Hearing and Doing the Word
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Welcome back. I love this section of text. It is commonly misused and misinterpreted. Lets get unpacking. I do want to re-iterate, I am not claiming to be an authority on the text. I have not gone to school for it. I have read, meditated and prayed on the scripture that God's will would be known and be clear to me. He has blessed me with a life filled with consequences, however unfavorable, that has led me to a certain perspective that clarifies what has been muddied before me.
Verse "19 Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry.20 This is because an angry person doesn’t produce God’s righteousness.
I'll start off by saying Anger isn't bad. And "righteous anger" is the only kind of anger that is good. It is not wrong to become angry, but it is wrong to stay angry and then act on that anger rather than on love. Because love produces God's righteousness. Being quick to listen is not natural. That is not our instinct. And even if you can control what comes out of your mouth, you cannot control what comes internally. I love this particular verse because it helps clarify controlling your emotions. Something happens and you become angry. You cannot control that, it just happens. Realizing that you cannot change your heart, should open your eyes to realizing that only God can change your heart. In realizing that, it becomes easier to revert to that when something comes up that causes you to be angry. We all have things in our life that cause us to become angry. But its with God's love that we can rise above that and be quick to listen, and slow to speak. Because you cannot produce God's righteousness out of anger. Only out of love. And the way to produce righteousness out of love is not speak when you're angry. You do not have control over what emotions you feel. But you do have freedom in the control of which emotion your actions come from.
Verse 21 tells us how to produce God's righteousness. We know this because he starts the sentence off with "therefore". "21 Therefore, with humility, set aside all moral filth and the growth of wickedness, and welcome the word planted deep inside you—the very word that is able to save you."
We produce God's righteousness by not acting out of our flesh (our sin nature) with humility and Welcome Christ who has saved you. He talks about "The Word" the way the gospel of John talks about the Word (John 1:14). Word was with God and the word was with God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word = Jesus Christ. Therefore, with humility, put to death (Colossians 3:5) sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Welcome the word planted deep within you. The same word thats able to save you. He's referencing the Trinity. He's recognizing that the Jesus Christ that is able to save you is the same God that is inside of you. And He is inside of you because it is He and only He that is able to save you through faith by grace alone. It all goes back to, hold your identity firmly in Jesus Christ. Embrace the word that is planted deep inside you. That same word is love (1 John 4:8). To have your identity in Christ is to have your identity in love. And when you act out of God's love, you then will produce God's righteousness.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
James 1:9-16
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a 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 also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Verse 9-11 is small and to the point. It speaks of two different types of men. A "lowly brother" or a "man of low degree" and rich men. Both types of men have satisfaction but in different things. These verses are similar to what jesus said in Luke 9:24 "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Its basically saying, it is easier for the man that doesn't have a lot here on earth to have faith in the things of God. And it is more difficult for the rich man to have faith in the things of God. Its not because the amount of things matter to God. Its because they matter to us. We are materialistic-natured people. Even when it comes to Jesus, there are some who come to Him in order to get something. We are to abide in Him through faith because in Him is our new identity. Salvation is more than just fire assurance. It is easier for the man who has very little to understand, than it is for the man who has a lot.
I find verse 12 to be very interesting. It tells us, again, how to be steadfast through the trials of our faith. "...for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." God promises those who love him abundant life. And He gives those who are steadfast through their tests of faith abundant life. Meaning, in order to be steadfast in your trials of faith, you must love God and He will give you the crown of life.
Verse 13 through 15 defines the origins of sin so that, through self evaluation, we can identify it at an early stage. Temptation is at the core of our "tests of faith". Tempted to abandon what we know of God and pursue what we want instead (Proverbs 11:2). God cannot tempt us, because He himself cannot be tempted. However, as we see during Job's tests of faith, God allows the enemy to tempt us. And then James unpacks how we are tempted. Everyone is tempted when he is lured and enticed by our own desires. Then James interestingly uses sex to depict what happens next. That desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin. This marks the beginning of sin. Being tempted isn't sin. Being enticed of our desires isn't sin. But when we act on our desires, that is sin. And the cost of that sin is death. James quickly reminds us that not all of our desires aren sin. It is possible to act on a desire and have it glorify God, when that desire comes from God. The way to discern whether or not a desire comes from God is easy, verse 17. Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. This is a big deal. At the core of everything is good and perfect and comes from the Father. Its when we change, elevate, variate, and pervert it that it becomes a sinful desire. Take sex. At its core, it is a good and perfect thing, yet when we change, elevate, variate, and pervert it, it becomes a sinful desire. Take food. At its core it is a good and perfect thing given to us by the Father. And when we change, elevate, variate, and pervert it, it becomes a sinful desire.
Of God's own will, he created us by way of the Word of Truth, that we are like the first crop from the harvest of everything he created. James brings it back to the main point. Its for God's glory. Our faith is tested, and our character is shaped when we remain steadfast in our love for our Father, and for that He loves us and gives us the crown of life, so that He is glorified.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Verse 9-11 is small and to the point. It speaks of two different types of men. A "lowly brother" or a "man of low degree" and rich men. Both types of men have satisfaction but in different things. These verses are similar to what jesus said in Luke 9:24 "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Its basically saying, it is easier for the man that doesn't have a lot here on earth to have faith in the things of God. And it is more difficult for the rich man to have faith in the things of God. Its not because the amount of things matter to God. Its because they matter to us. We are materialistic-natured people. Even when it comes to Jesus, there are some who come to Him in order to get something. We are to abide in Him through faith because in Him is our new identity. Salvation is more than just fire assurance. It is easier for the man who has very little to understand, than it is for the man who has a lot.
I find verse 12 to be very interesting. It tells us, again, how to be steadfast through the trials of our faith. "...for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." God promises those who love him abundant life. And He gives those who are steadfast through their tests of faith abundant life. Meaning, in order to be steadfast in your trials of faith, you must love God and He will give you the crown of life.
Verse 13 through 15 defines the origins of sin so that, through self evaluation, we can identify it at an early stage. Temptation is at the core of our "tests of faith". Tempted to abandon what we know of God and pursue what we want instead (Proverbs 11:2). God cannot tempt us, because He himself cannot be tempted. However, as we see during Job's tests of faith, God allows the enemy to tempt us. And then James unpacks how we are tempted. Everyone is tempted when he is lured and enticed by our own desires. Then James interestingly uses sex to depict what happens next. That desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin. This marks the beginning of sin. Being tempted isn't sin. Being enticed of our desires isn't sin. But when we act on our desires, that is sin. And the cost of that sin is death. James quickly reminds us that not all of our desires aren sin. It is possible to act on a desire and have it glorify God, when that desire comes from God. The way to discern whether or not a desire comes from God is easy, verse 17. Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. This is a big deal. At the core of everything is good and perfect and comes from the Father. Its when we change, elevate, variate, and pervert it that it becomes a sinful desire. Take sex. At its core, it is a good and perfect thing, yet when we change, elevate, variate, and pervert it, it becomes a sinful desire. Take food. At its core it is a good and perfect thing given to us by the Father. And when we change, elevate, variate, and pervert it, it becomes a sinful desire.
Of God's own will, he created us by way of the Word of Truth, that we are like the first crop from the harvest of everything he created. James brings it back to the main point. Its for God's glory. Our faith is tested, and our character is shaped when we remain steadfast in our love for our Father, and for that He loves us and gives us the crown of life, so that He is glorified.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
James 1:1-8
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
Testing of Your Faith
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Okay, we're going to break this up a bit. James is a short book but it's going to take some un-packing. James is the half brother of Jesus Christ. This is a manuscript of a sermon he's teaching to the "Twelve tribes of the dispersion". He's not teaching to just Jews, they're the "new" Christian Jews. The time frame is this. Christ was crucified, came down and hung out for a bit then ascended to heaven to assume His place at the right hand of the Father. The "church" that was created in Acts is dispersing and going forth through out the land, and James is preaching to the church, meaning, all believers. James is about the Testing of Your Faith. It can be used as a step by step instruction manual on how to "live a Christ centered life". This book is primarily for those who's identity is in Christ, saved by grace through faith alone and can be looked at by a non-believer as what your life would look like inside of the salvation of Christ.
Verse 2 through 4 basically says, if you're in Christ, then God is continually shaping your character by means of trials. When you're identity is in Christ, then you have a joy runs much deeper than happiness. This verse can be misconstrued as if to say, while you're in trials, you should be happy you're in a trial. That's not it at all. The point of a trial is that is doesn't feel good. The joy you get from Christ is much more than a fleeting feeling that can come and go depending on the situation. When we are going through a trial we are to count it as grace from the Father because it means that He is shaping your character.
I find it interesting that he says, "...for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Most trials we go through today we don't look at as tests of our faith. We look at it as a tunnel that we're trying to get through and the joy is the light at the end of that tunnel so to speak. That is not a trial. As james says, there are trials of various kinds, but they all have one underlying commonality. They test your faith. And through the testing of your faith comes steadfastness. James says that steadfastness, at it's full effect, will leave you perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. This can be confusing as nobody is perfect and complete and we lack a lot. This is pointing back to the cross. During your trial, during your test of faith, we as Christians are called to look to Christ and surrender, all that worry us, to Him. And when that happens we become fully justified. We are at that point perfect, not because of anything we've done, but because Jesus paid for what we've done. When the Father looks at us, He sees the Son. Therefore, through the testing of your faith, you will become steadfast in Christ and when that happens you are looked at as complete and perfect, lacking in nothing.
Verse 5 through 8 focuses on faith. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him." I think its pretty safe to say that we all lack wisdom. Which is exactly is point. It could be said, "You lack wisdom. Therefore ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him." Reproach is a word thrown about in the Christian community. It means,The expression of disapproval or disappointment. This is pointing back to the point he just made as Christ covering you. God will give to those who ask. And He'll do it without disappointment. I find this especiallyencouraging as I am one who continually disappoints concerning the things of God.
There is a condition to this asking and receiving. "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." Have you ever been in a place where you cry out to God (probably in one of those "tests of faith") and ask for something, be it peace, or favor, or for Him to just "take it away"? Have you ever asked something of God and it doesn't happen? Even if you've made it a point to make it something that you need and not something that you want. So when it doesn't happen you're especially confused, since He said, ask and you shall receive. Or at least thats what you've heard in church. Lets un-pack it, its pretty hairy. The Doubt. One of the least talked about subjects of the Christian walk. We all feel it. We all have it. Some more than others. My fiance is one to believe with faith fairly easily. For me, its not so easy. If you tell me something, I will think its wrong until I find that its right. I doubt first and then trust, once I find it to be true. There are many reasons in my past for this, but thats for another day. I know I'm not alone on that. I know that there are even pastors out there who, when the chips are down, when they're pushed to the brink, when they're faith is tested, they have doubt that God can save them. They have doubt that God is fighting for them. Its the human condition, its in our nature. I'm not using that as a copout, I'm using it as a reason. The doubt is prevalent, and its real. And it can and will keep you from experiencing the joy and the peace that comes from trusting God with you're entire life. Verse 7 and 8 are basically saying, If you doubt, you must not suppose that you'd receive anything from the Lord. I find this fascinating. Its basically saying the gospel. If you, both, believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, then you will be saved. Interesting side note, you can't change your heart. Its impossible. You can modify your behavior a bit but even that won't last forever. Only Jesus Christ by grace, through faith, can change your heart and save you. Only then will you be transformed, and it won't be through anything you did so that you cannot bost in anything other than your faith in Christ, and even that didn't come from you. We were all double-minded men, unstable in all of our ways. But the second Christ saved you, you then had a former life (Galatians 1:13). Thats the Great Exchange, is it not? You give your life to Him, and you will find life in Christ. Meaning you get a former life, reborn with a new fresh life in Christ. Regardless of what you think the basis of your faith is still faith. If you believe with your heart, then you will not doubt with your heart. This verse is speaking to those who are unsure if they are saved. Those who are still on the fence about the whole thing. That man is a double-minded man, who is as unstable as the waves of the sea and cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord. That doesn't mean he doesn't receive anything from the Lord, it means he can't expect it. Which is also to say, that those who hold their identity in Jesus Christ can ask, in faith, for wisdom, and it will be given to him.
I pray that Christ will transform those who are still on the fence regarding the things of God, and will save them with an amazing grace and give them the faith to believe like a child and trust fully that God loves them so much so that He died to himself so we can get a perfect picture of how to live our life fully in faith, as a perfect and complete creating, lacking in nothing. May we all humble ourselves and ask in faith for wisdom.
The Purpose
I've started other blogs in the past, and like most who start them, they drifted off and became nothing. Instead of starting up on of those again, I decided to create this new one. I'm creating this with two intentions. One, of bring daily Bible teachings to those I'm in community with. Second, for that community to keep me accountable for those teachings. To start things off we'll be going through the Book of James. I'll be mainly using the English Standard Version of The Bible, but referencing other translations for perspective. Please feel free to comment with questions, or with things that stood out during the reading. My preferred learning style is through debate. It's not a popular one, but it is effective. We all think that what we believe is right. If we didn't we wouldn't believe it. Through debate we are can see when we are wrong, and there for opening the opportunity to believe what is right. I question the things of God, not to try to prove them wrong, but to show myself where I can believe what is right. So if there is anything that strikes you as wrong, or if what I say is confusing, please let me know. Thanks!
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