The Letter ofJAMES

1

Chapter 1

Testing Your Faith

1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and

complete, lacking in nothing.5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all

generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like

the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.

11 For the sun rises with aa scorching wind and 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.

12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.1

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down

from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we

would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.2

A quick tour of this epistle finds James putting the spotlight on certain things.

1 New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Jas.2 New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Jas 1:13–

18.

2

The Word of God

How James loved God’s Word! It is God’s saving word (1:18, 21), ‘the perfect law of liberty’ (1:25) and ‘the royal law’ (2:8).

No Christian will ever grow beyond an affection and esteem for the holy Word of God.

Prayer

James gets to this matter very quickly (1:5), returns to it (4:2–3) and ends with it (5:13–18). It was obviously much on his mind. We shouldn’t be surprised at this; James himself reportedly spent much time in prayer. Eusebius, church historian of the fourth century, quotes Hegisippus regarding James: ‘He used to enter alone into the temple and be found kneeling and praying for forgiveness of the people, so that his knees grew hard like a camel’s because of his constant worship of God.’

Good works

James did not believe, as is often assumed, that we are saved by our works. He was one with the apostle Paul in affirming that we are saved by faith and faith alone. But while he did not believe in salvation by works, he most definitely believed in a salvation that works. In other words, he would have none of this teaching that suggests that we can be saved and have no interest at all in serving the Lord. And this is exactly what Paul himself taught (Eph. 2:10). One of the good works with which James was most concerned was caring for the needy (1:27).

Finally, we can say that James also emphasizes:

Separation from the world

To put it another way, James teaches that Christians should not allow the world to dictate what they think and how they behave.

The world is the enemy of God and, therefore, of the Christian. No one can be a friend of God and a friend of the world (4:1–5).

There are other emphases in this letter as well, but surely no one can doubt that the ones I have mentioned are in the category of major emphases. And just as James’s identification of himself gave us a clue to finding reality in religion, so do these major emphases. Do we want to find true power and joy in religion? Let us look to these matters: Scripture, prayer, good works and separation from the world. That is a good and challenging agenda!3

Outline of the Book of James

3 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 14–16.

3

The book of James was a controversial addition to the Bible canon for the first 300 years of the church. Some felt that it should be left out because it seemed to contradict Paul’s teachings on salvation grace, because, as was said, James taught salvation by works. It was finally adopted by the early Church Fathers, and allowed to take its place among the other portions of God’s great masterpiece, the Bible. James is such a practical book. It takes on the maturing of the believer and presents sound advice on how a Christian should grow in his spiritual walk with the Lord. James pulls no punches, so his words hit hard, provoking thought and instigating to good and pure religion. Introduction: Four Questions

1. Who Was James?—“A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…”

a. A popular name in the Bible days, it was a form of the Hebrew name, Jacob. b. There are many James in the Bible

i. James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John

1. One of the most prominent and a disciple of Christ with John. 2. He was martyred by Herod in AD 44 (Acts. 12:1-2)

ii. James, the son of Alphaeus

Another of the disciples but all that is known of him is that he was “the son of Alphaeus.”

iii. James, the father of Judas the disciple—called the “son of James” to

distinguish him from Judas Iscariot.

iv. James, the brother of our Lord

1. This person seems to be the likely author of the book. 2. Jesus had brothers and sister as stated in Mt. 13:55-56, and one of

them was named James.

3. He was Jesus’ half-brother but was not a believer, initially. He was converted to believe in His divine brother after the resurrection of Christ (1 Co. 15:7).

4

4. He became the leader of the church in Jerusalem and Paul called him “a pillar,” in Ga. 2:9. James moderated the Jerusalem Council of Acts 12:17.

5. James was martyred in AD 62. Tradition says that he was cast off

of the pinnacle of the temple and then clubbed to death. He said in death: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

6. Paul says that he was a married man (1 Co. 9:5) and tradition

remembers his as a man so given to prayer that he had “camel-knees.”

7. James was a Jew and very legalistic. Over 50 times in his little

book he gives imperatives, or commands.

2. To Whom Did James Write?—“To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting” (v. 1)

a. “Twelve tribes” can only mean the people of Israel. b. Like Peter who addressed a huge Jewish congregation of 15 different countries on

Pentecost, James writes the Jews outside Palestine.

c. These Jews are Christians, for at least 19 times, he called them “brethren.” ”Scattered” means “in the dispersion” and refers to the rebellious Jews whom God dispersed throughout the known world, because of their idolatry. But in this context, the idea is one of “scattering seeds,” the spreading abroad of the gospel through the planted seeds of believers. These people would need James’ encouragement, for they were not only Jews, living in a world that hated them, but they were Christian Jews, rejected by their own countrymen.

3. Why Did James Write?—“The trying of your faith worketh patience” (v. 3).

a. As in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, James addressed the problems of the Jewish Christians. They were experiencing temptations and testings.

b. Among the problems addressed by James, was the matter of some using their

tongues in unchristian manner. Others were physically sick because they were disobeying God’s Word.

c. A review of the problems encountered and answered by James, reveals a

contemporary nature for modern readers. Because of these same age-old problems with carnal Christians, the book of James is quite practical for

5

use today. The exact same problems are rampant in Christianity today— suffering, wrong use of the tongue, worldliness, etc.

d. James gets to the heart of the matter. Only one thing causes all the problems

faced by the church—spiritual immaturity. The word “perfect” is used several times, and means to be “mature, grown-up, well-balanced.”

e. Too James wrote to Jewish Christians facing trials and persecution. Under the

threat of persecution the readers considered compromising their Christian commitment and accommodating themselves to worldliness. James spoke as a pastor to urge his friends to develop spiritual stamina in facing persecution. He also spoke as a prophet to urge those who considered compromise to give evidence of their faith.4 (He. 6:1).

4. Did James Contradict Paul?

a. Comparison of the two writers’ statements

i. James—“Ye see, then, that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (2:24)

ii. Paul—“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of

yourselves, it is the gift of God—not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ep. 2:8, 9)

b. Explanation of the seeming contradiction

i. Paul spoke of justification before God while James described justification

before men.

ii. Paul said that we are justified by faith, while James said that we are justified for works.

iii. Paul discussed the root of justification, while James discussed the fruit of

justification.

iv. Sometimes Paul stressed works (1 T. 6:18; Titus 3:8; Ep. 2:10), while James emphasized faith (Ja. 2:5).

v. John Calvin said: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone!”

4 David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 758–759.

6

I. The Christian and His Battles (1:2-16) A. The Sources of Suffering—“…count it all joy when ye fall into various

trials.” (v. 2)

1. Trials

a. The Bible examples

(1) Abraham was tested in the matter of Isaac (Gen. 22:1, 2; Heb. 11:17)—“God did test Abraham.”

(2) Israel at Sinai was tested (Ex. 20:20)—“God is come to test

you.”

(3) The disciples of Christ (Lk. 22:28)—“continued with me in my trials.”

b. The Bible exhortations

(1) For the pressure of persecution (Mt. 5:11-12)— Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you.”

(2) For agony of affliction (Ps. 119:71, 75)—“It is good for me

that I have been afflicted.”

(3) For scourge of suffering (1 Peter 1:6)—“Ye are in heaviness through manifold trials.”

(4) For grandness of glory (2 Cor. 4:17)--…our light

affliction…worketh…a far more exceeding …weight of glory.”

2. The Temptations

a. The enemies of man are threefold—the world, the flesh, and the devil.

b. The flesh problem is evident in vv. 13, 14: “Let no man say when

he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (Ja. 1:13, 14; Ge. 3:1-6; Mt. 4:1; 2 Co. 11:3, 4).

B. The Solution to Trials

7

1. A Joyful Attitude (v. 2)—“count it all joy”

a. Warren Wiersbe says “Outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action.

b. “When” indicates that trials will come. Jesus told His disciples: “In

the world ye shall have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33). Paul reiterated that promise: We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Ac. 14:22).

c. Some of these expected trials come because we are frail humans—

sickness, accidents, disappointments, even seeming tragedies. Job said that “man was born unto trouble as surely as the sparks (of the fire] fly upward.”

d. Some trials come because we are Christians. Peter explained:

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you’ (1 Pe. 4:12).

e. “Fall into” does not have reference to fate, or confluence of

fortuitous atoms. It is better translated “encounter, come across.” Providence is behind everything that comes our way. The word “providence” means to “see before hand.” Nothing surprises God or causes panic in heaven. All things “do work together for good, to them who are called according to His purpose.”

f. “Divers” means “various” and alludes to the many ways trials can

come upon all mankind. The warp and woof of the weaver’s work is squeezed together to make a beautiful tapestry, but if it is viewed from the bottom, only tangled, or loose ends of mismatched patterns appear. But from above, the work is designed with ingenuity, color, order, and beauty. So it is with our lives. As seen from our perspective, the work of God in our lives may seem disordered, fragmented, ugly; but from God’s perspective, our lives are being made into a lovely weave of wonder, as he threads together all the loose ends of our lives to produce the finished product, bringing us to the measure of the stature of Christ-likeness.

g. The key word in the passage is “count,” a financial term meaning

“to evaluate.” All of the vicissitudes of life must be viewed by the

8

Christian, from a different perspective. Jesus practiced this approach says He. 12:2. He endured the cross because of “the joy that was set before Him.” Future benefits awaited Jesus. We, too, must live for the future, set out affections on things above and not on the earth.

2. An Understanding Mind (v. 3)—“knowing this”

a. Faith must be tested

(1) God knew what Abraham would do in the matter of offering up Isaac, but God wanted Abraham to know what he would do.

(2) Jesus knew what Peter would do in the matter of forsaking

Him, but He wanted Peter to find out: “Peter, Satan desires to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you.” After he came through the fiery test, he was to strengthen others.

b. Testing must grow us

(1) “Trying” is better-translated “approval.” Peter explains in 1 Pe. 1:7 that gold is purged and purified by fire. So must the Christian be purged and purified by fire.

(2) Such trials work for our benefit if we have “counted.”

Sooner or later, we will all have a date with Romans 8:28. Whether we feel blessed or blighted depends on our attitude, but God will bring on the trials to make us better.

(3) Patience is the desired result of trials. James uses two

words in the little book to designate patience. In 5: 7, 8, 10 he uses makrothumia, from makro, “long” and thumos, “temper.” It means long on temper, slow to get upset. The other word is found in 5:11, “patience” of Job, and from the Greek hupomone, from hupo, “under” and meno, “to abide. The first work deals with an attitude of tolerance in trying situations. The second deals with endurance under pressure. Philip Kellar summed it up well:

Patience is the powerful capacity of selfless love to suffer long under adversity. It is that noble ability to bear with either difficult people or adverse circumstances without breaking down. This implies that one has a certain degree of tolerance for the intolerable. It is a generous willingness to try to understand the awkward

9

people or disturbing events that our Father allows to enter our lives. [The Fruit of the Spirit, p. 117]

(4) Patience is a quality of the mature and is often linked with faith to believe God’s promises: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (He. 10:36).

(5) Patience only comes from trials, not reading a book,

listening to a sermon, or even praying a prayer.

3. A Surrendered Will (1:4, 9-11)—“Let patience have her perfect will”

a. “Let” implies a willingness on the believer’s part to allow God to work in his/her life.

b. “Patience” is God’s goal for us. This comes with maturity and with

maturity comes trials.

c. Paul gives three works that are involved in a complete Christian life in Ep. 2:8-10).

(1) First, there is the work God does for us, which is salvation.

This work was done on the cross. (2) Second there is the work God does in us: “For we are His

workmanship.” This work is known as sanctification, wherein god builds our character and we become more like Christ, “conformed to the image of His Son” (Ro. 8:29).

(3) The third work is what God does through us, i. e.

service. We are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works.”

d. God builds character before He calls to service. He spent 25 years preparing Abraham before He gave him the promised son. He took 13 years to get Joseph ready to assume his esteemed position in Egypt. He worked with Moses for 80 years before He used him for 40 years. Jesus spent three years with the disciples, training them and growing them, before He sent them out on the greatest mission in history.

e. But God must have our permission in order to mature us to

perfection. Without surrendered wills, we end up more like immature children. Jonah is a supreme example of what happens

10

when God’s children try to serve Him, unsurrendered. Jonah grew into a spoiled prophet, pouting and complaining, and impatient.

f. In verses 9-11, James applies the principle of testing to two kinds of

Christians: the poor and the rich. When the poor person is tested, he lets God have His way and rejoices that he possesses spiritual riches. When a rich person is tested, he, also, lets God have His way, and he rejoices that his riches in Christ cannot wither or fade away. Material resources have no bearing on spiritual resources. Material circumstances may dictate our happiness and change with their fickleness, but real joy is an inward fruit and does not change as our outward circumstances change.

4. A Heart that Wants to Believe (vv. 5-8)—“Let him ask of God who giveth

liberally”

a. “Asking” is 90% of praying, but what are we to ask for? The answer is “wisdom.”

b. James has a lot to say about “wisdom” (1:5; 3:13-18). Knowledge

is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. Being educated or intelligent does not make one wise, or necessarily give one common sense.

c. Why is wisdom so necessary to seek? Why not strength, or grace

or deliverance? Wisdom is the only one of these that will not let us miss the opportunities, which God has given to us to bring us to maturity.

d. James compares the doubting Christian to the waves of the sea, up

and down; or to a “double-minded man.”

(1) Both indicate instability in the mind. Peter exemplified such in his attempt to walk on the water to Jesus (Mt. 14:22-33). At first, he kept his eyes on Jesus, but then the roar of the wind and the tossing of the waves distracted him and he ceased to walk by faith. His double-mindedness almost cost him his life.

(2) A Christian who loves God will trust Him in the trials of life

and not become double-minded, i. e. try to love God and the world. Lot was double-minded when trials came to him, in contrast to Abraham, whom triumphed and matured in his faith.

11

e. Paul described such a person in a similar way: “That we henceforth

be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ep. 4:14). Immaturity and instability go together.

f. James closes this section with a beatitude: “Blessed is the man that

endureth temptation” (v. 12). He started and ended with “joy.” Such joy anticipates the Crown of Life, or the Sufferer’s Crown, which awaits every Christian who suffers without faltering, or who endures to patience without complaining. Of course, the main motivation to suffer to maturity is to bring God glory, but the rewards are also out of this world. Each crown is earned here on earth, in order that we can cast them at Jesus’ feet in heaven. First cross, then the crown.

James uses the word “love” to show our true devotion and motivation. Love is behind each of the imperatives in this section. Love is the reason for the joyful attitude in trials, the understanding mind, the surrendered will, and the believing heart. Love involves trust, trusting God in all situations. Count, know, let, and ask your way to growing from an immature baby to a grown and mature pilgrim, as you run the race through this world which is not your home.

C. The Significance of Trials and Temptations (James 1:13-18)

1. Sometimes trials are testings on the outside, and sometimes they occur as temptations on the inside. God sends the first and Satan sends the second. Why does James connect the two?

2. Wiersbe explained:

What is the relationship between testing without and temptations within? Simply this: if we are not careful, the testing on the outside may become temptations on the inside. When our circumstances are difficult, we may find ourselves complaining against God, questioning His love, and resisting His will. At this point, Satan provides us with an opportunity to escape the difficulty. This opportunity is a temptation. [Be Mature, p. 35]

3. How to deal with temptations

a. Look ahead and beware of judgment (vv. 13-16)

(1) There are many biblical illustrations of this problem:

12

(a) Abraham is tested by a famine in Canaan, but

instead of proving God, he turns it into a temptation and goes to Egypt for help.

(b) Israel is wandering in the wilderness and is

tested in the lack of water. Instead of turning it into a time for God to work, they allow Satan to work and complained against God.

(2) God does not tempt and cannot tempt, for He is too holy to

do that, but He does test. It is the believer that turns tests into temptations.

(3) A temptation is an opportunity to do a good thing but in a

wrong way. Wanting to pass a test is a good thing, but cheating to do it is a bad thing.

(4) Temptation is caused by sin and that sin eventuates into a

process. James gives four stages to that process:

(a) Desire (v. 14)

(i) Desires are a part of life and not bad in themselves. If we did not desire to eat we would soon die of starvation. Even sexually desires are ordained of God.

(ii) The problem occurs when we attempt to

satisfy those desires outside of God’s will. The desires become “lust.” Eating is normal, but gluttony is sin. Sleeping is normal, but laziness is sin. Marrying is normal, but adultery is sin. These drives are to be kept in constant control. They must be our servants, not our masters.

(b) Deception (v. 14)

(i) No temptation seems to be a temptation at

first, for deception is involved. James uses illustrations from the exercise of hunting and

13

fishing. “Drawn away” conveys the idea of baiting of a trap and enticing the prey. Since an animal is not going to deliberately step into a trap or grab a bare hook, deceit is necessary.

(ii) The bait is an appeal to our natural desires.

For Lot, the bait was the “well-watered plains of Jordan,” and for David it was the beautiful Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop.

(iii) Satan tried to deceive Jesus in the wilderness

temptation, but each time he was defeated with the Word of God.

(c) Disobedience (v. 15)

(i) The emotions (desire) and the intellect

(deception) have now become the will. James changes his illustration to the birth of a baby. Lust has a child and it is sin. Sin has a child and it is death. This has been called the LSD of temptation—lust brings forth sin and sin bears death.

(ii) Will power takes over in the process of

sinning. We may say, “I don’t feel like doing so and so” or “I don’t feel saved.” Will acts regardless of feelings. When feelings control us, we are vulnerable to temptations, but when will controls us we act right, regardless of our feelings. Paul said: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

(d) Death (v. 15)

(i) Disobedience gives birth to death, not life. It

may take years for that baby to be born, but while the mills of God grind slowly, they grind exceedingly fine.

14

(ii) The four steps to temptations are clearly seen

in Eve’s encounter with the serpent (Ge. 3:5). Achan in Joshua 7 is another of example of how Satan’s takes one down the path to destruction—He saw the wedges of gold and the Babylonian garment, he coveted, he took, and he was judged.

(iii) The only way to overcome temptation is to

take our eyes off of the bait and look at the consequences— God’s judgment.

b. Look around and behold God’s goodness (v. 17)

(1) God loves His children and would not withhold any good thing from them, but the Devil tries to convince us that He does not want the best for us. He told Even that God was withholding the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil from her in order to keep her from “knowledge.”

(2) God’s goodness is the barrier to temptation. Moses warned

Israel not to forget God’s goodness when they began to enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land (E. 6:10-15).

(3) James presents four facts about God’s goodness.

(a) God gives only good gifts. They may not always

seem good to the human perception, but God is perfect and always gives the best.

(b) The way God gives is good. Motive is

everything in a gift. The only difference between a gift and a bribe is the motive behind it. Jesus taught this principle in the Sermon on the Mount:

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a tone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? [Mt. 7:9-11]

(c) He gives constantly. “Cometh down” is a present participle: “it keeps on come down.” God loves to give his children gifts, and they

15

simply rain down, although some go unnoticed by us.

(d) God does not change. There are no shadows

with the Father of Lights, no variableness of turning. He is immutable, unchangeable in His essence, His attitudes, or His purpose. God’s goodness is an attribute directed only to His children, and always has our best interests at heart.

(i) It is not the judgment of God that

cause us to repent but the goodness. David forgot God’s goodness in the sin with Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan said to him:

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, “I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.” (2 Sa. 12:708).

c. Look within and behold your imputed divine nature (v. 18) (1) James uses the birth illustration in showing how lust births

sin and sin births death. He uses the same illustration in v. 18 of the birth of a child of God.

(2) James gives the characteristics of the divine birthing.

(a) It is divine (b) It is gracious (c) It is wrought by the Word (d) It is noble

God provides the three barriers to help us conquer temptation: Look ahead to judgment, look around at God’s goodness, and look within to our divine nature.

16

17