Monthly Archive for July, 2000

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James 1:12c

Published on July 21, 2000 in James. 0 Comments
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“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him”
 
he will receive the crown of life
 
The term “crown” comes from the athletic area rather than the royal realm. It was a wreath of victory. God gives permanent reward to those who endure trials in a way that meets God’s approval.
 
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
“…and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
which the Lord has promised to those
A promise is something that God announces openly and that He will emphatically fulfill what He says He will do. We can count on His word. We can hold Him to His promises.
Principle:
God has too much integrity to break His promises.
Application:
Since a promise is something that God will keep without doubt, we can count on His word. We can indeed hold Him to His promises.
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures…” (Romans 1:1-2).
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).
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James 1:12b

Published on July 20, 2000 in James. 0 Comments
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“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him”
 
who endures temptation;
 
Those who endure trial receive God’s blessing. The Greek word for “endure” carries the idea of tenacity under adverse circumstances. The word comes from two words: under and to remain, to abide. The idea is to remain under the load. Don’t give up. Stick with it. Hang in there.
 
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls….If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (Hebrews 12:1-3, 7)
 
“Temptation” in this verse means trial. The thought is not solicitation to evil but hanging in there under adverse circumstances.
for when he has been approved,
The idea of “approved” is someone who passed a test. This is a person who victoriously met the trial. An approved person never surrenders sure trust in God; he perseveres through anything that might come his way because He knows His God. The purpose of all trial is to demonstrate the quality of our faith.
Principle:
Trial determines what kind of faith we have.
Application:
God is in the business of approving our faith. If God takes the time to evaluate the quality of our faith, do we put any effort toward that end? We want the Good Housekeeping seal of approval on products in our house. God wants the Good Lifekeeping seal of approval on our Christian lives.
Christians also carry a sense of blessedness in trial because they will receive a reward after it is over.
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James 1:12

Published on July 19, 2000 in James. 3 Comments
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“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him”
 
Blessed is the man
 
The word “blessed” carries more than the idea happy. The idea is that a “blessed” person is a privileged recipient of God’s favor. The Christian will enjoy a certain favorable situation if he meets God’s condition for receiving that blessedness. He is a fortunate person indeed.
 
This word for “blessed” is the same word as in the beatitudes (Matthew 5). Blessedness is a state that outside circumstances cannot affect. It is something that we carry within. It is a quality that we receive from God and that we cannot acquire apart from Him. It is the state whereby we enjoy God.
The New Testament calls God Himself “blessed.”
“…according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (1 Timothy 1:11).
“…which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
Principle:
Our sense of satisfaction comes from the source of God.
Application:
We can carry blessedness within because of our association with God. Many Christians do not carry that sense of blessedness. They do not have what God has because they live apart from God.
Blessed people are those who need nothing. They are independent of the world. They don’t depend on luck or a windfall coming their way but upon divine resources within.
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James 1:11

Published on July 18, 2000 in James. 0 Comments
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“For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits”
 
For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes.
 
After the burning sun falls on the flower, it is now an ugly stem. Wealth will lose its luster and appearance. There will come a day when wealth will lose its attraction. Wealth is a withering thing.
 
So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits
All the pursuit of wealth will ultimately come to nothing. It will count for nothing when God finally tallies the final and ultimate assessment of worth.
“In his pursuits” can mean “in his journeys” (4:13-15). The idea is that even the plans and projections, the way a rich man manages his wealth will pass away. Wealthy people need to give special attention to this. The crucial issue is to keep a proper perspective on wealth – personal wealth in the final analysis does not amount to much in the eternal perspective. Spiritual wealth is important in God’s eyes. All personal possessions fall under that umbrella.
Principle:
The end-goal of life to get rich is short-term thinking.
Application:
Riches kept for ourselves do not make us better. The wealthier some people become, the more selfish they are. There is a great danger to self in this.
“There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun:
Riches kept for their owner to his hurt” (Ecclesiastes 5:13).
The great goal of life with many people in North America is to get rich. However, the day of their death will come. If they lose their health, they cannot enjoy their wealth. A money-oriented goal for life is short-term thinking. Wealth is a withering thing. All the feverish travels to make money will ultimately come to nothing.
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James 1:10

Published on July 17, 2000 in James. 0 Comments
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In verse 9 James gave the viewpoint of the financially poor, now in this verse he gives the viewpoint of the financially rich. The poor should glory in his spiritual wealth and the rich should glory in eternal things.
 
the rich in his humiliation,
There a humiliation in wealthy persons – one day they will die. Their wealthy status will not last forever. The rich person can rejoice in his future humiliation at death because he knows he has an eternal future ahead.
because as a flower of the field he will pass away
The rich will not be on top of the totem pole in Heaven. Wealth will give her no power there. Her wealth will pass away like a flower of the field.
Principle:
Temporal wealth is transitory; eternal wealth goes on forever.
Application:
It is important to our Christian life that we keep an eternal point of view. We all face deep grief in this life. Financial reversals and loss of loved ones bring us to our knees. Money cannot carry us through those kinds of trials. Both rich and poor cast themselves on God in the same way.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
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James 1:9

Published on July 16, 2000 in James. 0 Comments
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“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation…”
 
Let the lowly brother
 
The “lowly brother” here is a fellow Christian of low position, poor, lowly, humble, undistinguished. This is a person low on the totem pole in society, who lives in humble circumstances.
 
This verse is a command – God mandates that Christians with very little material possessions rejoice in eternal things, not temporal things.
glory in his exaltation
Christians who possess very little here will obtain much hereafter. There is a day coming when God will exalt them. There will be no social standing in eternity. Although Christians may possess very little in temporal treasures now, God will give them eternal treasures that they will never lose. Christians with the least amount of earthly wealth are richer than the wealthiest of this world. Christians calculate their wealth in terms of eternity, not time; in terms of God’s operating assets, not a given amount of mutual funds.
Principle:
Christians can have legitimate pride in their eternal possessions.
Application:
When we assume God’s viewpoint on values, we broaden our perspective and elevate ourselves above our present situation. If we own very little riches in this life, we still can rejoice because of our eternal possessions. There is a day coming when no one will put us into a class distinction because of what we own or do not own. Poverty will not last long; it will not enter into in the eternal state.
By operating on an eternal perspective, we do not joy in our wealth on earth but in our riches in Heaven. The Christian rejoices more in the future than in the present. Although people in present time might put us on a lower rung of social acceptance, God guarantees that He will place us on the high rung of His acceptance. That hope raises us above our circumstances to a new and higher plane.
“…and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:17).
Poverty is no absolute condition for unhappiness for the Christian. Christianity is not an economic worldview for it transcends finances, bank accounts and personal wealth. To be a child of God outranks any station in life on earth. In this we can rejoice in the face of any situation we might encounter.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
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James 1:8

Published on July 15, 2000 in James. 2 Comments
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“…he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways”
 
he is a double-minded man,
 
“Double-minded” means “two–souled.” A two-souled man wavers and is uncertain about God. He partly believes and partly disbelieves God – he debates whether he can trust God. This person lacks certainty because he is a man of no fixed or decided purpose.
 
This double-minded man is the person of verses 5-7 who lacks wisdom but does not ask God for it in belief. His prayer life is like a raging sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Unstable in all his ways
A two-souled person is inconstant, unstable and unsettled. His belief is like a drunk – a belief that staggers down the road of life. People whose faith falters with the ebb and flow of life do not have God’s respect because they divide their loyalty between God and other things. It is usually pressure that cause them to crumble.
Doubt blunts the faith we need to receive from God. This creates a chaotic spiritual life, the opposite of a spiritual life that draws on God by implicit faith in God’s promises.
Principle:
Stable Christians look to God for their resources by faith.
Application:
A double-minded person always serves two belief systems. Jesus said that you cannot do this and maintain your integrity of trust in God.
“They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak” (Psalm 12:2).
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).
God wants us to possess a single mind, not a double mind. Christians who hold deep-seated convictions are powerful people. Divided souls do not stand.
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
“Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name” (Psalm 86:11).
It is time that we settle our convictions. The longer we wait, the more power we lose for the Christian life. Opposing desires rip us apart spiritually. We cannot please both God and our sinful pleasures at the same time. True faith does not always operate with open options because this injects instability into the spiritual life. Genuine faith, however, can wholeheartedly commit to God’s will and excellence in the Christian life.
“And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word” (1 Kings 18:21).
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
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James 1:7

Published on July 14, 2000 in James. 4 Comments
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“For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…”
 
For let not that man suppose
 
The word “suppose” signifies to expect, imagine. The word “for” connects us to the vacillator who believes and then disbelieves (verse 6).
 
“That man” is emphatic. James makes a strong point about the kind of people to whom God responds with answered prayer. God does not answer the prayers of presumptuous people who do not even believe their own prayers. He is not under obligation to answer anyone, especially those who seriously doubt His ability to answer prayer.
that he will receive anything from the Lord
If believers do not ask in “faith” (v5), they will not receive anything from the Lord. A distrusting vacillator does not receive answered prayer. Doubt cuts off answered prayer.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3).
Principle:
The flip-flop Christian does not receive answered prayer from the Lord.
Application:
Some of us make suppositions about prayer that are wrong. We think just because we pray that God will answer that prayer. No, God answers the prayer of faith. The person who exercises trust in God will be honored for that trust.
God states that He liberally gives to those who ask of Him, yet some of us come to Him with the idea He gives to us like a pauper. Where do we get such audacity? If we ask something of God, we should expect to receive something from Him.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18).”Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…” (Luke 18:1).
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James 1:6b

Published on July 13, 2000 in James. 0 Comments
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“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind”
 
with no doubting,
 
The idea behind the Greek word for “doubting” is to separate throughout or wholly. When people doubt God, they discriminate against Him and are divided in their own mind. They separate themselves from God. They prefer their own beliefs to God’s Word.
 
To doubt is to be in a critical state of mind.  This person disputes what he sees and thus hesitates to embrace the facts.  His separation of what he believes is likely from what he believes is not viable.  If he deems it not possible from a human standpoint, he does not believe that God will answer that prayer.  His idea of prayer revolves around human possibility, not whether God will supernaturally intervene on his behalf. 
for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind
A doubting person is like a wave that dashes and surges against the rocks on the shore. Doubters are vacillators. They sometimes believe and sometimes do not. Believing prayer steadily rests its confidence in God. An undecided, in-two-minds believer does not exercise prevailing prayer. Such people are at odds with themselves. As a wave of the sea can be very active but not accomplish much, so the Christian can be very active in prayer but not accomplish much. Purposeless prayer of unbelief is inane and frivolous. It assaults God’s character.
Reuben was unstable as water (Genesis 49:4) because he had no center point. Circumstances tossed him one way and then another. When things go well for some Christians, they ride the crest of the wave. When things go bad, they go under. They need the keel of faith in God. That will give them stability. A boat with its keel broken in tempestuous weather is in for a rough ride. Christians without daily operating faith are in for a rough ride because they have no captain they can trust at the helm of the ship of their experience.
“…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14).
Principle:
Doubt begets instability but faith brings about stability of soul.
Application:
The Christian who prays without believing God will answer is like a wave tossed back and forth. It does not proceed anywhere. Prayer without faith does not proceed anywhere. The prayer of faith has the single purpose of committing everything to God during trial.
It is absurd to ask for something from the Lord that you do not expect to receive. This dishonours the credibility of God’s commitment to fulfil His promises.
Prayer that does not trust God’s willingness or ability to answer is an affront to God’s character. Doubt is the opposite of faith and assails God’s character. God wants us to believe in His trustworthiness. He will never fail us because He is always faithful to us.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11: 6).
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James 1:6

Published on July 12, 2000 in James. 0 Comments
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“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind”
 
But let him ask in faith,
 
God is ready to answer our prayers (v.5). Faith is the vehicle that engages trust in God’s readiness to answer to our prayers. It is the central requirement for answered prayer.
 
Faith is the basic operating principle for the Christian life. This is the main argument of the book of James. Here James applies faith to the exercise of prayer.
Principle:
Faith is reliance on the character and veracity of God’s promises.
Application:
Faith is reliance on God’s promise and trust in His character. Those who put their faith in Bill Gates to build the Microsoft computer giant made a lot of money. If we do not trust the market, we will not invest. If we do not invest, we will not make money. Faith is an important investment of every day life much less of a life of prayer. If we exercise faith in business and banks, we should trust God more so.
Faith engages us with the power of God. It is like a satellite receiver that brings in an array of programs. All those programs are out there but we cannot take delivery of them without the satellite receiver.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22).”So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
With faith we can move mountains; without faith we cannot even move a molehill in God’s economy!
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
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