James 1:1-8, 12-15

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Introduction

Good morning, please take your Bibles out and turn with me to the book of James, chapter 1.

I am glad to be with you this morning. As brother _____ mentioned, my name is Will Barnett, and I come to you from FBC Puxico where I am an assistant pastor.

The book of James

Just by way of information, I want to let you all know what is going on in light of Pastor Dusty’s departure. Myself and some of the other pastors at FBC Puxico have committed to help fill this pulpit during this time of transition for the rest of the fall if need be, and if the Lord wills.

We know you all are accustomed to verse by verse preaching, and we ourselves are committed to that sort of proclamation of the Word.

So, for all the Sundays that you all should have need of us, we have decided to collaborate and go through the Book of have the honor of starting that off here this morning and each week we will pick up where we left off in the previous. We hope to be a blessing to you all during this time.

So this morning we begin with and we are going to go to verse 8, and also 12-15; verses 9-11 will be covered with another section of James in the coming weeks. I will be reading from the CSB this morning, as we begin in .

READ ,

Prayer

Father we thank you for your grace. We thank you that you have hidden nothing from us that is needed to faithfully serve you in this life. I ask God that you give us a humble heart this morning to receive your wisdom from your Word, that we may be stirred to greater faithfulness, both in times of peace and times of trial. Grant us understanding by your Spirit, and stir our affections we pray. In Jesus name, Amen.

Unlike many of the other epistles in the NT, James has no long greeting of introduction.

No, he rather gets straight to the point; here’s who I am, here’s who I am writing this letter to, now here is the Word of the Lord.

So then we begin where the author begins, with “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The James we are hearing from in the letter is none other than James, the brother of the Lord.

We know from and and 2 that James was the primary leader of the church in Jerusalem during the time of Paul’s ministry.

We are helped to establish this James as the author of this epistle due to the similarities between this letter and the speeches given by James in .

By identifying himself only as a servant, or more literally a slave, of Jesus, the author must have been well-known enough to assume that his recipients would know who was writing the letter by including only his name.

The recipients listed also clue us in to the author and the setting of this letter.

Ιf there is a single most important rule in Bible study, it is this: context matters.

cultural context, literary context, all of it is completely necessary if we are to rightly understand what is being said.

We have good indication that James the brother of Jesus, and Pastor of the church in Jerusalem wrote this letter, and he wrote it to “the twelve tribes dispersed abroad,” or to the “twelve tribes in the dispersion”

The Greek word for dispersion is diaspora, which refers to the continual occurrence where the Jewish people were dispersed from Judah because of various political factors.

The result was pockets of Jewish people throughout the Roman empire.

However, James is writing specifically to Christian Jews in this letter, yet not to a single church.

That explains the general introduction to the letter. He likely did not personally know many of his intended recipients, but as the Pastor of mother church in Jerusalem, he wanted to provide instruction to the brethren outside of Judah who were facing some serious challenges.

So then that forms our setting, and the rest of the book informs us further of what was going on with these people.

There was serious divisions between the rich and the poor, and there was a particular problem with the rich persecuting the poor Christians.

There also seems to have been a problem of commitment with these Christians. James continually stirs them to put their faith in action; to show their faith by works, to tame their tongue and speak as one redeemed by God, to have joy through suffering, and to pray with confidence.

We can relate to those things can’t we? I doubt any of us would claim to be the model Christian. Yet the issues here are deeper; James is not giving a little confidence boost to his hearers; he is encouraging in some ways by rebuke.

He is saying, “you call yourselves Christians, well here is what a Christian looks like. Does it look like you? If not, seek the Lord and let your works reflect your faith.”

We ought to examine ourselves the same way by this letter and let this Word of God read into us, culling out that which is unfaithful to the Lord and producing the the faith in us that endures and honors God.

So we begin with Verse 2...

V. 2 “Great” here is πασαν in the Greek, indicating fullness, completeness.

“All” in the ESV, the sentiment is that in every trial, we should count our experience as complete, pure joy.

That sounds a bit crazy doesn’t it? The apostle is telling us not just to have joy in suffering, but to look at the whole situation and and have a fullness of joy about it.

That’s tough to do sometimes. And this can be very discouraging if we look at this and think it is saying that Christians have to be happy all the time, smiling, bubbly, not a care in the world.

But we have to understand that when James commands us to have complete joy in trials and suffering, he is not talking about a feeling, he is talking about mindset; he is talking about your state of mind in suffering.

Something you’ll notice as we study this book is that James really is just expounding Jesus’ teachings in this epistle, especially from the Sermon on the Mount.

Even here in this second verse he is alluding to

“Blessed are those who are persecuted…blessed are you when others revile you...”

And remember how Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount and the beatitudes; “Blessed are the poor in spirit...”

Not “blessed are the happy,” or “blessed are the rich in spirit…;” but “blessed are the poor in spirit”

The Bible is consistent with itself, so then we have to ask, how can one poor in spirit have great joy through suffering? Through a steady and sure, thankful trust in God.

He is the anchor of our souls, the wind in our sails. And by loving him, believing him, and trusting in his promises, we may have joy throughout the various trials that come against us

Verse 3 elaborates on this...

V.3 “Because you know” or “For you know;” This is one Greek word here which literally means “knowing.”

The sense is that this “knowing” is the reason you can count your trials great joy. Knowing what? That testing produces endurance…

And is our charge not that “the one who endures to the end will be saved.”? Jesus himself said that. So then your trials and testing are ultimately for your salvation.

Why because perseverance and endurance require dependence on God; if your trust is not fully in his ability to sustain you and to fulfill every promise he has made, .

Take note of what James doesn’t say: He doesn’t say that comfort or self-fulfillment lead to endurance.

There is a lie that pervades our society that says we must find that one thing in our life that we are supposed to do which will bring us fulfillment and comfort. This has both a secular and a Christian variety.

In its secular form, our society is plagued by a self-centered attitude which basically says its all about me. The point of life is to find that thing which is most satisfying to me, the activity that makes me feel important and successful.

Thats common to all fallen men. But that attitude invades the church as well, and I would say has nearly taken it over, so that we put a Christian spin on it and say that God has that one thing for us which we must do in order to be most fulfilled, and we define it as “calling”

Maybe its a certain job, or a service activity, or being a mother, or a counselor, or whatever.

Now I wholeheartedly affirm the sovereignty of God in all things, which means I do believe that he has a plan for every single person and that whatever his ultimate will is will come to pass.

That is what Scripture teaches. But the lie we believe is that the point of this life is to be happy; and if the point is to be happy, then God’s perfect plan for me must be the way I get that happiness. So then, I need to figure out what that “thing” is and do it, that way I can be happy.

But here is what we miss from Scripture; God’s perfect plan for you is not for you to be happy, it is for you to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Furthermore, He is where we ultimately find our fulfillment. Not in a job, or in an act, or in any relationship, but solely in Him, Jesus Christ.

The prophet Zechariah recorded these words from the Lord concerning the people whom God would redeem:

Zechariah 13:9 CSB

9 I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are my people, and they will say: The Lord is our God.”

. The Lord refines his people as gold is refined by fire. Happiness does not produce endurance; testing does.

We have to quit thinking that the end we’re chasing is happiness in this life. It’s only going to make it that much worse when we don’t get it.

If we are Christ’s and his Spirit lives in us, then we ought to conform our desires to his, which means that our desire should be to be made like him. This only comes through testing.

But through testing our faith is made stronger. When we stand firm on Christ and relationships crumble, children take off down the wrong path, sickness afflicts us, or even the prospect of death looks us in the eye, those with real faith endure because of the hope that is in them, namely the resurrection of the body to eternity with Christ.

In the middle ages, around the year 650 AD, Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire (600 years after James written) which reached from Spain to modern day Iraq, and from France all the way to North Africa.

However, many of the places outside of the center of the empire had been forced to make professions of faith and be baptized.

They were Christianized as part of the political policy, not missions efforts. Being a Christian was just part of being a Roman. But around this time, you know what sprang forth? Islam. And many of these places around the empire that used to be completely “Christian” became completely Muslim within a generation.

Now the real problem wasn’t Islam; the real problem was fake Christians.

People professed Christ out of allegiance to the empire, not because they loved Christ. In the same way today, our churches are filled with people who have made professions of faith not because they love Christ, but because of the benefits they think he will bring them.

But what did Christ promise? Three times in the gospels, , , , he says “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Who endures what? Pleasure and riches and health? “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

But Jesus promised tribulation, trouble, suffering, all things that would test your faith, knowing that true faith cannot be destroyed. The testing of true faith will result in the endurance of that faith.

V. 4 So then the result of the testing of your faith is endurance to maturity and completeness.

Once again, God’s goal is to lead us to Christlikeness...not perfection in this life, but sanctification, growth in grace.

But that is an over-realization of what is being said here.

That being said, perfection is the standard to which we compare ourselves. We strive for it because only perfection is most honoring to our Savior, yet we must see our weakness and inability and cling once again to him, so that we may be like the tax collector at the temple who said “Lord have mercy on me a wicked sinner.”

pheshi

Ephesians 4:11–16 CSB

11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Paul says that the point of equipping is growth in maturity; James adds that trials and endurance also lead to maturity, or at least they should.

But often we stumble in the trial; we give ourselves over to self-pity, we avoid the conflict, we blame others, or worse.

Too many Christians have been in the faith for many many years, yet they are still spiritual babes, wanting milk instead of meat.

IF we have the wrong attitude toward trials and do not know the joy of the Lord from his Word, then thats what we can expect. But may it not be so.

Now then, which we just read helps us to link endurance, maturity, and wisdom in James.

Notice the effect of maturity that Paul talks about; “Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching...”

James says a very similar thing in verse 6; those who doubt, are like the surging sea.

This doesn’t mean that you have to be fully mature in Christ to pray without doubting; but it does mean that proper understanding and steadfast faith lead to spiritual maturity.

V. 5 In context, the wisdom he speaks of is not wisdom concerning worldly matters of comfort and happiness, but of faithful endurance.

If you struggle for godly wisdom in the endurance of various trials, seek wisdom from God.

But where does that wisdom come from? Well it begins with this Word, the teaching of the prophets and the apostles, which along with pastors and evangelists, is given for the equipping of the saints.

We go to the Word, which in the first place shows a dependence on God; we read it, consume it, learn it. But wisdom, is truth and knowledge rightly applied.

So having taken in God’s truth from the Word, we seek him for wisdom in applying it...

And James assures us that God will not withhold wisdom from those who ask in faith.

God does not withhold from his children ,

Once again this is a principle that Jesus taught clearly in his ministry

Matthew 6:26 CSB

26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

God knows what you need way more than you do, and you have worth that comes from him…he will in no way refuse to grant you anything you need in order to serve him and grow in maturity in Christ. All we have to do is ask in faith.

That is why “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

It is not the size of the faith that matters, but the object. True faith delights in the Lord.

And a true faith that delights in him will produce desires in the heart that are God-honoring.

V. 6-8 In order to make sure we understand the alternative, James explains what it is like to ask without full faith in verse 6.

The doubting man would be be much like what we see in

There we have the account of the spies whom Moses sent into the promised land to scope it out in order that they may make their move to take it.

They had the promises of God and the evidence that he was a God who kept his promises. Yet in the face adversity, of testing, they withered. They saw the great giants in the land and they refused to enter.

They desired their deliverance into the promised land, they moaned of their unfortunate circumstances, they complained to God, but they had not faith. But Caleb and Joshua are the positive example; they were not double-minded.

They saw the giants in the land and knew that they could not defeat them by their own power. However, they never doubted God.

They knew his promises and they had unwavering faith in his ability and willingness to act on their behalf and deliver them into the land. So it should be with us.

We have the promise of salvation.

We have the promise of the Lord’s faithfulness to keep us in that salvation.

We have the promise that he is conforming us to the image of his Son through testing.

Why then should we pray with doubt when we seek him for wisdom? He graciously and generously gives to all who seek wisdom from him in faith.

V.12 Now then, we move to verse 12. This is a beatitude, or a blessing text, just like Jesus’ beatitudes in . We see here how James speaks similarly to Jesus when Jesus says:

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10–12 CSB

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.1

1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Can you see how James is teaching the very same things that Jesus taught? And he appeals to another fruit of endurance, the ultimate result, which is the crown of life.

Now this crown is not a royal crown as Jesus is crowned with. It is the Greek word stephanos, which refers to the wreath-like crown that was placed upon the head of those who won athletic competitions.

And by calling it the crown of life, James is using imagery in order to indicate that the reward, the crown, is life; eternal life. For that is what God has promised to those who love him.

Whosoever believes in me will not perish but have everlasting life; that is the reward

So once again James is simply expounding what Jesus taught; true faith endures, with great joy.

This crown of life, the heavenly reward is promised to “those who love him.” And so we ask, do you love him?

And here we have one of the distinctives of every gospel-centered presentation; the division between those who believe and those who do not.

This crown of life, the heavenly reward is promised to “those who love him.” And so we ask, do you love him?

James singles out the recipients of the promises of God; it is not the world. It is not Israel. It is not those who merely label themselves Christians.

Now then,

No, the recipients of the promises are “those who love him.” But you cannot love what you do not know.

The trials and suffering of this life present us with with a fork in the road if you will; we can succumb and fall away, or we can press into God. The more we press into him, , the more we see our need of him, and the more we see our need of him, the more we love him.

It is to these who love him that he has promised the crown of eternal life.

V 13-15 Now then, as we reach our final section, verses 13-15, James provides clarification concerning these trials that he has told us about.

God does not tempt and cannot be tempted. Was it God who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden? No, it was Satan.

And God cannot be tempted because there is no desire in him for evil!

So then, James concludes that “each person is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.”

Think about it, when you sin, what made you do it? Was it God? Or Satan? Or was it your own desire to commit that sin?

The Bible says it was your own desire. Now for the Christian, that sin desire ought to be at war with the desire to live righteously, but still the battle rages on as Paul describes in .

Satan may produce the temptation, but you are enticed by your own desires.

When Adam and Eve were in the garden, they sinned before they ever took a bite of the forbidden fruit, for they were already standing at the tree.

They had already put themselves in a position to be tempted; they lusted after the fruit and the knowledge it would give, so they came and looked at, and their mind ran wild with the idea of what it would be like to eat of it until finally they acted on their evil desires and ate of it.

Thats what verse 15 says. When you allow the evil desires of your fallen flesh to take hold in your heart, it results in you putting that desire into sinful action, which in turn leads to death.

Consider David and Bathsheba. His sin began with lust in his heart. He looked upon another man’s wife and entertained in his heart what it would be like to give in to his evil desire, until finally he did.

And what did it bring but destruction, both in his personal life and in the life of the kingdom.

So what do we do? Do we toe the line of temptation? No we run from it. We do all that we can to remove ourselves from the temptation to sin.

We cling to the cross and proclaim Jesus as greater than all our sinful desires, for he is.

But when trials and tribulations do come, we have to be honest about our weakness. We have to acknowledge the fact that we are sinners and apart from God’s sovereign grace in our lives, we are helpless and hopeless.

But because of his mercy, we know we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ who died in our place and bore the punishment for our sins so that we may be forgiven simply by believing in him and holding fast to his work and not our own.

The sureness of his work is the basis of our joy through suffering and the confidence we have in prayer. So may we boldly walk this walk, yet with humility and awareness of our utter need, as we focus not on the things of this world, but on the beauty of our King. Let’s pray.