James 1
Let’s look at the first chapter of James today. This chapter is talking about the weakness of one’s flesh and God’s great power to overcome those weaknesses.
Verse two tells us that we are to count it all joy when we fall into, encounter, are ambushed with divers temptations, tests, trials, storms of life. Now why in the world would I count it as joy when I encounter a trial in my life? Because if you are smart, you know that God has already provided the means of escape from it, whether it is of the weakness of your own flesh or satan’s attempt to wipe you out. Either way, God has got you covered. He is not the One Who brought it. A trial is a snare, a trap satan sets—the bait, the lure is your own weakness—with the intent of killing you, stealing from you and destroying you. The whole aim is to steal the Word, which is your strength and victory that God has provided. Remember the parable of the sower. If you don’t, go back and read it to refresh your memory.
We haven’t even gotten past verse 2 and we see already the very necessity of the Word of God to sustain us and take us to the other side. Verse 3 tells us that the trying of our faith works patience. Now what does that mean? The testing, trying, tempting of your faith brings the spiritual force of patience to work. Patience in God’s Kingdom is not defined as hanging on by your toenails and “bless God” you will make it somehow or other. No, no, that is not the picture of the patient person in God’s realm. A patient person in God’s realm is a strong, conquering, stable person, because the force of patience is a strength from God’s arsenal of the fruit of the spirit. It is a steadfastness, a stability, a confidence in the face of adversity, which says and knows that God’s Word works for you, in spite of what is going on. It is an assurance, a confidence. The picture of a patient person in God’s Kingdom is one of serenity and peace, because you know the outcome. God’s Word always triumphs. God always wins, if you allow him to do so and don’t step in to “help Him.”
In verse 4 we are told to let patience have her perfect work so that we may be perfect (mature) and entire (developed), wanting nothing. You see, if patience is allowed to run its course, the victory is so sweet, and you have a confidence that makes you mature to handle the next storm without batting an eye twice. That’s really what spiritual maturity is all about. It’s about letting God work His fruit in you and patience is one of them. And, by the way, you don’t have to pray for patience or be fearful that you are going to be presented with all kinds of circumstances to wipe you out if you pray for patience. That is not God’s concept of patience. That is an earthly idea. You already have patience if you are born again, because it is one of the fruit of the spirit. You just have to allow God to develop it in you.
Then, God has you covered in verse 5 because He says: Now, look, if you don’t know what to do in this situation, ask Me; if you lack wisdom, ask Me and I will give it to be liberally, without finding fault in your asking.
Then He cautions us in verses 6-8 to ask Him in faith and don’t waver once you ask, for the person that wavers is like the waves of the seas, which are driven and tossed by the wind. You don’t have to be kicked around by satan. On purpose, trust God that He is helping you and showing you how to walk through to the other side without the minutest speck of defeat—with only the smell of victory coming forth like a sweet fragrance. A person who thinks both ways—fear and faith, defeat and victory, failure and success—is unstable in all his ways and will not receive anything from the Lord.
Then we see in verses 13-15 that we are not to say when we are tempted, tested or tried that we are tempted, tested or tried of God because God doesn’t have any evil to tempt you with in the first place. Every person is tempted, tested, or tried when he is drawn away of his own lust (desires contrary to the Word and Spirit of God) and enticed. If one continues to think on that desire, lust will conceive and bring forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death. But, praise God, we have the victory through Christ Jesus. Read Romans 6,7, and 8. Sin shall no longer have dominion over you. Reckon, consider yourself dead to sin. You’re made free from sin. The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death.
Verse two tells us that we are to count it all joy when we fall into, encounter, are ambushed with divers temptations, tests, trials, storms of life. Now why in the world would I count it as joy when I encounter a trial in my life? Because if you are smart, you know that God has already provided the means of escape from it, whether it is of the weakness of your own flesh or satan’s attempt to wipe you out. Either way, God has got you covered. He is not the One Who brought it. A trial is a snare, a trap satan sets—the bait, the lure is your own weakness—with the intent of killing you, stealing from you and destroying you. The whole aim is to steal the Word, which is your strength and victory that God has provided. Remember the parable of the sower. If you don’t, go back and read it to refresh your memory.
We haven’t even gotten past verse 2 and we see already the very necessity of the Word of God to sustain us and take us to the other side. Verse 3 tells us that the trying of our faith works patience. Now what does that mean? The testing, trying, tempting of your faith brings the spiritual force of patience to work. Patience in God’s Kingdom is not defined as hanging on by your toenails and “bless God” you will make it somehow or other. No, no, that is not the picture of the patient person in God’s realm. A patient person in God’s realm is a strong, conquering, stable person, because the force of patience is a strength from God’s arsenal of the fruit of the spirit. It is a steadfastness, a stability, a confidence in the face of adversity, which says and knows that God’s Word works for you, in spite of what is going on. It is an assurance, a confidence. The picture of a patient person in God’s Kingdom is one of serenity and peace, because you know the outcome. God’s Word always triumphs. God always wins, if you allow him to do so and don’t step in to “help Him.”
In verse 4 we are told to let patience have her perfect work so that we may be perfect (mature) and entire (developed), wanting nothing. You see, if patience is allowed to run its course, the victory is so sweet, and you have a confidence that makes you mature to handle the next storm without batting an eye twice. That’s really what spiritual maturity is all about. It’s about letting God work His fruit in you and patience is one of them. And, by the way, you don’t have to pray for patience or be fearful that you are going to be presented with all kinds of circumstances to wipe you out if you pray for patience. That is not God’s concept of patience. That is an earthly idea. You already have patience if you are born again, because it is one of the fruit of the spirit. You just have to allow God to develop it in you.
Then, God has you covered in verse 5 because He says: Now, look, if you don’t know what to do in this situation, ask Me; if you lack wisdom, ask Me and I will give it to be liberally, without finding fault in your asking.
Then He cautions us in verses 6-8 to ask Him in faith and don’t waver once you ask, for the person that wavers is like the waves of the seas, which are driven and tossed by the wind. You don’t have to be kicked around by satan. On purpose, trust God that He is helping you and showing you how to walk through to the other side without the minutest speck of defeat—with only the smell of victory coming forth like a sweet fragrance. A person who thinks both ways—fear and faith, defeat and victory, failure and success—is unstable in all his ways and will not receive anything from the Lord.
Then we see in verses 13-15 that we are not to say when we are tempted, tested or tried that we are tempted, tested or tried of God because God doesn’t have any evil to tempt you with in the first place. Every person is tempted, tested, or tried when he is drawn away of his own lust (desires contrary to the Word and Spirit of God) and enticed. If one continues to think on that desire, lust will conceive and bring forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death. But, praise God, we have the victory through Christ Jesus. Read Romans 6,7, and 8. Sin shall no longer have dominion over you. Reckon, consider yourself dead to sin. You’re made free from sin. The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 10:13 AM
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