James 1

The book of James is written by James the half brother of the Lord. We know from scripture that James initially rejected Jesus, yet he ultimately gave his life to Jesus as he was the head of the Jerusalem church for a time (John 7:5, Acts 12:17, & Galatians 2:9). Even with such a great position in the church, James writes this letter with much humility. He greets us by calling himself a bondservant of God. A bondservant is a person deprived of all personal freedom and totally under the control of his master. James could have started his letter by claiming all the titles that others may esteem- head of Jerusalem church, brother of Jesus, son of Mary, etc. Instead, he starts by showing a heart of humility that we can learn from.

James wrote this epistle to challenge the readers to examine their faith to see if it is genuine saving faith.  He is asking us to evaluate our response to trials, temptations, and the truth. Let’s first look at James 1:2-12 to see what our response should be to the trials we face. James 1:2 tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials. The verb, consider, is in the imperative form meaning that it is an order, command, or instruction. It is not optional. It is in the imperative form because it is not natural for us to have joy when we are facing a trial. We can have joy when we believe that God is using the trials we are facing in our lives to mature us. Further, we need a special measure of understanding to help us through the trial. To gain this special understanding, we can ask God to give us wisdom. God is willing to give us His wisdom when we ask in faith. James 1:5 says that God gives to us generously without finding fault. God does not give to us as we deserve, and He does not remind us of our unworthiness. Instead, He gives unconditionally. Our response should always be to seek God in our trials. Finally, we should recognize the blessings of our difficult circumstances. They are humbling us and growing our dependence on God.  The trials also show us how temporary the things of this world are. We need to keep our focus on the eternal, remembering that we are truly blessed as we face trials. Our ultimate reward will be the crown of life given to us by God. All our trials will be worth this ultimate result.

Next, let’s look at James 1:13-18 to see what our response should be to the temptations we face. James starts this section of scripture by telling us that we should not blame our temptations on God or really anyone else. It is definitely our tendency to pass off the blame unto others. This was the case in the beginning with Adam and Eve. Adam blamed Eve for eating the fruit and then Eve blamed the serpent. When we cast blame, we tend to justify our sin. It is actually our own sinful nature that makes us susceptible to temptation. No one is immune. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that no temptation has seized you except what is common to man. We will be tempted and our evil desires will draw us to sin. James 1:14 says that each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. The Greek word for dragged away and enticed is the same word used when describing bait in fishing and a trap in hunting. In the same way the fish or animal allow their intense desire for the bait to cause them to lose caution and ignore the trap or hook, our own lust draws us towards evil forgetting the destructive nature of sin.  We need to remember that sin ultimately leads to death. We need to stop and draw near to God, the instance we face temptation. We should not allow desire to give birth to sin and then lead ultimately to death. God is the giver of all good things, and He will always be there to help us through the temptation. He has given us the word of truth to help us overcome our temptations.

The final thing that James addresses in James 1:19-27 is what our response should be to God’s Word. He starts by telling us that we should be quick to listen to God. Often we do not put ourselves in a place to be receptive to God’s Word because we are not quiet and still.  Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that He is God. Not only should we be slow to speak, but also we should be slow to anger.  The Greek word for anger in this passage does not refer to an explosive outburst of temper but an inner deep resentment that smolders often unnoticed by others (but not by God of course). When we harbor anger in our hearts, we are not at a place to receive God’s Word. We are allowing a situation we faced to rule in our hearts over allowing God’s word to take central place in our hearts. In order to receive God’s word, we must purify ourselves. When our life is filled with filthiness as described in verse 21, it is like having wax in your ear which is an impairment to hearing.  Once we have received God’s Word in humility, we then need to be doers of the Word. James 1:23-24 says, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” At the time James was written, mirrors were primitive, made of highly polished brass. You had to get mirrors at just the right angle and just the right light in order to get a true reflection of how you looked. If you did all that work to look at yourself in the mirror and then forgot what you looked like, then it was a waste of time. It is also a waste of time for us to look at God’s Word but not ultimately obey it. When we are doers of the Word, then it will be evidenced in how we speak, how we invest in others, and how we protect ourselves from becoming like the world. God’s Word directs us in all these areas. True believers will receive God’s Word in quiet humility and then ultimately live it out for His glory.

May we all take some time to evaluate our own responses to the trials and temptations that we are facing.  Are we looking to God and His Word to walk victoriously? May our response to trials, temptations, and God’s Word show to others how awesome our God is.

Keep your eyes on Christ! 

--Jennifer Jones, Discipleship Manager