teachers, Tongue

The third chapter of James is all about minding your P’s and Q’s. A verse in the Old Testament book of Proverbs gives us the theme of this wonderful chapter:

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18 NIV)

Dr McGee has written a book on James 3 with the provocative title, “Hell on Fire,” describing the nature of “the tongue.” That’s a good title, and I wish I had thought of it first. As Christians, minding our P’s and Q’s should not be taken as putting a limit on free speech. I’m a free speech absolutist, after all. But what James says about the tongue has nothing to do with curbing free speech, but rather he is intent on showing us the power our words have and the responsibility believers have in taking care of what they say, how they say it, and even to whom it is said.

To be fair, the people in James’ crosshairs aren’t just church members, but rather teachers within the church, or wannbe teachers within the church. That being the strict contextual case, however, doesn’t mean the rest of us can just skip James 3. What James has to say about the tongue is applicable to all believers, not just teachers or wannabe teachers. In fact, here in chapter 3, James is picking up on a thought he introduced back in the first chapter:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19, 20 NIV)

And those verses were addressed to all members of the church, not just teachers. True religion should always influence a person’s life, especially what a person says. Donald Burdick in his commentary on James offers the perfect division of James 3:

The responsibility of teachers, 3:1, 2

The influence of the tongue, 3:3 – 6

The perversity of the tongue, 3:7 – 12

Control your speech

Controlling your tongue is part of Christian works, which James had been talking about through most of chapter 2. The mark of a mature Christian is proper control of one’s speech. R. Kent Hughes, pastor emeritus of College Church wrote this –

The true test of a man’s spirituality is not ability to speak, as we are apt to think, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue.

True enough. By introducing the tropic of “teachers,” James is giving us a glimpse into the workings of the early church. We get the impression that some or many of his readers were wanting to become teachers within their particular congregation. Verse one, then, is a kind of warning against that. It’s not that James doesn’t want more teachers within a church, but he wants the right people to be teaching a congregation for the right reasons.

Churches need to have teachers, and the Holy Spirit sovereignly gifts certain people within a congregation with the gift of teaching.

And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets,third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28 NIV)

Paul taught that when a church looks for people to fill certain positions, they should choose elders who are “able to teach,” among other things.

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… (1 Timothy 3:1, 2 NIV)

However, both Paul and James stress that those wanting to teach within the church should understand their motives and recognize the awesome responsibility that comes with such a position.

We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. (James 3:2 NIV)

In the Greek, verse 2 begins with the tiny word gar, meaning “for.” James is giving us the reason for what he wrote in verse 1. The teacher’s responsibility is heavy because the tongue is so hard to control. This applies to those wanting to teach, but also to all believers. We all have to keep a watch on our speech. All believers will “stumble,” points to the universality of sin. Even the best teacher in a congregation will inevitably misspeak. That’s not an excuse, but a statement of fact. It behooves all Christians, but especially teachers and those seeking to become teachers, to recognize this fact.

The tongue is so important – speech is so important – that if a person is able to control it 100% of the time, then he is a “perfect man.” This is a clever way to say that if a church can find a man who never sins with his tongue, he would never sin any other way, either.

Bridling the tongue

Verses 3 – 5 show us how little things can have far-reaching effects. James brilliantly uses the bridle as an example. A small thing in the mouth of a great big horse is able to control the whole animal. A ship’s rudder is tiny (and invisible) when compared to the overall size of ship, yet it controls where the ship goes. The third illustration is the one James uses to expose the damage that can be done by the tongue.

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. (James 3:5 NIV)

The destructive nature of the tongue

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:6 NIV)

The tongue can either be controlled or it can destroy. Like a fire, the tongue is potentially dangerous and destructive if it is not controlled. Curtis Vaugn wrote this of the tongue –

It can sway men to violence, or it can move them to the noblest actions. It can instruct the ignorant, encourage the dejected, comfort the sorrowing, and soothe the dying. Or, it can crush the human spirit, destroy reputations, spread distrust and hate, and bring nations to the brink of war.

He’s right about that. And as Steve Camp wrote, “The tongue is a fire. It’s an evil that no man can tame.” That’s what James suggests in the following verses –

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:7, 8 NIV)

Anybody who has ever struggled with over-eating or breaking any bad habit knows how difficult self-control is. And this is especially true of the tongue. “No man” is able to control his own tongue because it’s motivation to evil comes from powerful impulses originating outside of itself: The tongue is set on fire by hell. This doesn’t mean that God is unable to bring it under control. The tongue can’t be controlled by the person, but the tongue of the saved person can be controlled by the Holy Spirit, who resides in all believers. Fact is, the natural state of the tongue is that of a “restless evil,” that is, it’s always looking for trouble to drag its owner into. Tasker’s observation tells us that the whole tongue problem goes all the way back to the very beginning –

Because of the Fall, man has lost dominion over himself.

I can tell you that never a truer word has been written!

Previously James wrote this in regards to asking God for wisdom –

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6, 7 NIV)

He picks up this thought of man’s double-mindedness when it comes to the tongue and the worship of God –

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:9, 10 NIV)

The problem with a Christian who doesn’t mind is P’s and Q’s isn’t just that he’s probably hurting other believers, but that he’s treating God shabbily indeed. He’s the quintessential double-minded man. And, as James noted, that kind of person shouldn’t think he’ll get anything from God.

A double-talking tongue is out of place among Christians. It’s as incongruous in a believer as a fresh-and-salt water spring in the earth or as a fig tree bearing olives. It’s just ridiculous. In James’ mind it’s as simple as this: A good man speaks good words, and a sinful man speaks sinful words.

Speak and live wisely

Speaking wisely and living wisely require wisdom – the right kind of wisdom. James has already alluded to the fact that believers are probably short on wisdom and that they need to seek it from the Lord. There are all kinds of wisdom floating around on earth; just walk into any bookstore and see all the self-help books on the shelves and you’ll see what I mean. Earthly wisdom is good as far as it goes, but the Christian needs more. He needs wisdom from above.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17 NIV)

When we are obsessed with our own ideas instead of with the Lord and His, then we will always be finding a way to foist our ideas on people rather than exalting Him. When we are always seeking to advance our wills – like trying to become teachers in church – we can easily get into the nasty habit of using our speech to belittle or otherwise hurt others. Instead of being the peacemakers God wants us to be, we run around leaving strife and anger in our wakes.

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:18 NIV)

And we assume the opposite is also true. When a believer doesn’t allow the Holy Spirit to reign in his tongue, he’s not only a disturbance to the Body of Christ, he’s a disturbance to himself. He’s like that double-minded man James warned about: A guy unstable in all he does; completely untrustworthy.

James’ warning about the power of speech is important. Our tongues can build others up or tear them down. We may be born again, blood bought children of God, but that doesn’t automatically result in a tamed tongue. Like so many areas of the Christian life, it’s within our power to clean up our speech or not. God won’t do it for us. All believers, from the Pastor to the teacher on down the line, should strive to seek help from God to put into practice the admonitions from James and the words of Paul –

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

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.

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