4 Shocking Commands from James 1

Intro:

Down to business - Upside Down Countercultural Commands

Background for the book of James

Normal ways to begin a letter

Romans ex.

Gospel Understanding is Assumed

Scripture Reading

James 1:1–11 ESV

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

James, a servant of God…to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion

James

Servant

Twelve in the Dispersion

4 Upside Down Commands from James 1:1-11

Count it all joy when you meet trials (v.2)

Let steadfastness have its full effect (v.4)

Ask God in faith for wisdom (v.5)

Boast in poverty (v.9)

Count it all joy

James 1:2–3 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Clarification One:

Consider

A command of thought and not emotion

Not all things, but as a whole

Misunderstanding Example: St. Daniel of Stylite (33 Years on a Pillar)

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

This verse in Ecclesiastes calls for appropriate emotion

Mental Health Example

This verse in James is not calling for every single thing to be considered joy, rather in its bigger picture consider all things as joy

Moment view vs. Whole Life View

Clarification Two:

Various kinds

The suffering is greatly varied here

Clarification Three:

The joy is not the trial itself, but the character it produces

“Faith untried is faith unknown.” - John Owen

Let Steadfastness have its full effect

James 1:4 ESV

4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Do not shortcut the suffering you are going through

Ex. Escaping difficult situations with sin

Difficult social circumstances, seeking security in a relationship

“My situation is stressful, so I can compromise with what I look at on the internet.”

“My father was an angry man, so I too have an excuse to be angry.”

“My parents got divorced, so I can lash out at people.”

For adults “My marriage is difficult, so I can excuse unfaithfulness.”

“My life is stressful, so I can excuse Bible reading and prayer.”

Ask God in Faith for Wisdom

James 1:5–8 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Wisdom in the Jewish mind was action based and not knowledge based

Relationship to trials passage

Wisdom in action is needed

Humility is asking God for wisdom

We don’t just ask God, “Give me instruction and I will follow.”

Instead we admit our dependence on Him for wise living as well

Let the Lowly Boast

James 1:9–11 ESV

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

This is a call for spiritual assessment

Poor vs. Rich

Cultural Context

Connection to the Previous Verses

Eternal Mindset vs. Earthly

Conclusion