James 1

James 1:1

I. SALUTATION (1:1) The writer introduces himself as James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the author was the Lord’s half-brother, as we believe, then a wonderful change had come into his life. At one time, he had not believed in the Lord Jesus (Joh_7:5). He may have shared the view that Jesus was out of His mind (Mar_3:21). But our Lord patiently sowed the seed of the word. Though unappreciated, He taught the great principles of the kingdom of God. Then the seed took root in the life of James. A mighty transformation resulted. The skeptic became a servant. And he wasn’t ashamed to say so! By calling himself a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, James correctly puts God and the Lord Jesus on the same level as equals. He honors the Son just as he honors the Father (Joh_5:23). James knew that no man can serve two masters (Mat_6:24). Yet he spoke of himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus. There is no contradiction here because God the Father and God the Son are co-equal. The Letter is addressed to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, literally which are in the Dispersion (Greek, Diaspora). These people were Jews by birth, belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel. Because of Israel’s sin, the people had been driven from their native land and were now dispersed in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. The original dispersion took place when the ten tribes were carried into captivity by the Assyrians, 721 b.c. Some of these returned to the land in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, but only a remnant. On the Day of Pentecost, devout Jews were visiting Jerusalem from every nation of the then-known world (Act_2:4).

These could properly be called Jews of the Dispersion. But a later dispersion of Christian Jews took place. In Act_8:1, we read that the early Christians (mostly of Jewish ancestry) were scattered abroad throughout Judea and Samaria by the persecutions of Saul. This dispersion is referred to again where we read that believers were driven to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Therefore, the people to whom James wrote could have been Jews who had been dispersed in any one of these crisis times. Since all true believers are strangers and pilgrims in this world (Phi_3:20; 1Pe_2:11), we can apply this Letter to ourselves, even if it wasn’t written directly to us. A more difficult question is whether James is addressing non-Christian Jews, Jews who had been converted to Christ, or both believing and unbelieving Jews. Primarily the author seems to be writing to true, born again believers (Jam_1:18). Yet there are times when he seems to be addressing professing Christians or even the unconverted. This is one of the proofs of the very early date of the Letter: the rift between Hebrew Christians and unbelieving Jews was not yet an accomplished fact.

James 1:2

II. TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS (1:2-17) 1:2 In this section James deals with the subject of temptation. He uses the word in two different senses. In verses 2-12, the temptations are what we might call holy trials or problems which are sent from God, and which test the reality of our faith and produce likeness to Christ. In verses 13-17, on the other hand, the subject is unholy temptations, which come from within, and which lead to sin. The Christian life is filled with problems. They come uninvited and unexpected.

Sometimes they come singly and sometimes in droves. They are inevitable. James does not say if you fall into various trials but when. We can never get away from them. The question is, What are we going to do about them?There are several possible attitudes we can take toward these testings and trials of life. We can rebel against them (Heb_12:5) by adopting a spirit of defiance, boasting that we will battle through to victory by our own power.

On the other hand, we can lose heart or give up under pressure (Heb_12:5). This is nothing but fatalism. It leads to questioning even the Lord’s care for us. Again, we can grumble and complain about our troubles. This is what Paul warns us against in 1Co_10:10. Another optionwe can indulge in self-pity, thinking of no one but ourselves, and trying to get sympathy from others.

Or better, we can be exercised by the difficulties and perplexities of life (Heb_12:11). We can say, in effect, God has allowed this trial to come to me. He has some good purpose in it for me. I don’t know what that purpose is, but I’ll try to find out. I want His purposes to be worked out in my life. This is what James advocates: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.

Don’t rebel! Don’t faint! Rejoice! These problems are not enemies, bent on destroying you. They are friends which have come to aid you to develop Christian character. God is trying to produce Christlikeness in each of His children. This process necessarily involves suffering, frustration, and perplexity. The fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced when all is sunshine; there must be rain and dark clouds. Trials never seem pleasant; they seem very difficult and disagreeable. But afterwards they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by them (Heb_12:11). How often we hear a Christian say, after passing through some great crisis, It wasn’t easy to take, but I wouldn’t give up the experience for anything.1:3 James speaks of the testing of your faith.

He pictures faith as a precious metal which is being tried by the Assayer (God) to see if it is genuine. The metal is subjected to the fires of persecution, sickness, suffering, or sorrow. Without problems, we would never develop endurance. Even men of the world realize that problems strengthen character. Charles Kettering, noted industrialist, once said, Problems are the price of progress. Don’t bring me anything but problems.

Good news weakens me.1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, says James. Sometimes when problems come we become desperate and use frantic means to cut short the trial. Without consulting the Lord as to His purposes in the matter, we rush to the doctor, for instance, and gulp down large doses of medicine in order to shorten the trial. By doing this, we actually may be thwarting God’s program in our lives. And it is just possible that we may have to undergo a longer trial in the future before His particular purpose is realized in us. We should not short-circuit the development of endurance in our lives.

By cooperating with God we will become mature, well-rounded Christians, lacking in none of the graces of the Spirit. We should never become despondent or discouraged when passing through trials. No problem is too great for our Father. Some problems in life are never removed. We must learn to accept them and to prove His grace sufficient. Paul asked the Lord three times to remove a physical infirmity. The Lord did not remove it, but gave Paul the grace to bear it (2Co_12:8-10). When we face problems in life that God obviously isn’t going to remove, we should be submissive to His will. The gifted blind hymn-writer wrote these lines as a girl of eight: O what a happy soul am I Although I cannot see; I am resolved that in this world Contented I will be. How many blessings I enjoy That other people don’t. To weep and sigh because I’m blind I cannot and I won’t. Fanny Crosby Peace comes through submission to the will of God. Some problems in life are removed when we have learned our lessons from them. As soon as the Refiner sees His reflection in the molten metal, He turns off the heat. Most of us lack wisdom to view the pressures of life from God’s standpoint. We adopt a short-range view, occupying ourselves with the immediate discomfort. We forget that God’s unhurried purpose is to enlarge us through pressure (Psa_4:1, JND). 1:5 We don’t have to face the problems of life in our own wisdom. If, in the time of trial, we lack spiritual insight, we should go to God and tell Him all about our perplexity and ignorance. All who are thus exercised to find God’s purposes in the trials will be liberally rewarded. And they need not worry that God will scold them either; He is pleased when we are teachable and tractable. We all lack wisdom. The Bible does not give specific answers to the innumerable problems that arise in life. It does not solve problems in so many words, but God’s word does give us general principles. We must apply these principles to problems as they arise day by day. That is why we need wisdom. Spiritual wisdom is the practical application of our Lord’s teachings to everyday situations. 1:6-8 We must approach God in faith, with no doubting. We must believe He loves and cares, and that nothing is impossible with Him. If we doubt His goodness and His power, we will have no stability in time of trouble. One minute we might be resting calmly on His promises, but the next we will feel that God has forgotten to be kind. We will be like the surge of the sea, rising to great heights, then falling back into valleystroubled and tossed. God is not honored by the kind of faith that alternates between optimism and pessimism.

He does not give divine insight to such vacillating, unstable men (vv. 7, 8). In verses 5-8, the source of wisdom is God; it is obtained by prayer; it is available to everybody; it is given liberally and without reproach; the crucial condition is that we ask in faith, with no doubting. 1:9 At first glance, verses 9-11 seem to introduce a completely new subject, or at least a parenthesis. James, however, is continuing with the subject of holy trials by giving specific illustrations. Whether a man is poor or rich, he can derive lasting spiritual benefits from the calamities and crises of life. For instance, when a lowly brother finds himself dissatisfied and discouraged, he can always rejoice that he is an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. He can find consolation in the truth that all things are his, and he is Christ’s and Christ is God’s. The lowly brother probably has no control over his humble circumstances.

There is no reason to believe he is lazy or careless. But God has seen fit to place him in a low income bracket and that is where he has been ever since. Perhaps if he had been rich, he never would have accepted Christ. Now that he is in Christ, he is blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. What should he do? Should he rebel against his station in life?

Should he become bitter and jealous? No, he should accept from God the circumstances over which he has no control and rejoice in his spiritual blessings. Too many Christians go through life rebelling against their sex, their age, their height, and even against life itself. Girls with a flair for baseball wish they were boys. Young people wish they were older, and old people want to be younger. Short people envy those who are tall, and tall ones wish they weren’t so conspicuous. Some people even say, I wish I were dead! All this is absurd!

The Christian attitude is to accept from God things which we cannot change. They are God’s destiny for us, and we should make the most of them for His glory and for the blessing of others. We should say with the Apostle Paul: By the grace of God I am what I am (1Co_15:10). As we forget our disabilities and lose ourselves in service for others, we will come to realize that spiritual people love us for what we are, not for our appearance, for instance. 1:10, 11 Next James turns to the rich. But strangely enough he does not say, Let the rich man rejoice in his riches. Rather he says that the rich can rejoice that he is made low. He agrees with Jer_9:23-24 : Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, says the Lord. The rich man may actually find real cause for rejoicing should he be stripped of his material possessions. Perhaps business reverses would bring him to the Lord. Or if he is already a Christian, then he could take joyfully the spoiling of his goods knowing he has in heaven a better and more enduring possession (Heb_10:34). Earthly riches are destined to pass away, like the flower of the field (Isa_40:6-7). If a man has nothing but material wealth, then all his plans will end at the grave. James dwells on the transiency of grass as an illustration of the fleeting life of a rich man and the limited value of his riches.

He will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. The point is, of course, that neither sun nor scorching wind can affect spiritual values. Any trial that weans us away from the love of passing things and sets our affections on things above is a blessing in disguise. Thus the same grace that exalts the lowly humbles the rich. Both are cause for rejoicing. 1:12 In concluding his discussion of holy trials, James pronounces a blessing on the person who stands up under afflictions. When such a man has stood the test or has been approved, he will receive the crown of life. The crown here is not the king’s diadem but the victor’s wreath, to be awarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There is no suggestion, of course, that eternal life is the reward for enduring testings, but those who have endured with fortitude will be honored for that kind of life, and will enjoy a deeper appreciation of eternal life in heaven. Everyone’s cup will be full in heaven but people will have different sized cupsdifferent capacities for enjoying heaven. This is probably what is in view in the expression crown of life; it refers to a fuller enjoyment of the glories of heaven. Now let us make this section on holy trials practical in our own lives. How do we react when various forms of testing come into our lives? Do we complain bitterly against the misfortunes of life, or do we rejoice and thank the Lord for them? Do we advertise our trials or do we bear them quietly? Do we live in the future, waiting for our circumstances to improve, or do we live in the present, seeking to see the hand of God in all that comes to us? Do we indulge in self-pity and seek sympathy or do we submerge self in a life of service for others? 1:13 The subject now shifts to unholy temptations (vv. 13-17). Just as holy trials are designed to bring out the best in us, so unholy temptations are designed to bring out the worst in us. One thing must be clearly understood. When we are tempted to sin, the temptation does not come from God. God does test or try men, as far as their faith is concerned, but He never tempts a man to commit any form of evil. He Himself has no dealings with evil, and He does not entice to sin. 1:14 Man is always ready to shift responsibility for his sins. If he cannot blame God, he will adopt an approach of modern psychology by saying that sin is a sickness. In this way he hopes to escape judgment. But sin is not a sickness; it is a moral failure for which man must give account. Some even try to blame inanimate things for sin. But material things are not sinful in themselves. Sin does not originate there. James tracks the lion to its den when he says: Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Sin comes from within us, from our old, evil, fallen, unregenerate nature. Jesus said, Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Mat_15:19). The word James uses for desires in verse 14 could refer to any form of desire, good or evil. The word itself is morally neutral. But with few exceptions it is used in the NT to describe evil desires, and that is certainly the case here. Lust is likened to an evil woman here parading her allurements and enticing her victims. Every one of us is tempted. We have vile lusts and impure appetites constantly urging us on in sin. Are we helpless victims then, when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed? No, we may expel all thoughts of sin from our mind and concentrate on subjects that are pure and holy (Phi_4:8). Also in the moment of fierce temptation, we may call on the Lord, remembering that The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run to it, and are safe (Pro_18:10). 1:15 If that is so, why then do we sin? Here is the answer: Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Instead of expelling the vile thought, we may encourage, nourish, and enjoy it. This act of acquiescence is likened to sexual intercourse. Lust conceives and a hideous baby named SIN is born. Which is another way of saying that if we think about a forbidden act long enough, we will eventually do it. The whole process of lust conceiving and bringing forth sin is vividly illustrated in the incident of David and Bathsheba (2Sa_11:1-27). And sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death, says James. Sin is not a barren, sterile thing; it produces a brood of its own. The statement that sin produces death may be understood in several ways. First of all, the sin of Adam brought physical death on himself and on all his posterity (Gen_2:17). But sin also leads to eternal, spiritual deaththe final separation of the person from God and from blessing (Rom_6:23 a). There is a sense also in which sin results in death for a believer. For instance, in 1Ti_5:6 we read that a believing widow who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. This means that she is wasting her life and utterly failing to fulfill the purpose for which God saved her. To be out of fellowship with God is for a Christian a form of living death. 1:16, 17 It is not unusual for people who fall into sin to blame God instead of themselves. They say, in effect, to their Creator, Why have you made me this way? But this is a form of self-deception. Only good gifts come from God. In fact, He is the source of every good and every perfect gift. James describes God as the Father of lights. In the Bible the word Father sometimes has the meaning of Creator or Source (see Job_38:28). Therefore God is the Creator or Source of lights. But what is meant by lights? Certainly it includes the heavenly bodiesthe sun, moon, and stars (Gen_1:14-18; Psa_136:7). But God is also the Source of all spiritual light as well.

So we should think of Him as the Source of every form of light in the universe. With whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. God is unlike the heavenly bodies He has created. They are undergoing constant changes. He never does. Perhaps James is thinking not only of the declining brilliance of the sun and stars, but also of their changing relation to the earth as our planet rotates.

Variableness characterizes the sun, moon, and stars. The expression shadow of turning may mean shadow caused by turning. This could have reference to the shadows cast on earth by the rotation of the earth around the sun. Or it could refer to eclipses. A solar eclipse, for instance, is produced when the moon’s shadow falls on the earth. With God it is quite different; there is no variableness in Him, or shadow caused by turning.

And His gifts are as perfect as Himself. Therefore it is unthinkable that He would ever entice man to sin. Temptation comes from man’s own evil nature. Let us test our faith on the subject of unholy temptations. Do we encourage evil thoughts to linger in our minds, or do we expel them quickly? When we sin, do we say that we couldn’t help it? Do we blame God when we are tempted to sin?

James 1:18

III. THE WORD OF GOD (1:18-27) James has been speaking of God as the Father of lights. Now he reminds us that He is our Father also, and that He has given us a unique role in His vast creation. We can fulfill that role by obedience to the word of truth (vv. 19-27). 1:18 This passage outlines the part played in the new birth by the word of God as it is applied to us by the Holy Spirit. We are told that Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. Of His own willthis tells us what prompted Him to save us. He was not forced to do it by any merit in us. He did it of His own free will. His love to us was unmerited, unbought and unsought.

It was entirely voluntary on His part. This should cause us to worship! He brought us forththis describes the fact of the new birth. By this spiritual birth we become His childrena relationship that can never be changed since a birth can never be undone. By the word of truththe Bible is the instrument of the new birth. In every genuine case of conversion, the Scriptures are involved, whether orally or in printed form.

Apart from the Bible, we would not know the way of salvation. Indeed, we would not even know that salvation was available! That we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creaturesthere are three prominent thoughts in connection with the word firstfruits. First, the firstfruits of a harvest was the first sheaf of ripened grain. The Christians to whom James was writing were among the first believers in the Christian Dispensation. Of course, all believers are a kind of firstfruits of His creatures, but the primary reference is to the Jewish Christians to whom James wrote. Second, the firstfruits were offered to God in gratitude for His bounty and in recognition that all comes from Him and belongs to Him. Thus, all believers should present themselves to God as living sacrifices (Rom_12:1-2).

Third, the firstfruits were a pledge of the full harvest to come. James likened his readers to the first sheaves of grain in Christ’s harvest. They would be followed by others down through the centuries, but they were set forth as pattern saints to exhibit the fruits of the new creation. Eventually the Lord will populate the whole earth with others like them (Rom_8:19-23). The full harvest will come when the Lord Jesus returns to reign over the earth. In the meantime, they were to yield the same kind of obedience to Christ which all the world will yield during the Millennium.

And though the passage refers primarily to first-century Christians, yet it has an application for each one of us who honors the name of Christ. 1:19a The rest of this chapter gives practical instructions as to how we can be firstfruits of His creatures. It sets forth the practical righteousness which should characterize those who have been born again by the Word of Truth. We know that we were begotten by the word in order to manifest the truth of God. So then, let us now discharge our responsibility. We should be swift to hear. This is an unusual command, with almost a trace of humor in it. It’s like saying, Hurry up and hear! It means that we should be ready to hear the word of God, as well as all godly counsel and admonition. We should be teachable by the Holy Spirit. We should be slow to speak.

It is surprising how much James has to say about our speech! He cautions us to be guarded in our conversation. Even nature itself teaches us this. Epictetus noticed so long ago: Nature has given to man one tongue, but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak. Solomon would have agreed heartily with James. He once said, He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction (Pro_13:3).

He also said, In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise (Pro_10:19). Compulsive talkers eventually transgress. 1:19b, 20 We should be slow to wrath. A man who is quick-tempered does not produce the kind of righteousness which God expects from His children. Those who lose their temper give people a wrong impression about Christianity. It is still true that he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city (Pro_16:32). 1:21 Another way to manifest ourselves as firstfruits of His creatures is to lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness. These vices are likened to soiled garments which are to be set aside once for all. Filthiness includes every form of impurity, whether spiritual, mental, or physical. The expression overflow of wickedness may refer to those forms of evil which are a holdover from our unconverted days. It may refer to sins which overflow from our lives and touch the lives of others. Or it may refer to abounding evil, in which case James is not so much describing an excess of evil, but the intensely wicked character which evil has. The over-all meaning is clear. In order to receive the truth of the word of God, we must be morally clean. Another requirement for the reception of divine truth is meekness. It is all too possible to read the Bible without letting it speak to us. We can study it in an academic way without being affected by it. Our pride and hardness and sin make us unreceptive and unresponsive. Only those with submissive, humble spirits can expect to derive the maximum benefit from the Scriptures. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way (Psa_25:9). But on this one I will look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word (Isa_66:2). James speaks of the Scriptures as the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The thought is that the word becomes a sacred deposit in the Christian’s life when he is born again. The margin of the RV reads the inborn word. This word is able to save your souls. The Bible is the instrument God uses in the new birth. He uses it in saving the soul not only from the penalty of sin, but from its power as well. He uses it in saving us not only from damnation in eternity, but from damage in this life. It is doubtless this present, continuing aspect of salvation James is speaking of in verse 21. 1:22 It is not enough to receive the implanted word; we must obey it. There is no virtue in possessing the Bible or even in reading it as literature. There must be a deep desire to hear God speaking to us and an unquestioning willingness to do whatever He says. We must translate the Bible into action. The word must become flesh in our lives. There should never be a time when we go to the Scriptures without allowing them to change our lives for the better.

To profess great love for God’s word or even to pose as a Bible student is a form of self-deception unless our increasing knowledge of the word is producing increasing likeness to the Lord Jesus. To go on gaining an intellectual knowledge of the Bible without obeying it can be a trap instead of a blessing. If we continually learn what we ought to do, but do not do it, we become depressed, frustrated, and callous. Impression without expression leads to depression. Also we become more responsible to God. The ideal combination is to read the word and obey it implicitly. 1:23, 24 Anyone who hears the word but does not change his behavior is like a man who takes a fleeting glance in the mirror each morning, then completely forgets what he saw. He derives no benefit from the mirror or from looking into it. Of course, there are some things about our appearance that cannot be changed. But at least we should be humbled by the sight! And when the mirror says Wash or Shave or Comb or Brush, we should at least do as we are told. Otherwise the mirror is of no practical benefit to us. It is easy to read the Bible casually or because of a sense of duty without being affected by what we read. We see what we ought to be but we quickly forget and live as if we were already perfect. This type of self-satisfaction prevents spiritual progress. 1:25 In contrast is the man who looks into the word of God and who habitually reduces it to practice. His contemplative, meditative gazing has practical results in his life. To him the Bible is the perfect law of liberty. Its precepts are not burdensome. They tell him to do exactly what his new nature loves to do. As he obeys, he finds true freedom from human traditions and carnal reasonings. The truth makes him free. This is the man who benefits from the Bible. He does not forget what he has read. Rather he seeks to live it out in daily practice. His simple childlike obedience brings incalculable blessing to his soul. This one will be blessed in what he does. 1:26, 27 Useless religion and pure and undefiled religion are contrasted. Religion here means the external patterns of behavior connected with religious belief. It refers to the outward forms rather than the inward spirit. It means the outer expression of belief in worship and service rather than the doctrines believed. Anyone who thinks he is religious, but cannot control his tongue, … this one’s religion is useless. He might observe all kinds of religious ceremonies which make him appear very pious. But he is deceiving himself. God is not satisfied with rituals; He is interested in a life of practical godliness. An unbridled tongue is only one example of futile religion. Any behavior inconsistent with the Christian faith is worthless. The story is told of a grocer who apparently was a pious fraud. He lived in an apartment above his store. Every morning he would call down to his assistant, John!Yes, sir.Have you watered down the milk?Yes, sir.Have you colored the butter?Yes, sir.Have you put chicory in the coffee?Yes, sir.Very well. Come up for morning devotions!James says that such religion is useless. What God is looking for is the practical type of godliness which takes a compassionate interest in others and keeps one’s own life clean. As examples of pure and undefiled religion, James praises the man who visits needy orphans and widows, and who keeps himself unspotted from the world. In other words, the practical outworking of the new birth is found in acts of grace and a walk of separation. Guy King describes these virtues as practical love and practical holiness. We should put our own faith on trial with the following questions: Do I read the Bible with a humble desire to have God rebuke me, teach me, and change me? Am I anxious to have my tongue bridled? Do I justify my temper or do I want victory over it? How do I react when someone starts to tell an off-color joke? Does my faith manifest itself in deeds of kindness to those who cannot repay me?