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Our last discussion considered an overview of the course-changing forces effecting each Church age represented in Larkin’s chart ‘The Messages to the Seven Churches Compared with Church History’.

Beginning at Pentecost in Jerusalem following Jesus’ Ascent, the Church of Christ grew and spread outward to surrounding areas.  Even in the Apostles’ Acts 2 Church movement, by Chapter 6, growth and organization issues had to be addressed resulting in the selection of seven men to provide for those of the Church in need.

Jesus is clearly addressing the seven distinct Churches in Rev 2:1 – 3:22. Additionally, our study is considering a comparative and possibly prophetic parallel to the Church Ages as well.  Larkin proposes the seven Churches, as presented in order, also correlate to the nature of the Church Militant through history.  Jesus addressed each Church with various Salutations, Commendations and Promises, while each might receive a Complaint, Counsel, Warning or Praise.  These messages to each Church seem to show a high correlation to their respective historic periods. Larkin observes that each successive age retains the errors of the previous, the Church accumulating further degradation until arriving at an ineffective centrist state in that of Laodicea which fails to truly offend or to rescue as does the real Gospel.

Ephesus – (The Backslidden Church, AD 70-170, Apostolic Age) Pressures on the young Church to retain religious works from Her Jewish roots, such as circumcision, ceremony and law.

Smyrna – (Persecuted, 170-312, Judaizers) Infiltration of Jewish false teachings, Jewish priestly hierarchy, extreme pressure to recant Christ or die through the 10 Roman persecutions.

Pergamos (Greek)/Pergamum (Latin) – (Licentious, 312-606, Constantine) The voluntary loss of independence of the Church as She donned the yoke of the State under Constantine through greed and bribery; The melding of pagan beliefs into the doctrines and traditions of the Church; Adoption of a Satanic priesthood rooted in Babylon’s worship, including the inherited title of ‘Pontifex Maximus’ beginning with Nimrod, given to the Caesars, and ultimately passed to the head of the Roman Catholic Church who is still known today as ‘Pontiff’.  Perhaps the beginning of the most severe departure point of the Church from Christ’s teachings and intent, the loss of the Church’s independence to Man’s and the World’s System bringing terrible consequences.  This cemented the creation and embrace of Post-Millennial and Amillenial doctrines promoting God’s abandonment of His Covenants with the Jews and their replacement by the Church.

Thyatira – (Lax, 606-1050?, Boniface III, 1050-1280?, Gregory VII, 1280-1520, Boniface VIII) The majority of the practicing Roman Catholic Church during the Dark Ages.  As Pergamos was a horrible genesis of a Man/State/Satan Church, the practices and doctrines that followed were breathtaking, including: Baptismal Regeneration, Justification by Works, Image Worship, Celibacy, Mariolatry (the worship of Mary), Confessionals, Purgatory, Transubstantiation (of the Lord’s Supper), Indulgences and Penance. 

Sardis – (Dead, 1520-1750, Reformation & Westphalia) Between the decline of Roman Catholic Papacy and the rise of the Reformation movement, the preparatory actions of men such as Wycliffe, Huss and Luther led to the deadly and dark Thirty Years’ War, leading to the Peace of Westphalia.  The protestants of the Catholic Church would emerge with a Gospel, though not perfect, sufficient to ignite the spread of Christianity across the rest of the world.  Also see When Jesus Freed His Church of the Pope: The Evolution of the Church (1450-1648) – Gutenberg’s Press, Luther’s 95 Theses, The Reformation, The Peace at Augsburg, The Thirty Years’ War, and The Peace of Westphalia

Philadelphia – (Favored, 1750-1900, Evangelistic & Missionary) Perhaps another golden Age of the Church, the Gospel was loosed and the World evangelized.  However, difficulty also arose with competing doctrines and leaders.  Patently false Churches also emerged in the vacuum such as Mormonism (1830) and Christian Science (1866), promoting a gospel contrary and wicked.  Baptist, Calvinist/Reformed, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran and Anglican were the primary denominations, with evangelists like John and Charles Wesley, George Whitfield, Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, even Billy Graham driving the movement.

Laodicea – (Lukewarm, 1900 to Present, Wretched and Pitiable) Prosperity and success often threaten focus and devotion, and the Church is not exempt.  Jesus tells this Church She is lukewarm, deceived – “…you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked. (Rev 3:17) This Church type has settled into a comfortable centrist posture, preaching a Gospel that doesn’t offend yet doesn’t rescue.

Through all of this, as well as through the Age before the Church, Jesus maintains His Remnant.  Despite all of the offsetting pressures a faithful outlier always exists, seeking to shed any teachings that detract from His Faith.  A horrifying prospect, how many will be counted as the foolish virgins (Matt 25:1-13) or those pleading “Lord, Lord!” (Matt 7:21-23)?

Though Man and the Enemy work to pollute the Truth and misdirect the Church, Jesus, the Author and Protector of our faith, continues to Save those sheep given to Him by Father, promising no one will snatch them out of His Hand – If we would only hear, believe and obey.

“²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

Anyone ever to be Saved will be so because of their faith in the person Jesus, not because of anyone or anything else – not because of following the rules of God (except to believe in His Son Jesus, the only Person Who will Save you from your sin against God), or because of attending Church, or because of the actions of any priest or pastor or minister, or because of any confessions, special prayers or penance.  Those things have been added on by men, not God – otherwise He would have told us so.  We are Saved because of a Person, not because of rules or an ideal.  If you are now Saved, the Bible says it is a gift from Him if you’ve acknowledged Who He is (God), who you are (a sinner against Him), and asked Him to forgive you, knowing He said He would.  The Bible tells us any other way to peace with God is a lie.

The Bible tells us Jesus said: ⁶ …“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

More specifically, if in a full belief (faith) you’ve said (prayed) to God that you know you’ve disobeyed (sinned) against Him, and you’ve asked Jesus His Son Who died and came back from the dead, to forgive you, the Bible says God has now adopted you into His family.  This is known as being Saved by Jesus through faith alone, not because you’ve tried to do anything to earn His forgiveness.  This is possible because Jesus is God and a person, alive and attending to you today.

These are a few Scriptures that address this:

²³ …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23

^23a For the wages of sin is death Romans 6:23a

^23b …but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23b

⁸ But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Romans 5:1

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 8:38-39

Instead, because we have faith in our relationship with God through Jesus, we will want to strive to follow His expectations, attend Church to worship and learn with others under the care of a godly leader, confess our failures to Him, be changed inwardly with His help, and grow in our relationship through experience and prayer.

This is a spiritual reality that has a great number of amazing consequences.  It does not necessarily mean you will never have troubles again, or that your physical or economic circumstances will improve.  That isn’t what Salvation is for.  The incredible gift of God’s blessings center around His new presence in you through the Holy Spirit, which is proof of your belonging to Him.  Your belonging to Him through Jesus means you can know He will keep your soul, which can never die, with Him.  It also means you will not be lost to Him in Hell, specifically the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15).  You are forgiven, adopted, and safe in Him now. Belonging to Jesus means more than avoiding Hell, It means from now on He is always with you, watching over you, comforting you and guiding you.  But you have to learn to keep Him in your sight and follow closely behind.

Everything we know about God has been given to us in the Bible.  We believe it was written by men across 1500 years as it was breathed out through them by God’s Holy Spirit.  This means He (the Holy Spirit, God) spoke through the authors, even through their human personalities.  Men wrote, driven by the Holy Spirit, Who is the unchanging author.  The Scripture is the Holy Spirit’s thoughts, not the writers’.

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21

The Bible tells us the truth about God and ourselves.  Scripture is special because it alone can be used by the Holy Spirit in us as believers to cut through our wrong perceptions (due to our sinful nature) and show us truth.  It was Scripture and the Holy Spirit that showed you your sin and that Jesus would Save you if you believed in Him and asked Him for help.  He (The Holy Spirit is a Person of what’s called the Godhead or Triune God, three Persons in one God) is also Who now comforts you in the truth that you are Saved and can have peace.

¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

From here on, your study of Scripture and your prayer life with God will be how you continue to see where you are not seeing things God’s way so you can change to be more like Jesus.  You won’t do this to keep your Salvation because the gift was given by Him – and no one, including you, can take it away.  Instead, He will help you work towards change because you’ll grow in wanting to be like Jesus.  These are changes to your ‘heart’ that only He can help you with.  This is called Sanctification.

What’s next?

To set yourself on a good footing, there’s a few things to do next.

First, find a good Church that is led by men who know Jesus and the Scriptures.  This is where you’ll find people who also belong to Jesus, and if they are also growing in their relationship with Him, will be able to help you grow under Him too.  This sort of Church is usually called non-denominational, meaning it is an independent Church, not held to the curriculum of a larger organizing body.  This can matter because Jesus said His Church’s organizational chart is very short.  We have direct access to Him, and He has given the Church others who are gifted to help us.  Some have a responsibility to govern us to protect the Church, but they do not govern our access to Jesus.

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

Second, get a Bible in a readable translation that you can read and make notes in. Options include a paper book, Kindle (or a device with the Kindle reader app), or Olive Tree’s free version.  Starting with the Gospel of John is a great way to begin understanding Jesus.  There are many versions/translations, and many are terrific – ESV (English Standard Version) and NIV (New International Version) are in plain English and easy to understand.  When you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit is with you to help you understand.  Learn to pray to Him for help when you’re reading the Bible.  The person helping you at the Church will explain how to navigate the Bible’s Books, Chapters, and Verses.  Grow in a Biblical worldview, checking everything in your life against the Truth of the Scripture.  It’s always reliable.

Third, be Baptized.  Baptism is a public declaration of your following Jesus.  It’s usually done in a Church by either a Pastor or someone significant to you who belongs to Jesus.  Baptism is not a step in Salvation, it’s one of the two “Ordinances” (not sacraments, see HERE) given by Jesus.  The other is Communion, the taking of bread and wine or grape juice.  Both Ordinances are for believers only in worship of Jesus.  The Bible states they do not convey Grace or forgiveness – that only comes from Jesus as a gift to us as underserving but thankful people.

Fourth, understand He is the main priority and order your life accordingly.  Make Church, study and prayer a priority.  Like anything else in your life, you pay attention to what matters to you.  As you grow in your relationship with Him – the Person Who has rescued you – your priorities will change as He is so important to you.  No one is more important than God the Father, the Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit.

Fifth, learn Who Jesus is, what He commands, and how to follow Him.  One of our main jobs is to work towards understanding Him, to pay attention to where we are not like Him, and with His help be changed.  Another job is to pay attention to opportunities around us and share His Gospel, the good news of His gift.  Some Scripture that speaks of this includes:

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

²¹ Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love them and show Myself to them.” John 14:21

⁵ I (Jesus) am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him,he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

Sixth, learn to weigh everything against the Bible and gain a Biblical worldview.  The Bible, God’s Word to us, is absolutely correct.  He uses it to inform us and guide us.  As we consider the world around us – personally, relationally, financially, politically, everything – all of our opinions and actions should be compared to the Scriptures to understand how to see things His way and respond accordingly.  His Grace relieves us of the punishment for mistakes, but Jesus also expects us to learn and grow to be more and more like Him.  He helps us through His Holy Spirit. Learn to hear Him and obey, be Sanctified (changed).

Finally, show this to the person helping you at the Church, and remember Proverbs 4:23:

²³ Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.

Revelation 7:9-10

I believe we can expect to see something of God’s overarching goals in Scripture.  We’ve discussed before how the one thing He chooses not to violate, even as the Almighty over all things, is the sovereignty He allows us in asking for Salvation.  He surely uses a variety of means to compel and convince us, but I don’t think He has ever been shown to overwhelm our choosing His Saving Grace.  This would make sense because it is on this same basis we will be judged for Salvation or Damnation.  No one, neither the sheep nor the goats, will be able to say ‘God ultimately made this choice for me without my consent’.

In a like manner, God also seeks to ultimately surround Himself with genuine worshippers, those who choose to venerate Him out of their own volition.  No forced worship will ever be found around the Throne, once He has completed His plans.  These genuine worshippers cannot be created, but must be cultivated.  Even though ‘the stones would cry out’ (Luke 19:39-40), we are made as independent personalities who have the aforementioned freedom of choice while under His absolute Sovereignty.  These worshippers have been cultivated by His Intent and Grace to come to this conclusion.

The overarching theme of this began with the first Adam who was perfect and innocent.  The second Adam offers rescue to Fallen people who understand the sin the first Adam couldn’t know about until it was too late.  The necessity of a Saving choice begins with a burden of sin.  God chose not to create Adam and Eve as ‘genuine’ worshippers, but instead through the circumstance of sin, (God is not the Author of sin – 1 John 1:5) He has undertaken the breathless task of calling us back to Him without violating the sovereignty of our choice to ask for His Grace.

Adam could not have been a grateful worshipper with the mud of prior sin on his boots – he couldn’t until after his disobedience.  We, however, come to Him from an endless variety of circumstances, necessarily aware of the sin we ask for relief from.  In the end, these are the sort of genuinely grateful and sincere worshippers He will nurture to Himself.

He’s really taken the hardest path, given that humanity now begins bent against Him in all ways, save our God-given conscience.  And to Who is this credit due?  It is true each child of God made that choice, but we know it is only because of Him we made the choice.  We did not even know we sinned until the Law, says Paul (Rom 7:7).  He provides His Spirit to convict us.  He gives all faith to quicken us.  He manages as the Almighty Sovereign God to guide each created soul to His conclusion – all without creating the choice Himself.  He actually demonstrates this incredible act of cultivating true-choice worshippers without forcing His Sovereignty, but brings it about through His Sovereignty.  This is a most amazing accomplishment, most worthy of our praise and His Glory.

This Sunday 5/26/24 at 3^rd to 5^th grade Kid’s Sunday School, we discussed our Main Job – to obey Jesus unto a Saving faith in Him.

I chose Scripture to discuss with the kids.  Our discussions center around the Bibles in front of them as they look up the Verses on a whiteboard.  We always begin with prayer to the Holy Spirit to guide us to the truth, and as we discuss the Scripture by them looking it up, reading it, and looking to explain what it means.  Note: We should be horrified at pushing kids into anything concerning Salvation.  A false conversion must be avoided with the greatest care.  Our discussions always strive to be the truth and what they conclude on their own with our guidance under the Spirit’s guidance.

Today, we talked through the following:

What is our Main Job?

Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

Matthew 7:21

7 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matt 17:5

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

Here we discussed the summarized Ten Commandments, of which 1 of the 5 kids knew of and the others had heard of.  Of all of the Commandments we included, they each agreed they had sinned.

Throughout our discussion we used an example of going to a restaurant, knowing we were very hungry.  Seated by the hostess, it wasn’t until the waitstaff came and heard our request that they would bring us the food promised.  Being in the restaurant would not bring the food, nor being seated, nor knowing about the waitstaff and the kitchen.  It is only when we ask the one who can bring the food they promise to serve can we expect our meal.

James 2:19-20

19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Romans 10:9

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

John 14:6

6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

I believe the kids had a firm framing of the discussion, and they confirmed.  Asking if anyone had any comments or questions (no), I asked if anyone had asked Jesus to Forgive and Save them (no).  Then I asked if anyone was interested in doing so (4 no, 1 yes).

I affirmed them all, and asked the one child if he was ready, as three months ago he said so but decided not to proceed with his Dad present.  He said yes, so I explained that I would ask his parents to join us and that this would be all on his own. He confirmed it again, so I explained how my simple prayer of confession of sin and asking Jesus’ for His forgiveness as God’s Son Who rose from the dead was what I wanted.  I told him Jesus wants him and would not refuse, and he would belong to Him in this faith.

Both of his parents arrived and we cleared the room of the few kids and the leaders who were there to relieve me.  We all sat down and I asked the child if he would still like to ask Jesus to Forgive and Save him (yes).  With that, he prayed in my judgement a very sufficient prayer for Salvation.  We congratulated him, and I told him that in this faith I could now call him a brother in Christ, then told him the next decision to work out with his folks would be his Baptism in obedience to the Lord.

This has been a tremendous day for all involved.  Linda and I pray often that these children would come to a Saving faith, and today I believe we saw a child whisked to safety.  This is the main reason we engage this Ministry, and I praise God for calling him.

Next time I see this child we’ll have a Bible for him with a note from us.  I’ll give it to his parents to give to him with their approval.

Praise God for His Truth and Mercy in Jesus.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

The weekly recap of our Men’s Discipleship discussion at ‘The Table’, through the eyes of friend Dale Haddix

The weekly recap of our Men’s Discipleship discussion at ‘The Table’, through the eyes of friend Dale Haddix

The weekly recap of our Men’s Discipleship discussion at ‘The Table’, through the eyes of friend Dale Haddix

The weekly recap of our Men’s Discipleship discussion at ‘The Table’, through the eyes of friend Dale Haddix

The weekly recap of our Men’s Discipleship discussion at ‘The Table’, through the eyes of friend Dale Haddix

The weekly recap of our Men’s Discipleship discussion at ‘The Table’, through the eyes of friend Dale Haddix.

Saturday 2/2/20 notes

‘Posture Before God’

Our discussion was in rounding out our self-perception to
meet what God says we are.  Last week we talked about overshooting our
position, and this week we talked about undershooting.

I believe two passages that help illuminate this problem we
face are Psalm 51.17, and,

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  – Psalm 51.17

Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of
grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of
need. – Heb 4.16

The first shows a right fear of Him, the latter a bold
confidence under His seeing us through Christ.  Same God, same
expectations, an altogether improvement in our station before Him that allows
us, as fully forgiven, to embrace and live as the people He declares us to be.

Anything other than what He has said of us to be is a sin
against His declaration, and a disservice to us.  It disserves us if we run
beyond His declarations of our responsibilities and station, and if we lag
behind His declarations in self-imposed spiritual poverty.  So, Jesus says
that since both are a loss, but one is a greater sin that will bring
correction, it is better in figuring out our ignorance to choose the lesser
role and pay attention to Him when He moves us to a greater seat.  Better
to be lifted as a lesser-than-true person than to be be busted down in
correction from a false lofty position.

Aside from Matt 5.5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall
inherit the earth.”, a quick study of the 32 other entries at https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=meek&qs_version=ASV&limit=25
show the value of His Words.

Whoops, forgot to address the Resurrection comment.

Heb 11.35 notes that among those persecuted: “Women
received their dead by a resurrection: and others were tortured, not
accepting their deliverance; that they might obtain a better
resurrection”.

These people accepted greater suffering of loss in
exchange of better recognition by God when they would face His
assessment.  So too must we embrace the lowest options in meekness and
humility for His Cause.  For in Matt 19.27-30 we read:

“²⁷ Then answered Peter and said
unto him, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee; what then shall we
have? ²⁸ And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man
shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And every
one that hath left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a
hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But
many shall be last that are first; and first that are last.”

Scripture (NKJV)

¹⁹You believe that
there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble!   ²⁰But do you want to know, O foolish
man, that faith without works is dead?

 ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified
by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²²Do you see
that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made
perfect?

 ²³And the Scripture was fulfilled which
says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness.”  And he was called
the friend of God.  ²⁴You see
then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.  ²⁵Likewise, was not Rahab the
harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them
out another way?

²⁶For as the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Outline

• James turns to deal with faith that is
  illegitimate before God.
• The works that James writes of are different
  than the works Paul denounces in Rom 11:5-6.
• Likewise, the faiths Paul and James are dealing
  with are totally different in nature.
• Abraham responded in his faith, and God saw him
  Justified by his faith, made complete in his works.
• Jesus is the Deliverance, existing from the
  beginning in God’s Salvation Plan.
• The faith and subsequent works Abraham exhibited
  are the very same we must exhibit.
• Once Saved by this faith, God deals with us no
  longer as criminals, but as legally Righteous.
• Faith is an intangible, yet essential,
  connection between us and our Salvation, and must be proofed in us.

Lesson

James turns to deal with faith
that is illegitimate before God. ‘You believe that there is one God. You
do well.’ – Everyone is aware of God, (Rom 1:20) and we all
have faith in something; we are of the Kingdom or the other.  (Matthew 13:38)  Even someone who professes no alliance in
faith to anyone or anything has faith that there is nothing to have faith
in.  The dividing line will not be over
whether we possess a faith, for we all do; the question will center on whom our
faith lays upon.  ‘Even the demons
believe – and tremble!’   They too,
have a faith, a faith in that God is Who He is and that He will do what they
know to be true – their ultimate eternal banishment and punishment. (Matt
8:29) They have good reason to tremble! 
For them, the problem again is not that they lack even a faith in God –
it is that they lack a Saving faith in the Lord Jesus.  The Bible makes no indication of any means of
Redemption for the fallen of the Heavenly Host, and if not, because the Father
has not Willed it.  Salvation is offered
only to mankind, not to them.

The works that James writes of
are different than the works Paul denounces in Rom 11:5-6.  Paul’s works are those intended, though
unsuccessfully, to satisfy God’s Law and earn Justification.  James’ works, on the other hand, are borne
out of faith here on the other side of Justification, through Jesus’ Work on
the Cross.  In the same way, the
faiths Paul and James are dealing with are totally different in nature.  Paul’s faith is that germ, that seed, that
God puts in the heart of the sinner at the moment he is convicted by the Word,
sees Jesus as the Savior, and calls out to Him for Mercy to be Saved.  This is a Holy Gift from God, the first
gracious act evident to the newly repentant sinner Saved by this very
faith.  James is dealing with all other
faiths, which are dead and condemning before God.

‘But do you want to know, O
foolish man, that faith without works is dead?’ – Shall he prove to us that
a true Saving faith must exhibit a response of good works to be proven to be of
any use?  Then consider the acts of faith
in Abraham – ‘Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar?’  Four
days earlier, God instructed Abraham to prepare to offer his son Isaac as a
burnt offering. (Gen 22:2) Note that God gave Abraham plenty of
time to stew about this, yet Abraham did not waver.  It is one thing to act on impulse, even in
obedience.  But given any amount of time
to consider, our tendency would probably be to rationalize God’s Will out of
His Command.  Isaac was His promise
fulfilled; he represented not only Abraham’s assurance of a God of promises
kept, but also the only son he would ever have. 
Through it all, Abraham looked to a God he knew is Pure, Holy, and
Righteous, and Whose direction and intent were always the highest priority to
uphold – even in the face of the most severe opportunity for doubt and
distress.  So, Abraham followed through –
he set out to obey, and as he was about to slay his beloved son, bound on the alter,
the Angel of the LORD stayed his hand. (Gen 22:12) ‘Abraham
believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ – Abraham
responded in his faith, and God saw him Justified by his faith, made complete
in his works.

How is it that someone of the time
before Jesus’ ministry could hope to be Saved? 
How, if one didn’t have the person of Jesus to call on, Who hadn’t yet
been crucified?  In this question lays
another question of how Abraham was accounted as righteous before God, but the
answer to both is the same.  Abraham
believed, had faith in God’s Deliverance, though he had not yet realized or
received the tangibles of what God has promised him.  For both Abraham, and us of this generation
under the New Covenant, Jesus is that Deliverance, existing from the
beginning in God’s Plan. (2 Tim 1:9-10) Abraham’s faith was
complete, made perfect or whole, when he responded to the faith he had in
God.  His response in faith, his works,
qualified his faith before God – and so God credited his belief and works to
his righteousness as being genuine.  ‘Do
you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was
made perfect (complete)?  And the
Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness.”’

So what, as children of Abraham,
might this have to do with us?  Don’t we
have the Person of Jesus to look to, His name to call on?  The faith and subsequent works Abraham
exhibited are the very same we must exhibit, if we are to be found to be truly
children of God.  James has focused
on this issue of faith and works for good reason.  Our understanding of faith, it’s nature and
role in Redemption, and it’s affirmation in us, is paramount.  And because of this, James exhorts us to seek
solid proof through works, so that we do not deceive ourselves.

At
our Redemption – that point where we first believed in Jesus, turned away from
our sin, and called on His Name for Mercy – we each were legally Justified, or
no longer held accountable for the payment (eternal punishment) for our
sins.  Jesus’ Work on the Cross satisfied
God’s Justice which demands that all sins are paid for.  In the case of the believer, Jesus has already
endured the eternal punishment on his or her account, long before that believer
would ever have to face Judgment.  And
because of that, at least two issues are now true.  First, Jesus has bought us our freedom by His
personal payment for what we will owe – and because of this, we are now His
possession.  Second, as God’s Justice
looks forward to the Judgment, we are recognized as Justified, legally free of
the debt of our sin.  And because of
our new standing, God deals with us no longer as criminals, but as legally
Righteous.

So,
where is the role of works in this? 
Jesus holds our Redemption and only escape from eternal punishment.  And the only way we might receive this is by
true faith in only Him.  And thus, this
is why James goes to such lengths to have us always testing and proofing the
reality of our faith, an intangible yet essential connection between us and our
Salvation.  James shows us the
barometer of good works, in response to a Saving faith, through a personal
relationship with the Holy Son.  ‘For
as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Cited Scripture

Rom
1:20
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Matthew
13:38
The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the
tares are the sons of the wicked one.

Matthew
8:29
And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus,
You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Genesis
22:2
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and
go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the
mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Genesis
22:12
And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for
now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only
son, from Me.”

2
Tim 1:9-10

Who
has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus
before time began, ¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of
our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel,

Scripture (NKJV)

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone
says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and destitute
of daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace,
be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are
needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷Thus also faith by
itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith,
and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show
you my faith by my works.

Outline

• What good is a faith that does not bear fruit?
• No conflict between James’ and Paul’s view of works not earning
  Salvation.
• James turns around to view faith from the perspective of what comes
  from it, not what leads to it.
• He is writing about this relationship in faith (with Jesus), which
  responds through works.
• As mock charity is useless, so will a mock profession of faith in
  Jesus, when presented to Him for examination on the Last Day.
• This is the litmus test of any faith; a tree is known by its fruit.
• He persuades us to examine ourselves for the Saving faith in Jesus,
  coexisting with works brought about by that same faith.
• If found deficient, only one choice but to throw oneself at the foot of
  the Cross and cry for Mercy.

Lesson

James
challenges the one, professing to be a believer in Jesus, to examine himself
for the evidence of the root of his faith. 
He begins by asking: What good is a faith that does not bear fruit?
‘What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not
have works?‘  He can ask this,
because he knows that anyone Saved has faith in Jesus the Savior, and that
faith has to come from God, leading to a relationship with His Son.  And if there is a relationship with His Son,
then that relationship must produce nothing less than an outpouring in
response. (Jn 7:37-38) So then, if there is not fruit being borne
out of a faith, what good can it be, for it cannot be the type from God, which
would inherently produce those fruits. 
And therefore, if it is not of God and thus not of Jesus, then how can
this kind of faith save him?  ‘Can
faith save him?’

There is
no conflict here between James’ and Paul’s view of works not earning Salvation. (Rom 11:5-6)
In both cases, they seek to put the issues of works in their proper place and
order.  Paul writes of Salvation ‘according
to the election of (God’s) grace’, (v 5), which cannot be earned
through any works of the one to be Saved,     
(v 6).  If this were so,
then that person’s contribution would negate the nature of grace itself.  Grace is a gift to someone who has no basis
of deserving it, and who has no means of paying for or contributing to it – ‘otherwise
grace is no longer grace’ (v 6). 
Paul does not allow for the Saving Grace from God to be the result of
any works of mankind.  James’ argument
supports this too; he agrees with Paul on the issue of free Saving Grace, then turns
around to view faith from the perspective of what comes from it, not what leads
to it.  He knows that on this side of
Justification the believer will respond to his faith through an encounter with
the Holy God.  He is writing about
this relationship in faith, which responds through works.

So how might
he quantify it?  What example might he
use to illustrate the reality of a ‘dead’ faith?  He offers v15 – ‘If a brother or sister is
naked and destitute of daily food‘. 
These people are shown to be in a terrible state – their lives are
endangered for a lack of fundamental necessity. 
The situation is not only punctuated by the measure of basic humane
concern, but also in that God has commanded us to aid the poor (Lev
25:35).  However, ‘one of
(us)’ who confess to be a child of the God of compassion, – ‘(who) says
he has faith‘ – offers a token blessing of love and comfort – ‘Depart in
peace, be warmed and filled‘. 
However, they are sent away empty-handed.  Here, ‘(we) do not give them the things
which are needed for the body’, that which is a basic need.  James’ illustration shows the utter uselessness
of this hollow charity.  And, as this
mock charity is useless, so will a mock profession of faith in Jesus, when
presented to Him for examination on the Last Day.  This faith, in failing to produce works
helpful in the most basic of ways, nor in the compassion of a heart found in
one of God, betrays itself as hollow and of no value.  ‘Thus also faith by itself, if it does not
have works, is dead.‘  This is the
litmus test of any faith; a tree is known by its fruit, and the value of
the works Judged by God’s Measure will reflect the state of faith in one’s
life. (Matt 7:24-25),   (Rev 20:12)
Under the demand of our new spirit we are called to react, and only the faith
that God grants can produce works righteous before God.  All other faiths are dead.

For the sake
of illustration, James offers someone’s declaration of the validity of his
works, in contrast to James’ plea – ‘But someone will say, “You have
faith, and I have works.”‘.  He
persuades us to examine ourselves for the Saving faith in Jesus, coexisting
with works brought about by that same faith – ‘Show me your faith
without your works,’ (you cannot) ‘and I will show you my faith by my
works.‘ (I do).

James
acknowledges this person’s works, but shows that works can be present without
faith, and this is no better to save him.  
Works or dead faith, by themselves, will both

prove
worthless at the Judgment.  And so, if in
examining his own faith, one was to find it in question or deficient, he has only
one choice but to throw himself at the foot of the Cross and cry for Mercy in
Jesus.  This person of v18 can only
show works, which he cannot prove to be in response to Saving faith, and so
cannot defy James’ logic nor prove to himself his works qualify him as
Saved.  And as a reference point, James
uses a life like his own as an illustration of this doctrine, as his life had
the marks of one saved – ‘and I will show you my faith by my works.‘

Cited Scripture

John
7:37-38
 ³⁷ On the last day, that
great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone
thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸He who believes in Me, as
the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living
water.”

Romans
11:5-6
⁵Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to
the election of grace. ⁶And if by grace, then it is no longer of
works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no
longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

Leviticus
25:35
³⁵ “If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into
poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner,
that he may live with you.

Matthew
7:24-25
²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does
them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵and
the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Revelation
20:12
¹²And 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.

Scripture

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone
says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and destitute
of daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace,
be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are
needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷Thus also faith by
itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith,
and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show
you my faith by my works.

Commentary

James now turns our spiritual health, a self-examination
in order to proof our true Salvation in a reliance upon Jesus.  He sets out to challenge us in examining
ourselves for the evidence of Salvation by contrasting the false proofs resting
on faith alone without either works or works alone without faith, vs. the
proper doctrine of both of them coexisting as the result of a saving
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 
So James asks: what good is a faith that is not bearing fruit?  ’What does it profit, my brethren, if
someone says he has faith but does not have works’?  He can ask this because any faith in the
Savior has to be the same faith from God, through a relationship with His
Son.  And therefore, if there is a
relationship with His Son, then that relationship with Him must produce nothing
less than an outpouring in response.  (John
7:37-38)  So then, if there is
not fruit being borne out of a faith, then what good can it be, for it cannot
be the type from God which would inherently produce those fruits.  And therefore, if it is not of God and thus
not in Jesus, then how can that faith save him? ’Can faith save him?’

James gives his example in v 15 – ‘If a brother or
sister is naked and destitute of daily food’.  These people are not noted as asking for
help, though they are known of and acknowledged.  They are in a most terrible state, both
humiliated and in danger of losing their lives for a lack of necessities.  They are in a very severe need of charity,
and we see them and recognize their situation clearly.   (Lev 25:35)  

And so, in dealing with them, ‘one of (us)’, people
of the God of compassion, offers a token of faithful love and comfort in a kind
blessing – ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled’ – as they are sent
away empty handed.  Yet, ‘(we) do not
give them the things which are needed for the body‘, that which they will
need in basic necessity to survive.  In
light of the preceding verse (v 14), he again asks, what good is this sort
of faith?  This faith, in failing to
produce works helpful in the most basic of ways, nor in the compassion of a
heart found in one of God, has betrayed itself as hollow and of no value.  ‘Thus also faith by itself, if it does not
have works, is dead.‘  This is the
litmus test of any faith; the tree is known by it’s fruit, and the value of the
works judged by God’s Measure will reflect the state of faith in the bearer’s
life.  (Matt 7:24-27)    Under the demand of our new spirit we are
called to rise to action, and only the faith which God grants us can produce
truly good works.  All other faiths are
dead.

For the sake of illustration, James offers someone’s
declaration of the validity of his works, in contrast to James’ faith – ‘But
someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”’  James now puts it to the test in light of the
overall point he is expounding – ‘Show me your faith without your works, and
I will show you my faith by my works.’ 
As his intent in this block of passage has been to cause us to examine
ourselves for the saving faith in Jesus, from God alone, and to do so by
considering the coexistence of faith and works, he is able to show this
person’s flawed logic and cause him to even question if he in fact stands
Justified.  This person might still be
looking to works as Saul once did in trying to save himself.  Our Salvation requires a total abandonment of
ourselves, our devices, and our attempts at self-saving works, in exchange for
a total reliance upon the Promise of Jesus to Save us from Judgment and
damnation through faith in His Father’s Grace. 
James acknowledges his works, but shows that the basis of Salvation is
Grace through faith.  Therefore, this person’s
works can be present without faith and thus prove worthless at the Judgment.  The manifestation of both a saving faith,
something only we and our Lord can ultimately examine in ourselves, in
combination with good works borne out of a gratitude and love resultant of such
a faith and relationship, can hope to prove to us our sure standing in
Christ.  And if one, in examining his
faith, were to find it in question or deficient, his only obvious recourse must
be to throw himself at the foot of the Cross and cry for Mercy in Jesus’
Salvation.  (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)  And if so, our Lord promises to Save all
those who call on His Name in this way.  (Rom
10:13)  Therefore, the person of
v 18 can only show works which may or may not be an outpouring in response of
saving faith, and so cannot defeat James’ logic nor prove to himself he is
Saved.  And as a reference point, a
countermeasure, James shows that his argument is correctly in alignment with
this doctrine by pointing to the truth made evident through a life like his,
which had the marks of one saved – ‘and I will show you my faith by my
works’.

Key
Summary

We must be diligent in self examination so as to be
sure we aren’t deceived concerning our motives and Salvation.  A bitter Day at Judgment awaits those who
relied on anything but the Blood and Forgiveness of our Lord, the Final and
Only Atonement.  James gives us the means
to identify the truth of our faith and test ourselves in it through the
response of works.

Cited Scripture

John
7:37-38
³⁷ On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and
cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
³⁸He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will
flow rivers of living water.”

Leviticus
25:35
³⁵ “If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into
poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner,
that he may live with you.

Matthew
7:24-27
²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does
them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵and
the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
²⁶“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not
do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷and
the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it fell. And great was its fall.”

2
Corinthians 7:9-10
⁹Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow
led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might
suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰For godly sorrow produces
repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the
world produces death.

Romans
10:13
¹³For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be
saved.”

Scripture (NKJV)

¹ My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. ²For if there should
come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there
should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, ³and you pay
attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit
here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand
there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” ⁴have you not
shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵Listen, 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? ⁶But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich
oppress you and drag you into the courts? ⁷Do they not blaspheme
that noble name by which you are called?

⁸If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; ⁹but
if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as
transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet
stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. ¹¹For He who said,
“Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now
if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a
transgressor of the law.

¹²So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the
law of liberty. ¹³For judgment is without mercy to the one who has
shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Lesson

James opens
with a warning to remember, in considering the faith of the Lord, not to
forget Whom we are dealing with. 
He goes the extra mile by twice pointing out that this is ‘our Lord
Jesus Christ’ and ‘the Lord of Glory’.  We must beware of any complacency, leading to
‘partiality’.  God despises
partiality (favoritism) because it is our own judgment on another’s value and
worth.  When we do so it is with
self-serving motives, wrongly putting one person above another.

In James’
scenario, two men arrive, one the world and our sinful heart loves, the
other the world and we shun.  The
‘beautiful’ or ‘important’ person – ‘with gold rings, in fine apparel’ –
is shown to a preferred seat because of a preferred place in our heart, while
the ‘poor man in filthy clothes’ is shown no help or respect.

‘Have you
not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?’ –
If we allow ourselves into this scenario, we are convicted not only of
judging someone, but worse yet as a corrupt judge with an evil heart.  God despises this also.  In (Lev 19:15), God’s
instructions through Moses condemn any partiality like this, which comes from
our heart’s judgment of one another.  In
that verse He does not allow favoritism in judging any man, even if he is flat
broke and destitute, because in judging a matter on it’s merit of right or
wrong, a state of wealth or poverty makes no difference in the eyes of
God.   Justice in Truth is a
non-negotiable issue with God, because He is Just and True.  All things must in the end be judged against
God’s Truth.  That is why the Gift of
Jesus is so incredible – He has satisfied the debt for us, which God’s Justice
demands, yet at the same time He can be forgiving of us without bounds.  Both God’s characteristic of Justice and His
characteristic of Love are met in Jesus. 
So, when we judge another, ‘the poor man of this world’ who is ‘rich
in faith and an heir of the Kingdom’ as one who ‘loves Him’, we
are working in opposition to the work of Jesus.

Here we have
made the ‘rich man’ favored in our heart.  But God is a Jealous God, and demands
to be first in our heart. (Exod 20:3) 
Worse yet, the ‘rich man’ in this illustration does not appear to
be Saved – he has no reverence for the Lord or His people, he is quick to
accuse them and try to do wrong against them, and he slanders ‘that noble
name by which you are called.’  ‘But if
you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as
transgressors’ – If we turn to a person like this, and in doing so reject
another, we have rejected one of God in His Spirit and embraced one who
stands up against Him.

In breaking
God’s law in this, one becomes an offense to the whole Law and stands
guilty.  ‘For whoever shall keep the
whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.’  However, God also calls us to show love and
respect towards our neighbor.  If this
rich man is treated so, in fulfillment of God’s ‘royal law’ to ‘love
your neighbor as yourself’, there is no sin.  A show of love and respect for a
neighbor or figure of authority, neither in judgment nor at the expense of
another’s worth in the eyes of God, is a righteous thing.

‘God is no
respecter of persons’ (Acts 10:34), and we are very fortunate for this.  It is only because of His choice that anyone
is Saved, and it is never based on one’s value, choice, or character.  So, as He has shown He hates favoritism, and
since He has treated all of us in a perfect measure of Justice, then any
manner of dealing with one another must be nothing more or less than His
Perfect Standard.

‘So speak
and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty’ – each of us will stand
before Jesus’ Judgment, where our life will be examined and we will be
compensated accordingly.  The Judge will
show us the same consideration we have shown to others in this life –
beware!  Or, if we each treat our
brothers and sisters with compassion and love – be glad!  ‘For judgment is without mercy to the one
who has shown no mercy.’  Our Lord
delights in lavishing His Blessings of Mercy on us (Mic 7:18) and will do so,
just as we do so.  ‘Mercy triumphs
over judgment’; so then it is, we must strive to show mercy and not
favoritism, that we might also be shown Mercy. 
(Lk 11:4)

Cited Scripture

Leviticus
19
¹⁵“You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be
partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you
shall judge your neighbor.

Exodus
20
³“You shall have no other gods before Me.

Acts
10
³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive
that God shows no partiality.

Micah
7
¹⁸Who is a God like You,

       
Pardoning iniquity
        And passing over the transgression
of the remnant of His heritage?
        He does not retain His anger
forever,
        Because He delights in mercy.

Luke
11
⁴And forgive us our sins,
        For we also forgive everyone who is
indebted to us.

Scripture

¹ My brethren, do not hold the faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. ²For if there
should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and
there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, ³and you pay
attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit
here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand
there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” ⁴have you not
shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵Listen, 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? ⁶But you have dishonored
the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? ⁷Do
they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

⁸If you really fulfill the royal law according
to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do
well; ⁹but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted
by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever shall keep the whole law,
and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. ¹¹For He who
said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.”
Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a
transgressor of the law.

¹²So speak and so do as those who will be
judged by the law of liberty. ¹³For judgment is without mercy to the
one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Commentary

Remember, in considering the faith of the Lord, not to
forget Who we are dealing with, nor should we allow ourselves to pervert what
the faith encompasses.  As believers
saved by Him, ‘do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory, with partiality.’  James is
being sure to awaken us to any complacency in our hearts by twice invoking the
reality of the terrible Glory and Position of the One to Whom we entrust our
souls.  Do not disregard the substance
(the faith) which embodies our whole association with the Son of God.  Surely do not do so ‘with partiality’,
neither adding to nor taking away from this faith – God’s Holiness and
Righteousness needs no help from us!  It
stands above all as the Perfect Standard. 
God despises partiality, even in judging the poor and lowly.  Partiality is an attempted shortcut to false
Justice; a crutch, a handicap – the faith in Jesus Christ needs no such
‘help’.  It stands on It’s Own; we cannot
treat It lightly.

James next poses a scenario surely common to the assembly
of believers, even today.  Two men
arrive, one the World and our sinful heart loves; the other, we shun.  And in acting upon this, the beautiful person
– ‘with gold rings, in fine apparel’ – is shown to a preferred seat
because of the preferred place in our heart, while the ‘poor man in filthy
clothes’ gains no favor but is instead directed to (note, not given) any
other available place to occupy.

‘Have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and
become judges with evil thoughts?’ – Taking part in the scenario, we are convicted
of not only judging someone, but worse yet as a corrupt judge with an evil
heart.  And this the LORD despises.  Not only must we refrain from judging others,
but this scenario worsens as we become impartial judges.  In (Lev 19:15) the LORD’s
instructions through Moses condemn any impartiality rooted in this very
thing.  It is our love and hate; our
heart’s judgment on another, based on their material or societal standing; a
self-appointed judgment, adding to the one with favoritism, while denying the
other in falsely rooted discrimination.

Further revealing the futility and sin of this, James
next points out to anyone, already ensnared in favoritism, that they are in
opposition to God.  ‘Has God not
chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?‘  How can one with a saving faith in our Lord
Jesus hold anything, including riches of both pride or money, above Him?  God is a Jealous God, and demands to be first
in our heart.  It seems clearly His
design in our Salvation to typically use the lowly and foolish things in the
eyes of this world, to advance His Kingdom. 
And it follows that God is not inclined to favor the so-called high and
mighty of anyone in this world.  He has
no use for the proud, and he resists them; it is a meek heart which shall gain
when all of the world has been lost.  God
has declared that the ‘poor (in the eyes) of this world (shall) be rich in
faith’ and thus rich in Him and His rewards.

Therefore, as God has made it clear that He despises
impartiality, and further that He loves the meek in heart and despises the
haughty, James’ scenario paints a bleak picture for the evil judge and his
actions.  Offering the rich man a favored
position, though he has no reverence of the Lord and thus no Salvation; and
that he, outside of your show of preference in this assembly, is quick to
accuse you and attempt wrong against you; and that he also has the foolish,
damning audacity to slander and blaspheme the Highest name to which we ascribe
and owe our Salvation to – who then is the greater transgressor of the Law and
of God?  ’But if you show partiality,
you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.’  Turning to this haughty slanderer and
slighting a child of God, if we are believers in that same God, is nothing less
than shameless prostitution.  At that
point we have chosen to reject one of God and His Spirit in exchange for the
embrace of one who stands against Him. 
Is there anything much more wounding to the heart than this sort of
betrayal and abandonment?  It should
cause us to weep.  And all the while, we
not only honor this person, but also grieve God by dishonoring the poor man who
is the real child of God.  In breaking
God’s Law in this, one becomes an offense to the whole law and stands guilty.  ‘For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet
stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.’

However, there is the call for love and respect towards
our neighbor, as deemed so by God.  If
this rich man is treated so in fulfillment of God’s ’royal law’ to
‘love your neighbor as yourself’, there is no sin.  A show of love and respect for a neighbor or
figure of authority, neither in judgment nor at the expense of another’s worth
in the eyes of God, is a righteous thing.

God is no respecter of persons, and wonderfully so for
us!  If He were, none of us would stand a
chance.  It is only by His Choice and
Grace He has deemed us worth Saving, and His Mercy makes it possible.  If God has done this, His show of
impartiality in Judgment and Mercy, and as our Lord has made it clear on how He
deals with us, then any manner of dealing with one another must be nothing more
or less than His Standard, lest we accuse him of wrongdoing.  But follow His example, and be blessed.

For each will stand before the Lamb’s Judgment, to be
examined in the actions of his life, and will be compensated accordingly.  The Judge will show us the same consideration
we have shown others in this life – beware! 
Or, if we treat our brothers with compassion – be glad!  Our Lord delights in lavishing His Blessings
of Mercy on us (Mic 7:18) and will do so, just as we do so.  However, the hard heart which denies the Lord
and His own, dealing with them wrongly and injuring them in doing so (Job
22:6) will find a like response from the Judge as they cry for
Mercy.  So then it is, we should strive
to show mercy, that we might be shown Mercy. 
(Lk 11:4)

Key Summary

We are not to err in taking the Faith, our Savior
Jesus, lightly.

While it is easy to show preference to ‘important’
people, we can only do so in ‘loving our neighbor’.

Our actions in dealing with others will be applied
to us by the Lord when He Judges our compensation in Heaven.

Study Questions

Who
are the two basic people illustrated in this passage?

Why
are we to be careful in examining our motives in this sort of a situation?

What
are the implications of this on each of us when Jesus examines our life?

Cited Scripture

Leviticus
19:15
You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor,
nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your
neighbor.

Micah
7:18
   Who is a God like You,
   Pardoning iniquity
   And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

   He does not retain His anger forever,
   Because He delights in mercy.

Job
22:6
For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason,  And stripped the naked of their clothing.

Luke
11:4
   And forgive us our sins,
   For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
   And do not lead us into temptation,
   But deliver us from the evil one.

Scripture

²²But be doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving yourselves. ²³For if anyone is a hearer of the word
and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
²⁴for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind
of man he was. ²⁵But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty
and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this
one will be blessed in what he does.

Commentary

‘But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves.’ – James continues, saying that hearing and embracing
the Word is not an end unto itself.  One
who believes he is doing well in just hearing but not doing will be sorely
disappointed on the Last Day.  Hardly
anything is more bitter than being betrayed by someone we trust and believe in,
and how more so than when we’ve ‘deceived ourselves’?  Faith without good works cannot be a saving
faith, but is counterfeit.  Why?  Because faith in Jesus, that met with a true
relationship with the Savior, which this faith must be in order to have such a
relationship, has already proven itself true by that same relationship.  Yet, this same faith leaves no choice but to
bear the fruits of works, if it is, in fact, real.  Nothing can suppress the response of a saving
relationship with Jesus, for He is Holy.

So, firmly anchored in this, there are two issues, one on
each side, pointing back towards this Truth. 
James is speaking to those assumed to be believers, (Jas 1:19),
and as so, those who follow his instruction to embrace the Word of God, doing
everything in their realm of responsibility to make the most of their
opportunity.  As a result, James warns
them to follow through, pressing forth the change in their works, made
necessary by the Work of the Word in their hearts.  They are not to ignore their conviction nor
their inspiration, but follow through with works resultant of all of this.  These are the same works which Jesus equates
to the ‘house’ (Matt 7:24-27) the wise and the foolish man each
built.  Their worth in that ‘house’ will
be tested on the Last Day, and their reward presented accordingly.  Therefore, this said by James, he tells them
not to otherwise ‘deceive themselves’. 
And how might we escape this deception, the one we might bring upon
ourselves?   By examining the evidence of
the fruits inherent to a real relationship with the Creator of the
Universe.  No one can brush past His
Presence, in a saving relationship, without experiencing the fruits of the
Spirit.  So we must always cry out to the
Father for the means to be ‘doers of the word’ and not to let the Truth
of God fall to the ground and be trampled.

‘For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror‘ – The Word is given
to us to encourage and convict.  The Holy
Spirit shows us for what we truly are by the Truths of the Word.  It is a mirror in which we may see a
reflection of insight into our heart and then use that opportunity to respond
accordingly to the change It brings. 
Note here that it is both the doer and the hearer who look into the
mirror of the Word – the mere hearer will have no excuse before the Lord, for
it is for his actions, and the lack of, that he will be judged.

‘for he observes himself, goes away, and
immediately forgets what kind of man he was.‘ – He has heard the conviction
of God on his sin, then turned away without a comment or response to the
Almighty.  ‘But he who looks into the
perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a
doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. ‘ – The ‘law
of liberty’ is an amazing statement of the overall Oneness of God’s intent,
direction, and design.  It comes full
circle, encompassing everything and meeting itself at the other end; the
beginning of the perfect, seamless circle, which has no beginning nor end.  Consider how something can both contain,
guide, and define, while at the same time provide perfect, free liberty.  How is this possible??  It can only be possible because both are One
in the same, both of the same Substance, a part of and thus inherent of the
Perfection of God Himself.  And how does
He make It so?  It is so through the satisfaction
of His seamless Justice, by His Promise of Affection, in His Endless
Grace.  Amen!  Amen!!

‘…and continues in it’ is the qualifier of a
true saint by God’s provision of perseverance. 
God keeps His children in tow, compelling us forward in our growth, our
Sanctification.  This does not mean the
saint never sins, but that the overall direction of his life, covered by the
Forgiveness in the Lamb’s Blood, continues forward in the Father’s Will.  (1Jn 1:7)  God drives, compels, enables us on this
journey, and what a wonderful trip it is!

‘…and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the
work‘ – In this translation of the Bible (NKJV, KJV) as well as in the
original Greek, James has used ‘work’ interchangeably with the ‘doers of the
word’.  It takes work on our part to
fulfill our portion of responsibility in our Sanctification.  The desire, and later the ability and means
to do this is the direct result of the Father’s Election of each saint to be
included in His wonderful Salvation Plan – His Plan to transform us.

‘…this one will be blessed in what he does.‘
– The saint who follows through has much reward to enjoy now and later in
Glory. Our Lord illustrated His Law of Love in washing the Disciple’s
feet.  (Jn 13:5)  Jesus fulfilled the Law.  (Lk 24:44)  He shows us how He lived It out in faithful,
perfect obedience to the Father.  (Lk
22:42)  And in His act of washing
their feet, He showed us His Perfect Love, which embodies true fulfillment of
doing what the Word says.  Our Lord’s
actions testify to what it means to be doers, and on a higher level, proves
that His basis is of Love, which runs through and through Him, in a Holy Work
in which the Master, living out His Own edict, stooped to serve His
servants.  And if He does this for us,
then we have no choice but to do the same. 
‘If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.’  (Jn 13:17)

On the other side of this faith, resultant in a
relationship with the Lord, is the test to try the relationship, seeing if it
is proven and true.  Anyone might have
faith, yet also in the wrong things or persons, and thus in the wrong way.  James will later point out that even the
demons have faith in God’s intent, willingness, and surety of carrying out His
Plan. (Jas 2:19)  But this is
their indictment, not their Salvation. 
So the same will prove true for one professing a faith in Jesus, yet who
does not exhibit a response in works which are a sure outcome of a real,
binding, saving faith in Jesus.

However, the resultant ‘building the house’ cannot be
likened to our Salvation.  The brethren
in v.22 won’t risk ‘deception’ ending their Salvation, but of the
treasure lost when the ‘house’ falls under the Test.  (Matt 7:27)  It cannot at all mean our own Salvation, for
we have no part in It to begin with, so how can we contribute to It’s
destruction?  God alone is responsible
for our Salvation, through all of It’s stages, from Foreknowing through
Glorification. (Rom 8:29-30)  It
is His Will which makes our Salvation assured. 
Our job is to do our best in faithful response to His undeniable
Will.  The ‘house’ must be viewed under
our responsibility of works, compelled by God, out of faith from God, for our
works will be tested on the Last Day for their worth.  And our ‘house’, our life’s works in response
to God’s incitation, must be built on a Solid Rock, on the foundations of the
Word and of sound Doctrine if it is to endure on the Day.  ‘Do not deceive yourselves’ beloved
brethren, for ‘If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he
himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.’   (1 Cor 3:15)  He has lost his reward, but not his
Salvation.  The one who is attentive and
‘a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does’ and will
be rewarded accordingly on the Last Day.

Key Summary

Merely hearing and embracing the Word is not an end
unto itself.

The Word convicts us in our sin and we are
changed.  We must expect works
accordingly, our behavior rooted in our changed heart.

This Passage is an issue of our reward for our
life’s works, not of our Salvation, secure in God.

Study Questions

If
you are following Jas 1:19-21, and are under the teaching of the Word, do you
see a response of change and thus works in your life?

Are
your works in correlation with the change in your heart, or are your change or
works out of balance in your life?

When
your ‘house’ of your life’s works is finally tested, will it stand up to the
Lord’s scrutiny?  Is it really of value
according to the Word?

Cited Scripture

James 1:19

So
then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow
to wrath;

Matt
7:24-27
²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does
them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:and
the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will
be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:and the rain
descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it
fell. And great was its fall.”

1
John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

John 13:5

After
that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and
to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

Luke 24:44

Then
He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was
still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law
of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Luke 22:42

“Father,
if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but
Yours, be done.”

John
13:17
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

James
2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and
tremble!

Romans 8:29-30

For
whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He
also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified,
these He also glorified.

1
Corinthians 3:15

If
anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet
so as through fire.

Scripture (NKJV)

¹⁹ So then, my beloved brethren, let every man
be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;  ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not
produce the righteousness of God.  ²¹
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with
meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Lesson

James again addresses the reader in his love as a brother in
Jesus.  He continues to encourage his
audience, perhaps realizing his writing will likely be a rebuke, and one in
love.  He cares so much for them (and us)
that he keeps us reassured of his heart for us, and also that he is subject
to the same Lord.

As God has promised, He has set out to transform each of us
into a new creature, someone who will become more and more like Jesus.  And why? 
Because it is for His Glory we would want to become like Jesus as much
as possible, because what He is is good, because in doing
so it furthers His Kingdom, and because we are in service to God.  James addresses all three defensive fronts
of our person, circling in from the outer perimeter, then revealing each layer,
to finally get to the heart.  This is
the goal of God’s Word, and only the Word can do it.

The change God promises is not easy or automatic, but
requires our work as well.  Dealing with
us as His children, He lovingly provides the means to make this happen through
the Word and It’s conviction in our heart. 
Our responsibility is to keep ourselves in the Truth as much as
possible (Mk 4:9), and once in It, to do everything we can to make the
most of It.  We must be always alert
to the opportunity to hear the Message.

Our first line of defense, for both the good and the bad
passing by us every day, is in choosing what we allow ourselves to hear.  To be brought next to our consideration,
we must first choose to listen.  As
for God’s Word, we must always be quick in opening our ears to hear His
Truth.  Always, ask the Holy Spirit for
understanding of the Truth as you consider every teaching’s value before
allowing it any closer to your heart. (Jn 14:16-18, Jn 14:26)  God always gives us the
opportunity to flee or embrace.

Choosing to hear, next we must contemplate what has been
presented, but not come to any premature
conclusions.  God has made us so it is
impossible to speak and listen in the same instant.  We should patiently consider the issue,
because it takes time to contemplate. (Ps 1:2, Josh 1:8)  The Truth is meant to be
meditated on, and a bridled tongue is an asset when confronted with a
conviction to change.

The Word is often offensive to our fallen heart because It
challenges the core of who we are when It reveals our sin, and It’s demands can
be difficult.  But this is exactly what
It is for!  (2 Tim 3:16-17)  Once Saved, we undergo a
transformation of our hearts and mind under the discipline of the Holy
Spirit.  Nothing else can get to the
bottom of the problem except God’s Word. 
The Word is special in It’s nature that It is ‘implanted’, grafted
into the believer’s heart.  Praise
God!  He provides us with the Word to
make that change.  When faced with
conviction from the Word, or in any means of God’s teaching you, don’t resist
in anger, but embrace the opportunity to learn and change.  A response in ‘wrath’ is a response of
rebellious denial of the Spirit’s Work.

So, in
following God’s direction by His Word, we must follow through with the
opportunity to change given to us.  The
sin, revealed to the believer, once confessed, must be repented of.  The outward behavior which once was rooted in
that sin should change, now that it’s root has been cut off by the Sword of the
Word.  (Heb 4:12)  And with this sin set aside, there is now one
less issue hindering the next opportunity to receive Truth from God.  When the next opportunity to hear the Truth
comes, it is in meekness we should approach It, again removing all of our
objections and obstacles, because this is the way that God will change us.  We must obey our new heart from God, the
Heart of Christ – our job is to obey this heart and live accordingly.  God does not take away the evil we might
practice from the heart, nor the opportunities to continue to exercise it
through trial and temptation.  Our
training is in learning to embrace the new parts of our heart, as the Spirit continues
to renew it, in the face of our flesh’s fallen nature.  Through the voucher of Jesus, who knows His
flock through a personal and real relationship, our sins are forgiven already,
and as of now God already calls us His children.  But this is all based on the Promise of Jesus
to stand in our place for payment on Judgment Day.  And there is no surer Promise to be
fulfilled!  But until then, there is much
work to be done, and God has promised to take us through it.  The Word, Jesus, in the Spirit, ‘is able
to save your soul.’  Our Sanctification
is directed by this alone.  The
Mighty Power of God, hidden from the world in seemingly mere text. (Mk
4:12) The world considers it all folly, for it hasn’t the key of Faith,
necessary to deliver It’s payload into our hearts.  It is our responsibility to do our part and
make the most of this opportunity as good stewards, while acknowledging it is
possible only through Him.

Cited Scripture

Mark
4:9
⁹And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!”

John
14:16-18
¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may abide with you forever– ¹⁷the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know
Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you
orphans; I will come to you.

John
14:26
²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things
that I said to you.

Psalm
1:2
²But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he
meditates day and night.

Joshua
1:8
⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you
will have good success.

2
Timothy 3:16-17
¹⁶All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good
work.

Hebrews
4:12
¹²For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Mark
4:12
¹²so that
       “Seeing they may see and not
perceive,
       And hearing they may hear and not
understand;
       Lest they should turn,
       And their sins be forgiven them.”

Scripture

¹⁹ So then, my beloved brethren, let every man
be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;  ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not
produce the righteousness of God.  ²¹
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with
meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Application Summary

James again
takes time out to address the reader in his love as a brother in Jesus.  He seems to want to continue to encourage his
audience, realizing his writing will likely be a rebuke, and one in love.  He cares so much for them (and us) that he
wants to keep us reassured of his heart for us, and also that he is subject to
the same scrutiny.

As God has
promised, He has set out to transform each of us into a new creature, someone
who ideally will become more and more like Jesus.  And why? 
Because it is for His Glory we would want to imitate Jesus as best as
possible, because what He is is good, and because in doing
so it furthers His Kingdom.  In this way,
His Kingdom might be expanded in at least two ways.  In us, as believers, our heart grows and
changes.  As we are renewed and strive to
set aside our sinful ways, the change in us shines out to the World as the
evidence of God’s reality.  Our shining
out will then capture the attention of people yet unsaved and cause curiosity
and conviction, and then make another instance for God’s Message to be
proclaimed.  Those chosen to be saved are
brought into the Kingdom by and through our Savior, they are transformed and
shine on in the same way, and the Kingdom grows.  In all cases, God is Glorified as the One
solely responsible.

The change
which God promises is not easy or automatic, but requires our work as
well.  Dealing with us as His children,
He lovingly provides the means to make this happen through the Word and It’s
conviction in our heart.  Our
responsibility is to keep ourselves in It as much as possible, and once in It,
to do everything we can to make the most of It. 
We must be always alert to the opportunity to hear the Message, then we
are to contemplate It well before forming our own opinion to oppose any
conviction to change.  Then finally, when
our sin or area to be changed is revealed, we must not resist It or make excuses,
but commit to obey the Truth and change accordingly.  This is because our anger, either towards
ourselves or others in sin, cannot change the heart ‑ only the behavior, not
it’s source in the heart.  Our outward
behavior, reflecting what is in our heart, can only be changed by God through His
means, and that is His Word.

So, in
following God’s direction by His Word, we must follow through with the
opportunity to change given to us.  The
sin, which was revealed to the reader, now confessed, must be repented of.  The outward behavior which once was rooted in
that sin should change, now that it’s root has been cut off by the Sword of the
Word.  And with this sin set aside, there
is now one less issue hindering the next opportunity to receive Truth from God.  When this opportunity comes, it is in
meekness we should approach It, again removing all of our objections and
obstacles, because this is the way that God will purify our souls from total
pollution.  Through the voucher of Jesus,
who knows His flock through a personal and real relationship, our sins are
forgiven already, and as of now God already calls us His children.  But this is all based on the Promise of Jesus
to stand in our place for payment on Judgment Day.  And there is no surer Promise to be
fulfilled!  But until then, there is much
work to be done, and God has promised to take us through it.  It is our responsibility to do our part and
make the most of this opportunity as good stewards, while acknowledging it is
all possible only through Him.

Commentary

‘To the brethren’ – note only of those who believe
and not the pagan; James exhorts us to stay prepared on all fronts so as to
make ourselves most receptive to the work of the Lord in our lives.  He addresses all three fronts of our person,
circling in from the outer then into the Holy Word’s target, the core of our
heart.

‘Everyone should be quick to listen’ – our first
defense, good or bad, to what we allow and bring into our consideration.  Concerning the Wisdom of the Lord, we must
always be quick in opening our ears to His Truth. (Mk 4:9)  Listen to what is being said, not from man’s
perspective alone, but tested to be as of the Lord’s.  Never take a man’s opinion of the Word
without considering it against the whole counsel of the Word, (Prov
15:22), against the intent of the Author of the Truth, nor without
petitioning His Holy Spirit for enlightenment. 
The Spirit is here for our counsel, our teaching, our comfort.  (Jn 14:16-18, Jn 14:26)  Pray to Him and ask to be shown the Truth as
you search the Scriptures yourself to test the conclusions for their value
before bringing them any further towards your heart.  (Acts 17:10-11)  The same is quickly seen in considering
things of a sinful potential we might have placed before our eyes.  At this point we face the decision to flee or
to embrace.  God, always offering an
alternative to temptation, allows us to escape such things unscathed.  The eyes and the ears are the first defense
for good or bad.  When under the Spirit’s
teaching, be quick to hear and do not pass on any opportunity to receive the
Truth.  To receive the Truth in your
heart, you must first hear It. (Rom 10:17)

‘Everyone should be…slow to speak’ – Our Creator
has made us so, that it is impossible to speak and listen at the same
instant.  Allowed past our ears, our intellect
must consider what is presented before it. 
Often the Word, sharp as any two edged sword, cuts to the heart in an
instant conviction so that we know exactly what we must do in response.  But even if so, there is always more to be
gleaned from the Word, and this takes time and contemplation.  (Ps 1:2, Josh 1:8)  The Truth is meant to be meditated on, not
just for the sake of our mind’s understanding of It, but too for our own heart,
the ultimate target.  In considering the
Truth, a bridled tongue is an asset.  (Job 6:24)

‘Everyone should be…slow to become angry’ – The
Word is offensive to our own fallen hearts. 
It challenges our beliefs and actions and core values, which make us who
we are.  It is usually difficult to face
the demand It may make of us.  But that
is exactly what It is for!  (2 Tim
3:16-17)  In our path to
Salvation, our time of Sanctification as our Lord prepares us, we undergo the
transformation of our hearts, the regeneration of our minds, under the
discipline of the Holy Spirit.  The
overall change of our hearts from hard, cold, and black as sin, to soft, warm,
and alive in God requires this very thing – the reworking and reshaping of our
core being which only the Word can accomplish. 
Nothing else has access to change our heart but God’s Word.  Nothing. 
God’s Word is a function of His Love in motion, cutting to the core of
the issues in any consideration.  No
rules of man can get to the bottom of the problem, the root of our outward
person.  (Col 2:23)  And as God is concerned for our inward heart,
expressing itself in our outward expression, He provides us with the Word to
make that change.  (Heb 4:12)  Outward action covering a deceitful heart is
rubbish to Him.  Rules can only change
our behavior, not the heart.

The challenge to our self, which the Word’s conviction
brings, should be ‘received with meekness’, not in ‘wrath’.  Don’t reject the yolk our loving Lord places
on you.  (Matt 11:29)  Don’t resist His loving instruction, but
rejoice in His Gift and seek to make the most of It.  ‘The wrath of man does not produce the
righteousness of God’ – A response of wrath is a response of rebellious
denial of the Spirit’s work.  It is a
rejection of His Good intent to reshape our heart.  Can the Spirit’s effort be honored if we
continue to oppose Him?  Instead, let us
place ourselves patiently under His teaching and care for our own good, and for
His Glory.

Having considered this, we must ‘therefore lay aside
all filthiness and overflow of wickedness’ in our lives.  Note whose responsibility this is.  God gives us our regenerate heart, the heart
of Christ – our job is to obey this heart and live accordingly.  (Jas 1:22)  God does not take away the evil we might
practice from the heart, nor the opportunities to continue to exercise it through
trial and temptation.  Our training is in
learning to embrace the new parts of our heart, as the Spirit continues to
renew it, in the face of our flesh’s fallen nature.  He promises to renew us; we must commit to be
good stewards and put it to use, persevering through the proofing of our faith
in Him.  (Heb 10:36)  Therefore, in reflection of your new heart,
ask God to reveal the sinful actions rooted in your heart, then confess and
repent; ‘lay (it) aside’.

In doing so, we benefit again
by removing one more hindrance of our regeneration.  The believer must then continue and ‘receive
with meekness the implanted word’, bringing us full circle in the cycle of
renewal.  Having shed his wrath, his
rebellion, the believer can now be humbled to be again under the Spirit’s
teaching in ‘meekness’, making the most of God’s effort and thus His
Glory.  The Word is special in It’s
nature that It is ‘implanted’, grafted into the believer’s heart.  Praise God! 
What else can change me, O Lord? 
How else might I be made like You? 
Only You can break and make a man’s heart.  Let us try to do so ourselves, and see us
fail, frustrated.  Praise for the Word of
God and the Word incarnate in our Jesus!

The Word, our Jesus, in the
Spirit, ‘which is able to save your soul’.  Our Sanctification is directed by this
alone.  The Mighty Power of God, hidden
from the world in seemingly mere text.  (Mk
4:12)  The world considers it all
folly, for it hasn’t the key of Faith, necessary to deliver It’s payload into
our hearts.  Faith from the Father, only
accessible through His Son Jesus, only to the Elect.  We cry out to God in thanks and in our need,
and He hears.  He lavishly blesses us in
all ways through His Word.  Open your
heart to His blessings, remove any obstacles in It’s way, place yourself at His
feet and drink in His Loving Teaching, and see Him change your soul.  See Him transform the dark heart into a
reflection of His heart, and all from His Love, for His Glory.

Key Summary

We are to seek to place ourselves obediently under
the Loving teaching of the Word, removing all hinderances and making the path
straight.

We must further set aside our evil ways which retard
our growth and resist the changes God seeks in the fruits of our outward
person. 

All of this is best realized with a meek heart.

Study Questions

What
are three perimiters which surround the heart?

What
can overcome all of these, and alone is able to change the heart?

What
are our responsibilities in the context of this passage?
Cited Scripture

Mark
4:9
⁹And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!”

Proverbs
15:22
²²Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors
they are established.

John
14:16-18
¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may abide with you forever– ¹⁷the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know
Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. ¹⁸I will not leave
you orphans; I will come to you.

John
14:26
²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things
that I said to you.

Acts
17:10-11
¹⁰ Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night
to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹These
were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether
these things were so.

Romans
10:17
¹⁷So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Psalm
1:2
²But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he
meditates day and night.

Joshua
1:8
⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you
will have good success.

Job
6:24
²⁴“Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand
wherein I have erred.

2
Timothy 3:16-17
¹⁶All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good
work.

Colossians
2:23
²³These things (extra-biblical rules, regulations)
indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility,
and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the
flesh.

Hebrews
4:12
¹²For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Matthew
11:29
²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly
in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

James
1:22
²²But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves.

Hebrews
10:36
³⁶For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the
will of God, you may receive the promise

Mark
4:12
¹²so that
       “Seeing they may see and not
perceive,
       And hearing they may hear and not
understand;
       Lest they should turn,
       And their sins be forgiven them.”

Scripture

¹⁹ So then, my beloved brethren, let every man
be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;  ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not
produce the righteousness of God.  ²¹
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with
meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Commentary

‘To the brethren’ – note only of those who believe
and not the pagan; James exhorts us to stay prepared on all fronts so as to
make ourselves most receptive to the work of the Lord in our lives.  He addresses all three fronts of our person,
circling in from the outer then into the Holy Word’s target, the core of our
heart.

‘Everyone should be quick to listen’ – our first
defense, good or bad, to what we allow and bring into our consideration.  Concerning the Wisdom of the Lord, we must
always be quick in opening our ears to His Truth. (Mk 4:9)  Listen to what is being said, not from man’s
perspective alone, but tested to be as of the Lord’s.  Never take a man’s opinion of the Word
without considering it against the whole counsel of the Word, (Prov
15:22), against the intent of the Author of the Truth, nor without
petitioning His Holy Spirit for enlightenment. 
The Spirit is here for our counsel, our teaching, our comfort.  (Jn 14:16-18, Jn 14:26)  Pray to Him and ask to be shown the Truth as
you search the Scriptures yourself to test the conclusions for their value
before bringing them any further towards your heart.  (Acts 17:10-11)  The same is quickly seen in considering
things of a sinful potential we might have placed before our eyes.  At this point we face the decision to flee or
to embrace.  God, always offering an
alternative to temptation, allows us to escape such things unscathed.  The eyes and the ears are the first defense
for good or bad.  When under the Spirit’s
teaching, be quick to hear and do not pass on any opportunity to receive the
Truth.  To receive the Truth in your
heart, you must first hear It. (Rom 10:17)

‘Everyone should be…slow to speak’ – Our Creator
has made us so, that it is impossible to speak and listen at the same
instant.  Allowed past our ears, our
intellect must consider what is presented before it.  Often the Word, sharp as any two edged sword,
cuts to the heart in an instant conviction so that we know exactly what we must
do in response.  But even if so, there is
always more to be gleaned from the Word, and this takes time and contemplation.
 (Ps 1:2, Josh 1:8)  The Truth is meant to be meditated on, not
just for the sake of our mind’s understanding of It, but too for our own heart,
the ultimate target.  In considering the
Truth, a bridled tongue is an asset.  (Job 6:24)

‘Everyone should be…slow to become angry’ – The
Word is offensive to our own fallen hearts. 
It challenges our beliefs and actions and core values, which make us who
we are.  It is usually difficult to face
the demand It may make of us.  But that
is exactly what It is for!  (2 Tim
3:16-17)  In our path to
Salvation, our time of Sanctification as our Lord prepares us, we undergo the transformation
of our hearts, the regeneration of our minds, under the discipline of the Holy
Spirit.  The overall change of our hearts
from hard, cold, and black as sin, to soft, warm, and alive in God requires
this very thing – the reworking and reshaping of our core being which only the
Word can accomplish.  Nothing else has
access to change our heart but God’s Word. 
Nothing.  God’s Word is a function
of His Love in motion, cutting to the core of the issues in any
consideration.  No rules of man can get
to the bottom of the problem, the root of our outward person.  (Col 2:23)  And as God is concerned for our inward heart,
expressing itself in our outward expression, He provides us with the Word to
make that change.  (Heb 4:12)  Outward action covering a deceitful heart is
rubbish to Him.  Rules can only change
our behavior, not the heart.

The challenge to our self, which the Word’s conviction
brings, should be ‘received with meekness’, not in ‘wrath’.  Don’t reject the yolk our loving Lord places
on you.  (Matt 11:29)  Don’t resist His loving instruction, but
rejoice in His Gift and seek to make the most of It.  ‘The wrath of man does not produce the
righteousness of God’ – A response of wrath is a response of rebellious
denial of the Spirit’s work.  It is a
rejection of His Good intent to reshape our heart.  Can the Spirit’s effort be honored if we
continue to oppose Him?  Instead, let us
place ourselves patiently under His teaching and care for our own good, and for
His Glory.

Having considered this, we must ‘therefore lay aside
all filthiness and overflow of wickedness’ in our lives.  Note whose responsibility this is.  God gives us our regenerate heart, the heart
of Christ – our job is to obey this heart and live accordingly.  (Jas 1:22)  God does not take away the evil we might
practice from the heart, nor the opportunities to continue to exercise it
through trial and temptation.  Our
training is in learning to embrace the new parts of our heart, as the Spirit continues
to renew it, in the face of our flesh’s fallen nature.  He promises to renew us; we must commit to be
good stewards and put it to use, persevering through the proofing of our faith
in Him.  (Heb 10:36)  Therefore, in reflection of your new heart,
ask God to reveal the sinful actions rooted in your heart, then confess and
repent; ‘lay (it) aside’.

In doing so, we benefit again
by removing one more hindrance of our regeneration.  The believer must then continue and ‘receive
with meekness the implanted word’, bringing us full circle in the cycle of
renewal.  Having shed his wrath, his
rebellion, the believer can now be humbled to be again under the Spirit’s
teaching in ‘meekness’, making the most of God’s effort and thus His
Glory.  The Word is special in It’s
nature that It is ‘implanted’, grafted into the believer’s heart.  Praise God! 
What else can change me, O Lord? 
How else might I be made like You? 
Only You can break and make a man’s heart.  Let us try to do so ourselves, and see us
fail, frustrated.  Praise for the Word of
God and the Word incarnate in our Jesus!

The Word, our Jesus, in the
Spirit, ‘which is able to save your soul’.  Our Sanctification is directed by this
alone.  The Mighty Power of God, hidden
from the world in seemingly mere text.  (Mk
4:12)  The world considers it all
folly, for it hasn’t the key of Faith, necessary to deliver It’s payload into
our hearts.  Faith from the Father, only
accessible through His Son Jesus, only to the Elect.  We cry out to God in thanks and in our need,
and He hears.  He lavishly blesses us in
all ways through His Word.  Open your
heart to His blessings, remove any obstacles in It’s way, place yourself at His
feet and drink in His Loving Teaching, and see Him change your soul.  See Him transform the dark heart into a
reflection of His heart, and all from His Love, for His Glory.

Key Summary

We are to seek to place ourselves obediently under
the Loving teaching of the Word, removing all hinderances and making the path
straight.

We must further set aside our evil ways which retard
our growth and resist the changes God seeks in the fruits of our outward
person. 

All of this is best realized with a meek heart.

Study Questions

What
are three perimiters which surround the heart?

What
can overcome all of these, and alone is able to change the heart?

What
are our responsibilities in the context of this passage?
Cited Scripture

Mark
4:9
⁹And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!”

Proverbs
15:22
²²Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors
they are established.

John
14:16-18
¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may abide with you forever– ¹⁷the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know
Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. ¹⁸I will not leave
you orphans; I will come to you.

John
14:26
²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things
that I said to you.

Acts
17:10-11
¹⁰ Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night
to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹These
were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether
these things were so.

Romans
10:17
¹⁷So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Psalm
1:2
²But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he
meditates day and night.

Joshua
1:8
⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you
will have good success.

Job
6:24
²⁴“Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand
wherein I have erred.

2
Timothy 3:16-17
¹⁶All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good
work.

Colossians
2:23
²³These things (extra-biblical rules, regulations)
indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility,
and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the
flesh.

Hebrews
4:12
¹²For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Matthew
11:29
²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly
in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

James
1:22
²²But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves.

Hebrews
10:36
³⁶For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the
will of God, you may receive the promise

Mark
4:12
¹²so that
       “Seeing they may see and not
perceive,
       And hearing they may hear and not
understand;
       Lest they should turn,
       And their sins be forgiven them.”

Scripture

¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down
from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning. ¹⁸Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth,
that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Commentary

 ‘Do not be
deceived’ – a continuation of James’ drive in the previous verses.  All of the issues of difficulty itemized
above, when viewed through the eyes of a child of God in faith, are in fact all
good.  Do not mistake these trials as
something to be scorned, but recognize our Father’s loving care in our journey
to Glory, including the testing of our faith. 
James illustrates he is standing among us as a minister of God’s Son,
and with us as a fellow sinner.  In this
he calls us his ‘beloved brethren’.

How wonderful His patience, how Merciful and
Beautiful His Name!  Our Creator, He Who
foresaw all of us and all of creation and time before there was any (Eph
1:4), Himself beyond even these unreachable bounds, has taken all of
this effort upon Himself so that He alone may be Glorified.  And as His children in Election, we enjoy the
benefit, though we deserve total banishment from everything He offers.
(Eph 1:5-6)  For His sake and
Glory alone, ‘Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth’.  He has brought us forth as His creation.  But through the mighty, saving power of His
Living Word, our Lord Jesus, the Word in the flesh and alive in our hearts, He
has brought us forth from our spiritual death, forgiving us into Eternal life.

So too is our Mighty Creator Righteous and True in
His course.  Above us all, beyond all
comprehension, Holy without fault, loving without bounds, giving without
restraint, solid, He is our unshakeable Rock and Salvation. (Ps 18:2)  Forever pure and trustworthy, in the One Who
made us ‘there is no variation or shadow of turning’.  In God’s creation, the sun above represents
in some ways our Father to us.  He is
above all things, the center of our existence, bringing forth light to reveal
what deep shadow of sin lurks in our heart. 
God, the ‘Father of lights’, is too the Creator of the heavens
above.  The stars fixed in the night sky
guide the captain across the sea.  So too
is our Lord steady and beyond being moved in Truth and Trust. (Ps 73:24),
(Mal 3:6)

The world and all creation was declared ‘good’
by God as He considered His work. (Gen 1:31)  Man’s rebellion loosed sin into the world,
and today we still suffer the effect of our inheritance. (Rom 5:12)  Our hearts are cold and hard, black as soot,
before meeting the Lord Jesus.  The
regenerate heart sings praises, bringing forth good fruit, to the Father’s
Glory.  In the miracle of Salvation and
in God’s Light in the world, truly ‘all things good and perfect are gifts
from the God above’.  His good,
perfect, loving nature, that Light from above, blesses and sustains us in every
way in this life.  From the beginning of
the existence of time, and from the beginning of our lives here, through the
End of Days and the end of our days, and then on to Eternity, everything
sustaining us comes from the Father. 
Everything.  And at every turn we
must recognize this and call thanks upward to our Provider in Heaven!

And all of this for what?  For the Glory of God. (2 Cor 4:15)  In this chapter of Creation, we in our
Salvation ‘might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures’.  The firstfruits of the harvest, that brought
forth in adoration as a sacrifice to God. 
As the Christian shines forth in his life, God’s Mercy and Work in his
life brings Glory to the Father.  In his
heart, as he reflects upon the Truths of God, and his heart fills to then sing
forth praises, this brings fruits in Glory to God.  When the Christ gathers the Elect, we will be
presented to the Father as firstfuits, a Sacrifice, for the Father’s Glory.

Jesus resurrected was the First, and is the Firstfruit
before the rest of us as believers. (2 Cor 4:14)  The Apostles were the firstfruits by way of
time and function in Christ’s Church. 
All of us as believers, following the Truth revealed in the Word, are a
firstfruits too.  In all cases the
believer is obligated to consider his life in light of these realities and
examine himself.  He must offer his
purest effort for the Lord that he might be the best sacrifice to the Lord, to
His Glory.

Key Summary

Do not be discouraged or deceived in the source and
intent of the difficulties in your life. 
As the Sovereign’s child, you are in training, under His sovereign care.

He is Good, and all things that descend from Him are
good as well.  This includes the trials
of life.

It is our responsibility to recognize His effort in
giving us birth in the Faith, and we must shine to the world as the Firstfruits
of His efforts.

Study Questions

Why or how might the Brethren be deceived in this
context?

Why does it matter that God does not change like
shifting shadows?

What is a Firstfruit and it’s significance?

Cited Scripture

Ephesians
1:4
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love

Ephesians
1:5-6
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will,to the praise of the glory of His
grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Psalm
18:2
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in
whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm
73:24
You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

Malachi
3:6
For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of
Jacob.

Genesis
1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the
evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Romans
5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through
sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

2
Corinthians 4:15
For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many,
may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

2
Corinthians 4:14
knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus,
and will present us with you.

Scripture

¹² 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. ¹³Let no one say when he is
tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil,
nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴But each one is tempted when he
is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵Then, when desire
has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings
forth death.

Commentary

‘Blessed is the man’ is showing blessings now
upon this person, at this present time. 
‘Who endures temptation’ is an ongoing issue, not a problem dealt
with only one time.  His continued effort
to endure, brought by his own will, as buoyed by God, is his own responsibility
after Salvation. (Phil 2:12)  He
is blessed now, and he will enjoy too the reward when the Savior grants him his
Crown of Life.  The report is given in
his ability to persevere; because it is fueled by God above, it is an evidence
of his relationship with God in action. 
And in that God’s work through Jesus is seen playing out in the
believer’s life, one can also expect Jesus to be true to the greater promise of
Eternal Life with Him one day.  Salvation
is free, but our Sanctification, that Perfection of us in our faith by our Lord
so we may one day be presented to God as Christ’s Bride, takes work on our
part. (James 2:26)  This work is
pushed onward by Christ, and it still is our responsibility to respond with the
soft and obedient heart placed in us. (2 Cor 3:3)  On that Last Day the fruitful will be
approved.

‘He will receive the Crown of Life which the Lord
has promised’ – The same prize Paul speaks of in (1 Cor 9:25).  This is a token of victory, one worn in sweet
tears, through which the Saint will look back on the trials of this life for
only but a moment, instead now glad for receiving from the Lord what He has
promised.  Our Salvation, as of now, is
still yet a promise of the Deliverance to come on the Judgment Day, though we
still be sinners now in this flesh.  (Rom 5:8-9)  But it is the most trustworthy Promise from
our Creator, one we can no doubt count on. 
The whole of a Christian’s life and hopes are anchored on this one
thing.  It is of utmost value, and the
Crown of Life represents that Promise fulfilled.  Does anyone know by the sight of his eyes
that even Jesus exists?  Let alone that
He will keep His promises?  Have any of
us seen the LORD descend on Sinai?  Yet
what believer in our Lord can deny the reality of Jesus on his own heart and in
his own life?  This comes from a
relationship, through faith, given by God alone, in which we are called to
endure. Though we have not yet stood before the Lord to receive our Prize, in
faith, in one heart, in our mind’s eye, we can look forward to this day.

‘Which the Lord has promised to those who love
Him’ – There is one defining factor given by our Lord as to who will
receive the Crown.  There is no mention
of works, of knowledge of the Word, of Holiness or Piety, but instead the
overall governing factor under which all of the above are borne.  (Matt 22:36-38)  Love for Him is exemplified in our desires to
live obediently under His rule of Love, and in doing so, these fruits should be
expected.  (Eph 4:29-30)  All the Saints, both now and then Glorified,
are certainly a stew of very different souls, but the one true binding factor
which will be seen and is seen in the Saint, is a working Love of our Jesus,
even on to death.  Be bold, be sure, be
ever counting on His Promise and live in abandon of all things of lesser value
than His saving Love.  (Matt 13:45-46)

Looking back to ‘when he has been approved’,
notice this is in the future, not now. 
Our Lord and God, in our Salvation, has entered into a promise, a
covenant with each of the Elect.  He
promises to take us in and begin our Sanctification in the preparation of our
presentation to the Father, after we have been approved and shown Holy in the
Righteousness imparted to us in Christ. 
Why does Paul often write the theme of ‘working out your
Salvation’?  Because he knew it was
always best to be in full submission to the Lord’s Spirit, in His Will, under
the care of our Perfect Counselor. 
Anything less would risk impeding the Saving work of the Spirit.  Instead, recognize what God has promised to
do for us as His Children in Jesus’ name, and do everything you can to keep on
the yoke, to keep your neck from being stiff, to keep from frustrating the Holy
Spirit.  (Eph 4:29-30)  This is our responsibility in the training of
this life.

‘Let no one say when he is tempted’
illustrates a number of things, but first that we will be tempted, not we may
be tempted.  Every day as we are tempted,
we must recognize the consequences of our reaction.  Remembering that the Lord always gives us an
alternative to choosing sin, our response will either bring about Glory to God
or punishment for our sin upon the shoulders of Our Lord Jesus at the Cross.

‘Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by
God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.’  Our Father, His Son, and His Spirit are
Holy.  In this utmost sense it is not
possible for any stain to be upon Him. 
As a Holy God, He is above all things even and including the despicable
perversion of evil.  And as so, nor does
He taint Himself in it.  It has been said
that the Devil is God’s Devil, and this must be true.  Satan, as an instrument of God, is the only
one worthy of the dire title of the Murderer, in as it was he who enticed Eve
to put asunder mankind’s relationship with the Creator.  Recognize the difference between trials and
temptations, in their source, function, and intent.  God is the Author of our trials in order to
exercise us in our Sanctification; Satan is the author of temptation to try to
impede our growth, ‘hurt’ God, spoil and taint the fruit, and for the unsaved
increase and ensure their torment in damnation. 
In function, the trials usually come from the circumstances around us,
in this theatre God has created as our proving grounds.  Trials will have benefit if we embrace them
properly, employing our faith in God as we face them.  Temptation is an excitation of the seed of
evil in us from before we were reconciled. 
The flesh is capable of evil now, but will later be shed in exchange for
our Glorified body, free of this sin, to match our perfect Spirit given us by
the Lord as His own.  (2 Cor 5:5-6)  Temptation is Satan’s mechanism to incite
rebellion against God – the same filth he wallows in.  And the intent should be clear in light of
from who or Who these come – God, being Just, Love, Righteous, and Holy can
only bear these same fruits.   Likewise,
Satan, being rebellious, hateful, fallen, vengeful, defeated, and scorned can
also only bear likewise.  (Matt 12:33)

Everyone who sins ultimately has to look no further
than himself to blame.  (Matt 15:19)  The very seed from which sin begins comes
from within our evil hearts.  (Rom
5:12)  Satan has never physically
forced anyone, including Eve, to commit the act of rebellion.  His means are to ‘entice’ and convince us to
act on our depraved desires, and by any means possible.  He is the deceiver, the destroyer, the liar.  (Jn 8:44, Rev 12:9)  Under a fully Sovereign God, he too has been
brought into place in God’s plan with a purpose, not as an afterthought or
mistake.  He is our Lord’s fool in the
end, and for the sake of God’s Glory and to the end of separating the Goats
from the Sheep, he will be allowed to remain until God’s fullness of His time
is realized.

Our choice to follow Satan’s prompting is the
germination of our evil desires.  These
desires realized follow through to the sin itself.  The culmination of our life of sin ultimately
brings about the consequence of spiritual death.  (Rom 6:23) 
Those sinners not chosen will suffer the torment of Hell in the separation
from God.  Even now as they live, though
they may not realize it, they too enjoy the world’s benefit of God’s presence.  (Matt 5:45)  The Elect, also committing sin, must see
their spiritual death and separation from God realized on the Cross.  It is the unfathomable Sacrifice and Gift of
our Savior which makes this possible and ushers us into the presence of God,
fully reconciled and without debt.  Thus
so we may fail to recognize our rightful gratefulness to our Lord for His
immeasurable show of Love towards us, even as we were His enemy at the
time.  This gratitude must show forth in
the believer’s life.  For if it doesn’t,
it can only be for a lack of understanding of what has taken place.

Key Summary

Stay the course, endure the temptations and trials which
will face you for the rest of your life as a Christian.

Understand the Author of your trials and the author
of your temptations, all while remembering the consequences for your choices in
them.

Guard against sin, looking forward in your Walk,
your growth ultimately leading up to receiving your Crown of Life from our
Savior’s hand.

.

Study Questions

Why is this man who endures blessed?

What awaits him in being ‘approved’?

What
does the Lord’s promise include and mean?

What
is the chain of progression in sin?
Philippians
2:12
¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling;

James
2:26
²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works
is dead also.

2
Corinthians 3:3
³clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not
with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on
tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

1
Corinthians 9:25
²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all
things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable
crown.

Romans
5:8-9
⁸But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Matthew
22:36-38
³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
³⁷Jesus said to him, “”You shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This
is the first and great commandment.

Ephesians
5:8-10
⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰finding out what is
acceptable to the Lord.

Matthew
13:45-46
⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking
beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶who, when he had found one pearl of great price,
went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Ephesians
4:29-30
²⁹Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good
for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption.

2
Corinthians 5:5-6
⁵Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has
given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
⁶So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in
the body we are absent from the Lord.

Matthew
12:33
³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make
the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

Matthew
15:19
¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

Romans
5:12
¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and
death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

John
8:44
⁴⁴You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father
you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from
his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Revelation
12:9
⁹So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him.

Romans
6:23
²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew
5:45
⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His
sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the
unjust.

Scripture

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.
(NKJV)

Questions

1. Is the rich man of the
   brethren in Christ, or of the world?
2. Is he taking glory or pride
   in his position, or gloating over the poor man?
3. Is the flower falling just
   referring to the outward beauty, which as a believer the rich man won’t miss,
   or is it very important to him, even his eternal life?
4. Is the poor man to rejoice in
   his position in light of what he shall one day receive, as opposed to what he
   knows will happen to the rich man’s temporary earthly splendor and ultimate
   demise?
5. Is this written to both the
   rich and poor brethren to help them deal with their station in life, keeping
   them in an eternal perspective?

Commentary

Commentaries are men’s opinions and therefore can be
fallible.  While they still might be a
clear revelation from a heart inspired by the Holy Spirit, they cannot be
leaned upon as Holy Canon.  They must be compared
to the whole council of the Word and against other’s thoughts as well.

The same must be said of Bible translations – this
has to be so, for there are discrepancies between them as we are seeing here in
this study.  The task at this point must
be to get as close to the source as possible for the literal expression, and on
a whole, a grasp of the true context and intent of the writer.  In the end, however, it may still be possible
to say one, the other, or a few interpretations are worthy.

Of the seven translations of James 1:9-11 considered
here, among them they allow for 3 possible scenarios:

1. Both the poor man and the
   rich man are saved, but a third man is present, who is rich and is not saved.
2. The poor man is saved, as
   well as the rich man.
3. The poor man is saved, but
   the rich man is not.

The notion that there is a third man is only
possible using the Worldwide English translation.  The rich man can be assumed to have been rich
first, then later saved, and now rejoicing because he recognizes his true
position before God and that his wealth will perish too on the Last Day.  In this case then, there must be a poor
brother, a rich brother, and a rich pagan. 
However, since the WE translation is not in agreement with any other
translation here considered, and also in v.10 ‘he will pass away’ is referring
to the first reference of the rich man who will later pass away in v.11, the
third person cannot exist.

The question then is if the rich man is of the
brethren.  There seems to be no question
of the poor man’s position; instead, who is the object of the humiliation
associated with the rich man, and in v.11, is the fate of the rich man good or
bad to him?

Across the translations considered here, everything
hinges on the inclusion of the word ‘glory’ or ‘boast’ in v.10.  This is important, because the only way the
rich man can be a believer here is if he is glad, in the bigger scope of
things, for the demise of his riches in v.11. 
If he is a believer, then in looking toward the Kingdom Eternal, he will
‘glory’ or ‘boast’ of the loss of his earthly stature in wealth.  If ‘glory’ is not included in the
translation, the text is not hindered and continues to flow and hold context –
so there is room, at this point, for both views.  The NIV, NASB, and WE are the only one of
those considered here to include ‘glory’ in v.10.  The KJV, RSV, YLT, and NKJV do not.

In this case it seems best to also look to the
‘original’ Greek.  I am using a literal
interlinear translation by Alfred Marshall, based on the 21^st
Edition of Nestle’s Greek New Testament. 
I do not know upon what the 7 translations are based, but here we’ll
consider Marshall’s to be the closest to the base original.

The literal here is as follows:  “⁹But let boast the brother humble in the height of
him,
¹⁰
and the rich one in the humiliation of him, because as a flower of grass he
will pass away. ¹¹rose For the sun with the hot wind and dried the grass, and the flower
of it fell out and the comeliness of the appearance of it perished; thus also
the rich man in the goings of him will fade away.”

Note that ‘boast’ is in v.9, but no mention of it is
made in v.10.  The question then must be,
who is the ‘him’ in v.10, the subject of the humiliation?  This must be answered with a question; from
where does this humiliation come?

If the humiliation comes from within the rich man,
then he must be of the elect.  As a
believer, in his clearer understanding of his place before God, he will see
himself in the truth of his humility. 
But consider the fate of the rich man in v.11, remembering there is no 3^rd
person here.  He is found to be concerned
of his ‘pursuits’, is ‘going about his business’, is shown ‘fading away in his
ways’, and he ‘shall wither in his goings’. 
If he is saved, then why does it appear that he is not pursuing anything
but his wealth?

These things are associated with the rich man in
v.10 through the flower, the image of beauty, which is shown as temporary like
all things of the world.  This man, in
the splendor of riches, is not watching for the Bridegroom.  Therefore, the flower of v.11, in being the
same one as in v.10, shows the backward association to the fate of the rich man
in v.10.

Further, why would the rich man, even as a brother,
take pride in his stature finally falling? 
Wouldn’t he instead be humbled in this? 
If James meant this, perhaps he would have shown the rich man being
mindful of his place in the Kingdom. 
Remember, the original text only shows the poor man glorying in his
position.

Therefore, I believe the humiliation of the rich man
instead is imposed from the outside of himself, from the Truth which will
reveal his true stature when the end comes and all is revealed.  Considering the concept of someone ‘made
low’, isn’t it true that all will be made low when Christ returns and every
knee bows?  Believing that Jesus/God is
to be bowed down to requires recognizing His position; recognizing His position
requires being ‘made low’; the separation of the wheat and the tares will hinge
on our timing of when we bow down, in a sense.

In this assumption of James’ intention, the frame of
context around this verse is still held intact. 
The lowly brother is shown suffering the trial of poverty, and under the
ridicule of the well off around him. 
Yet, he is assured that in the final analysis he will be held high in
Eternity, while the other’s stature will pass away on the Last Day.  These verses might also be seen as
encouragement to the lowly poor, a sentence on the rich pagan, and as a solemn,
loving reminder to the rich brethren of what awaits if he does not keep his
priorities straight in his life.

Finally then, I would paraphrase v.9-11 as this:

Go ahead,
let the rich man gloat in the humiliation of the poor man – go on, let him
think himself strong in his standing. 
For in the end, when the burning sun of judgment brings about this
world’s destruction, the rich man’s splendor and position will pass away as
flimsy grass, a delicate flower under the heat. 
And let the poor man rejoice in his future exaltation before the Host of
Heaven for his present lowliness.

Scripture references

New International Version (NIV)

James 1

9          The brother in humble circumstances
ought to take pride in his high position.

10        But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position,
because he will pass away like a wild flower.

11        For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant;
its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man
will fade away even while he goes about his business.

King James Version (KJV)

James 1

9          Let the brother of low degree rejoice
in that he is exalted:

10        But the rich, in that he is made low:
because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

11        For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it
withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the
fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

New American Standard Bible
(NASB)

James 1

9          ^<*1>
But the ^[1]
brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

10        and the rich man is to glory in his
humiliation, because ^<*2>
like ^[2]
flowering grass he will pass away.

11        For the sun rises with ^{[3] <*3>}
a scorching wind and ^<*4>
withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is
destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

1. I.e. church member
2. Lit the flower of the grass
3. Lit the

1. Luke
   14:11
2. 1
   Cor 7:31; 1 Pet 1:24
3. Matt
   20:12
4. Ps
   102:4, 11; Is 40:7f

Revised Standard Version (RSV)

James 1

9          Let the lowly brother boast in his
exaltation,

10        and the rich in his humiliation, because
like the flower of the grass he will pass away.

11        For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the
grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade
away in the midst of his pursuits.

Young’s Literal Translation
(YLT)

James 1

9          And let the brother who is low rejoice
in his exaltation,

10        and the rich in his becoming low, because
as a flower of grass he shall pass away;

11        for the sun did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the
grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish,
so also the rich in his way shall fade away!

Worldwide English (NT only)
(WE)

James 1

9          A Christian brother who is poor should
be glad: he is in a high place now he is a Christian.

10        A Christian brother who is rich should be glad: he is in a low
place now he is a Christian. A rich man will pass away like a flower on the
grass.

11        The sun shines and is very hot. Then the grass dries and its
flower falls off. It was nice at first, but now it is not nice any more. In the
same way, the rich man will die while he is going around trying to make money.

New
King James Version (NKJV)

James 1

The Perspective of Rich and Poor
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 references

John
Darby

If
we only seek that which God wills and that which God does, we depend securely
on Him to accomplish it; and as to the circumstances of this world, which might
make one believe that it was useless to depend on God, they vanish away as the
flower of the field. We ought to have the consciousness that our place
according to God is not that which is of this world. He who is in a low station
should rejoice that Christianity exalts him; the rich, that it humbles him. It
is not in riches that we are to rejoice (they pass away), but in the exercises
of heart of which the apostle had been speaking; for after having been tried we
shall receive the crown of life.

The
life of one who is thus tried, and in whom this life develops itself in
obedience to the entire will of God, is well worth that of a man who indulges
all the desires of his heart in luxury.

John Gill

Let the brother of low degree…
By “the brother” is meant, not one in a natural, but in a spiritual
relation; one of Christ’s brethren, and who is of that family that is named of
him; of the household of faith, and is in church communion: and whereas he is
said to be of “low degree”, or “humble”, this regards not
the affection of his mind, or his conduct and deportment, he being meek and
lowly, and clothed with humility, as every brother is, or ought to be; but his
outward state and condition, being, as to the things of this world, poor, and
mean in his outward circumstances, and so humbled and afflicted. This appears
from the rich man, who, in the next verse, is opposed unto him, and
distinguished from him; see (Psalms
62:9) such an one is advised to

rejoice in that he is exalted;
or to “glory in his exaltation”; in that high estate, to which he is
advanced; for a person may be very low and mean, as to his worldly
circumstances, and yet be very high, and greatly exalted in a spiritual sense:
and this height of honour and grandeur, of which he may boast and glory, amidst
his outward poverty, lies in his high birth and descent, being born from above,
and of God, and belonging to his family; in being an adopted Son of God, and so
an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, and of the heavenly inheritance
and kingdom; in the present riches of grace he is possessed of, as justifying,
pardoning, and sanctifying grace; and in the high titles he bears, as besides
the new name, the name better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest
potentate, even that of a Son of the Lord God Almighty, his being a King, and a
priest unto God, and for whom a kingdom, crown, and throne are prepared; and
also in the company he daily keeps, and is admitted to, as of God, and Christ,
and the holy angels: and this height of honour have all the saints, be they
ever so poor in this world, who can vie with the greatest of princes for
sublimity and grandeur.

But the rich, in that he is made low…
That is, the rich brother; for there were rich men in the churches in those
times, and which James often takes notice of in this epistle. Such an one
should rejoice or glory in his lowness, or low estate; in the consideration of
the low estate, out of which he was raised, by the good providence of God, and
was not owing to any merit of his; and in the low estate into which he may be
at present reduced, through the violence of persecution being stripped of all
his riches for Christ’s sake, of which he might make his boast, and count it
his greatest glory; or in that low estate he may quickly expect he shall be
brought into, either in the above manner, or by some calamity or another, and
at least by death, which will put him upon a level with others: or this may
have respect to the temper of his mind, which he has, through the grace of God,
and the station he is in, in the church of God, being a brother, and no more
than a brother, and upon an equal foot with the meanest member in it; and which
yet is matter of rejoicing, that he is one, and that he is so blessed with the
grace of humility, as not to lift up himself above others, not to mind high
things, but to condescend to men of low estate; and such a deportment the
apostle exhorts rich saints unto, from the consideration of the instability and
inconstancy of worldly riches.

Because, as the flower of the grass he shall pass away;
shortly, and suddenly; either he himself by death, or his riches at death, or
before, and therefore are not to be gloried in; nor should the possessors of
them be proud and haughty and elate themselves with them, but should behave humbly
and modestly to their fellow creatures and Christians, as knowing that in a
short time they will all be upon a par, or in an equal state; See (Job
14:2) (Psalms
90:5,6) (102:11)
(103:15,16)
. The metaphor here used is enlarged upon in the following verse, for the
further illustration of the fickleness, perishing, and transitory nature of
earthly enjoyments.

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat…
As it is about the middle of the day, when it shines in its full strength, and
its heat is very great and scorching, especially in the summer season, and in
hot climates:

but it withereth the grass;
strikes it with heat, causes it to shrivel, and dries it up;

and the flower thereof falleth;
drops off from it to the ground:

and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth;
its form and colour, its glory and beauty, which were pleasant to the eye, are
lost, and no more to be recovered. This shows, that earthly riches, like the
flower of the field, have an outward show and glory in them, which attract the
mind, and fix an attention to them for a while; they are gay and glittering,
and look lovely, are pleasant to behold, and desirable to enjoy; but when the
sun of persecution, or any other outward calamity arises, they are quickly
destroyed, and are no more.

Geneva Study Bible

1:9 ⁷ Let the brother of ^h low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

(7) He returns
to his purpose repeating the proposition, which is, that we must rejoice in
affliction, for it does not oppress us, but exalt us.
(h) Who is afflicted with poverty, or
contempt, or with any kind of calamity.

1:10 ⁸ But the ⁱ
rich, in that he is made low: ⁹
because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

(8) Before he
concludes, he gives a doctrine contrasted to the former: that is, how we ought
to use prosperity, that is, the abundance of all things: that is, so that no
man pleases himself, but rather be humble.
(i) Who has all things at his will. (9) An argument taken from the very nature of the
things themselves, for that they are empty and unreliable.

1:11 For the sun is no sooner
risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof
falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich
man fade away in his ^k ways.

(k) Whatever he
purposes in his mind or does.

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown

9,
10. Translate, “But let the
brother,” &c. that is, the best remedy against double-mindedness
is that Christian simplicity of spirit whereby the “brother,”
low in outward circumstances, may “rejoice” (answering to James
1:2) “in that he is exalted,” namely, by being accounted a
son and heir of God, his very sufferings being a pledge of his coming glory and
crown (James
1:12), and the rich may rejoice “in that he is made low,”
by being stripped of his goods for Christ’s sake [MENOCHIUS]; or in that he is
made, by sanctified trials, lowly in spirit, which is true matter for rejoicing
[GOMARUS]. The design of the Epistle is to reduce all things to an equable
footing (
2:1, 5:13).
The “low,” rather than the “rich,” is here called “the
brother” [BENGEL].

10.
So far as one is merely “rich” in worldly goods, “he shall pass
away”; in so far as his predominant character is that of a
“brother,” he “abideth for ever” (1 John
2:17). This view meets all ALFORD’S objections to regarding
“the rich” here as a “brother” at all. To avoid making the
rich a brother, he translates, “But the rich glories in his
humiliation,” namely, in that which is really his debasement (his rich
state, Philippians
3:19), just as the low is told to rejoice in what is really his
exaltation (his lowly state).

11.
Taken from Isaiah
40:6-8.
heat–rather, “the hot wind” from the (east or) south, which
scorches vegetation (Luke
12:55). The “burning heat” of the sun is not at its rising,
but rather at noon; whereas the scorching Kadim wind is often at sunrise
(Jonah
4:8) [MIDDLETON, The Doctrine of the Greek Article]. Matthew
20:12 uses the Greek word for “heat.” Isaiah
40:7, “bloweth upon it,” seems to answer to
“the hot wind” here.
grace of the fashion–that is of the external appearance.
in his ways–referring to the burdensome extent of the rich man’s
devices [BENGEL]. Compare “his ways,” that is, his course of life, James
1:8.

Matthew Henry

The holy humble temper of a Christian, both in
advancement and debasement, is described: and both poor and rich are directed
on what grounds to build their joy and comfort, v. 9–11. Here we may observe,
1. Those of low degree are to be looked upon as brethren: Let the brother of
low degree, etc. Poverty does not destroy the relation among Christians. 2.
Good Christians may be rich in the world, v. 10. Grace and wealth are not
wholly inconsistent. Abraham, the father of the faithful, was rich in silver
and gold. 3. Both these are allowed to rejoice. No condition of lie puts us out
of a capacity of rejoicing in God. If we do not rejoice in him always, it is
our own fault. Those of low degree may rejoice, if they are exalted to be rich
in faith and heirs of the kingdom of God (as Dr. Whitby explains this place);
and the rich may rejoice in humbling providences, as they produce a lowly and
humble disposition of mind, which is highly valuable in the sight of God. Where
any are made poor for righteousness’ sake, their very poverty is their
exaltation. It is an honour to be dishonoured for the sake of Christ. To you
it is given to suffer, Phil. 1:29. All who are brought low, and made lowly
by grace, may rejoice in the prospect of their exaltation at the last in
heaven. 4. Observe what reason rich people have, notwithstanding their riches,
to be humble and low in their own eyes, because both they and their riches are
passing away: As the flower of the grass he shall pass away. He, and his
wealth with him,

People’s New Testament

9-11. Let the brother of low degree.
In the humble walks of life. Exalted. To be a child of God, a brother of
Jesus Christ. 10. The rich, in that he is made low. The one should
rejoice in exaltation; the other in humiliation. He is taught that his riches
have no power to save, and that his life is as uncertain as that of the grass
of the field. 11. For the sun. When the fierce sun of summer arises the
grass in Palestine dies. Thus shall the glory of the rich man fade.

Robertson’s

But (de). Return to the point of view in verse James
2. Of low degree (o tapeinoß).
“The lowly” brother, in outward condition (Luke
1:52), humble and poor as in Ps 9:39; Proverbs
30:14, not the spiritually humble as in Matthew
11:29; James
4:6. In the LXX tapeinoß was used
for either the poor in goods or the poor in spirit. Christianity has glorified
this word in both senses. Already the rich and the poor in the churches had
their occasion for jealousies. Glory in his high estate (kaucasqw en twi upsei autou). Paradox, but
true. In his low estate he is “in his height” (upsoß, old word, in N.T., also in Luke
1:78; Ephesians
3:1; etc.).

In that he is made low (en th tapeinwsei autou). “In his low
estate.” Play on tapeinwsiß
(from tapeinow, Philippians
3:7), like tapeinoß of verse James
1:9, old word in various senses, in N.T. only here, Luke
1:48; Acts
8:33; Philippians
3:21. The Cross of Christ lifts up the poor and brings down the high. It is
the great leveller of men. As the flower of the grass (wß anqoß cortou). From the LXX (Isaiah
40:6). Cortoß means pasture, then
grass (Mark
6:39) or fodder. Anqoß is old
word, in N.T. only here, verse James
1:11; 1 Peter
1:24 (same quotation). This warning is here applied to “the rich
brother,” but it is true of all. He shall pass away (pareleusetai). Future middle indicative (effective
aoristic future, shall pass completely away from earth).

Ariseth (aneteilen). Gnomic or timeless aorist active
indicative of the old compound anatellw,
used here of plants (cf. anaqallw in Philippians
4:10), often of the sun (Matthew
13:6). With the scorching wind (sun
twi kauswni). Associative instrumental case with sun. In the LXX this late word (from kausoß) is usually the sirocco, the dry east
wind from the desert (Job
1:19). In Matthew
20:12; Luke
12:55 it is the burning heat of the sun. Either makes sense here. Withereth
(exhranen). Another gnomic aorist
active indicative (Robertson, Grammar, p. 837) of xhrainw, old verb (from xhroß, dry or withered, Matthew
12:10), to dry up. Grass and flowers are often used to picture the transitoriness
of human life. Falleth (exepesen).
Another gnomic aorist (second aorist active indicative) of ekpiptw to fall out (off). The grace (h euprepeia). Old word (from euprephß well-looking, not in the N.T.), only
here in N.T. Goodly appearance, beauty. Of the fashion of it (tou proswpou autou). “Of the face of
it.” The flower is pictured as having a “face,” like a rose or
lily. Perisheth (apwleto).
Another gnomic aorist (second aorist middle indicative of apollumi, to destroy, but intransitive here,
to perish). The beautiful rose is pitiful when withered. Shall fade away
(maranqhsetai). Future passive
indicative of marainw, old verb, to
extinguish a flame, a light. Used of roses in Wisdom 2:8. Goings (poreiaiß). Old word from poreuw to journey, in N.T. only here and Luke
13:22 (of Christ’s journey toward Jerusalem). The rich man’s travels will
come to “journey’s end.”

John Wesley

1:9     Let
the brother – St James does not give this appellation to the rich. Of low
degree – Poor and tempted. Rejoice – The most effectual remedy against
doublemindedness. In that he is exalted – To be a child of God, and an heir of
glory.

1:10 But
the rich, in that he is made low – Is humbled by a deep sense of his true
condition. Because as the flower – Beautiful, but transient. He shall pass away
– Into eternity.

1:11 For
the sun arose and withered the grass – There is an unspeakable beauty and
elegance, both in the comparison itself, and in the very manner of expressing
it, intimating both the certainty and the suddenness of the event. So shall the
rich fade away in his ways – In the midst of his various pleasures and
employments.

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.”

Scripture

¹ James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered
abroad:  Greetings.

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall
into various trials, ³knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience. ⁴But let patience have its perfect work, that you
may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵If any of you lacks
wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach,
and it will be given to him. ⁶But 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.

Commentary

Bondservant -> Same as slave,
servant; doulos(N); in subjection without bondage.

Though the brother of our Lord, and as the leader of
the Church in Jerusalem, James identifies himself as one of the lowest order in
looking to both the Father and the Son. 
The Father and the Son will be exalted. 
The whole of Creation will be brought to honor the Son as the
Father.  James wisely acknowledges his
position in the Kingdom militant here on earth, looking ahead to his glorious
reward in the Kingdom Glorified, where those who were faithful are given more
and those who are least are the greatest.

The twelve Tribes scattered abroad might be seen as
those after Stephen’s death in Acts 8 who were then pushed out into Judea &
Sumeria.  As Paul was missionary to the
Gentiles, James is to the early Hebrew Christians.  So, he might also be speaking to those
dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. 
Or on a wider sense, in that he is addressing Jewish believers, he can
also be speaking to the whole of the Nation who have been dispatched by God
throughout the whole world known. 
Notably, as God’s people were dispersed in part to illustrate His Light
such as in Daniel’s life & work, so too is James’ Epistle sent out to the
Jews and the world in this early catholic circulating letter.

‘Count it all joy when you fall into various
trials’.  Right from the start James
heads into the core issue facing early Christians suffering under
persecution.  As a day to day thing, this
encouragement must be seen as central for us too if we are truly living outside
of our comfort zone for Christ’s cause. 
And not only issues of the direct association of being known as a
Christian which causes suffering at the hands of others, but also the interior
trials of life sent on us by God in order to test/prove/build our faith – all
for the ultimate use of the Lord for His Glory in both now and the Kingdom.

‘Count it all joy’ is referenced to the same joy
shared by all of the Apostles in Acts 5:41. 
Having been twice arrested in two days, then beaten before the whole
council & elders and commanded to desist, they left joyfully ‘rejoicing
they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name’.  The seemingly inverse economy of God’s
Kingdom (as it might seem to those of the world) is recognized as profitable
service by the Apostles, who are joyous in serving the Lord and also in seeing
that store in Heaven added to.  It is
truly wonderful to serve the Lord in such a loving way, as a sacrifice for Him,
and for His sake.

‘When you fall into various trials’ is the tip of
such a huge ‘iceberg’ in Christian theology! 
Trials, testing of our faith by God, are not to be confused with
temptation, of and by the Devil.  From a
pagan then to a Christian, the issue of trials takes on a radically different
meaning, reality, and stance in one’s life. 
The pagan will always loathe the trials, from small to large, bemoaning
them as senseless, bothersome, or of no value except to cause them discomfort,
brought about by whatever means.  Be it
someone cutting them off in traffic or a life threatening illness, all are
despised to varying degrees.  A believer
however, in following the lead of the Word, will see the situation as an
opportunity of growth brought about by their loving Father, of Whom no detail
escapes, and Whom has promised to keep the interests of His children close to
His heart.  Recognizing our perfect God
is in total control of the test at hand changes everything if we believe in His
ability to do anything.  Our fear
should not be in His design of the outcome, but instead of our interference of
our own will as we might try to arrest control of the situation.  This response is ultimately rooted in a
disbelief in God, His ability, and His intent. 
Once adopted and our standing before the Lord restored, the believer’s
life is best viewed as a ‘boot camp’ in training us for service in God’s
Kingdom.  And considering our Perfect
example in our Lord Jesus’ life, the one overriding aspect He kept, and that we
must seek to emulate, is perfect obedience to God.  Trials are the mechanism by which our Lord
brings about the opportunity to ‘work out you own salvation with fear and
trembling’ (Phil 2:12); it is the process of Sanctification which our Jesus has
undertaken so that we may be made perfect and that when gathered, will be ready
to be presented to the Father as Christ’s Church victorious.  Trials truly are a blessing if you are a child
of God and can recognize His loving gift of opportunity where, if we hazard to
be faithful of Him, simply can’t lose. 
God seeks to build, establish, grow a faith in us – rooted deep down, to
which we cleave to, anchor to, in times of difficulties. All of this doesn’t
mean that God places false obstacles in our way as a faux exercise against
imaginary adversity.  These things are
very real, often quite painful and even threatening, but again in seeking His
Glory for Himself, the Anchor we lash ourselves to is always going to prove
greater than anything ever found in our path of Sanctification.  In His Mercy He strives to deepen and build
our faith if we would only obey and trust Him.

Therefore, in facing our adversity, we must need
appropriate tools.  Blind, foolish faith
is of no value and is dangerous.  To
clarify, having faith in God in the face of severe trouble, though all hope
seems lost, is not blind faith.  It is a
belief in the truest force that all of Creation can acknowledge.  However, a faith in something that can’t or
won’t come through for us is foolish. 
This might be a faith in self, riches, devices, other people, or
anything fallible in the light of it’s abilities to handle the task at
hand.  Or, faith even in God that He will
do something which in truth He has not promised or is not of His character is
foolish too.  But for the one ‘who lacks
(spiritual) wisdom, let him ask of God Who gives to all liberally and without
reproach’.  God wants us to succeed in
growing, for it glorifies and pleases Him. 
Phil 2:13 – “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for
His good pleasure”. If He Wills that we succeed in trials, then He will of
course make available to us the tools necessary to carry out our portion of the
responsibility.  If He seeks growth in
obedience through faith, by placing us lovingly in trials, then to root our
faith in Him as Someone solid, He will want to give us spiritual wisdom in
order to build our understanding of Him, building our faith.  In v.5 He has pulled all of the stops
concerning His Truth to us as believers. 
As Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds and plainly to His Disciples,
so too does the Lord offer full explanation to us, in greater order in fact, as
His children.  And more so, those who do
ask will not be reproached, turned away in shame, or ridiculed, but treated
well by the Almighty, though our request in His Light is so ridiculously
ignorant.

However, the person who asks must do so in faith and
without doubt in God’s willingness and ability. 
The picture of the sea tossing about is one of great instability.  How Gracious is our God for sparing us of
knowledge we are not ready to contemplate. 
Following the parallel of the wineskins, our Lord knows that a seeker
not yet stable in his existing foundations cannot gain from the weight which
more Truth would bear.  Know God and His
Person through His revelation of Himself through the Word, have faith well
rooted in Him and His Character, then again approach Him in Prayer seeking more
and He will grant it.

Key Summary

Trials were a pointed fact in the life of the early
Church believer, often at the threat of one’s life.  James writes to not only acknowledge the work
of God through trials, but also expose the deep blessings the Lord seeks to
bestow on us through them.

We are not typically taken Home immediately upon
Justification, but will spend the rest of our days here in training.  Jesus’ work in us is for His Glory when we
will be presented perfect to the Father.

God, willing that we succeed, also has given us the
Counselor to shape us.  He gives freely,
in abundance, that we may never want for lack of spiritual wisdom.

Study Questions

Can you identify your past and current opportunities
in trials?

Is your reaction to trials one of distain,
neutrality, or joy?  Should you reconsider
your response?

Are you being aware of the Holy Spirit’s involvement
in your life?  Do you ask Him for help
and teaching in the course of your prayers?