James 1:5-8
If there is anything that we should be greedy for, never getting enough and always wanting more, it’s wisdom. Greed is in this world a plague, greed for money, for power, for pleasure. Job says, “it cannot be valued in [even] pure gold.” Solomon said, “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.” You could ask for money and be right or wrong in asking, depending on your motive or inclination, but to ask for Wisdom from above is always godly, always pure, always profitable.
Christians should be wisdom seekers.
James says if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask. The word James uses (aiteō) is in the present active imperative – indicating not a one-time request, but a continual state of being – in other words, “keep on asking.” Proverbs 8 is a chapter where wisdom is personified for us, and addresses us saying: “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself, all who hate me love death.”
Wisdom seekers wear seat belts.
Each fall on our farm when the harvest wrapped up, my dad operated a liming business on the side. He was the only one around with a truck, so people would hire him to spread lime on their pastures and fields. Occasionally my younger brother and I would ride along in the truck, probably to get us out of my mom’s hair for a while. I remember one day we were riding along as he was doing an application in a nearby cow pasture. Since the truck spread lime in all directions, my dad would drive in circles through the middle of the pasture, which was uneven ground. If the old truck had seat belts, the two boys on the passenger side of the bench didn’t know it, and we laughed hysterically as we got two or three feet of air off the seat, almost hitting the top of the cab. It’s much like the simile James uses of “a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” Hebrews say our hope is a “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” We need to be anchored.
Seat belts are standard equipment with salvation.
Here’s the hard part, and be forewarned – James is going to question the salvation of the so called “Christian” who reads his letter. It seems obvious that there were imposters among his readers, and he isn’t shy to tell them so. We don’t get saved by being wise, (or else none of us would be saved), but rather when we get saved, God puts a desire in us for wisdom.
Again in Proverbs 8 – “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His word, the first of His acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth… Then I was beside Him, like a master workman, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always.”
Job 28:19, Proverbs 8:34-36, Ecclesiastes 9:18 Hebrews 6:19, Proverbs 8:30
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Trials: Welcome Here
James 1:1-4
For most people, Christian maturity is desirable and possible, desirable but impossible, or not desirable so that the possibility of attaining it is irrelevant. They either want it or don’t want it, and then it boils down to whether they’ll believe God for it. Based on this Scripture in James, the key to maturity starts with an attitude, then accepts the circumstances, then achieves the next level of maturity.
It starts with an attitude
– Count it all joy. The word for count, hēgeomai, implies an authoritative decision, the word might be used by royalty. I love JB Phillips paraphrase, "When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!" There are a couple things that help us here. For one, he addresses this exhortation to “my brothers.” I think he’s saying, count it all joy, y’all. We should deal with trials as community, not as individuals. The intercession and encouragement of our faith family are vital to us having a joyful attitude. (Notice also, “when” not “if.” So long prosperity gospel.)
It accepts the circumstances
“for you know.” “Let.” Accept the trial seeing it as a means to an end. A means of God being glorified. A means for me being made more like Christ. In parenting, if a method of punishment no longer has any effect on the disobedient child, they have learned to take it with no ill effect, then the action is no longer helpful and different or more severe punishment is needed. As Christ followers, we must allow God to work through the trial, even when it hurts. Macarthur says, (though I’m not sure it’s original to him) the only way out of a trial is through it.
It achieves the next level of maturity.
“That you may be perfect and complete.” I believe this means the next level of maturity – viz. you are now perfectly and completely mature enough for the next trial, and to live and serve as a mature Christ follower. When I start lifting weights, it hurts. I struggle. But in my mind – I accept that this trial will bear fruit in greater maturity – namely bulging biceps. After the struggle, I get stronger, and can now lift this weight with ease. At the other end we are glad for the results.
Job says, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you…”
For most people, Christian maturity is desirable and possible, desirable but impossible, or not desirable so that the possibility of attaining it is irrelevant. They either want it or don’t want it, and then it boils down to whether they’ll believe God for it. Based on this Scripture in James, the key to maturity starts with an attitude, then accepts the circumstances, then achieves the next level of maturity.
It starts with an attitude
– Count it all joy. The word for count, hēgeomai, implies an authoritative decision, the word might be used by royalty. I love JB Phillips paraphrase, "When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!" There are a couple things that help us here. For one, he addresses this exhortation to “my brothers.” I think he’s saying, count it all joy, y’all. We should deal with trials as community, not as individuals. The intercession and encouragement of our faith family are vital to us having a joyful attitude. (Notice also, “when” not “if.” So long prosperity gospel.)
It accepts the circumstances
“for you know.” “Let.” Accept the trial seeing it as a means to an end. A means of God being glorified. A means for me being made more like Christ. In parenting, if a method of punishment no longer has any effect on the disobedient child, they have learned to take it with no ill effect, then the action is no longer helpful and different or more severe punishment is needed. As Christ followers, we must allow God to work through the trial, even when it hurts. Macarthur says, (though I’m not sure it’s original to him) the only way out of a trial is through it.
It achieves the next level of maturity.
“That you may be perfect and complete.” I believe this means the next level of maturity – viz. you are now perfectly and completely mature enough for the next trial, and to live and serve as a mature Christ follower. When I start lifting weights, it hurts. I struggle. But in my mind – I accept that this trial will bear fruit in greater maturity – namely bulging biceps. After the struggle, I get stronger, and can now lift this weight with ease. At the other end we are glad for the results.
Job says, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you…”
James and "a right strawy epistle"
Intro to the book...
When: Mid AD 40s, most likely the first New Testament book written.
To: Jewish Christians
Writer: James – His dad’s name was Joseph. His mother’s name was Mary. He and his older Brother must have studied the Scriptures together, shared meals together, and worked in the carpenter shop together. They might have gone together to gather firewood, or slaughter an animal for a feast. He knew things about Jesus – stories, experiences, sayings,…things that not even the inner circle of apostles or Paul would have had any idea about. He spent more time with the Master than any New Testament writer and he knew how to listen to His voice, he’d heard it for all his life.
Yet, with James we see a real paradox. Having observed the sinless Son of God since birth... “although he knew God, [he] did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but became foolish in [his] thinking…(Romans 1)” We observe this in John 7:5 – “For not even His brothers believed in Him.” It’s just as evident at the cross, as the Savior tells His mother – “behold your son,” but referring to John, a son of Zebedee. James was the next oldest son, (Matthew 13:55) yet in that critical moment he was nowhere to be found.
Skip ahead to 1 Corinthians 15 and Paul’s vital defense of the resurrection. “Then He appeared to James…” What a reunion that must have been! Whether they reminisced of days in the carpenter shop, or bitterly wept over the younger brother’s blindness to the Truth through the years, one thing is certain. James got born again. His name appears again and again in Acts as he leads the first church in Jerusalem, and is always referred to as simply, “James.” His biological relationship to Christ is no longer important, “regard no one according to the flesh,” His identity becomes “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Perhaps one of the greatest contributions of this letter is its confirmation that Jesus “knew no sin.” While the New Testament is sadly silent about Jesus life between His incarnation and His public ministry, a man who was an eyewitness to most of those years calls Him “the Lord of glory,” and himself, a servant – more accurately slave.
Impetus of the letter: Pastor Mike made a great point about the canon – if the Bible is a perfect work, then the arrangement of books is also perfect. This point is made stronger by flipping back through Hebrews. We call Hebrews the Faithbook, and this is satisfactory, especially as it reaches crescendo in the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. Hebrews is “indicative” truth. It tells us what is. Jesus is the High Priest. The Sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient. The Word of God is alive. James follows with more “imperative” truth. Bridle your tongue. Care for the least of these. – In Hebrews, God teaches us what faith is, then, in James He teaches us what faith does.
When: Mid AD 40s, most likely the first New Testament book written.
To: Jewish Christians
Writer: James – His dad’s name was Joseph. His mother’s name was Mary. He and his older Brother must have studied the Scriptures together, shared meals together, and worked in the carpenter shop together. They might have gone together to gather firewood, or slaughter an animal for a feast. He knew things about Jesus – stories, experiences, sayings,…things that not even the inner circle of apostles or Paul would have had any idea about. He spent more time with the Master than any New Testament writer and he knew how to listen to His voice, he’d heard it for all his life.
Yet, with James we see a real paradox. Having observed the sinless Son of God since birth... “although he knew God, [he] did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but became foolish in [his] thinking…(Romans 1)” We observe this in John 7:5 – “For not even His brothers believed in Him.” It’s just as evident at the cross, as the Savior tells His mother – “behold your son,” but referring to John, a son of Zebedee. James was the next oldest son, (Matthew 13:55) yet in that critical moment he was nowhere to be found.
Skip ahead to 1 Corinthians 15 and Paul’s vital defense of the resurrection. “Then He appeared to James…” What a reunion that must have been! Whether they reminisced of days in the carpenter shop, or bitterly wept over the younger brother’s blindness to the Truth through the years, one thing is certain. James got born again. His name appears again and again in Acts as he leads the first church in Jerusalem, and is always referred to as simply, “James.” His biological relationship to Christ is no longer important, “regard no one according to the flesh,” His identity becomes “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Perhaps one of the greatest contributions of this letter is its confirmation that Jesus “knew no sin.” While the New Testament is sadly silent about Jesus life between His incarnation and His public ministry, a man who was an eyewitness to most of those years calls Him “the Lord of glory,” and himself, a servant – more accurately slave.
Impetus of the letter: Pastor Mike made a great point about the canon – if the Bible is a perfect work, then the arrangement of books is also perfect. This point is made stronger by flipping back through Hebrews. We call Hebrews the Faithbook, and this is satisfactory, especially as it reaches crescendo in the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. Hebrews is “indicative” truth. It tells us what is. Jesus is the High Priest. The Sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient. The Word of God is alive. James follows with more “imperative” truth. Bridle your tongue. Care for the least of these. – In Hebrews, God teaches us what faith is, then, in James He teaches us what faith does.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Why a Blog?
I have a blog on our church website, but I'm almost the world's worst at updating it and we typically use it for promotion and announcements more than blogging. Facebook could be used somewhat as a blog, but since the unwritten goal of any dedicated facebooker is to have the most friends, and I've got a lot, it doesn't really fit what I'm going for here. A little smaller community I guess. So, I'm starting one with the good folks at blogger.com to post videos of songs, maybe write a little from what I'm learning in God's word, and if I'm lucky enough to remember the details, maybe I can even start writing some of the stories I hear from Pastor Mike.
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