I recently did a Sunday School lesson on two chapters from the book of James. It was a great time, I learned so much from diving into the word. I realized how far I have to go and how great God is. Every day God is going to find a new way to ask you, “Do you trust me”. These trails or testing of faith, James will tackle head on. For me it seems, I fail every time. This book helped me understand how to handle these much better and understand them in a new light. It is never easy, and Christ has helped me so much.
I wish I could say, having gone thru Ranger School in the Army and my experience overseas these “trials” would be easier, but they are not. Everyone is challenged to rise above, and that is what is great about this message. In the end, I live to fight another day, put on my spiritual armor and go to work. I read about the persecuted body of Christ all around the world, and feel embarrassed about what causes strife in my life.
James is a tuff book for us because it calls us to action! Show me what you have done? Below are excerpts excerpts from Chuck Missler on the Book which I relied on as I dug into the study.
Theme:
A Living Faith: evidenced by righteous living and godly behavior. Not doctrine; practical Christian ethics.
The book can be divided as such
Chapter 1: Victorious Faith
Chapter 2: Manifested Faith
Chapter 3: Controlling and Energizing Faith
Chapter 4: Submissive Faith
Chapter 5: Patient and Expectant Faith
The Book of James deals with:
The nature of Faith;
The nature and character of God;
Day-to-day behavior as Christians.
Surprisingly it has a closer connection with the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) than any other
NT letter. It lists 60 imperatives in 108 verses; more than any other NT book.
James 1:1-12
Victorious Faith
1] James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which
are scattered abroad, greeting.
“A servant” – He knew Christ after the flesh no more: he honors Him as Lord and Messiah and links His name with that of God the Father. Whatever doubts he may have once had, they are gone now.
“To the Twelve Tribes” – He is a Jew writing to Jews. It is also a message for us, just as Paul’s letters written to Gentile Christians are also generally for all believers.
2] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
When God’s people are called upon to pass through great trials, it is not evidence of God’s displeasure. (Cf. Job: that book is not about “why do the innocent suffer?” If it was, it really wasn’t answered. The reader is let in on a conversation that Job had not overheard. It is about attempting to maintain the Divine Viewpoint; the larger picture.)
“Temptations” here does not refer to being tempted to sin, but rather the testing of faith.
3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
The purpose of suffering; preparation for ministry. If one professes to have faith in the Lord he can depend upon it that his profession will be put to the test sooner or later.
4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
We are, by nature, fretful and impatient. We rebel against the ways of God and want our own way. But he who learns to be submissive to whatever God permits glorifies Him who orders all things according to His own will.
David said his soul had quieted itself as a weaned child: Ps 131 (only three verses that says it all). Fed on more mature food, although initially fretful and peevish, it accepts gratefully the new nourishment. The goal is maturity and the development of a strong Christian character. Becoming mature and whole, no longer craving for what God sees fit to withhold: this is real victory, but it requires superhuman wisdom.
I will add a second part to this post tomorrow.