James: A Faith That Works (4)
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Today, we continue with our study of James.
We are learning from him how to have a Faith That Works.
Remember that James is a very practical man… He doesn’t waste time with “fluff”… He gets right to the point and doesn’t sugar-coat the truth…
So far, we have learned that we MUST welcome trials with JOY… KNOWING that they produce endurance… and that endurance produces spiritual maturity and completeness…
James has been straight with us… If we are to persevere through the trials we face, we MUST remember that trials require wisdom, wisdom requires prayer, and prayer requires faith.
Today, James shifts his focus slightly…
9 Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up,
10 and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
12 Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
— At first glance, this passage seems out of place… It seems to not fit into James’s narrative about trials, but…
— James has not stopped talking about trials…
Money… wealth… material possession… riches… bring with them their own trials…
Trials come from both having too much money, and having to little money....
Sounds crazy doesn’t it? I mean, how can trials come from having more money? How can it be a test to have more to care for my family with?
Many of us think: “I can understand the trial of having to little money… after all, many of us are there… But, I can’t imagine how having too much money would be a trial… (if it is, Lord, give me a chance to go through that trial!)”
The Character, Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof, expressed this: “If riches are a test or trial, smite me with it, Lord!”
BUT… That’s not what James is talking about...
— He is not talking about riches as some sort of “can we handle it thing”… or as a “test in giving“ thing… like many want to believe…
— James isn’t talking about the rich being made poor, and the poor being made rich…
— He isn’t talking about some sort of “socialism” where the rich are forced to give their stuff to the poor…
— James is not talking about the riches of this world here…
He is talking about the FACT that True Riches come only from the Kingdom of God…
James wants us to understand that the riches of this world only create trials.
If we are going to hold on to a Faith that Works — a Faith that walks us through the trials and tribulations of this world and strengthens us by drawing us closer to God — then we MUST adopt God’s perspective on wealth and trials…
BUT…
Probably the most difficult challenge Christians in America face is that… We struggle with adopting God’s Perspective on poverty and riches.
The truth is… we do not understand what wealth and poverty is…
Let me ask you: “Which category are you in?”
Are you wealthy… rich… or, are you poor?
It seems like an easy question, doesn’t it? It seems pretty straight forward, but it’s not!
What does it mean to be rich… or poor?
How do we define it?
What are we comparing it to?
Let me ask you another question: “How materialistic are you?”
(Now, be honest…)
How focused on money and possessions are you?
It’s not so easy to answer these questions…
You see… It’s easy to say, “I’m not! I don’t care about money or things!”
(especially when we are in church, amen!)
BUT… How often in our hearts — and in our thoughts — do we find ourselves reacting emotionally and judgmentally about money and possessions… especially when other people have things we don’t?!
We’ve been talking about “Lust” in the men’s group…
What is Lust?
Most people will define it as solely having to do with sexual desire… especially in sexual immorality or adultery…
But that is not a good definition of “lust”…
The best definition is really rather simple…
Lust — “I WANT IT!”
“I want it!” That can have to do with anything.
— Lust is the desire for more… that leads us to fantasize… to seek after it… no matter the cost… because we are convinced we will be better with it!
16 for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world.
20 And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles.
21 For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder,
22 adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly.
23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Lust… for sex… for wealth… for material possessions… even for power and prestige… comes from the heart!
Now… don’t get me wrong… we all need money.
We need money to live.
— We have food to buy… a mortgage or rent to pay… we need clothes… our children have needs… we need gas for the car… we ALL have a lot of financial obligations…
There never seems to be enough money, BUT… How many of those things… those obligations… those “needs”… are there because of our choices and desires?
We look at all these things… we compare our finances with the finances of others and it becomes easy to convince ourselves that we are poor…
But, Are we really poor?
If you google: “How rich are Americans compared to the rest of the world?”
You find out some interesting facts…
Compared to the rest of the world, even the poorest Americans is wealthy!
— To us, $10,000 per year is not enough to live on, but 84% of the world lives on much less than that…
— Gallup surveys show that about 22% of the world lives on $1.25 per day… and 34% of the world lives on $2.00 a day!
We have a difficult time accepting that… We tend to make excuses — “It costs less to live in other countries”… “Money goes farther there...”
But the truth is… from a global perspective… I’m rich, and so are you!
Hear this — A lot of our “struggles”… our “problems”… are created by US, not by a lack of finances!
— We have a huge list of things we call “needs” that really are just “wants”.
Let me tell you:
If you have indoor plumbing, you are rich.
If you have a car, you’re rich.
If you have a job — a source of income, even if that source is a government welfare program — that keeps a roof over your head… you’re rich.
If you have the ability to buy junk food, sodas, alcohol, cigarettes, ( and these days) beef… if you have the ability to obtain anything beyond the basic means of survival… you are rich!
Compared to others here in America, you may be poorer… But there is always someone with less!
We need to change our perspective!
And that is what James is saying.
James wants us to see the difference between the permanent and the perishable.
And so does Jesus…
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
We get so focused on the perishable things of this world that we fail to see the PERMANENT things of the Kingdom!
We need to take our eyes off of this world, and focus on the things God has ALREADY given us!
But… How do we do that?
— By getting our eyes off the “perishable” and onto the “imperishable”.
27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”
A Faith that Works realizes that our riches are in the One who created us, and strives for HIM!
Look at James 9:1-12 again…
James begins by contrasting the rich and poor with a paradox that seems to turn things upside down.
9 Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up,
10 and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field.
James says: “The poor are rich and the Rich are poor.”
But, how can that be?!
That’s obviously not true to their physical conditions…
What is James saying?
There was an exclusive private school in Hollywood where the movie stars, producers, and directors sent their children…
One day the teacher asked the children to write a paper on the subject of poverty.
One little girl started her paper with this: “Once there was a poor little girl. Her father was poor, her mother was poor, her governess was poor, her chauffeur was poor, her butler was poor. In fact, everybody in the house was very, very poor.”
Another story is told about a young man who went to see a fortune teller…
The fortune teller studied his hand carefully, and told him, “You will be poor and very unhappy until you are 37 years old.”
“Well, after I’m 37, what will happen? Will I be rich and happy?”
“No,” said the fortune teller, “You’ll still be poor, but you’ll be used to it by then.”
Which one do you think understood poverty, the little girl, or the fortune teller?
— I would say that — whether she realized it or not — the little girl had the better understanding!
A true understanding of “rich” and “poor” is woven throughout James’s letter…
— He points out that God’s concern for the poor should be reflected in His people…
— He associates the poor with the righteous humble, and the rich with the wicked oppressor…
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?
7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
— He says that riches wither away…
1 Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you.
2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days.
4 Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
But… it would be wrong for us to assume that the Bible automatically identifies the poor as righteous and the rich as wicked.
— Many have made that mistake…
Many wealthy men followed God in scripture: Abraham, Job, David, Solomon,… just to name a few.
Proverbs describes wealth as something that God often confers on the wise, and poverty as the result of sin and laziness…
But we must not think that that is a truth to live by…
Wealth can be a blessing, but it can also be dangerous.
9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
Poverty can be a “mixed bag”…
It may result from ignoring God…
8 Wealth is a ransom for a person’s life, but the poor get no threats.
It may lead to sin…
7 Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need,
9 or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, “Who is the Lord?” or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.
The Bible often says that poor people have integrity and humility, which the rich lack…
Why? Why is this often the case?
— It is a matter of Faith.
9 Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up,
10 and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field.
James tells the poor to glory in their high position and the rich to glory in his humility.
James isn’t talking about worldly wealth… He is talking about spiritual wealth.
Think about that…
When a poor man becomes a Christian… he instantly becomes the heir of a vast fortune.
— He is a child of the King of Kings… with access to ALL of the King’s resources!
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Paul tells the Corinthians:
21 So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours,
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you,
27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
James tells us to glory in these truths!
— Skeptics would mock James …
— “What good is it to tell a poor man to glory in his spiritual riches in Christ?”
— He’s still living in a shack. He still wears ragged clothes. He still eats meager meals. His children are still barefoot and lack medical care. What good are these spiritual riches to this man?
That view stems from a materialistic mindset… and ignores the fact that the most important and basic need of every human heart is spiritual, not material.
Think about it....
What is the “root” of every single addiction?
What is the “root” of anxiety and depression?
— Spiritual Lack!
James says later that… True Faith will supply a poor brother with the basic necessities of life.
15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
When WE fulfill that… we fill the spiritual need as well.
8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
Did you hear that?!
— Contentment is not found in fancy cars, huge homes, and prestige, but… in our basic needs being met… And God meets them all!
We are called to BELIEVE that our spiritual riches are a reality!
Let me tell you… When we come to understand that, living within our faith becomes easier!
— Material wealth is an illusion… it is a vapor that evaporates before our eyes…
We are to Glory… to find JOY… in our High position in Christ!
That means that we are not to boast in anything in ourselves.
7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?
If all that we have is because of God’s unmerited favor, then why would we exalt ourselves… our abilities… our “business sense”… as if we are the ones who did it?!
Our abilities… our knowledge… our skills… all came from God! It’s all because of Him!
When we deny that… when we claim it for ourselves… we deny our faith!
The only thing we can boast in is the Glory of the Lord… becaus ethat brings Glory to Him!
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are,
29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God.
Paul goes on...
30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Let me tell you:
If salvation is by grace through faith, then we can only boast in one thing — the Lord!
Look at what James says to the rich:
10 and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
Scholars have debated: Who are the rich that James is addressing?
Are they unbelievers, or believers?
— If James is addressing a rich unbeliever… then these verses mean nothing!
James is speaking to rich believers.
His letter is to both kinds of Christians, rich and poor....
We ALL need to see the truth of the trials of wealth.
The poor man is tempted by his poverty to devote himself to the pursuit of wealth…
— or to feel neglected by God because of his poverty
— James tells him to focus on his spiritual riches in Christ.
The rich man is tempted to glory in his wealth and status…
— James tells him to glory ONLY in God!
— His wealth does not make him better than the poor believer…
— His wealth pertains only to his fleeting life… his money will fade away!
“When the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box!”
You cannot take it with you!
— Your wealth is ALWAYS only one bad decision away from vanishing! (and let me tell you) You may not even be able to control that decision… it may be someone else’s!
Your wealth will NOT get you into heaven!
The rich man must not follow his riches… riches only benefit this world, not the next!
36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?
A Faith that Works, forsakes the world and focuses on Christ!
We need to become a people who “glory in our humiliation”…
— We need to allow God to open our eyes to the vanity of worldly wealth and status… To live to accumulate the world’s junk and to strive for the world’s acclaim is futile!
— We need to allow God to show us the essence of true happiness and honor. And that is: To know God and to be a servant of Christ.
23 Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth;
24 but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.
— We need to recognize the fact that we have an eternal inheritance, and live accordingly!
4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Rich or Poor, James tells us that we are Rich in Christ.
We persevere under trial when we take our eyes… our faith… off of the things of this world, and look forward to the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
12 Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James “bookends” trials with Joy and Blessing…
We find Joy… We receive the blessings of God… When we learn to focus on the right things…
Money can buy a lot of things in this world… but it can’t really buy health… or a tragedy free life… nor can it buy JOY…
That is only found in Christ!
It is only when our faith is in Christ, and we adopt God’s eternal perspective that we find perseverance through trials and JOY in our salvation.
I want you to understand something… We do not earn eternal life as a reward for our perseverance… eternal life is God’s gift of Grace… He has already given it to us!
It is His gift to us.. to help us to persevere in Faith… but we do not enter into the full enjoyment of it until we have run the race God has given us to run.
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;
14 Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
We are all going to die eventually… but that is not the end.
To focus on accumulating wealth is extremely short-sighted!
We need to focus on the crown of life that Jesus has promised us!
That kind of focus enables us with a Faith that Works!
1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,
3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Let us be a people who: “Seek the things above”… “Set our minds on heaven, not on earth”… and “hide our lives in Christ”…