JAMES

FROM DOUBLE-MINDED TO SINGLE-MINDED CHRISTIANITY

by LARRY CORY

A SUMMARY OF THE MESSAGE OF
JAMES

Salutation (1:1)

Troubles reveal whether we are single-minded or double-minded (1:2-12)

Directions for purifying our hearts #1
(1:13-25)

Single-mindedness summarized (1:26,27)

Our attitude toward the poor reveals whether we are single-minded or double-minded (2:1-13)

Our deeds reveal whether we are single-minded or double-minded
(2:14-26)

Our tongue reveals whether we are single-minded or double-minded
(3:1-18)

Our relationships reveal whether we are single-minded or double-minded (4:1-2a)

Our prayers reveal whether we are single-minded or double-minded
(4:2b-3)

Directions for purifying our hearts #2
(4:4-10)

Our attitude towards others reveals whether we are single-minded or double-minded (4:11-12)

Our attitude towards the future reveals whether we are single-minded or double-minded (4:13-16)

Directions for purifying our hearts #3 (4:17)

God's wisdom (that comes from a pure heart -- see 3:17) enables us to be patient when we are going through troubles (5:1-11)

A description of single-minded and wise Christianity in action (5:12-20)

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOOK OF JAMES

1. The author: The author of the book of James simply identifies himself as James. Since he only needed to refer to himself as James and because the book of James was written to many Christians ("the twelve tribes [Jewish Christians] scattered among the nations"), we can safely assume that he was a James who was well-known to the early church. The two most famous of the early believers in Jesus named James were the following:

(1) James the brother of Jesus.

He was not the brother of Jesus, though, but the half-brother of Jesus. Because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Joseph who was the human father of James was not Jesus' father. (We learn that Jesus had brothers and that one of his brothers was named James in Matthew 13:55,56 and Mark 6:3)

(2) James the Apostle

Because the Apostle James died a martyr's death shortly after the beginning of the church, it is not likely that he was the author of the book of James. See Acts 12:2

It is most likely, then, that James the half-brother of Jesus was its author. What we know about this James makes it even more likely that it was he who was the author of this book. What do we know about James, the half brother of Jesus?
(1) We know that James and the other brothers of Jesus did not at first believe that He was the Son of God. See John 7:1-5 and Mark 3:21,31-35 James apparently came to believe that Jesus is the Son of God when the resurrected Jesus appeared to him. See I Corinthians 15:7
(2) We know that his brothers were believers just before the church began at Pentecost. See Acts 1:14
(3) We know also that James became a very important leader in the early church. The early church saw him as a "pillar" in the church. See Galatians 1:19 and 2:9 When the early church decided the critical issue about how they were going to treat the first Gentile Christians, it was James and Peter who led the Christians at Jerusalem to resolve the controversy. See Acts 15 James became the recognized leader at the church at Jerusalem. See Acts 12:17 and 21:18-19 Tradition tells us that James was such a man of prayer that he was known for having callused knees (he was affectionately called "camel knees"). Tradition also tells us that James died a martyr's death in Jerusalem at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders. (Both of these traditions are described in Eusebius' ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY)
2. The recipients of the letter: According to James 1:1, he wrote "To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations." The "twelve tribes" was a term that was used to describe the nation of Israel. See Acts 26:7 So, he was writing to those of his own Jewish nationality who had been scattered outside Israel. From the letter, however, we can see that he was not only writing to fellow Hebrews, but also to fellow Christians. See James 1:18, 2:1 So, he was writing to fellow Hebrews who were also fellow Christians.
He was writing, then, to Jewish Christians who lived outside Israel. How did these Jews become Christians and come to live outside of Israel? First of all, there were Hebrews from all over the world at Jerusalem at the Feast of Pentecost when the church began dramatically with the miraculous gift of tongues and the preaching of Peter. See Acts 2 (especially 2:5-13 and 2:40-41) Also the Jewish Christians were scattered into the world by the martyrdom of Stephen. See Acts 8:1,4, 11:19-21 And, finally, because there were always Jewish people traveling to and from Israel, there was a constant flow of Jewish Christians traveling in and out of Jerusalem where James led the church.

3. The theme of James: We can tell from this letter, that the Jewish Christians were going through very difficult times. Because they were Christians, they were rejected by their fellow Jews. From the book of James, we learn that many were poor and oppressed by the rich. Troubles tend to bring out the worst in us. James wrote to his fellow Jewish Christians to instruct them on how they could continue to act like Christians even in the most difficult of times. How can we continue to act like Christians when and as we go through troubles? The answer to this question is found in the book of James. The key to this book and to our living like Christians when the going is tough is to be single-mindedly pure in heart so that we can see life with God's wisdom.

4. Martin Luther and James: Martin Luther came to Jesus Christ in faith after years of trying to come to God through his own Christian-like works. Romans 1:17 spoke to him that "The righteous will live by faith." It was at that time that Martin Luther quit working at getting right with God through his own works and trusted in what Jesus had done for him on the Cross. Because he believed that the book of James put too much of an emphasis on works, he saw James as teaching that we need to get right with God through works. See James 2:14-26 He called it "an epistle full of straw" (as opposed to being full of gold, silver, and precious jewels). He even went so far as to state that the book of James was not part of the Bible. Though Luther was right in so many ways, he was wrong about the book of James. As we will see as we go through this book, it is not filled with straw, but with gold!

THE MESSAGE OF JAMES

The message of the book of James is often seen as very convicting and not

an easy book to study. If you desire to grow in godly character, however, it is one of the most helpful books in the Bible.
In the book of James, James the author wrote to Jewish Christians who were going through very difficult trials and persecution. He does not immediately tell them how to avoid these painful times, but he gives them God-inspired instructions on how to purify their hearts so that they can pray and receive wisdom from God. This wisdom from God will make it possible for them to grow in godliness as they go through these trials and it will enable them to pray with the "prayer of faith." The four keys that unlock the message of the book of James are as follows: (1) We need to be willing to acknowledge the filthiness and double-mindedness which is in our own hearts, as James and God reveal it to us. (2) We then need to do whatever it takes to purify our hearts before God. (3) It is only after we purify our hearts, that we will be able to see our circumstances with the wisdom that comes from God. (4) God's wisdom will give us the ability to grow in godliness as we go through difficult and painful times and the ability to be those who pray with the "prayer of faith."

Anyone who has looked deeply at the book of James will have had to have

asked the question, "Am I a double-minded man?" Or, "Is my heart impure?" As we study this very convicting book, we will be looking at how James answers these questions. Also, if we apply what James says in his book, we will become "doers of the word," we will come to see our trials with the "wisdom that comes from heaven," and we will pray with the "prayer of faith."

Salutation (1:1)

1. "James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ"

James calls himself a slave of God and Jesus Christ. We do not know what it would be like to be a slave. James, however, did know what slavery was like for he saw men and women slaves all around him. According to the New Bible Dictionary article on slavery, slavery at that time may have made up as much as one-third of the population in some large cities. Barclay has this to say about what James meant when he said he was a slave of God: "It implies absolute obedience. The slave knows no law but his master's word; he has no rights of his own; he is the absolute possession of his master; and he is bound to give his master unquestioning obedience." "Taken from The Letters of James and Peter by William Barclay. Copyright 1976 by The Westminster Press."

This is what James meant when he said he was a slave and he had chosen to be a slave of God! (1) A servant of God sees himself as a possession of God. I Corinthians 6:19-20 (2) His only purpose is to serve his master. I Corinthians 7:22b-23 (3) He does only what his master asks of him. I John 3:24 (4) His needs are met by his Master. Matthew 6:3 Everyone has two choices, he can be a slave to sin or a voluntary slave of God. Romans 6:16-18 James had chosen to be a slave of God. In this letter, his purpose is to urge everyone who reads the letter to also be a slave of God.

2. "To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations."

The following is a list of five ways that the Israelites had become scattered among the nations: (1) The Assyrians had conquered Israel 700 years before the birth of Christ and had moved many of them to other lands. (II Kings 17:23-24). (2) They fled from the Babylonians (II Kings 25:26) and they were taken out of Israel by the king of Babylon (II Kings 24:14) about 600 years before Christ. (3) They were conquered by Alexander the Great and given the Greek culture about 3300 B. C. (4) They scattered in fear of Antioches Epiphanes, a picture of the Antichrist and a hater of the Jews, in about 160 B. C. (Daniel 11:21-45). (5) After Jesus' life and during the time of the early church, they were scattered by the conquering Romans armies.

Many of these scattered Jews returned to Israel at the great feasts of Israel. There were thousands of these Jews from around the world who were in Israel at the Feast of Pentecost when the church began. Acts 2:8-11 There were more Jews outside of Israel than inside of Israel. As was mentioned in the introduction, James was writing to the scattered Jews who had become Christians. He undoubtedly had many contacts with them as they came on their pilgrimages to Israel and met with the church at Jerusalem, where he was one of the most prominent leaders.

When James wrote this letter, their trials and persecutions were beginning to become too much for them, and there was a real temptation for them to give up and to fall away from their walk with God. He urges them to become single-minded in their walk with God (become slaves of God also), so they will be able to persevere and grow in their Christian lives through these trials.

Troubles reveal whether we are single-minded or double-minded (1:2-12)

In the book of Job, "The Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job?'" Satan's answer to God is that Job trusts you because there are no troubles in his life. But, if troubles come, he will no longer trust God. The troubles were allowed to come into Job's life and though it was very difficult for him, he continued to trust God. Troubles reveal whether we trust that God is always in charge and whether we single-mindedly have put His goal, that we grow in holiness and Christian character, as our primary goal in life. Trials reveal whether or not we are pure or impure in heart; and whether or not we are single-minded or double-minded. James shows the way three different types of Christians will respond to trials. How we respond to trials reveals how we are doing in our Christian life at the time the trial occurs.

1. In troubles, the single-minded and wise man rejoices and develops

perseverance and maturity. (1:2-4)
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Thought Question #1: Try to imagine what it would have been like to have been a Jewish Christian in James' time. See also James 5:1-6

Thought Question #2: How can we have "pure joy" when we are going through very tough times?

Thought Question #3: What do you think about the teaching that says…if you have troubles, it is because you do not have enough faith?

a. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds."

In troubles there are two ways of looking at life. When we look at what is seen, we see people misjudging and mistreating us, financial problems, poor health, obstacles, more things to do than we have time to do them, and many other difficulties in our world and in our own lives. When we focus on the seen, we experience discouragement, hopelessness, frustration, desperation, and even resentment. What happens, though, when we look at what is unseen? We, then, see that God is in charge and that He has good purposes for even the painful trials in our lives. What is the result of focusing on what is unseen? Though it is tough at the time, we can have joy and trust even in our hard times! So, the single-minded and wise Christian, as a pattern of life, focuses on the seen and the unseen.

James urges them to begin to focus on the unseen as well. He tells them to "Consider..."; act as if what the Bible says is true, is true. The Bible says that God is using all of the difficulties of life for our good. It is up to us to "consider" that this is true, and to live our lives like we believe that it is true.
In the past when a person was asked to do something, it was not uncommon for him to answer, "Consider it done." Though I have not done it yet, if you have faith in me, you can believe that it is as if it is already done. James urges these Jewish Christians to "consider" that in God's world that they cannot see; bad is not happening, but good. Christians whose hearts are pure and who see and believe that what James says here is true respond to difficulties with joy and not with frustration, anger and despair.

b. "Consider it pure joy"

Jesus went through all the pain that He went through because He was looking forward to the "joy set before him." Hebrews 12:2 The joy that James is talking about in this verse is not the type of happiness we feel when we get our income tax refund. Then, we are happy because of the money. We are happy when we have money, are loved, are having fun, are trouble-free and are feeling healthy. This type of happiness is dependent on everything going well for us in our lives. The joy that James is talking about is a type of happiness that we can have even when everything is not going well for us. In fact, it is a joy we can have when life is going poorly and even miserably for us. It is a deeper joy that comes from knowing that there is nothing that can happen in this life that is not under the control of an all-powerful God who loves us completely. And He is using the worst that happens to us to accomplish the very best in our character. When we believe, as Jesus said, that those who hunger after righteousness are the ones who find the deepest satisfaction, we can rejoice even while we are in the middle of some very painful times.

c. "whenever you face trials of many kinds."

James does not say "if" you face trials, but "whenever" you face trials. The Christian is not shielded from the trials of life. Christians have health problems, live in areas where there are natural disasters like floods, have cars that have major engine damage, and experience many other trials that are common to man. We Christians also have additional struggles that are unique to Christians because we are sharing in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. So, James says, "whenever" you face trials. Troubles have been, are, and will continue to be a part of our lives. And, as James says, there are many different kinds of trials that we will face. Today, it may be a financial problem. Tomorrow, it may be a family difficulty. And the next day, it may be a strained relationship with a friend. So, "whenever" we face the "many" trials that we will face, we need to "consider" it "pure joy."

d. "because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance"

If we wanted to become a better tennis player, would we seek to play those that we can defeat easily? If we played only those who were not a challenge to us, we would never be tested. And we would probably never improve in our tennis playing. Also, if we have no difficulties in our life, we will become very much like a spoiled child in our Christian life. We will never grow to maturity. We can "know" that God uses the tough times in our lives to help us to grow as Christians. We can "know" because the Bible is filled with God's promises that He uses trials to build our Christian character. Romans 5:3-5, 8:28, Hebrews 12:4-11, I Peter 1:6,7, 4:1,2, 5:10, II Corinthians 1:8,9, 4:7-12,16-18, 12:7-10, and many others.

e. "develops perseverance"

Because life and the Christian battle is filled with many difficulties, there is a need to persevere. We need to keep on going when we are misunderstood, mistreated, sick, tired, and a host of other frustrations and difficulties that life brings us. How can we develop this perseverance? We can only develop godly perseverance by continuing to trust God through it all!

f. "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and

complete not lacking in anything."
If we persevere in trusting God through trials, the final result that will be accomplished is that we will be "mature" and "complete lacking in nothing." When a mechanic works on a car, we need to let him keep on working. And if he is a good mechanic, at the end of the work, we will have a car that works again. If we allow perseverance to work on us until the end, we will become mature Christians. Every area that needs to be worked on in our lives will be worked on, until we have become mature Christians without any rough edges. Trials bring out our weak areas so we will see those areas in our lives that need to be changed and worked on by God, others, and us. As the author of Hebrews says, this process is very painful, but afterwards it "produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." The single-minded and wise man is able to rejoice while he is going through this painful but productive transformation process!

2. In troubles, the single-minded man who lacks God's wisdom, asks God

for wisdom and receives it (1:5) (and then he also develops perseverance and maturity)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Thought Question: What type of wisdom do you think James is talking about here? James 5:1-6 may give you an idea.

a. "If any of you lacks wisdom.."

The wisdom that is talked about here is the ability to apply God's truth to the trials that we are experiencing right now in our lives. For example, you may be going through a particular group of troubles right now, and you cannot see how any good can come from them. We cannot see why God is allowing them to happen to us. We cannot see why God would allow illness, financial struggles, injuries, persecution, family struggles, failures and many more tough times to come into our lives!

b. "he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault..."

We do not ask God for help when we are in need for at least three reasons: 1 - We do not believe that God will be generous towards us. We are surprised when someone gives something to us without any strings attached. Think for a moment about those who have given to you unconditionally and without expecting anything in return. They are those whose love for you is genuine. God's love for you is completely genuine!

2 - We do not believe that God will keep being generous towards us. We are also even more surprised when someone continues to give to us liberally. Can you think of those who continue to give to you? They are those who have an unusual love for you. God's love for you is greater and is perfectly enduring toward you.

3 - We do not believe that God will continue to give to us without getting impatient with us or without looking down on us because we keep asking Him for help. We are surprised when someone gives to us without ever getting impatient or irritated with us when we constantly need his or her help. We expect that eventually we are going to get a scolding for always needing to ask them for help. Can you think of those who keep on giving to you without getting impatient even though you are continually in need of their help? God is totally free of any type of impatience or irritability. He enjoys giving to us. Particularly, he enjoys giving us His wisdom! So, when we are going through troubles and do not understand why we are going through them, we can ask freely for help from our loving God and He will give us all the wisdom we need. And we can ask Him for His wisdom again and again and again. He is always the same God; He will always give us the wisdom we need. In Romans 12:8, Christians are also encouraged to "give generously." See also Hebrews 4:16

c. "gives generously to all" "and it will be given to him."

God will open up our minds so that we can understand His ways. In fact, He greatly desires to give us His wisdom. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." When we persistently seek after what God enjoys giving to us, we can always be confident that He will give it to us! See also Psalms 11:97-100

d. "he should ask God"

In James 4:2, James says, "You do not have because you do not ask God." In the well-known hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," we find the following words: "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!" God enjoys giving us His wisdom; all we need to do is to ask. How much of God's wisdom have we missed out on simply because we did not ask?

3. In troubles, the double-minded man does not rejoice or receive wisdom.

(1:6-8) (see also 4:1-3)
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

Thought Question: According to these verses and verses 2- 5, what is our responsibility when we go through troubles?

a. "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt,"

From the whole flow of the book of James, we learn that James is not talking about the doubting that occurs when we are not sure that God can do something, but it is the doubting that occurs where we are not sure we want to do it God's way. God's answer, that we may not be interested in hearing, is that He is using our trials to build character in us. The "doubt" that James talks about is a doubt about whether or not going through trials to build our character is worth it to us. It is not an intellectual doubt about whether or not God is real and about whether or not He can answer our prayers. But it is a moral doubting about whether it is worth it for us to do it God's way. God's way includes trials. The doubting is a moral doubting about whether or not we want to pay this price to receive God's rewards.

b. "because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the

wind,"
The person who is not sure that he is ready to pay the price that is necessary to follow Jesus Christ will always be unstable. One day he will make a promise that he will be participating in some Christian ministry or activity, but the next day he may not follow through on his commitment. He will get excited at a Christian retreat, but will lose interest after he comes down from the mountaintop. His or her whole Christian experience will be like a wave that is tossed back and forth by the wind. He will be up when he hears an exciting speaker, but will not persevere when he meets opposition or struggles in living the Christian life. See also Ephesians 4:14

c. "That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.."

He will not receive what he asks from the Lord, because he is not sure that he even wants what God will give to him.

What is the double-minded man that James is talking about here? He is double-minded because he has not yet decided if the cost of following Jesus Christ is worth it. Jesus said that it would cost us to follow Him. What will it cost? It may cost us the approval of men. Are we willing to take a stand for God, for Jesus Christ, and for His standards of right and truth even when we are with men who despise Christians and their "narrow view-points"? It may cost us a loss of comfort. Are we willing to take a stand for Jesus Christ even if it may mean that we might lose a job or an opportunity for advancement in our job? It will mean that we will need to refrain from pleasures that are sinful. Are we willing to follow Christ even though it will cost us these type of pleasures? It may mean that we will be persecuted for our Christian beliefs. Are we willing to do whatever it takes and pay any price to follow Jesus Christ? The double-minded man is still making up his mind about whether or not he is ready to pay this type of price. Until he makes up his mind, he cannot expect that he will receive anything from God.

4. The single-minded man sees life with God's wisdom. (1:9-11)

"The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 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."

Thought Question #1: How can someone who is poor in the world's riches "take pride in his high position"?

Thought Question #2: How can God's wisdom help us to see our world in a totally different way?

a. "The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high

position."
Here, we find an example of a man who has received God's wisdom and looks at life with this wisdom. He is in a low position in society, and from the world's perspective, he is a lowly person. This, undoubtedly described the state of most of the Jewish Christians of James' time; they were poor and powerless in their society. It is not unusual for us Christians to feel this way as well. We are not part of the cultural elite, but are often even a part of the cultural weak. But, the Christian who sees with God's wisdom sees it differently. He sees that because he is a child of God, he holds the very highest position of all. Later in James (4:10), James says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." What is wiser for us to do, seek to lift ourselves up or to humble ourselves? The man with God's wisdom humbles himself and is lifted up by God!

b. "But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he

will pass away like a flower....."
The rich man who sees with God's wisdom will see that his earthly riches are very temporary. Here, James says the world's riches are like a wild flower of that time that was easily killed by the scorching east winds that sometimes came upon that region. According to Barclay's commentary on James, "James draws a vivid picture, very familiar to the people of Palestine. In the desert places, if there is a shower of rain, the thin green shoots of grass will sprout; but one day's burning sunshine will make them vanish as if they had never existed. The scorching heat is the kauson. The kauson was the south-east wind, the Simoon. It came straight from the deserts and burst on Palestine like a blast of hot air when an oven door is opened. In an hour it could wipe out all vegetation." "Taken from The Letters of James and Peter by William Barclay. Copyright 1976 by The Westminster Press."

The rich man who sees with God's wisdom recognizes that his riches and even his earthly life can disappear just as quickly. All of us have had times when we saw how temporary our life really is. Often this happens at a funeral of a friend or family member. At those times we recognize what is important and what is not essential. See Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 The psalmist prays, "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." (Psalm 39:4-5)

God generously gives us His wisdom when we ask Him in faith without any doubting. His wisdom will help us to see our world much differently than our world sees it. What the world sees as being at the top of the pile is actually of little value, and what the world sees as being at the very bottom is actually on the very top. What the world prizes is actually worthless, and what the world despises is actually beyond worldly worth. These poor Jewish Christians felt despised and worthless before the rich and powerful. But, as James says in the fifth chapter, "You rich people weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded." See James 5:1-2 The Jewish Christians needed to see with God's wisdom that they were not the ones to be pitied, but it was the rich who were despising and persecuting them that needed to be pitied.

5. The eternal results of patience (1:12)

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Thought Question: What do you believe is the "crown of life"?

Those who persevere in a marathon race are rewarded by being able to complete this long race and to cross the finish line. But, there is one runner that is rewarded because he is the very first person to cross the finish line. He receives the victor's reward. Today, it may be a trophy. In James' time it was a victor's crown. All of us who persevere in trials will receive the victor's crown! What is the crown we will receive? James tells us it is a "crown of life." The reward for loving and trusting God through all our trials is that we are rewarded by God's life. We grow in His life in our earthly life, and we will experience His life to the full beyond this earthly life. James' message to the Jewish Christians and to us is that it is worth it; so persevere and stay in the race until the end. Then, you will discover that it was worth it. Paul said, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." See Romans 8:18 See also I Thessalonians 2:19; II Timothy 4:8; I Corinthians 9:24,25; I Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10, 3:11, 4:1-10; Hebrews 2:9

Directions for purifying our heart #1 (1:13-25)

1. Do not deceive yourself - take the blame for your sin. (1:13-16) (GOD IS

NOT THE SOURCE OF EVIL)
"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot
be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted
when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers."

Thought Question #1: What is the difference between and a "test" and a "temptation"?

Thought Question #2: According to these verses, why do we sin?

a. God never tempts us to do evil. (1:13)

"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;"
God puts us through tests so that what is in our hearts will be revealed. God tested Abraham by commanding him to offer his son Isaac as an offering. Abraham showed that in his heart he was willing to be obedient to God; for until God stopped him, he obediently offered up his son Isaac as a human sacrifice. But, God, by testing Abraham, was not tempting Abraham to do evil; He was testing him to see whether he would obey Him (Genesis 22:1). This is how God tested Israel in the wilderness. As Moses explains to Israel in Deuteronomy 8:2, "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments." God cannot tempt us to do evil for there is no evil in Him; He is not even tempted to do evil. He has no desire in Him at all to do evil or to get us to do evil. As Warren Wierbe says in his commentary on James, when a teacher gives us an examination he is not tempting us to cheat. If we do cheat, though, that comes totally from us and not the teacher. If we do sin, it comes totally from us and not at all from our holy God.

b. When we are tempted, we are "dragged away," and "enticed" by our own

"evil desire." (1:14)
"but each one is tempted when, by his own evil, he is dragged away and enticed."
The desires that we have such as the desire for food, the desire for sex, and the need to believe that we are a person of value, are given to us by God. They are good, natural, and healthy desires that motivate us to do that which will meet our most basic needs. But, they are healthy desires only when they are controlled by God and motivated by pure motives. As a fire in the fireplace is good because it is energy under control, so our desires are good if they are kept under control. Fire becomes bad and destructive, though, when it is out of control. So, our desires become bad and destructive when they are impure and get out of control. When God is not in control of our lives, our desires go from being good desires to being evil desires. "Evil desire" or "lust" is an excessive craving that is the result of our seeking to find complete satisfaction from indulging our desires rather than by seeking primarily to find our satisfaction in a relationship with God. Why is there so much evil in our world? It comes from these evil desires that are within us, within each human.

In the comic strip "Pogo," Pogo speaking for mankind said, "We have met the enemy and it is us!" Without God's life in us directing and controlling our normal and natural desires, these desires take over and become obsessions without boundaries. We desire more and more even if it means that we take from others, go beyond what is moral and pure, and even if it destroys our lives. We are "dragged away" and "enticed" to do that which is evil. Our desires are like the engine in a car, they drive us and motivate us. We need to have desires just like we need an engine in a car. But, a car that is not guided and controlled is a very dangerous thing. So, our desires become dangerous to others and to us when they are not controlled. When we are not in charge of our desires, but our desires control us, they drive us into all kinds of evil. If we do what is evil, it is because we have chosen to leave God and His ways, and have allowed our desires to take over our lives. We have given in to our desires and have been "dragged away" and "enticed" into practices that are impure and evil.

The word "enticed" speaks of there being some type of bait that entices us to take it. The fisherman puts bait on a hook to entice fish to take a bite. Once the fish takes a bite, he also takes a bite of the hook and is trapped helplessly on the hook. Satan uses the allurements of the world to entice us. When we give in and take a bite of what he offers, we are caught helplessly on his hook. Well-known Christian leaders have been enticed by the sexual allurement of women who were not their wives. Once they took the bait, they found themselves dangling helplessly from Satan's hook. See Proverbs 7 The world around us is constantly giving in to these enticements to do evil. Each of us faces the very same temptations. If we give in to them, we alone are responsible for giving in and taking a bite of the bait.

c. When we give in to our desires, we sin. (1:15a)

"Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;"
Lust + a willingness to give in to the lust produces a baby. The baby that is born is "sin." Martin Luther said, "You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you don't have to let them nest in your hair." The temptation alone is not sin. It is only sin when we willingly choose to give in to the temptation. David did not sin when he saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing. He sinned when he chose to give in to that temptation and to inquire about her. Then, sin was "conceived" in David.

d. And when sins reaches maturity, we die. (1:15b)

"and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
When sin is full-grown, it separates us from God, and we die. Adam and Eve listened to Satan's enticement that the forbidden fruit would make them wise and would make them become like God. Then, they lusted after this forbidden fruit, ate the fruit, and sinned. And finally, as God had warned them, they died. We give in to temptation because we believe that it will bring us life. We are told, "Why don't you live a little?" Sin does not lead to life; it leads to death! It does not lead to happiness, but to misery. As it says in Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death."

e. Do not be deceived (1:16)

"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers."
James tells his Christian brothers not to be deceived. They should not be deceived into thinking that God is responsible for their sin (1:13-15), nor should they be deceived into thinking that God is the source of anything but good (1:16-17). Adam was deceived and he blamed God for his sin. "The man said, 'The woman you put here with me---she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'" (Genesis 3:12) Today, we blame everybody and everything for our sin. Psychology blames the parents, sociology blames the society, and we, like Adam, can even blame God for what we choose to do. As James says, "Do not be deceived." When we sin and experience death in our relationship with God, only we are to blame.

2. Acknowledge God as the only source of a truly abundant life. (1:17,18)

(GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD)
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created."

Thought Question #1: Apparently, the Jewish Christians were blaming God for their troubles and for their sin. Why is this wrong?

Thought Question #2: What should we do so that we will experience life and not death?

a. God is and always will be the only source of all that is perfect and good.

(1:16-17)
The Jewish Christians of James' time were experiencing suffering and pain. During times like this, it is not difficult for us to begin to question God's goodness. James reaffirms to them that God is the giver of all that is good. All that is good is a gift from our God who never changes. He is the "Father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows." The heavenly bodies (sun, moon, and stars) change position, and sometimes they are bright and sometimes they are covered by shadows (full moon to quarter moon). But God never changes. As He was good in the past, so He is good today. We are not to allow anyone to fool us into thinking that God is not good and that He does not continue to give us what is good.

b. The new birth is an example of God's perfect and good gifts. (1:18)

These Jewish Christians had all experienced one of His good gifts. For they had been born into the Christian life through the "word of truth." This new life is an example of God's goodness, and they had all received this good gift from God. They were given new birth so that they "might be a kind of first fruits of all he created." The "first fruits" were the very first of the harvest. In Israel, God's people were to set apart to God the first of their harvest. See Leviticus 19:23-25, 23:9-14; and Deuteronomy 26:1-11 These early Jewish Christians were the first fruits of many who would follow (including us who are Christians today). Instead of them feeling that God had rejected them and was tempting them to do evil by allowing them to go through these very difficult times, James wants them to see that God still loved them. He wanted them to see that---through the new birth by His Word---God was giving them the great privilege of being the "first fruits" of many Christians, who would follow them in the years ahead. The harvest began with them, and we are part of the harvest that continues in our day.

Notice, that there is a contrast between 1) receiving deception-which leads to sin and death and 2) receiving truth-which leads to new life from God. So, we have our choice between receiving what gives birth to death and receiving what gives birth to new life!

In conclusion, what Satan tempts us to do leads to death; what God offers us is always good and continuously leads to life. Which should we choose? The obvious answer is that we should always resist temptation and choose God's good gifts. May we always believe that temptations to disobey God will always lead to death and obeying God will always lead to life. When we are tempted to do that which we know is wrong, may we stop and think where giving in to the temptation will lead us. May we then meditate on the goodness of God. Obeying Him who always gives us life is also always the best decision for us.

3. Be teachable (1:19-20) (BE GOOD SOIL FOR GOD'S WORD)

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."

Thought Question: What in these verses will help us to be slow to get angry?

a. Be quick to listen and slow to speak.

Being quick to do many things comes to us very naturally. We are quick to speak, quick to anger, quick to make decisions, quick to judge someone, quick to slander someone and many more unsavory quicknesses. But, being quick to hear is not something that comes naturally from our human hearts. Particularly, we are not quick to hear from God. God through a psalmist commands us "to be still, and know that I am God." See Psalm 46:10 The author of Ecclesiastes provides the following wisdom: "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God." (Ecclesiastes 5:2) The book of Proverbs has much to say about speaking too quickly and not listening. In fact, the man that does not listen (especially to God) is called a fool. See Proverbs 10:19 and 17:28 James urged the Jewish Christians of his time to purify their hearts by being "quick to listen, slow to speak . . . " Through his inspired words he also urges us to purify our hearts by being "quick to listen, slow to speak. . ." We cannot hear and be taught by God while we are striving after all our personal pursuits and goals. We need to quit striving, and pursue listening to God and others. Our hearts are purified when we quit striving and are "quick to listen."

b. Be slow to anger.

"slow to become angry. For man's anger does not achieve the righteous life that God desires." According to Ephesians 4:26, it is possible to be angry and not sin. Jesus was angry when He chased the moneylenders out of His Father's house. But, it is also possible to be angry and sin, very possible! This anger is the result of our being slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger. When we allow ourselves to get angry like this, James' words in these verses may come to us. What we are doing is not accomplishing God's righteousness. We may believe that we have every right to get angry. But, our anger is not accomplishing God's righteousness. Much that has happened in the church through the years fits into this category (not accomplishing God's righteousness): the Spanish Inquisition, killing heretics, the Crusades, and our modern-day church fights. They are man's anger and are not accomplishing God's righteousness! God's solution is for us to purify our hearts by being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

c. By being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, we are

cultivating the soil of our hearts to make them good soil for God's
seed (His Word).
James appears to be referring to Jesus' parable of the sower and the seed. When a farmer sows seed on the four different types of soils that Jesus describes in the parable, he sows seed on a path (a hard heart), rocky soil (a shallow heart), thorny soil (a crowded heart), and good soil (a humble, pure heart). James explains how we can make our hearts to be good soil for God's Word; it is by being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. See Matthew 13:1-23

4. Put off all that is impure (1:21)

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word implanted in you, which can save you."

Thought Question #1: What does this verse tell you about how we are to purify our hearts?

Thought Question #2: What does this verse tell us about the good soil in Jesus' parable in Matthew 13:1-21?

Have you ever had a type of work that resulted in your clothes getting totally filthy? Maybe you are not a neat painter and after painting all day, your clothes are covered with paint. Or maybe you have worked under a car and come out with your clothes covered with oil. We are aware at those times that our clothes are filthy. When we are through with our work, we are delighted to strip the filthy clothes off so we can get cleaned up. We should have the very same attitude toward the sin in our lives.

"Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent . . ." We purify our hearts by being repulsed by all that is ugly in us, and by doing all that we can to strip the ugly stuff out of our hearts. "Therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." (I Peter 2:2) "But now you must rid yourself as all such things as these" (Colossians 3:5-10) "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us." (Hebrews 12:1) How do we do get rid of the ugliness in us? The primary issue is not the "how to" but the "want to." We will want to get rid of the ugliness in us when we see it as ugliness. We will see it as ugliness when we are quick to hear what God has to say about it. After we see that it is ugly, we are eager to get it out of us.

In each of our lives, there is much that is ugly and repulsive. In our hearts there is pride, resentment, impatience, self-centeredness and other impurities. These filthy attitudes clog our ears toward God (like ears filled with earwax). We will not hear what God wants to say to us until we detest the ugly and foul in us and start giving our heart a good washing. It is only as our hearts are cleansed that we begin to hear God's still, small voice speaking. As Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." See Matthew 5:8

5. Humbly and whole-heartedly receive God's Word into your heart

(1:22-25)
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it---he will be blessed in what he does."

Thought Question: What is necessary for God's Word to bring us deep-hearted happiness?

Thought Question #2: What is the "perfect law that gives freedom"?

Again, James appears to be using Jesus' symbolism of good soil receiving God's Word as seed. We are good soil when our hearts are humble and whole-hearted.

a. "humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." (1:21b)

It is humbling to admit that there is ugliness in us and that we need to get rid of disgusting heart attitudes that we have allowed to take root in our lives. But, it is only when we have humbly called them what they are and have voluntarily cleaned out the ugliness that there is room in our hearts for what is beautiful. Then we have become good soil, ready for God's Word. The tax-collector in Luke 18 is an example of someone who saw the ugliness in his life, wanted to get cleaned out, and was ready for God's Word. "God have mercy on me, a sinner." (Luke 18:9-14) Also, those who are speaking in Isaiah 64:6 were ready to be cleaned out and to receive God's Word. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." When we receive God's Word with this type of humility, it is as if a seed plants itself in our hearts and takes root there. As it takes root and grows, God's Word saves us from the ugliness that has been controlling and destroying us.

b. Whole-heartedly receive God's Word (1:22-25) (Be "doers of God's Word!")

(1) A half-hearted reception or study of God's Word produces hearers who

are not doers of God's Word. (1:22-24)
First of all, James says that someone who hears the Word but does not do it, deceives himself. He says that he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and then forgets what he sees. To put it in modern terms, he is like a man who gets up in the morning and looks at his face with all the whiskers and then goes to work without shaving. He deceives himself into thinking that he looks well shaven. We are whole-heartedly receiving God's Word when we look at what is in the Bible and do something about it. We, then, will not read what the Word has to say about sin that is in our lives and go to work without shaving. We are double-minded and impure in heart when we can read the Bible, listen to Sunday School lessons, and hear sermons and go away with not any intention of doing anything about what we have heard or read. The Bible says we are to get rid of all bitterness in our hearts and to forgive. We are double-minded and impure in heart when we can hear that over and over again and still continue to be bitter!

Warren Wiersbe has this to say about these verses: "Many people have the mistaken idea that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow and get God's blessing. It is not the hearing but the doing that brings the blessing. Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bible never mark them!" "Taken from Be Mature by Warren Wiersbe. Copyright 1978 by Victor Books."

(2) A whole-hearted reception or study of God's Word results in doers who

are blessed in what they do. (1:25)
"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--- he will be blessed in what he does."

"looks intently.." How do we look intently? The words of Proverbs 2:1-5 describe how we look intently: "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." We look intently at the Bible when we are eager to hear what it says and eager to apply what it says to our lives.

"perfect law" What is the perfect law? The Mosaic Law was imperfect because it was "weakened by the sinful nature" (Romans
8:3), and it brought us only condemnation (II Corinthians 3:9). The Mosaic Law provided a perfect and holy standard, but it was imperfect because it did not provide us with any way to obey it. The law of the New Covenant is perfect because God writes it on our hearts (II Corinthians 3:3), and God gives us His Spirit so we can obey it (Romans 8:4).

"that gives freedom" How does the perfect New Covenant Law give us freedom? As we are given the power and ability by God's Spirit to not sin, the new "law of liberty" (as it is translated in the NASV Bible) frees us from the power of sin (Galatians 5:16-26) and from the condemnation of sin (Romans 8:4)! When we half-heartedly receive God's Word, we hear it but do not do it. When we whole-heartedly receive God's Word, we whole-heartedly look at it and whole-heartedly do it. Because we are now able by God's strength in us to obey God's Law, and because it is the law which liberates us from sin's enslaving hold on our lives; it is now the law of liberty!

"he will be blessed in what he does" A result of our whole-hearted obedience to God, is that we are whole-heartedly blessed by God. Listen to what Jesus promises us: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:3-12)

HOW DO WE PURIFY OUR HEARTS? According to James' teaching in this section (1:13-25), we should do the following: We should take full blame for our sin. We should look to God alone for happiness and fulfillment. We should become quick to hear God's truth. We should put off all that is ugly and humbly and wholeheartedly receive God's Word. Do you want a pure heart? Meditate on these verses, and do what they say. Then, you will begin to deal with the ugliness that is your heart. As your heart becomes purified, you will receive a new fresh and real walk with God that you did not know was even possible.

SINGLE-MINDEDNESS SUMMARIZED (1:26-27)
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Thought Question: How can these verses be used as a test to see whether we are single-minded or double-minded in our Christian lives?

How can we tell if we are single-minded or double-minded? Here, we are given three quick tests. If we are single-minded, (1) we will control our tongues, (2) we will serve those who can give us nothing in return, and (3) we will not be polluted by the world's system.

1.The single-minded man controls his tongue. (1:26)

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." The Greek word for "religious" used here by James refers to the outward expression of someone's service to God. The way that we show outwardly that our religion is pure is by the control of our tongue. If our tongue is not under control, it shows that our form of religion is not pure (it is rotten), and it is worthless. We will cover how the tongue shows whether our hearts are pure or impure in James chapter three.

2.The single-minded man is pure in his service and is separated from the

world. (1:27)
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." What the world accepts as pure religion and what God accepts as pure may be totally different. Jesus said that the Pharisees liked to practice their religion in public so everyone could see their devotion to God. See Matthew 6:1-18 Service to the poor, needy, and helpless, which is described in this verse, does not usually receive any notice from the world. Widows and orphans were, and are, the least politically powerful individuals in a society. They are those who the one who is seeking to impress people least wants to impress. But, when one serves these needy and powerless individuals, it most impresses God.

Finally, if our hearts are pure, we will separate ourselves from the world. One who is impure in heart will seek after what the world seeks after-fame, riches, and fleshly indulgence. The world recommends selfishness to us. Get all the gusto you can get. The world continually attempts to draw us towards selfishness. If we give in to the world's allure and temptations, our motives will become defiled. On the other hand, he who is pure in heart will seek first God's kingdom, even if it means that he may miss out on what the world is continually offering to him. Obeying God is primary. It means what the world continually holds before us as being essential to the "good life" and of supreme importance can no longer be of primary importance to us! We are not to primarily seek after that which the world says we cannot live without. James goes into more detail about what it is like when we are separated from the world's value system in the first half of James 2.

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE POOR REVEALS WHETHER WE ARE SINGLE-MINDED OR DOUBLE-MINDED. (2:1-13)

1. The double-minded are partial toward the rich. (2:1-11)

"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' Have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

Thought Question #1: In what ways might we show favoritism in our modern-day churches?

Thought Question #2: What does James mean when he says that when you show favoritism you have "discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts"?

In these verses, James tells the Jewish Christians not to mix their faith in "our glorious Lord Jesus Christ" with partiality or favoritism toward the rich or the successful. This is like trying to mix milk and orange juice. They don't mix. So, also, faith in Jesus Christ and partiality towards the rich do not mix. The glory of Jesus Christ was not that He hobnobbed only with the rich and famous. On the contrary, His glory was that He, who is God, was born in a stable, humbled Himself and reached out to the lowliest of persons. In fact, only those who see themselves as lowly sinners will trust in Him.

Then, James gives an example to dramatize how a heart of partiality toward the rich will express itself in our lives. Two people come into a church meeting. One is obviously wealthy (in James' time he has a gold ring and fine clothes), and the other is obviously poor. Would you give preference to the rich man? (Give him the best seat and not even care whether the poor man finds a seat.) James says that if you do that, you are divided in your motives. Are you not professing to believe in Jesus Christ who would never give preference to the rich? Yet, you are giving preference to the rich. Is there not a wide difference between the faith you profess and the course of action that you are pursuing? Can you serve both God and mammon (riches)?

"Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?"

Thought Question: Why is it inconsistent for a person to be a Christian and to show favoritism toward the rich?

God chooses those who recognize that they are poor without God ("the poor in spirit" Matthew 5:3), and he chooses those who are aware that the true riches are found in God ( James 1:9-10). God does not choose the rich, but those who see themselves as poor (and most often those who actually are poor, I Corinthians 1:26-27). But, when we are partial toward the rich, we are turning our back on those who are in the best frame of mind to be God's children and are siding, instead, with those who are usually the Christian's worst enemies. In James' time, we learn that the rich were dragging the Jewish Christians into court and blaspheming God's name. See James 5:1-5. Why would they want to honor these rich people?

"if you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker."

Thought Question: We can tend to minimize what we do wrong. Why does any breaking of God's Law need to be taken very seriously?

At this point, someone might say, "Aren't we supposed to love everybody?" James tells them that if they love the rich because they are "loving their neighbor as themselves," then they are doing well. But, if they actually love the rich and show favoritism to them because of what they believe the rich can do for them, then they are sinning.

He calls what we call the "golden rule," the "royal law." It is "royal" because it is the law that comes down to us from God's royal family. God's law of love also royally rules over all other laws. When we love, we are sharing in God's royal family ways!

James points out to them that showing favoritism is no small error. They could have thought that showing favoritism was just a small deviation from God's requirements, and everybody makes some mistakes. Any time we disobey God's law, though, we are rebelling against the Lawmaker. All we need to do is break any law and we are a lawbreaker (just as having one affair outside of marriage makes someone an adulterer). Some believe that there is a big balance in Heaven; and if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, God will accept us. But James says here that "whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." God's Word does not allow us to minimize away our rebellion against God and His laws. He will not allow us to ignore the reality that if any of us shows partiality to the rich, then, we are impure in heart!

2. The single-minded are merciful toward the poor. (2:12-13)

"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!"

Thought Question: According to these verses, why should we be those who are more likely to reach out to the poor than the non-Christian would be to reach out to them?

The pure in heart should seek to follow James' instructions found in James 2:12-13: "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" We should now seek to speak and act on a whole new basis. We should now recognize that God is judging us by a whole new standard. Before, we were unable to obey His laws. As it says in Romans 8:3 and 8:7, we were unable to obey God because our flesh was in rebellion against God's law. But, now because God has given us His Spirit, we have His desire and ability inside of us to obey God's law. We are no longer judged as those who are incapable of obeying God's law; now, we are judged by "the law of liberty." We are judged as those who have been freed from slavery to sin and as those who have been liberated to be able to obey God's law. It is now our nature to want to obey God.

And… an integral part of our new life in God is mercy. God was merciful to us and it is, then, appropriate for us to be merciful to others. When we are merciful, we are appropriately responding to God's mercy towards us; and we can also be confident that God is continuing to be merciful towards us. However, when we are not merciful, the appropriate words and actions do not follow our faith. We have a faith without works. When our being merciless in our judgment of others follows our faith without works, we can count on God being merciless to us also. James continues the theme of faith without works in the following verses.

OUR DEEDS REVEAL WHETHER WE ARE SINGLE-MINDED OR DOUBLE-MINDED. (2:14-26)

1. Double-mindedness results in a faith (so-called) without works. (2:14-19)

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"

Thought Question: Why is faith without any action like love without any action?

It is the teaching in this part of the book of James that Martin Luther primarily disliked (2:14-26). Luther learned through Romans 1:17 ("The righteous will live by faith.") that it is not by works that we are saved, but by faith. Yet, what James teaches in the last half of chapter two seems to say that we are saved by works. It was for this reason that Luther called the book of James "an epistle full of straw." But, James is not contradicting what Paul taught in Romans 1:17. Nor is James contradicting what Paul taught in Ephesians 2:8,9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." James, instead, is teaching that true faith will show that it is real faith by its works. John Calvin, the famous Christian of the Reformation, puts it this way: "It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone."

Real faith will always be accompanied by works. James says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" Then he gives his readers (and us) an illustration to explain what he means by saying that faith without works is useless faith. It is as useless as someone seeing a person in need of foods and clothes and only saying, "Be warm and be well fed." James asks what good does that do the person in need. Also, in the same way, a faith that is not accompanied by any type of actions is also totally useless. It is not even faith! It could be put in the following equation: Faith - works = 0.

Billy Graham often tells of a tightrope walker that asked the crowds at Niagara Falls who had seen him push a wheelbarrow full of rocks across a tightrope stretched across the falls if they believed that he could do it. The crowds enthusiastically proclaimed that they believed. But, when he asked one of those who said he believed that he could do it, to get into the wheelbarrow, he found that that man's faith was useless. For his faith did not result in his being willing to get into the wheelbarrow. True faith will always be followed by actions that are based on the faith. True saving faith will always be followed by a life based on the faith.

Another example of faith needing to have works, or it is not faith, is what we would do if someone told us that a building was about to collapse. If we really believed that the building was about to collapse, what would we do? If our faith was real faith, we would immediately get up and leave the building as quickly as possible. Works will also always accompany Biblical faith.

James goes on to show that there is no such thing as faith without deeds. "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.'" There are not Christians who just believe and Christians who just have works. The only true Christians are those who have both faith and deeds.

James is talking to Christianshere (2:14, 2:1, and 1:18); but they still needed to be rebuked for having a faith without works (2:20). It is possible for us also to drift into a state where we are talking about our faith, but not living out our faith. This occurs when we say we believe, but do not show by our actions that we believe.

Double-mindedness in us who are Christians results in a faith that is not faith at all. These Jewish Christians, in the midst of persecution and tough times, were doing many things that were not consistent with their professions of faith in God. They were grumbling about trials (they needed to be exhorted to rejoice in chapter one, verse two). They were showing partiality to the rich. They were not patiently trusting God (they needed to be exhorted to be patient in 5:1). We who are Christians should not be satisfied in any area of our life with the type of faith that would not have saved us, a faith without works. Instead, our faith should always result in works.

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--- and shudder."

Thought Question #1: In what ways is a demon's belief in God different than a Christian's saving faith?

Thought Question #2: We get the impression from what James says here that the Jewish Christians he was writing to said they had faith, but they did not show it in their actions. Give examples of how they might not have been showing their faith by their actions and how we might not show our faith by our actions.

James concludes this section by rebuking them for having a faith that is less than what the demons believe. For though the demons' belief in God does not result in obedience and worship of God, the demons' faith does result in an action. For they believe "and shudder"! In the context of the book of James, James appears to be correcting his double-minded Jewish Christian brothers for being satisfied with a faith that does not persevere and continue to trust God through difficult trials. A faith that does not show itself by rejoicing and trusting God during these types of trials is not the type of faith that will save them as they go through these trials, nor is it the type of faith that saves us eternally.

2. Single-mindedness results in a faith with works. (2:20-26)

"You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?"

Thought Question #1: Why would Abraham's faith not have been complete if he had not been willing to offer his son Isaac on the altar, and Rahab's faith would not have been complete if she had not protected the spies?

Thought Question #2: How were Abraham and Rahab different? What did they have in common?

The "foolish fellow" James is talking to in 2:20 is called a "double-minded man" in 1:6-8 and 4:8. Now, he shows these "double-minded" brothers that faith without works is useless. For, as he reminds them, the people of faith in the Old Testament had a faith that was always accompanied by works. Abraham showed that his faith was real by what he did. In Genesis 15:6, it says that "Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." But in Genesis 22, Abraham showed that he believed God by what he did. He obeyed God when God commanded him to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. James says that Abraham's faith was made complete when he trusted God and was willing to offer his son to God as a sacrifice (even though Isaac was the son God promised to Abraham, the son God had promised him would be a blessing to the whole world). In Hebrews 11:17-19, we are told that even as Abraham was ready to plunge the knife into Isaac, he believed that God would still somehow fulfill His promise to him to make Isaac the first of many offspring. He believed that God would still fulfill His promise to him, even if He would need to do it by raising Isaac from the dead.

Abraham's faith would not have been complete faith if he had failed this very, very difficult test. For he would not have shown by his actions that he trusted God. We are saved when we put our faith in Jesus' sacrifice for us. But, if our faith is real, we will also be like Abraham and show by our actions that our faith is authentic. For example, the early Christians in Rome died in the Coliseum because they believed that God would raise them from the dead as He raised Jesus from the dead. Their faith was complete faith.

James, then, adds one final example to his argument that the people of faith in the Old Testament always had a faith that included action. Even Rahab's (the harlot) faith included action. Rahab (whom we can read about in Joshua 2), showed that she believed in the God of Israel when she gave shelter and protection to Israel's spies when they entered her land of Canaan. See Hebrews 11:31 God knew Rahab's faith was real before she did what she did, but we see that she believed in Israel's God by her actions; she hid the Israelite spies from her own people.

Abraham was a Jewish man who became the father of Israel; Rahab was a pagan lady who was a prostitute. Yet, they both believed in God and they both showed their faith by their actions.

James ends chapter two with this verse: "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

Thought Question #1: Why is faith without deeds like the body without the spirit?

Thought Question #2: How could these Jewish Christians, who were being persecuted, show by their actions that their faith in God was real?

Thought Question #3: Give ways that you show by your actions that your faith in God is real.

When someone dies, the spirit of that person is gone and only the body is left. If we remove deeds from faith, it is a faith without life; it also is dead. What is our faith like? Can others and we see by our actions that we believe in God? What type of action shows that we believe in God? Here are some ways the Jewish Christians of James' time could have shown by their actions that they believed in God: (1) perseverance in faith in the midst of trials; (2) not grumbling; (3) being doers of the Word; (4) showing by their actions that they believed that riches are only of a very temporary value; and other actions that are consistent with being a Christian. We can show by our actions in similar ways that our faith is real.

OUR TONGUE REVEALS WHETHER WE ARE SINGLE-MINDED OR DOUBLE-MINDED (3:1-18)

1. Double-mindedness results in a tongue that is controlled by the world, the

flesh, and the devil. (3:1-8)
(see also 1:26)
"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

Thought Question: Give examples of the amazing power the tongue has on our world today.

Thought Question #2: Why do you think that the tongue is so uncontrollable?

a. A warning about the tongue. (3:1-2)

Verses one and two are directed to teachers. He warns them that they are responsible to have their life right before they teach. Teaching is not primarily facts, but acts. If a teacher's life is not also a message, the teacher is communicating chaos and confusion rather than a consistent message of words and life. Because teachers have a prominent role in the church (and in our day, radio and television teachers have prominent roles in the world), they will be scrutinized more thoroughly and judged more severely than the average Christian. He warns them that it is very easy to stumble with our tongue. We can stumble in many ways by what we say; we can gossip, boast, argue, complain, be harsh, criticize, lie, rationalize, and allow our tongues to do many other sinful things. If someone can completely control the tongue, he or she is a perfect person.

James appears not to be trying to scare people out of teaching, but to be warning them that they should humble themselves and purify their hearts and lives before they become teachers, so that their lives will match their words. His primary goal is not that there be fewer teachers, but that there would be no teachers with impure heart. His words do not apply only to teachers, but to all Christians. For he says in 1:26, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

b. The reason for the warning - the destructive potential of the tongue.

(3:3-8)

(1) The tongue is small, but very influential. (3:3-5a)

James compares the tongue to the small bit in the mouth of a large horse and the small rudder on a large ship. With the small bit in the horse's mouth it is possible to turn a large horse. With the small rudder, we can turn a large ship. Just as the bit and the rudder, though they are small, can accomplish great things, so the tongue, though it is small compared to our human body, can accomplish great things (or as James says, can "make great boasts").

(2) The tongue is small, but its great influence is usually destructive.

(3:5b-6)
James compares the tongue's destructive potential to the destructive potential of fire. A very small flame can set a forest on fire. Lehman Strauss in his commentary on James gives two examples of how a small fire can cause great destruction: "The great Chicago fire in 1871 destroyed almost one-half of the city and made almost 125,000 persons homeless. In 1953 a pan of rice boiled over on to a charcoal stove in a small home in Korea. Before twenty-four hours had passed almost 3,000 buildings were completely destroyed within an area covering one square mile." "Taken from James your Brother by Lehman Strauss. Copyright 1956 by Loizeaux Brothers." So the tongue is small, but it too can be very destructive. The tongue of Adolph Hitler set all of Europe ablaze!

Verse six describes how the tongue becomes destructive. The tongue becomes a destructive fire because it is set on fire by hell. The tiny tongue that is set on fire by hell has a rotting effect on the whole person. When ugliness comes from our tongue, does not our whole body feel ugly? Then, our tongue spreads ugliness until it sets our whole world on fire. It destroys in the same way as a fire destroys. Every sinful desire that is inflamed by Satan's spiritual forces is expressed through our tongues. In short, our tongues are small but they are very destructive to our lives and to the world around us. How many lives have been destroyed by others' gossip, bitter words, harsh words, lies, immoral words, criticism, intimidation, false flattery and other hell-inflamed words?

(3) The tongue is small, but humanly uncontrollable. (3:7-8)

James makes the observation that we have been able to train all kinds of "animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea." Today, we have trained even more creatures than in James' time. We have trained killer whales, cobras, lions, tigers, bears, hawks, pigeons, parrots, and the list goes on and on. But, we have not been able to tame the human tongue! The reason that we cannot tame the tongue is that it is like a pump that is directly connected to our hearts. And apart from God, our human hearts are filled with "deadly poison." Because our tongues pump out what is in our hearts; apart from God, our tongues uncontrollably ("restlessly") pump out "deadly poison." See also Matthew 12:34 As we continue in James, we will see that though we cannot control our tongue, Someone can change our hearts so that something besides "deadly poison" will come out.

2. We need to recognize and admit that our double-mindedness results in a

tongue that is controlled by the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
(3:9-12, 14-18)

a. We need to recognize and admit when what is both beautiful and ugly

come from our same mouth. (3:9-12)
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

Thought Question: Do you notice any inconsistencies in your life like James mentions here? Do both the pure and the impure come out of your mouth? Though you may not want to write down the impure that comes out of your mouth, you can think about how these verses apply to you.

James compares what comes from our tongues with what comes from a fountain, vine, or tree. What would we think if both salt water and sparkling fresh water came at different times from the same spring? Or what would we think if a fig tree produced both figs and olives, or a grapevine produced both grapes and figs? It obviously should not be this way. We also should not praise God, and with the same tongue curse men (whom God made). Just as there is something very wrong when a fig tree bears olives, so there is also something very wrong when sweetness and ugliness both come from our mouths. He will explain why we have such a problem with our tongues in the following verses.

b. We need to humble ourselves and admit the truth that our "wisdom" or our

way of looking at life is coming from the worldly system (it is "earthly"), from our flesh (it is "unspiritual"), and from the demonic realm (it is "devilish").
(3:14-18)
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambitions, there you will find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

Thought Question #1: According to these verses, what is God's solution for controlling the tongue?

Thought Question #2: Why does James use the word "wisdom" to describe that which comes below?

Thought Question #3: How can you tell if your "wisdom" is coming from above or below?

Thought Question #4: What do you think you can do so that God will control your tongue?

James says we first need to check what is in our hearts! If we find any bitterness or selfish ambition there, we should not be proud about it or deny the truth that it is there. The Greek word for "selfish ambition" is the Greek word from which we get our word zealous. It can be used for a good zeal or a bad zeal. Here, it is clearly describing a self-centered zeal. Warren Wiersbe asks this probing question about our true motives: "Is our zeal for the Lord spiritual or carnal? Do we rejoice when others succeed, or do we have secret envy and criticism? Do we feel burdened when others fail, or are we glad? When the wisdom of the world gets into the church, there is a great deal of fleshly promotion and human glorification. Beware!" "Be Mature by Warren Wiersbe. Copyright by Victor Books 1978."

If we find in our hearts that we are seeking after our own glory or after what we want for ourselves (not for the good of others and not for God's glory), that ugliness is going to stay in our hearts unless we admit that it is ugly and impure! And it is this ugliness in our hearts that causes the "disorder" and "evil" in our world. Until we recognize and admit what is in our hearts, we will remain double-minded and impure in our hearts. And we will continue to be controlled by the world, the flesh, and the devil rather than by God. He is writing to Christians, so he is also writing to us. We can be Christians; but if our hearts are not pure, we can be controlled by the world, the flesh, and the devil rather than by God. We can be producing "disorder and every evil practice"!

3. Single-mindedness results in a tongue that is controlled by God.

(3:13,17,18)
What is the solution? In James 3:13, James says: "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." We need a wisdom (a way of looking at life) that does not come from the world, the flesh, and the devil. A wisdom that comes from God! If we are receiving with a pure heart the wisdom that comes from God, it will show in our lives. There will be a gentleness, a genuine humility, and good quality of life that can be seen in our lives. In verse seventeen, that type of life is described. "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

The type of life described here first of all comes from a pure heart. In chapter four, James will give instructions on how we can purify our hearts. Verse seventeen describes the type of life that comes from a pure (not a bitter, selfish) zeal. What is the result when the selfishness is gone, and all that is left is a heart that is a pure vehicle to transport the life of God? These verses describe the kind of life that should be our goal. We will still have zeal, but it will be a pure zeal! There will be a pure zeal to hear another's side-"peace-loving." There will be a pure zeal to be sensitive to another's feeling and concerns-"considerate." ("gentle" in the New American Standard Bible) There will be a pure zeal to yield, to be submissive to others-"submissive." Or there will be a pure zeal to listen to reason-"reasonable." The word "submissive" is translated "reasonable" in the New American Standard Bible. The Greek word can be translated either way. There will be a pure zeal to do what is gracious and merciful-"full of mercy and good fruit." There will be a pure zeal to do what is right-to be "impartial." There will be a pure zeal to be truthful and honest-"sincere."

To sum up, there will be a pure zeal to be in peace and harmony with others; to be sensitive to others' feelings; to understand others; to show mercy to others; to not waver from the truth and from what is right; and to be genuine and honest. What a beautiful picture James paints. What will be produced by these qualities that come from a pure heart and from the wisdom that comes from God? Verse eighteen sums up the beautiful results that come from a pure-hearted zeal: "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." Instead of you and I producing a harvest of disorder and every type of evil, we will produce with our lives a harvest of peace and righteousness! Instead of ugliness coming from us, there will be beauty.

(The book of Proverbs, like James chapter three, also has much to say about the tongue. See Proverbs 10:13,19,21, 12:18, 13:3, 14:3, 15:4,7,8,23,28, 16:21,23,24, 17:20, 27,28, 18:6,7,13,21, 19:1,5, 20:15, 21:23 and 25:11)

OUR RELATIONSHIPS REVEAL WHETHER WE ARE SINGLE-MINDED OR DOUBLE-MINDED. (4:1-2a)
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight."

Thought Question #1: What does cause fights and quarrels among us?

Thought Question #2: How do desires battle within us?

1. Double-mindedness results in fights and quarrels. (4:1-2a)

James begins chapter four with this question: "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" We could ask the same question today, "What causes the fights and quarrels in our homes, businesses, country, and world?" James immediately answers his own question: "Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something, but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight." "Quarrels" are chronic or long periods of strife (the wars). "Quarrels" are church fights that go on for months or even years.
"Conflicts" are the shorter outbursts of anger that can erupt between people (the battles).

What causes these wars and battles within even our churches? It is the war that is going on inside each one of us that causes the war on the outside of us! We cannot have peace in our world because there is not peace on the inside of us. Inside of us are desires. We are not satisfied and content with what we have, and so we desire to have more and more. We desire more prestige, more recognition, more money, more acceptance, more power, and more. And because we do not get all that we desire, we slander; we lie; we hate; we quarrel; and we even kill. Maybe we do not actually murder someone, but we destroy others with our words and our actions.

There is a tiny rodent in some parts of the world called the shrew. Because of its high metabolism, it needs to eat more than its weight each day to live. On the island of Guam, they can be heard at night scurrying around to find food. What if you put five shrews in a cage with only enough food for one shrew? What would be the ugly result? Fights and quarreling! It is our shrew-like desires that produce the fights inside of churches and outside of churches. What is the solution?

2. Single-mindedness results in peaceful relationships (3:17-18)

James has already given us the solution in the two verses just before these two verses. If our desires are pure, we will not desire more and more from others. Instead we will desire to give more and more to others. In verses four through ten that we will be looking at in a couple of verses, we will learn once more how we can purify our hearts.

OUR PRAYERS REVEAL WHETHER WE ARE SINGLE-MINDED OR DOUBLE-MINDED. (4:2b-3)
"You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

Thought Question: What do these verses tell us about why we do not pray as often as we should and why we do not get what we pray for?

1. Double-mindedness results in prayerlessness or in prayers that do not get

answered (4:2b,3)
Our selfish desires affect our prayer life in two ways: (1) We do not pray at all. "You do not have, because you do not ask God." There are things that we learned that we could not get from our parents. So, we did not ask them to give them to us. For example, we probably did not ask them if we could have ice cream right before dinner. We already knew that the answer would be, "No, it's almost time for dinner." We also have learned that when we are asking God for something in a selfish, impatient way, He will not give it to us. So, because we know that God does not respond to that kind of demanding attitude, often we do not pray at all.

(2) We do not get what we pray for. "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." We do not get what we ask for from God because our motives are to get things for our own selfish desires. The prodigal son asked for his inheritance. He wanted it right away, before his father had even died. And he wanted it so he could spend it on himself. He received the inheritance he demanded, but did he receive his father's best for him? Nor do we receive God's best for us when we ask with selfish motives. God will not bless us with what He desires to give us until we make our requests with a pure, unselfish heart.

2. Single-mindedness results in prayers that do get answered.

(1:5, 5:13-16)
Warren Wiersbe makes the following observation about prayer: "It has well been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man's will done in heaven, but to get God's will done on earth." "Taken from Be Mature by Warren Wiersbe. Copyright 1978 by Victor Books." From James 1:5, we learned that if we ask for God's wisdom with a pure heart, He enjoys giving us His wisdom. We will learn when we get to James 5:13-16 that the prayer of a man or women with a pure heart accomplishes much. When we ask God for what He desires us to have and we ask with pure motives, we will receive answers to our prayers.

DIRECTIONS FOR PURIFYING OUR HEARTS #2 (4:4-10)
"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts,you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

Thought Question #1: Why does James call them "adulterers"?

Thought Question #2: What is the "world," that we should not be friends of, that James is talking about here?

Thought Question #3: According to these verses, how can we break Satan's hold on our lives?

Thought Question #4: How do we "resist the devil"?

Thought Question #5: Give some reasons why you believe that you can "draw near to God."

For the second time, James gives us instructions on how we can purify our hearts. Through most of the book of James, we find ways that we can recognize whether or not we are double-minded and impure in our hearts. Then, in 1:13-25, James gives instructions on how we can purify our hearts. Now, in these next verses we have his second set of instructions on how we can purify our hearts.

1. Recognize and admit that you are a spiritual adulterer. (4:4-5)

(Choose whole-hearted love for God over half-hearted love for God.) (Compare to 1:21a)
James makes the following charge against these Jewish Christians: "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

What does he mean by friendship with the world? In John 3:16, this most well known of verses, we are told that God loved the world. Is this the world, the world that God loved, that we are not to be a friend of? The word "world" is used in different ways in the Bible. There is the world God created and the world of people. But, the world we are not to be a friend of is the world system that rejects God and is based on selfishness. In I John 2:15-17, we read these words: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

He calls them adulterers because their hearts were divided between the love of God and the love of the system in the world that is based on selfishness. And this is totally unacceptable to our jealous God. He desires all of us, not a part of us.

Although there is some question on how to translate verse five, within the context, it would appear that Barclay's translation captures the meaning of this verse: "The Spirit which God has made to dwell within us jealously yearns for the full devotion of our hearts." "Taken from The Letters of James and Peter by William Barclay. Copyright 1976 by The Westminster Press."

Imagine a couple who has been married for over twenty years. What if the wife approached the husband and said, "I have been faithful to you all these years and have not dated another man. Because I have been faithful to you for so long, would you allow me now to go out with someone else once a month?" Is it wrong for this husband to jealously desire all of her? So, it is totally pure for our God to desire our total commitment to Him. If we have allowed ourselves to be enticed by the world, and if our affections are now captive to selfish enjoyments and pursuits, we are adulterers. Our hearts will not be purified until we admit that we are adulterers and unfaithful in our commitment to God. This admission to God, that we have been unfaithful to Him, is the first step in purifying our hearts before God.

2. Humble yourself and receive God's grace. (4:6) (choosehumility over<

arrogance and pride) (compare to 1:21b)
Each word in this important section on how to purify our hearts is important. Here is what James says in 4:6: "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" Jesus was opposed to the proud, self-exalting Pharisees. See Matthew 23 He is opposed to the Pharisee described in Luke 18:9-12. "The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself [or to himself]: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'" But God gives grace to those who are humble like the tax collector Jesus describes in Luke 18:12: "But the tax-collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'" The Pharisee believed that he had earned a glorious position with God. The tax collector believed that he had earned nothing but condemnation from God. All he could do is beg God for mercy. God is opposed to us when we are proud like the Pharisee, and He gives grace to us when we have the humility of the tax collector!

Do you and I ever believe that because of our efforts we are a bit better or a lot better than those around us? Do we ever get puffed up about ourselves because of some grand deed that we have done? The truth is that, according to Isaiah 64:6, even our best attempts at goodness are filthy in God's eyes. The only thing that is pure that can come from us is what comes to us from God. He alone is pure. The second step in purifying our hearts is to humble ourselves and admit our sin and cry out for God's mercy. Then, God will give us His grace that is greater than all our sin! See Romans 5:20-21

3. Wholeheartedly submit to God (4:7) (choose obedience over disobedience

to God). (compare to 1:22-25)

a. Submit to God (4:7a)

The Greek word translated "submit" is a military term. It means to submit to someone who is over us in rank. This willingness to submit to one who is over us is the very opposite of pride. A part of pride is the desire to be number one. It leads us to want to have everybody under us. Humility and submission is a willingness to be under someone else, a willingness to be under God. How do military men submit to officers? They stop doing what they want to do and obey their officers.

How, then, do we submit to God? When we realize that we are doing something ---or even realize that we are being tempted to do something--- that is not what He wants us to do, we stop doing it and do what He wants us to do. Throughout James' letter, we have learned what these Jewish Christians were doing was the opposite of what God wanted them to do. They were hearing the Word, but not doing it; they were showing partiality towards the rich; they were not acting on their faith; and they were beginning to allow trials to discourage them. What is the solution? Obey God! Are we disobeying God in some area right now? Satan desires to draw us toward that which is impure. Because he is subtle and relentless, he is always drawing us and pulling us in some unholy direction. What do we need to do to prevent us from being drawn into sin and away from God? We need to obey God. We need to submit to God!

b. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (4:7b)

When Satan is strongly tempting us, we need to resist his temptation. In II Timothy 2:22, Paul says: "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Paul is describing resisting. It is told of Augustine that he came in contact with one of the girls he had known in his former, sexually immoral life. When she cried out to him, he began to run. She cried out after him that it was only she. He yelled back at her that it was no longer he. Augustine was resisting the devil. Where before he loved evil pleasures, now he hated evil and ran from it.

We see that when Jesus was tempted by the devil that He resisted by quoting Scripture. We resist the devil by memorizing God's Word and using it as the Sword of the Spirit to parry Satan's temptations with "It is written." For example, we may be tempted to fear, but we remember that God says in His Word that we are not to fear, but to trust Him in all things. At this point we could remember a verse like Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." We submit to God and resist the devil by not fearing, but by trusting God. There are many opportunities each day to submit to God and resist the devil. When we resist the devil's temptations, he does what he did when Jesus resisted his temptations: "Then the devil left him." James promises us that if we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee.

4. Draw near to God (4:8a) (choose drawing close to God over moving away

from God).
God does not desire that we draw away from Him as Adam and Eve did in the garden, but he desires that we draw near to Him. We are able, now, to draw near to God because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Listen to the words of the author of the book of Hebrews (10:19-22): "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." And then also in Hebrews 4:16: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need."

It could not be clearer; God desires that we draw near to Him. And then He promises that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. He told the nation of Israel who had rejected Him that if they returned to Him, He would return to them. See Malachi 3:7; Zechariah 1:3; and Isaiah 55:7 The prodigal son took his inheritance and left his father. But, when the prodigal son returned, his father immediately returned to him with rejoicing. The son did not expect that his father would come running to him "filled with compassion for him." We do not expect that when we return to God, He will be filled with compassion and draw near to us. But, that is the type of God that created us and sent His Son to die for us.

5. Judge your sins as God judges them (4:8b-9) (choose confession of sins

over denial of sins).
To purify our hearts we need to clean them up. We need to wash them just like we wash our hands when they are dirty. James says: "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom." When we see our sin as God sees it, we see it as filthy and ugly. We should do with it what we always do with that which is filthy. We need to wash and cleanse away the filth until our hearts are pure.

The rituals that God gave the nation of Israel symbolize a need for purification before we can approach God. Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel and the other priests ritually washed themselves before serving before God at the wilderness Tabernacle: "Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so to that they will not die." (Exodus 30:19-21) These rituals were a picture of our need to be cleansed from the filthiness of our sin before we can approach God.

In Isaiah 1:15-16, God says this to the nation of Israel: "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight!" In Psalm 24:3,4, David says these words: "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart."

When we who are Christians, as James says in 3:14, "harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in our hearts," we should not treat it lightly. Someone made a joke about the hymn that says that we are sinking deep in sin. He said, "Whoopee!" The way of the world is to boast about our sin (see 3:14) and make light of sin. Much that is humor in our world is inappropriate for Christians because it is directed at trying to get people to laugh at what God calls sin. We turn to God by doing the very opposite. Instead of laughing about our sin, we mourn and cry about our sin. It is what must take place before we can purify our hearts. We cannot purify our hearts until we see how putrid, ugly, and sickening our sin is before God. Then and only then will we want to get rid of it. What is described in 4:9 (the grieving and mourning over sin) is what takes place when there is a revival. Do you desire to purify your heart before God? Be willing to see your sin as God sees it. Then, you will be ready to get rid of it and to purify your heart.

6. Humble yourself before God (4:10) (A summary: choose God's way of

humility over man's way of arrogance and pride).
The way to God is not to lift ourselves up, but to lower ourselves down. We humble ourselves by admitting the truth about our sin. We accept the ugliness and shame of our sin before God. We humble ourselves by being willing to admit that God is our Creator and that He is Lord of all (not you and I). And when we humble ourselves, He lifts us up. This is the pattern we see throughout the Bible. Moses failed to rescue Israel on his own (when he killed an Egyptian guard). But, after being humbled by tending sheep, God lifted him up and used him to rescue Israel from the Egyptians. God used humble Joshua to conquer the city of Jericho, humble Gideon to defeat the Midianites, and He humbled Peter so that he could powerfully preach the evangelistic message that began the church. Above all, Jesus humbled Himself and became our servant. He gave Himself for us, even though it meant dying for us on a cross-shaped torture stake. Then, God lifted Him up to the very highest place. If we humble ourselves, we will not need to be humbled. And if we humble ourselves, He will lift us up.

How do we purify our hearts? The key is to humble ourselves: You and I need to humbly admit it when there are worldly desires in our heart (humbly admit that we are adulterers). You and I need to humbly receive God's grace that is greater than all our sin. You and I need to humbly submit to God and resist the Devil. You and I need to draw near to God, believing that He will also draw near to us. We need to mourn and weep over our sin, knowing that He will lift us up because He rejects the proud but gives grace to the humble. If we do all of this, we will go from being double-minded to being single-minded.

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS REVEALS WHETHER WE ARE SINGLE-MINDED OR DOUBLE-MINDED (4:11-12)

1. The double-minded are judgmental toward others. (4:11-12)

"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy. But you---who are you to judge your neighbor?"

Thought Question #1: Why is someone who slanders someone else also one who is judging God's law?

Thought Question #2: Why is slandering our brother the very opposite attitude that we should have toward our Christian brothers and sisters?

Thought Question #3: What will help prevent us from slandering our brothers?

James says: "Brothers, do not slander one another." Listen to what Barclay has to say about the word "slander." "The word James uses for to speak harshly of, or, to slander is katalalein. Usually this verb means to slander someone when he is not there to defend himself..........Katalalia is the sin of those who meet in corners and in little groups and pass on confidential tidbits of information which destroy the good name of those who are not there to defend themselves." "Taken from The Letters of James and Peter by William Barclay. Copyright 1976 by The Westminster Press."

What is our attitude toward our Christian brother? Do we desire to bear his burdens (Galatians 6:1,2)? Do we treat him like a fellow member of the same body, the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-6)? Do we do to them as we would want them to do to us (James 2:8)? Do we desire the very best for them? A judgmental, slanderous spirit is the very opposite of this Christian and loving spirit. When we slander someone or judge someone, we are not bearing his burdens, but adding the burdens of our gossip on him. When we slander someone, we are not treating him like a fellow member of the same body; for would we gash our own arm or puncture our own foot? When we slander someone, we are not doing to them what we would like to be done to us, for do we like to have others slander us? And when we slander someone, we do not desire the very best for him; for when is slandering someone the very best for him or her?

When we judge someone and slander someone, we are in our attitude saying, "God, move over! I am now the judge and I will judge whom I choose to judge by my own law. I do not care if what I am doing is against your law. I enjoy finding fault with others and being their judge. I am the only worthy judge and no one has the right to judge me, not even You!" As James says: "Anyone who speaks against his brother speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?" When we are slanderous and judgmental toward others, we show that our hearts are not pure and that we are double-minded. Our hearts are filled with ugliness and not the pure type of peacemaking that comes from God. We need to humble ourselves and purify our hearts.

2. The single-minded have a humble attitude toward others (4:12)

We will have the right attitude toward others when we see with a pure heart that there is "only one Lawgiver and Judge." Who alone can judge us fairly? There is only one who knows what goes on in men's hearts. The rest of us can guess, but we will never know if we are right. Only God knows for sure. Only One sees all that goes on in someone's life. Can we ever be sure that we have seen the full picture and that we understand everything that has happened in a person's life? (So that we can make our judgments on this full knowledge of that person.) Can we believe that we can ever make a totally just and fair judgment about anyone? If our hearts are right, we will see that there is only One who is deserving and capable of being the judge of mankind, and that is God.

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE FUTURE REVEALS WHETHER WE ARE SINGLE-MINDED OR DOUBLE-MINDED (4:13-16)

1. The double-minded believe that they are in control of their futures.

(4:13-16)
"Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil."

Thought Question #1: Why does our attitude toward the future show us what is in our hearts?

Thought Question #2: Why is it appropriate for us to always say or at least think, "If it is the Lord's will?"

James describes those who believe that they are in control of their lives: "Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”" Jesus told a parable about someone who had this type of attitude: "And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.’”" (Luke 12:16-21)

James goes on to say in verse 16: "As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil." See also Proverbs 27:1 Boasting is the opposite of humility. It is an expression of pride. It is an attitude that shows we believe that we are in charge of our lives and can direct it in any way we choose to go. A popular song in the past expresses this prideful and boastful attitude: "I Did It My Way." James says that this type of attitude is not just wrong, it is evil. It is an expression of a heart that is in rebellion against God. God is not in charge of my life, I am!

2. The single-minded know that God is in charge of their futures (4:14-15)

In this section of verses, James also describes the proper attitude to have toward the future: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" Our attitude is prideful when we look at our lives like they are going to go on forever. And our attitude is prideful when we believe that we are in charge of what happens to us. The humble attitude comes when we realize that compared to eternity, we are only alive on this planet a short time. And then, after our lives are over, we will be little more than just one of many names in a graveyard somewhere. A humble attitude comes when we realize that we have no control over what ultimately happens in our life. Many of us have made a confident statement about what we plan to do, and then we have caught ourselves and have quickly quoted from James 4:15--- "Lord willing!"

Look at Acts 18:21 and I Corinthians 4:19, and you will see that Paul used this phrase on occasion. He gives his plans and follows it with a form of "if the Lord wills." He did not always give his plans and then say "If the Lord wills." See I Corinthians 16:5 It is not a phrase that we are required to say immediately each time we say we plan to do something. Rather it is the attitude of heart of those who humbly see that God may change their plans at any time. It is an attitude of heart that we sometimes express in our words. For example, when we catch ourselves thinking that we are in charge of our lives; then, we may often quickly say, "Lord willing!"

DIRECTIONS FOR PURIFYING OUR HEART #3 (4:17)
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

Thought Question: Is it a big deal when we know what we ought to do, but do not do it? Explain your answer.

This is James' final direction for the purification of our hearts. In chapter five he gives us God's wisdom. If our heart is purified, we will be able to hear and understand God's wisdom. He says: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James has made clear in these four chapters what double-mindedness or an impure heart is like and the ugly effects it has on my life and your life. Now, after hearing all of this, if we do not respond by doing what is right, we are sinning. We are saying, then, I know what is right, but I choose not to do it.

Some might think, "So what's the big deal? Everybody sins!" Certainly there is a difference between sinning when we do not see clearly that we are sinning, and sinning when we clearly know that we are sinning. When we do what we know is wrong, we are defiantly sinning before Almighty and Holy God. Can we do that without any concern about what might happen to us? James clearly did not believe that he was making a light and weak statement when he said that if they knew what is good and right and did not do it, they were sinning. He meant it to be the strongest reason for them to do what is right.

What did the original readers of this letter written by James do when they had read his letter up to this point? If they did humble themselves and admit the truth about their sinful, double-minded hearts, their hearts were purified; and they did receive the wisdom that comes from God that James would reveal to them in the last chapter of his letter. Also, if we humble ourselves and admit the truth about any double-mindedness in our own hearts, we also will be ready to hear the wisdom that James gives us in James chapter five.

God's wisdom (that come from a pure heart - - see 3:17) enables us to be patient when we are going through troubles. (5:1-11)
Someone has said that teenagers cannot see past lunch. We also, without God's wisdom, are shortsighted as we look at our lives. We focus in on this life alone and do not see this life as just a small part of eternity. When trials face us, we usually focus in on only the trial and the pain it is bringing to us at the moment. James encourages these Jewish Christians to look past their trials to the reward they will receive in the end. In James 1:12, he tells them: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

In 1:2-4, he told them that trials produce perseverance, and that perseverance produces maturity. When we see with God's wisdom, we do not just look at what is happening to us now, but we also look at what will be the final result of what is happening to us in the future (both in this life and eternally beyond this life). He was talking to persecuted Jewish Christians who needed to see that endurance in obeying and trusting the Lord would be rewarded in the end. The first requirement was for them to purify their hearts so that they would desire the godly character and reward that will be theirs at the end of their trials. The second requirement is for them to see their trials from God's perspective. In chapter five, James first shows them from God's perspective what is going to happen to those who are persecuting them (5:1-6), and then he shows them what will happen to them if they endure as Christians (5:7-11).

1.We now can see with God's wisdom that in the end God will judge the rich

and the unjust. (5:1-6)
"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."

Thought Question #1: Compare the difference between the way the rich people of that time looked at their riches and the way Jesus looked at their riches.

Thought Question #2: How can looking at our circumstances from both a present perspective and also looking at what the future will bring, change our outlook on our lives? (give examples)

a. A warning to the rich unbelievers who are persecuting the Jewish Christians

(5:1)
James begins by warning them about what their future holds for them: "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you." These rich people won't read his letter. Why is James addressing these rich unbelievers? The answer is that he does not want the Jewish Christians to envy those who were persecuting them. And he does not want his Christian brothers to think that the persecutors are winning, and they are losing. It is not the Christians who should be weeping and wailing; but from God's perspective, it is the rich who should be weeping and wailing!

b. The value of the riches of the rich in the last days (5:2-3)

These unbelieving rich typically only see what their riches can do for them to placate their selfish pleasures at the present moment. From his vantage point in Christ, James sees the value of these riches in their future. "Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded." What is the value of their riches in eternity? ZERO! Anyone who has moved from one house to another has found many things in the old house that are no longer of any value. These now worthless items fill up garbage bags and trash barrels. So will be the value of the riches of the wealthy when they stand before God.

But even more, these luxurious possessions that were hoarded by the rich will become a judgment against them as they stand before God's Throne: "Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in these last days." They saw themselves as storing up wealth, but from God's perspective they are storing up wrath and judgment against themselves (because they were hoarding up God's riches for themselves alone). See also Romans 2:5-6

c. The rich man's sins will be judged in the last days. (5:4-6)

In Latin America (and some would say also in the United States), the people are often divided into the very poor and the very wealthy. The very poor need each day's wages to survive. Listen to James' words to the rich who fattened themselves by not paying the poor even the very small daily wages that they earned: "Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men who were not opposing you." The rich were very reluctant to part with their money, even though they had plenty. They were reluctant even to give the poor Jewish Christian the daily wage he had coming to him.

These words in Deuteronomy 24:14,15 were part of God's law to Israel: "Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin." (And in Leviticus 19:13: "Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.") The cry of these poor Jewish Christians who were being used and abused (and even murdered) by the fattened rich had reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.

God is not the man upstairs. He is not an impersonal God who has wound up the world and is now off in some remote part of the universe, busy with other things. He is an ever-present God who is always aware of what is going on in every part of the world. He is aware of injustices. One day He will right all wrongs. The rich were fattening themselves, for themselves at the expense of the poor. But, from God's viewpoint they were fattening themselves for the Day of Judgment.

Have you lived on a farm? If you have, you have watched pigs fighting greedily to get fat quicker than the other pigs. They obviously do not know what their future holds ("the day of slaughter"). Those fighting to get fat in this world also do not know what their future holds. In our world, money leads to power, and power leads to persecution of the helpless and the innocent. In James' time, as now, the rich had almost absolute power over the poor. As we can tell from James' words, they had carried their power as far as they could carry it; they had murdered the innocent. Their hands were bloody. God saw what they had done and as Cain's blood cried out to God, so the blood and cries of the persecuted Christians of James' time had reached His ears. And one day they will have to face the Master of both the rich and the poor!

Do we envy the rich and famous? We can tell if we envy them by our attitude toward them. Do we despise them? Do we wish we could trade places with them? If we can answer either of these two questions with a yes, we need to look at them from James' perspective and then we will no longer envy them. Are we hoarding or are we being generous with God's gifts to us? Once in children's church at snack time, the children were given different amounts of snacks. Some were given a large portion and some were given very little. It was interesting to watch as the children looked around at those who had more or less. Finally, a little girl in seeing that the young man next to her had much less than she said, "Would you like some of mine?" Are we hoarding or are we, like this little girl, seeing those who have much less than we do and asking them, "Would you like some of mine?"

2. We now see that patience will be rewarded in the end (5:7-9)

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!"

Thought Question #1: Why do you believe these Christians were grumbling rather than being patient? (And why do we sometimes grumble rather than be patient?)

Thought Question #2: James uses the example of a farmer waiting patiently for his crop to illustrate the need and reward of patience. Can you think of other illustrations that demonstrate the value of patience and how it is rewarded?

A farmer may plant his fields and for a period of time see nothing---no rain and no sign of plants. But, does the farmer give up all hope? No, he patiently waits for the rains that will come in the spring and autumn. And he patiently waits "for the land to yield its valuable crop." The farmer does not look only at the present, but he puts his hope on what will happen in the future.

The farmer and his patient trust in the future is a model of the type of attitude that we Christians are to have. We look at the present and we see troubles, frustrations, misunderstanding, and even persecution. But, we should look beyond the present to what God promises will happen in the future. The rewards of our patience will be growth in Christian character and eternal reward when we are with the Lord. In the meantime, we are not to do what comes very easily to us when we are going through tough times-we are not to grumble; and even worse, we are not to grumble against each other. Living by faith will show in our attitude toward life and in our actions. Do we really believe that this life is a short difficult period of struggle to be followed by an eternal period when we will experience the reward for our willingness to sacrificially serve Jesus Christ in faith? What we believe will show in our actions!

Then, James warned the Jewish Christians of his time that the Lord's coming was near. This book was written almost 2000 years ago. How could James say that the coming of the Lord was near? They had (and we have) no idea when the Lord will come. He could have come in James' lifetime and He could come in our lifetime. But, when He does come and time as we know it is over forever, it will seem to us that compared to eternity, He took a very short time to come again. Parents who have children who are just about ready to leave their home feel that it was only a very short time that they had together. The coming of the Lord is near! Let us be patient and careful not to grumble. It will not be that long before we are standing before the Judge! See II Corinthians 5;10; I Corinthians 3:10-15; Revelation 22:12

3. The heroes of the faith were rewarded for their patience (5:10-11)

"Brothers as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Thought Question: James uses Job as an example of a man who was patient and was rewarded for his patience. Can you think of others in the Bible who were rewarded for their patience? Can you think of modern-day Christians that bless you as you think of their perseverance and how God has rewarded them for their patience?

James first asks his Jewish Christian brothers to consider how the prophets were patient even when they were suffering. Elijah was one of the prophets James was speaking about here. When he was God's prophet to Israel, evil Ahab was king. Ahab married Jezebel, a Phoenician woman, who brought with her the worship of the Phoenician gods Baal and Asherah. Elijah was a man of God in God's country that was ruled by a king who worshipped Baal and Asherah. He prayed with an agonized heart that Israel would reject Baal and return to Jehovah. God revealed to Elijah that He was going to judge Israel by preventing it from raining for a few years (Baal was the god of fertility and the absence of rain would show that Baal was unable to bring fertility to Israel). Elijah spoke to Ahab of this coming judgment from God on Israel, and then he waited. Was his patience rewarded in the end? While Elijah was obeying God, there were times for Elijah when it was tough for him to keep on trusting (I Kings 19), but his patience did receive many rewards. Elijah was used powerfully by God to confront the false prophets of Baal and Asherah (I Kings 18). Elijah was taken to be with God without even dying (II Kings 2), and he was one of the two men from Old Testament times who was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17).

The Jewish Christians of James' time did "consider blessed those who have persevered." They admired men and women like Elijah who persevered in trusting God. Certainly, these Jewish Christians of James' time, if they also chose to be patient, would also find that perseverance and patience in obeying God would be rewarded. And, of course, perseverance and patience in trusting and obeying God will also win in the end for us.

Next, he reminds them of the patience of Job. Job experienced suffering of the most severe type. His children were killed (Job 1:20-22). He was afflicted with painful boils (Job 2:7-8). His wife told him to give up (Job 2:9-10). Job's friends blamed him for all of his troubles (Job 3-31). Through all of this suffering, Job did not curse God. Job came out the other side with a greater understanding of his humble state before Almighty God (Job 38-41). He was a finer man of God because of all that he went through (Job 42:1-6). And at the end of his life, God showed Job that He is a God of mercy and compassion: "After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters......Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters." (Job 42:10-15)

So, though at first it appeared that suffering was the only reward for trusting and obeying God, in the end there was great reward. The reason that each of us can always trust God, even when at the moment our life appears to be falling apart, is because: "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." Because God loves us, we can always be sure that our obedience to God will be rewarded. If we keep in mind, in the midst of tribulations, the truth about God's love, mercy and compassion, we will not despair. Instead, we will be able to rejoice even when we are going through times of sorrow.

A DESCRIPTION OF SINGLE-MINDED AND WISE CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION (5:12-20)
Now that he has exhorted them to purify their hearts so they can see their trials with God's wisdom, James now gives them some instructions on how a single-minded Christian handles certain life situations.

1. He stands by his commitments (5:12)

"Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No,' no, or you will be condemned."

Thought Question #1: James appears to be saying, stop all of these evasive oaths and simply speak the truth. Can you think of any modern-day examples of evasive commitments that illustrate why it is important to make our "'Yes' be yes" and our "'No' be no"?

Thought Question #2: Why do you believe James says, "above all . . . Let your "Yes" be yes"?

Why is he so strong (why does he say, "Above all") about swearing oaths? Does this mean that Christians should never make an oath? Why does James say make your yes be yes and your no be no? What does all this mean for us today? The people of James' time used the swearing of oaths in much the same way as we use a signature today. But, in their minds not all oaths were binding. For example, if they swore using God's name it was binding, but if they swore without using God's name it was not binding. Sort of like saying our signature is not binding if we signed only our first and last names and did not sign our middle name. They had become experts at evasive swearing. As a result, they would try to use trickery so that they would not be bound to follow through on a deal. Oaths came to mean next to nothing and no one trusted each other. This practice created a non-committal attitude toward others and toward God.

James was not against oaths, but he was against the misuse of them. God made oaths (Hebrews 6:13 and Luke 1:73). Paul used oaths (II Corinthians 1:12 and Galatians 1:20). But Jesus, like James, spoke against the misuse of oaths (Matthew 5:33-37).

What do all of James' words about oaths say to us today? We should not say we are going to do something when we really have no intention of actually doing it. When we make a commitment, we should fully intend to do it, and then do it. When a man and a woman commit themselves in marriage, they should fully intend to continue in their marriage throughout their mortal life. If you or I commit to some area of service in the church, we should completely intend to fulfill that commitment. If we say that we are going to pray for someone, we should fully intend to pray for that person. These types of commitments (our yes meaning yes and our no meaning no) produce trust between us and others. A wishy-washy attitude toward commitments produces a lack of trust, confusion, and chaos in our relationships; along with some others attitudes and results that can get really ugly (bitterness, slander, and others). So, let our yes be yes!

It may be that the primary reason that James emphasizes that we Christians should make our yes be yes is that we represent God. He has made a commitment to us. If we are not dependable in our commitments, we can give the impression that God's commitments, oaths, and covenants to us are also not dependable; particularly we can give the impression that the covenant He made with us through the blood of His Son is not dependable! See also Psalm 15:4

2. He prays when he is in trouble. (5:13a)

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."

Thought Question: Compare the single-minded response to troubles and to being happy with double-minded responses to trouble and to being happy.

What should our response be to troubles? The double-minded man's response to troubles is frustration, discouragement, bitterness, and grumbling (see 5:9). The single-minded....pray! See James 1:5 As Jesus Christ faced the greatest trouble that any person has ever faced while He was at Gethsemane, what did He do? He prayed! Which of these two types of responses is the way that you and I typically respond? Are you one who prays when you have troubles or one who complains?

3. He praises God when he is happy. (5:13b)

What should our response be to good times? The world's response to good times usually includes alcohol. Compare, for example, the world's and the church's celebration on New Year's Eve. The world parties with alcohol. The appropriate Christian response is to welcome in the New Year with praise, thanksgiving, and prayer. Who are the happiest? Listen to Paul's answer in Ephesians 5:18-20: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." The word "debauched" is the very opposite of the word "filled." Drunkenness empties one's life and being filled with God's spirit and being filled with praise and thanksgiving fills us to overflowing. Which is the best response to good times?

The double-minded will choose a response to happiness that is similar to the world's type of happiness. We have all seen Christian groups who have sought happiness that is as close to the world's form of happiness as possible without the alcohol or the obvious profanity. Their humor is slightly off-color. When groups do this type of thing, they are showing that they believe that the way to happiness is the way the world does it; Christians must restrain themselves and not do that which is obviously immoral. But, we who are Christians can be wholeheartedly happy by going in the very opposite direction from the world. We are happiest when we are wholeheartedly seeking God and wholeheartedly praising God!

4. He asks the elders to pray for him when he is sick. (5:14-18)

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."

Thought Question #1: What is the "prayer of faith"? What can we learn from these verses that will help us to understand the requirements that must be met so that we will be able pray with a "prayer of faith"? Or, in other words, what can we learn from these verses that will help us to understand how we can have our prayers answered by God?

Thought Question #2: Do you believe that Christians should call on the elders when they are sick?

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him." This section about the church's proper response to sickness evokes a number of questions.

The first question we can ask is "Why should the sick person call for the elders?" The first possible answer to this question is that the elders represent the church. The elders are to shepherd and care for the
church. See Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1-3

Also, the elders are to be chosen because they are the godliest men in the church (see Titus 1:5-8 and I Timothy 3:4-7). So, a second answer is that because of their spiritual maturity, they can best pray with the prayer of faith. We are to choose those in the church to be elders who are the most mature, who have the purest hearts, and who best know God and His will.

A third reason why the sick should call for the elders is because they are often too sick to go to them. We should choose elders who have shown a genuine concern for people, those who would be willing to go to them when they are sick. Notice that there are no instructions to the sick, here, telling them to go to a healer, as is the practice in some segments of the church today.

James continues: "anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." Why should the elders anoint the sick with oil? Does anointing with oil have some magical healing power, does it have some medicinal value, or is it a symbolic act? Oil was used as medicine in the time of the early church. The Good Samaritan in Jesus' parable put oil on the man who was robbed and beaten (Luke 10:34 and also Isaiah 1:6). Oil, though, also had a symbolical function in Bible times. Oil was used (1) to anoint Aaron as the first High Priest of Israel (Leviticus 8:30); (2) to anoint the priests (Exodus 28:40); (3) to anoint the prophets (I Kings 19:16; I Chronicles 16:22); and (4) to anoint the Kings of Israel (I Samuel 10:1; I Kings 1:39). It is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38; I John 2:20, 27; II Corinthians 1:21-22).

After looking at the overall use of the anointing of oil in the Bible, it appears that the anointing of the oil was primarily a symbolic act. It was symbolic of God's presence with God's people. When the priests, prophets, and kings were anointed into office, the anointing oil symbolized that God was placing them into these offices. When the elders pray for the healing of the sick and anoint them with oil, it is a symbolic act of faith that God is moving on the sick person as the elders pray. See Mark 6:13 It is an outward symbol of what we believe will occur. See Mark 6:13; John 9:6-7; Isaiah 38:21; II Kings 5:1-14

Let us continue on again with James' words: "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." What is the "prayer of faith"? In I John 5:14 we find these words of the Apostle John: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Then in Mark 11:24, Jesus said: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Then in John 15:7, Jesus says: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." What is the "prayer of faith"? Warren Wiersbe says it quite clearly in his commentary on James: "The 'prayer of faith' is a prayer offered when we know the will of God." (page 169) "Taken from Be Mature by Warren Wiersbe. Copyright 1978 by Victor Books."

We can only have faith that God will do something when we are confident that what we are praying for is His will! As Jesus says in John 15:7 that we just quoted, we can be confident of what God will do when we are fellowshiping with Him so closely and reading His words so often that we begin to know what He desires to do. That is also how we can believe that we have received something even before we have received it; it is when we know God well enough to know that He will do it. If we believed that God desires to take a mountain and toss it into the sea, and we prayed that God would do it, He would do it. And it would not take very much faith in God for our prayer to be answered. The key is, of course, does God desire to do it?

We are not praying the "prayer of faith" when we are getting God to do what we want Him to do; but our prayer is the "prayer of faith" when we are praying for what we know He wants to do!

The elders pray with the "prayer of faith" when they believe that God desires to heal someone. If He does desire to heal someone and the elders pray with the "prayer of faith," God will heal the sick person and "the Lord will raise him up."

How can the elders know when God desires to heal someone so they can heal with the "prayer of faith"? James answers this question: "The prayer of [faith] of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." Elijah was a righteous man whose prayers were "powerful and effective." And he prayed with the "prayer of faith."

What can we learn from him so that we can know what God desires to do, and so that we can pray with the "prayer of faith"? Elijah was not a prominent man in Israel. He came from the most out-of-the-way part of Israel, the land on the other side of the tracks; actually he was from the other side of the Jordan River. Also, like John the Baptist (who Jesus tells us was very much like Elijah), he was a wilderness-type of man. We are even told here that he "was a man just like us."

So, why were his prayers so effective that they resulted in it not raining for three and one half years? First of all, he was a righteous man! He was not a double-minded man who did not get his prayers answered. He whole-heartedly desired that God's will be done, even if it meant tough times for him. Second, we can tell from I Kings 17 through 19 that as a man with a pure heart, he had God's concern for Israel. He mourned over Israel's sins and their worship of the false god Baal. God heard Elijah's prayers because they expressed exactly what He Himself mourned and grieved over. As a result, God responded to Elijah's prayers. Because Baal was a god of fertility and the worship of him should have brought fertility, Elijah undoubtedly prayed that the worship of Baal would not bring fertility to Israel, but infertility. God answered Elijah's prayers and it did not rain in Israel for three and one half years.

All who are single-mindedly God's people cheer for Elijah, for God used him to score a great touchdown for God over the opposing team of the Baals. How can we learn God's will and pray with the "prayer of faith"? It can only happen if we, like Elijah, fervently (not half-heartedly) desire that God's will be done on earth as it is already done in heaven. Enoch walked with God, and then God took him up to be with Him. We can pray with faith if we also walk pure-heartedly with God. Then, we, like Elijah, will also know what God desires to be done here on earth and our prayers also will be prayers of faith. We will know that what we are praying fervently for is what God also desires to happen. We can pray for what we know to be God's will with the "prayer of faith." Then, we will be people who are being powerfully used by God to accomplish His purposes on this earth. And it may be His purpose to heal a sick person.

But, there is one more condition that James talks about in these verses: "If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." He is writing to Christians who have been double-minded and impure in their Christian walk. They could not pray for God's will until they purely and wholeheartedly desired God's will. Before they could come to the place where they could pray for God's desires, they needed to confess their sins and purify their hearts before Him. Then, they would receive the wisdom from above that God loves to give to us. Then, they would know what God desired to do; and then, they could pray with "the prayer of faith."

The church at Corinth was a church that was double-minded or fleshly in their Christian walk. Listen to Paul's words to them: "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.....You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?" (I Corinthians 3:1-3). Then, listen to his words later in I Corinthians (11:30-32): "That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." God was judging these worldly Christians by bringing sickness down upon them. What is the solution that Paul gives them? They were to judge themselves. In other words, if they were willing to admit that they were sinful and worldly, then God would not judge them. He would heal their sicknesses.

So, James tells these worldly Jewish Christians that if they confess their sins and pray, they will be healed. God will not heal these Christians until they confess their sins. He commands them to confess their sins to one another. Where the church has been fleshly and half-hearted, there is a need for the confession of sins to each other. What is being described here is a revival among God's people through open confession of sins. Throughout the history of the church there have been periods of revival followed by great movements of God's power. How can there be physical healing in the church today? We need leaders in the church who are like Elijah praying for healing and we need confession of sins in the church. We need, most of all, single-minded Christianity in our churches!

Healing from God will not come until our hearts are joined with His heart in praying for the healing that fits within His holy and wise purposes. When the church is growing in purification from sin, we will also be growing in becoming united with God in truly desiring that His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

James 1:2-8 gives us an additional insight about how to pray with the "prayer of faith." God desires to reveal to us His ways. But, He will only give His wisdom when we really desire wholeheartedly to hear His wisdom. If we just desire, for selfish reasons, for our trials and sicknesses to go away, we will not be interested in learning His wisdom which includes His reasons why He may be allowing troubles to be part of our lives. We have learned throughout the book of James that God has good purposes for our trials and our painful times. If we are pure in our prayers to God for wisdom and insight, He may also reveal to us that He has a purpose for someone to be healed. Then, we will pray with the "prayer of faith" for that person's healing. For, we will know that God desires to heal them. Just as we can get to know someone so well that we can be confident that he or she will give us certain things when we ask them; so we can get to know God so well that we can be confident that He will give us certain things when we ask them from Him. Then, we will be praying with the "prayer of faith"!

5. He seeks to save others from sin (double-mindedness) as James has done in

this letter (5:19-20)
James closes with these words: "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

Thought Question: What does James mean when he says, "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins"?

James has been seeking to do this very thing throughout this letter. He has been seeking to bring those who have wandered from God and into worldliness (we often call this back-sliding) back to a whole-hearted and single-minded walk with God. Whenever we turn someone from sin as James has been seeking to do here, we "will save him from death." What is the "death" he is talking about here? The answer is found in James 1:15: "Then, after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Death is separation from God's life. When we are able to turn someone from sin, we save him or her from the death that comes from sin. The death that results in separation from God!

According to I Corinthians 11:30, some who sin are judged by God with physical death. "Fallen asleep" is a euphemism in this verse for death. The sin that leads to death may also be referring to this judgment of God that results in physical death. See also I John 5:17

And we will "cover over a multitude of sins." What does James mean when he says "cover over a multitude of sins"? Again, the answer is found in the book of James. In 4:6, James says that God "gives us more grace." More grace than all our sins. Confession of sins will lead to a multitude of sins being covered over. God gives us more grace than our multitude of sins. And admission of sin can also lead to physical healing of sickness as we have seen in chapter five (5:15,16).

CONCLUSION

As was said at the beginning of our study, the message of this book is not an easy one to receive. We do not like to have the ugly, dark parts of our hearts brought out in the light where we can see them. If God has spoken to you about double-mindedness in your life while you have read and considered the message of the book of James, are you willing to do whatever is necessary to purify your heart? If you are willing to humbly acknowledge what is wrong in your heart and submit to God in these areas, then you are on the verge of a purified and new walk with God that He will provide for you. You will experience a personal revival. The Christian walk ahead of you will be different and more real than you ever thought possible! Then, God will have used James to speak to you across the centuries to transform your life, just as this letter undoubtedly transformed many of the lives of the Jewish Christians who read it so many years ago.

So, we conclude the book of James. If we have understood James' message to all Christians of all times, we have undoubtedly also been convicted by God of our own double-mindedness. We have learned James' instructions on how we each can purify our heart so that we can be those who receive the wisdom from above that starts with a pure heart. We also can be peacemakers who "raise a harvest of righteousness," and we can also be those who pray with the "prayer of faith." James is a guide for seeking single-minded Christianity. Double-minded Christianity is ugly Christianity. What is needed today is the pure and single-minded Christianity that James lived himself. This type of Christianity is not beyond us; all that is needed is for us to follow the instructions in this book of James!

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God Is Ruler Of The Times Of The Gentiles		Daniel 1-6
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When God Seems Far Away		Habakkuk
The Good News About Israel's King		Matthew 1-7
The Good News About Israel's King		Matthew 8-14
The Good News About Israel's King		Matthew 15-22
The Good News About Israel's King		Matthew 23-28
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The Good News About The Son Of Man		Luke 7-12
The Good News About The Son Of Man		Luke 13-18
The Word Became Flesh!		John 1-6
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The Word Became Flesh!		John 13-17
The Word Became Flesh!		John 18-21
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Christianity In The Courtroom		Romans 5-8
Christianity In The Courtroom		Romans 9-11
Christianity In The Courtroom		Romans 12-16
The Battle For The Sunshine		I Corinthians 1-6
The Battle For The Sunshine		I Corinthians 7-11
The Battle For The Sunshine		I Corinthians 12-16
Paul's Life And Ministry: Triumph Through Weakness		II Corinthians 1-7
Paul's Life And Ministry: Triumph Through Weakness		II Corinthians 8-13
Rediscovering The Joy Of The Gospel		Galatians
Seeing The Church From God's Perspective - Seeing The Riches Of God's Grace!		Ephesians 1-3
Seeing The Church From God's Perspective - Seeing The Riches Of God's Grace!		Ephesians 4-6
How To Be A Joyful And United Church		Philippians
Pursuing Our Fulness In Christ		Colossians
A Message To New Christians		I Thessalonians
A Second Message To New Christians - A Wider Focus On The Christian Life		II Thessalonians
God's Plan For Order In The Church		I Timothy
How To Finish Strong In The Lord		II Timothy
Doing What Is Good		Titus
How To Motivate Others To Do What God Wants Them To Do		Philemon
We Should Always Move Forward In Our Faith		Hebrews 1-9
We Should Always Move Forward In Our Faith		Hebrews 10-13
From Double-Minded To Single-Minded Christianity		James
How To Live In Tough Times With An Eternal Perspective		I Peter
How To Have Wholesome Christian Thinking		II Peter
The Glorious Circle That Is Eternal Life		I John
How Our Joy Can Be Complete & Two Good Examples And One Bad Example		II & III John
What To Do When The Church Gets Off-Track: Contending For The Faith!		Jude
The Unveiling Of The Glorified Jesus Christ And The End Of The Age		Revelation 1-5
The Unveiling Of The Glorified Jesus Christ And The End Of The Age		Revelation 6-11
The Unveiling Of The Glorified Jesus Christ And The End Of The Age		Revelation 12-16
The Unveiling Of The Glorified Jesus Christ And The End Of The Age		Revelation 17-22

The Way of the Cross Diagram	The Way of the Cross The PATH	The Way of the Cross L.I.G.H.T.	The Way of the Cross L.O.V.E.D.
The Way of the Cross L.I.F.E.	The Way of the Cross S.E.L.F.	The Way of the Cross C.R.O.S.S.	The Way of the Cross L.O.V.E.
The Way of the Cross Memory Verses

Table of Contents	Outline	Genesis	Exodus to Deuteronomy
Furniture of the Tabernacle	Dress of Priests and High Priest	Dress of High Priest	Canaan: What Can it Teach Us?
Israel, God's Kingdom	Moses—Failure the Backdoor to Success	The Mosaic Covenant	The Ten Commandments
The Offerings	Uncleanness	The Priesthood	The Festivals
The Nazirite Vow	Joshua to Ruth	Prophecies of the Redeemer—Genesis to Ruth	I and II Samuel
Saul and David Compared	Jonathan and David Compared	The Davidic Covenant	I And II Kings
Israel's and Judah's Kings	Divided Kings who Divided	Criticisms of God's Actions in the Old Testament	Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
Ruth and Esther Compared	Job to Song of Solomon	Proverbs: Wise Man or Fool?	Isaiah
Jeremiah	Daniel	Hosea	Joel
Amos	Obadiah	Jonah	Micah
Nahum	Habakkuk	Zephaniah	Haggai
Zechariah	Malachi

Table of Contents	Introduction	Part 1a	Part 1b
Part 2	Part 3	Part 4	Part 5
Part 6	Part 7	Part 8	Part 9
Part 10	Part 11	Part 12	Part 13
Part 14	Part 15	Part 16	Part 17
Part 18a	Part 18b	Part 19	Part 20
Conclusion	"The Onlys"	A Pastor's Authority	Galatians 6:1-3
George Whitefield's Funeral Service

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JAMES

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