1-4
From the very first verse of the chapter, I was struck by the amazing grace of God and the change Jesus can make in a life, even the life of a doubting, perhaps jealous, half-brother. In it, James brings greetings and boldly labels himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a change had taken place in his life because of the resurrection of his brother who later became his Savior.
James had transformed from the early days of doubting (John 7:5), to being called one of the pillars of the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9). A line from the song “Jesus, Thank You” kept running through my mind. “Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you.” What an exciting change indeed, and one which gave him much authority when warning others of the dangers of doubting later in this chapter.
He addresses his audience, Jews who have been scattered all over the world, many due to persecution, by exhorting them to continue to find joy in their trials. He knows many of the men and women he is writing to have already endured great trials in their lives, and he also knows that they will continue to face further trouble in the future. He exhorts them to find joy in these times of testing because the end result brings maturity and completeness.
In his study Bible notes John MacArthur states, “The testing of faith drive believers to deeper communion and greater trust in Christ.” Though it may be hard for us to take joy in our trials when they are first presented to us, after having gone through one and then looking back on it, we can certainly understand James’ point about their final outcome.
He is by no means making less of these trials, or intimating that they aren’t hard to endure. He is simply trying to remind us that even in our greatest sufferings and temptations of this life, we need to keep our focus on our great God. Specifically, here, James points to one of God’s most wonderful attributes – His omniscience.
God already knows the outcome of our testing and the fruits of the Spirit that can be produced in our lives through them. We need to hang on to that truth and rejoice, not necessarily in the trial we’re going through, but in the maturity it will produce in our lives and the fact that it can bring us closer to Christ.
5-8
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
In order to become mature in Christ, we also need His wisdom. James tells us simply, if you need it, ask for it. God’s wisdom is immeasurable and overflowing. He willingly and generously gives it to those who ask.
There is but one condition we must meet to receive it. We must have faith, a confident trust in our Lord that He will bring it to pass. Not a, I hope it will happen trust, but a I know it will happen because God promised it trust. The kind of faith that never wonders if God will fulfill that promise, never doubts if His word is true.
If there is anything I learned from my battles with anxiety it is that God requires our complete faith in Him and Him alone. For many years I had been only half-trusting in Him, and the other half went to me – my intellect, my ingenuity, my ability to search out the answers for myself. It was so subtle though, that I didn’t realize it until God pretty much slapped me in the face with it. He even showed me where it came from.
Many years prior to this revelation, He had done something that I just didn’t understand. I accepted it, but try as I might, I couldn’t completely reconcile it with Him. It caused me to doubt His care for me, and as James would say, I became unstable in all my ways – especially my thinking. Once God showed me the root of my problem, I began to slowly, but steadily build back that confident trust in Him. Only then did I begin to see mountains again begin to move in my prayer life, as I was able to truly ask for things – in faith.
9-11
The wording here is a bit difficult to decipher at first, but throughout these few verses James is encouraging believers, whether rich or poor to rejoice in their state. The poor can rejoice because even though they may have little in this world, it keeps them utterly dependent on God and helps them realize that He is truly all they need.
The rich should rejoice when they are brought low by trials because that’s when they begin to understand the contentment that comes from attaining God’s riches – His grace, His mercy, His peace. It is when we become completely dependent on God that we realize He is all we need.
12-15
In these verses, James continues to discuss the joy of those who remain faithful through trials. Such a man or woman can take hope in the knowledge that their ultimate prize for such faithfulness will be eternal life.
He makes a very important point about the origin of our temptations. While most Christians are aware of what this verse says about God and the fact that he does not tempt us, I think sometimes we miss what the verse doesn’t say. It doesn’t say anything about satan. Nope, not a word. Is satan a tempter and a liar? Absolutely, as proven throughout scripture, however, here James lets us know that no matter how great the devil’s temptations may be, the real reason we sin is because of our own selfish desires.
He says, “each person is tempted…by his own desire.” It is our own sinful heart that makes us susceptible to temptation in the first place. All satan does is use that weakness to his advantage and make the choice to say no to his temptation seem impossible.
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
But sin is a choice – our choice. And as James describes, it is also a process. He compares it to the gestation period of a physical birth. Just as a baby doesn’t just happen overnight, but takes time to develop and grow from a zygote to an embryo and on through to birth, so a sin goes through its own gestational process.
We all have a sinful nature that longs to be satisfied. When we allow those desires to lead us, instead of fleeing from them, a sin is conceived. As we continue to dwell on fulfilling that desire, the choice is made to act on that sin, and finally the payment for that choice is death.
16-18
In verse 16, he reaffirms his point by warning us not to be fooled on the subject of temptation. He then elaborates by explaining that God gives only good gifts, the best gifts – like salvation. He is the Father of Lights, the creator of the universe, yet he does not change like those lights he created. He is sovereign, and changeless, and through his sovereignty he chose to redeem us through the power of his blood, that we might me a foretaste of the divine kingdom to come.
19-25
Here, James warns his listeners to always be quick to hear the word of God and its instruction, but cautious to speak about it, or teach it in an authoritative manner. He will expand upon this thought later in the book in Chapter 3.
He also warns us to be slow to anger, because harboring those deep feelings of resentment does not help us to live the way God wants us to live. He further admonishes them to put off all moral vice and evil desires, as one would take off dirty clothes, and instead to humbly accept the the Word of God which has been planted in their hearts. This implanted word, James tells them, is what brings salvation.
Continuing on his theme about the importance of God’s Word, James then instructs them to not just listen to God’s Word, but to act upon it. The verb tense “be doers” implies that our whole being should be active.
He then likens the action we should take to looking in a mirror. He says the one who only hears is like a man who looks in the mirror, sees a flaw, but does nothing to fix it. He just walks away and forgets about it. A man who is a doer of the word, looks into the Bible and continues to learn from it. The truth of it sets him free and he is blessed.
26-27
He ends the chapter with a caution about the tongue which he will expand upon at much greater length in later chapters. Here he lays the foundation for his later message by stating that if a person thinks they are godly, but has a tongue that is out of control, they are deceiving themselves. For godliness that is genuine is about actions, not careless words. Helping those who are unable to pay you back, the orphans, the widows, that shows the character of God.
Final thoughts
For this chapter, I will share the lesson I learned from it. This chapter is so chocked full of wisdom that it is hard to pick an overall theme. Each section seems to have a well-known verse or set of verses that have been memorized by many. I was especially moved by the latter part of the chapter, from verse 19 and following. Many can quote James’ command in verse 22 to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only”, a thought that in itself motivates us to action. However, when you put it in context with the verses before and especially after, it is a candid synopsis on how God wants us to live our Christian lives.
We are to listen way more than we speak, and as we listen we are to be active hearers, not lazy ones. We are to be ready to put into action the things we learn from the Bible, and those actions are to be motivated by a sincere, obedient heart for others, and for Christ, not for ourselves.
He makes it pretty simple, and that’s why I like James.
How about you? Do you have a favorite lesson you gleaned from this chapter?
How about a key verse? Let us know what it is, and why you feel it is important.
I have had a lot of bad things happen to me and my family in the last year. I sometimes, thought, whats the use? Things are not going to get better. Something inside of me made me keep praying, because I knew, God answers prayers. Sometimes an answer would come, when i wasnt even thinking about it. A lot of these prayers have been answered in unusual ways. Some are still in progress and i have faith, they will be answered.