James 2:1-9 Partiality

James 2:1-9
“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

Let’s play a little game I like to call “favorites.” It’s easy to play, anyone can do it. I want you to think about the people around you, family friends, coworkers, church members, whoever comes to mind. Then I want you to put them in two categories - those you like to be around and those you don’t like to be around. That was easy now wasn’t it. In fact it is probably something you have already done.

Well, James says just by playing this game you have already lost. In fact James says you have made “distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives.” I think that is the perfect definition for prejudice.

prejudice (verb) - to make distinctions among yourselves, to judge with evil motives.

In the church their is to be no distinctions, for we are all one in Christ Jesus. Sounds familiar doesn’t it. That is because Paul said it in Galatians 3:28.

It is interesting to me how James wants us to combat this though. He basically says, “if you are loving your neighbor like Jesus taught then you are going to naturally avoid partiality.” Amazing how simple it is to stop partiality and prejudice. Just love everyone around you and you will never be in danger of prejudice. However, James knows that won’t happen universally so for those who can’t bring themselves to love others he calls them what they are - sinners.

James 1:26-27 Religious

James 1:26-27
"If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

I don't really like religion, at least not as it has been associated to Christianity. Rarely does religion reflect the true nature of God and His son Jesus Christ. Religion says don't eat, don't touch, don't do. Religion has much to say about anything, and anyone. It seems some religious expert can be called on to comment on any news topic of note, usually to the offense of the world around them. I find it amazing that so much of what Jesus said was offensive only to the "religious" people of his day. I also find it amazing that Jesus is rarely concerned with what we shouldn't eat, touch or do. He is more concerned with why we do the things we do. If our religion is pure and undefiled it will be marked by two things: helping those in distress and keeping ourselves clean from the sin around us. Even unbelievers recognize this.

Unfortunately many people have this backwards. They think they are religious because they do good things. There are many religious and political groups out there that are putting the mainline Christians to shame with there help of the needy. That is something we as individual Christians need to work on. Our faith should cause action.

Jesse Ventura (Governor, wrestler, and Navy Seal) said once that religion is a crutch. The truth is that it should be. Not for the weak minded as he claimed, but for the weak people in this world. Orphans, widows, and others who are struggling in this life should be lifted up and helped along by those religious people who can help.

James 1:19-25 Doers

James 1:19-25
"This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Have you ever had one of those really bad days. You roll out of bed and you are already late for work. No time for a shower, just get your clothes on and go. Climb in the car drive as fast as you can to work run into your office drop off your stuff and then quick into the bathroom to do what everyone does first thing in the morning - empty out last nights dinner. After finishing you look in the mirror while washing your hands and notice your hair is not combed, you have pizza sauce on the corner of your mouth from last nights dinner and a booger is hanging out your nose. You have two choices you can fix yourself or walk away. Almost everyone would fix themselves.

Well today's passage talks about those of us who look into the mirror of God's word, see sin and disorder in our lives, but we never do anything about it. We just walk away and pretend everything is ok. Sure everyone else can see the sin in our lives and our relationship with God is nonexistent, but we go on with our lives like we never saw what the word of God has to say about our lives. To make matters worse, we now begin to avoid the mirror of God's word because we know that nothing has changed in our lives or in the word since the last time we looked. We begin a downward spiral into the depths of sin, shame, wickedness and depression.

It doesn't have to be that way. Early in this passage we read this:

"Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word..."

Clean yourself up, get rid of the filth and wickedness in your life like you would remove the pizza sauce and the booger on your face. Humble yourself enough to see the disarray and sin in your life. Accept what God is trying to tell you in his word and then do what you should, abide by the words of God, become an effective at doing what the word of God says.

This passage also includes two promises for those who do what the word says:

"save your souls"
"blessed in what he does"

So, read the word, compare it to your life, fix what you need to, be saved and blessed.

James 1:12-18 Persevere

James 1:12-18
"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures."

Do you ever look at life like it is a game? I think we should. When we play games we are actually focused on the end throughout the whole game. When we pass go to collect $200 dollars we don't throw that money into worthless places, we plan and use it to buy just the right properties so we can win in the end. When we have setbacks we don't give up, we keep trying until the game is over. We exhibit in our play the perseverance that is required to live out our Christian life. As we go through life we should have the end of the "game" in sight. Looking forward to our prize, the crown of life. Salvation. Victory is ours in Jesus Christ.

This passage even gives us a step by step game time instructions for avoiding those temptations that take our eyes off the endgame. First we are given a warning - "temptation is not from God." The truth is temptation is not even from Satan, it is from ourselves. We are "carried away and enticed" by our own lust. Those things we desire. Sex, money, food, whatever. We want them. We begin to focus on them, suddenly they are everywhere. We just want to sample them, but then we get carried away. We sin. Our lust gives birth to sin. The practical side of this should be simple and clear. If you lust after something in particular pray that God would take away that lust. Go a step further and avoid those things that you lust after. If you can remove or avoid the lust you will overcome the temptation. If you fail the end result is death. Remember "the wage of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).

The contrast is made here that God only gives good gifts. This is how we recognize where God is in our circumstances. Those good things, things that do not entice us and carry us away to sin are from God. The cool thing about this game of life is that the guy who designed it desires for us to win. He has planted free parking, and good chance cards throughout so that we can persevere. So we can win. For the believer who perseveres we have victory. We win. "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth." It is the will of God that we win.

Perseverance is an unbelievably difficult task unless you remember what the goal of life is - SALVATION!

James 1:9-11 Humility

James 1:9-11
"But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away."

Earlier this year my family experienced the tragedy of death. My 35 year old brother was killed in a bar. As we emptied out his apartment something occurred to me that I had overlooked in the previous days as we sat with him in the hospital. He was not planning on dying. He had laundry that was folded and not put away, a book that was half written, movies that needed to be returned. The truth of this passage had come home to me: "man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away."
With that knowledge the first half of this passage comes to life. The "brother" of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position. James most likely is referring to a believer when he says brother. So for the believer who is humble we have some promises.

Matthew 18:4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 11:11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

The rich man should not glory in how much they have, but instead on the things that humiliate or humble them. If a person of wealth can do this, then they will be exalted.

Matthew 23:12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."

The point of this passage in James is clear. The one thing that the rich man has in common with the poor man is death. Both will die, neither will expect it. Nothing is more humbling then seeing how powerless a person is to death. Suddenly things of this earth like wealth, fancy cars, and big boy toys mean nothing. Suddenly the only perspective that matters is an eternal perspective.

Decide now whom you will serve, the eternal God or the gods of this world (money, success, entertainment, satan).

James 1:5-8 Wisdom

James 1:5-8
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

If any of you lacks wisdom...

Hey, I have a list of people. Just send me 20 bucks and I will add your name. Ok, so I am a wise guy, but I don't think that is what this passage is talking about. This passage is talking about real wisdom - discerning right and wrong, truth from lies, judging peoples hearts and intentions.

Perhaps no better example of this is King Solomon. When God asked what he wanted Solomon's answer was "give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil" (1Kings 3:9). God answered and said, "I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (1Kings 3:11). That is where I find my definition of wisdom - an understanding heart to judge and the ability to discern between good and evil.

The best part of this passage is how easy it is to get wisdom. Just ask God. No studying, lectures, experience, age requirement or qualifying test. Okay, maybe there is one qualifying test - when you ask you must believe. This seems so obvious to me, but it has to be said. I know because I see people do this all the time. I get prayer requests on a regular basis from people who "don't believe in God." Seems like a waste of time to pray to a God who doesn't exist. I would never go to a McDonalds and ask for “potato oles” because I know they don't serve them there. Maybe that is why James describes people who ask with out faith as double minded, unstable in all his ways. They have the constant back and forth argument in there minds - is God real? "Of course he/she is, maybe, possibly, but probably not" So they ask not so much because they want the thing they ask for, but as a test. If God is real a medium “potato oles” is magically going to appear at this McDonalds.

These people are unstable because they don't have a rock solid foundation to stand one. As believers we have "the Rock" solid foundation to stand on. No reason to doubt, only ask and receive. So, what are you waiting for, go on ask Him. God is generous and he will give you what you ask for - if you ask in faith.

James 1:1-4 Joy

James 1:1
"James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings."

What title do you give yourself? James gives himself a pretty lowly title. He is a bond-servant. Most Christians think of him in grander terms than that, but with proper perspective we should be able to see the importance of his title. It shows a right understanding of his position in this world. He knows that his only purpose in this world is to serve Jesus Christ. No fancy title or self-serving description of who he is. He fails to include one tiny detail: he is the brother of Jesus! In the end being the brother of Jesus is not nearly as important as being a bond-servant of Jesus. He is a bond-servant, someone who serves his master because he is bound to and indebted to him. James position as bond-servant to the living God adds some importance to this letter. It tells me that James is writing this letter in the service of God. It must be important. The God of the universe has something to say. Let's read on and find out what.

James 1:2-4
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Joy? Maybe I am not reading this right, but I am pretty sure that told me I was supposed to count it as joy when I am having problems in my life. That is not normal. Usually when I am having problems I dwell on them until they consume my mind, leading me into a place of depression at which time I turn on the TV and watch some mind numbing show while eating an entire bag of potato chips and consuming large amounts of high caloric caffeinated beverages (Coke). The end result of this is a sugar imbalance that pushes me farther into my depression, adds to my waistline, devalues my view of my self worth and puts me in a poor mental state to deal with whatever problem I have. So tell me how I am supposed to have joy - please. Thankfully James includes that answer here. Trials test your faith; the more your faith is tested the more your endurance is built up. The result of this endurance will eventually be perfection. You as a believer in Jesus Christ will be complete, lacking in nothing! The picture is similar to that of an athlete. They spend hours every day working out, practicing, building their endurance by testing the strength of their muscles and their minds so that they can have the perfect body.

So the next time you are having a bad day instead of reaching for the remote and the Doritos, reach out to God and thank Him and praise Him for this little workout that is going to lead you to perfection.