(005 James) The Goodness of God in Adversity
Notes
Transcript
Handout
James is telling us about trails.
None of it makes sense in our economy.
First: Count it all joy when various levels of bad things happen.
Second: If you are poor person, boast that you are already exalted and if you are rich, understand that monetary wealth will not last.
Third: a truly well off person is not one with wealth but one who is endures under trials.
This does not make sense to us.
But James is going to tell us why it does.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
1. The warning.
1. The warning.
This warning connects the last passage with this passage.
Don’t be deceived into blaming God for your sin.
Don’t be deceived into being angry with God about the trials that are happening.
Don’t be deceived into wasting an opportunity for blessing.
Know the truth!
The enemy’s strategy is to convince us that the pursuing out own corrupt desires will somehow produce good things.
That getting out of trials is what is best for us.
Don’t let yourself be deceived into wrong thinking.
2. God is good and only gives good things.
2. God is good and only gives good things.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
2. God is good and only gives good things.
2. God is good and only gives good things.
(2)A. We enjoy the good gift of His sovereignty.
(2)A. We enjoy the good gift of His sovereignty.
These two “gift” words are different in the Greek.
“good gift” = the initial act of giving.
“perfect gift” = when it is recieved and comes to maturity.
God gives us adversity out of the goodness of His heart so that when the gift given comes to fruition we will be what He wants us to be for the purpose He has for us in His eternal plan.
This is in stark contrast to sin and its effects when it comes to fruition.
We can trust God’s sovereign plan because we can trust His complete goodness.
We want good in our lives.
We ask God to bless us.
We work to gain good in our lives.
Our deceitful heart often doesn’t know what is good for us.
Our temporal view on life often doesn’t know what is good for us.
God does.
He is good.
He is a God of perfection.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
(2)A. We enjoy the good gift of His sovereignty.
(2)A. We enjoy the good gift of His sovereignty.
God ONLY gives out of goodness things that are good for us and good for His will.
(2)B. We enjoy the good gift of His salvation.
(2)B. We enjoy the good gift of His salvation.
“Of His own will he brought us forth by the Word of Truth.” (vs. 18)
I. The gift of salvation is divine.
I. The gift of salvation is divine.
KJV - “begat”
Lexham English - “gave birth”
James is speaking of new birth.
The moment a sinner humbles themselves before God, repents of their sin and believes, is the moment we are begat, or brought forth.
This birth isn’t a fleshy birth.
Nicodemus thought he had to reenter his mother’s womb.
We understand that that was not the case, but that it is a spiritual birth.
II. The gift of salvation is gracious.
II. The gift of salvation is gracious.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
II. The gift of salvation is gracious.
II. The gift of salvation is gracious.
God poured out goodness on us when He divinely and graciously saved us from sin.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
II. The gift of salvation is gracious.
II. The gift of salvation is gracious.
This is clearly a gift.
Not going to church.
Not getting baptized.
It is a gift given out of God’s will and desire.
God poured his grace on us giving us a gift we didn’t deserve.
He did it out His own grace and goodness.
III. The gift of salvation is through God’s Word.
III. The gift of salvation is through God’s Word.
Just as human birth requires two parents, so divine birth has two parents: the Word of God and the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The Word of God.
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
III. The gift of salvation is through God’s Word.
III. The gift of salvation is through God’s Word.
IV. The gift of salvation is the greatest gift we could receive.
IV. The gift of salvation is the greatest gift we could receive.
“A kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
The audience is Jewish.
The idea of firstfruits would be meaningful to them.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
IV. The gift of salvation is the greatest gift we could receive.
IV. The gift of salvation is the greatest gift we could receive.
The understood the great honor.
How wonderful this gift is.
Why would a loving God let bad things happen.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
IV. The gift of salvation is the greatest gift we could receive.
IV. The gift of salvation is the greatest gift we could receive.
When seemingly bad things happen we tend to ask why.
If God loves me why would this happen?
First… that’s why it is happening.
Second… if it wasn’t a good thing, God need not do any other good thing for us.
He has already worked the greatest act of love anyone can.
(2)C. We enjoy the good gift His supply.
(2)C. We enjoy the good gift His supply.
These good gifts come down from our Father.
Where to do good things come from? The Father, not the world.
The keep coming down.
Not just sometimes, but regularly.
Sometimes we feel like we can’t catch a break.
What if it is our good Father continuing to give good gifts?
(2)D. We enjoy the good gift satisfaction.
(2)D. We enjoy the good gift satisfaction.
Good = the idea of beneficial or useful.
Perfect = brought t its end, completeness.
9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
The goodness and perfection of each gift should be measured on an eternal scale.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
(2)D. We enjoy the good gift satisfaction.
(2)D. We enjoy the good gift satisfaction.
We see the idea of beneficial gifts given that bring completeness.
God already planned out that those who love Him will be conformed to the image of His Son.
This passage parallels James.
All things MUST turn out to the good of them who are called.
Once an individual repents and believes God has determined to bring them to glorious consummation of perfect likeness to His Son.
With this end if view, God in His Sovereignty has ordered all things beforehand.
His is in the process of working that plan.
This is our satisfaction.
That God is working things in our lives for our good.
This is the satisfaction we have.
Knowing that these trials are good gifts from God working in us what He already determined to do!
That’s why we count it joy.
That’s why those who endure under them are blessed.
3. Our good God never changes.
3. Our good God never changes.
“There is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Shadows come from movement of light.
There is not even the smallest amount of movement or change in God.
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
3. Our good God never changes.
3. Our good God never changes.