Commentary – James 1.7-11
Scripture
7For let not that man suppose that he will
receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable
in all his ways. 9 Let the
lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10but the rich in his
humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 11For
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.
Commentary
The
doubting man will receive nothing from the Lord – He requires faith in
Him. A double-minded man has competing
allegiances – a house divided cannot stand.
Being double minded, how can he enter the House of the Lord and ask of
Him, if he in fact is a stranger there?
His asking is out of selfish convenience, the opposite of a serving love
in action; how can the Lord but despise this? (Ps 51:17)
This doubting man has no relationship with God for he has
no faith; and by faith alone may we be saved in Christ Jesus; and by Christ
Jesus alone may we approach God as His child (1Jn 5:20, Gal 3:26, Jn3:16);
and as His child alone might we petition the Throne in the House of God for the
gift on our behalf (Jn 15:7-8).
And who may hope to be before God as His child? A man proud of his collection of wealth? But is it too not belonging to God? The riches are not the problem, but the
steward’s elevation of self (Ps 10:4), as false as this may be
but yet so in his mind, which in the end is an exaltation of self in an attempt
to place one’s self first. The casualty
is the Lord’s place in this man’s life, for there is only one first place (Ex
34:14). And as the riches will
pass away, so will this man’s basis for his exaltation. But the Lord will remain as the True King and
Sovereign Head. Found not to be in first
place in this man’s life, he will be judged and punished accordingly (Rev
20:12).
It is the lowly brother who may look forward to his
approval as one with a realistic perspective of his standing before the Most
High. With no illusions of his inability
to stand before a Holy God, he rightly sees himself (Rom 12:3) as
a lowly vessel. But, in his redemption,
as a broken man, in the atoning Blood of our Lord, he, in this lowest state, is
of highest standing before God on the account of His Son (1 Cor 1:30).
The rich man, in his false sense of a righteous
self, must come to confess (Phil 2:9-11) in his humiliation for
his false stand before God. As a broken
man in Christ will stand before God in pure white linens, all sins washed away,
so too will the self-righteous find themselves naked in shame for all their
sins upon them. A person trying to
clothe himself in his false righteousness will be shown as a prostitute in
filthy rags, the stench of the filth overcoming him, but all the while she
thought she was beautiful. Considering
Joshua the High Priest (Ezek 3) in his filthy rags: is any man on his own able to achieve a
higher standing before God than His High Priest? Yet this man was openly accused, and
rightfully so, by Satan of his filth in sin.
Only the removal of his inequity by the Lamb of God would suffice; only
the humble and broken of self will ever bear the blood of the Lamb (Mt
18:3).
This false righteousness of the proud man will
quickly wither as the grass in the scorching heat of the Last Day. How is it that this man, claiming to be so
secure in his position, has tried to cover himself in mere, flimsy grass? Is the petal of the flower not tender? How then can one hope to cover himself in
it? Adam and Eve covered themselves with
leaves of the fig tree. In their sin
they chose to try to cover it from each other and from God. Our attempts will be just as much folly lest
we are covered in True garments.
Key Summary
As a child of God we may approach the Throne of
Grace in faith in Him and His goodness.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Sure faith cannot coexist with double
mindedness.
We must be sure to seek out our true standing in the
eyes of God, as at first under judgment and then after in redemption. True realization of God’s grace bears upon
everything in our concern to God and our relationship with Him.
Beware false righteousness and false humility. All that is not true and sure will pass away
in the end, leaving the truth to be seen and judged.
Study Questions
Why is a double-minded man considered unstable?
Is this same man considered unstable in all of his
ways as well?
What is the remedy for our double mindedness?
Is there any subtle self righteousness in your life
today?
Ps
51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken
and a contrite heart– These, O God, You will not despise.
1
Jn 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has
given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him
who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Gal
3:26
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ
Jesus.
Jn
3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.
Jn
15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear
much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Ps
10:4
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek
God; God is in none of his thoughts.
Ex
34:14
for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord,
whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God,
Rev
20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing
before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the
Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things
which were written in the books.
Rom
12:3
For I say, through the grace given to me, to
everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
1
Cor 1:30
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for
us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption–
Phil
2:9-11
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given
Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the
earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
Mt
18:3
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are
converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom
of heaven.”