June 7, 2014 Book
of James James 1:4-12
Introduction
Jas 1:4-12
NKJV (4)
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking nothing. (5) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of
God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to
him. (6)
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a
wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
(7) For let not that man suppose
that he will receive anything from the Lord;
(8) he is a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways. (9) Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, (10)
but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he
will pass away. (11) For no sooner has the sun risen with a
burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful
appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. (12)
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been
approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to
those who love Him.
Short review:
Jas 1:1 NKJV James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
Jas 1:2 NKJV My brethren,
count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Jas 1:3 NKJV knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience.
We talked about how Faith is throughout this
whole book of James and Deals with,
The nature of Faith;
We saw and will see that James stress upon
practical Christian living, rather than doctrine.
Paul told us in Rom 10:17 how we receive Faith, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God.”
Paul also said in Heb 11:1 “Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen.” from last session.
Faith is just the starting
point for a Christian
in our Walk with our Lord and Creator, Jesus, the Messiah.
Pick up where we left off.
Jas 1:4 NKJV But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing.
Perfect:
teleios, tel'-i-os; complete (in various
applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); completeness:--of full age.
Work:
ergon, er'-gon; toil (as an effort or occupation); by impl. an act:--deed,
doing, labour.
We are, by nature,
fretful and impatient. We rebel against
the Ways of God and want our own way. But he who learns to be submissive to whatever God permits glorifies Him who orders
all things according to His own will.
The goal of a
Christian is maturity
and the development of a strong
Christian character. Becoming
mature and whole,
no longer craving
for what God sees fit to withhold: this is real victory, but it requires
wisdom and strength of the Holy
Spirit living in us.
We need to be fully instructed, in every
part of the doctrine of God, and in his whole will concerning us.
Why, so that our knowledge and holiness may be complete.
We need to always Ask
in Faith
Jas 1:5 NKJV If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of
God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to
him.
We all lack wisdom.
All we have to do is ask for it. Knowing our need is the first
step to receiving what we need. Wisdom is not just acquired information but
practical insight with spiritual implications.
The
best means of attaining wisdom; thorough the practical knowledge of God and of
the Savior in the Scriptures, the Book of Proverbs is an example.
We
must apply this wisdom or principles to problems as they arise day by day. This
is why we need wisdom. Spiritual wisdom is the practical application of our
Lord's teachings to everyday situations.
Let him ask of God - Because God is
the only teacher of this wisdom.
Jas 1:6 NKJV But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,
for he who doubts is like a wave of the
sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Jas 1:7 NKJV For let not that man suppose that he will
receive anything from the Lord;
Jas 1:8 NKJV he is a double-minded man, unstable in all
his ways.
But if we make a request
in a formal manner without
the confidence in His readiness
to answer, we dishonor Him.
If we are not thoroughly persuaded that
if he ask of God, we shall receive, we become like a wave of the sea and always
in a state of continual movement; driven by the wind, and tossed: our attitude
is rose by hope, then drops like a anchor by despair.
To ask in faith
requires knowing that our petition
in is accordance to His will.
If this person prays for something or
someone, but not having faith, will they get answer.
Double Minded Man
The man
of God is not given to change. Continuously veering
from one course to another
reveals instability in our lives that lacks being under divine control.
This ties in all his thoughts and his
deeds and their life is directed towards God, the other to something else. There are just two ways of life, The Way of
Life or the way of death.
Jer
21:8 NKJV "Now you shall say to
this people, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I set before you the way of
life and the way of death.
The double-minded man heart is
not simply given up to God.
“He who
doubts is like a wave of the sea driven
and tossed by the wind.”
Pro 24:21 NKJV My son, fear the
LORD and the king; Do not associate with those given to change;
I have
seen this is close friends over the years, where they hear something and say it
is right, then hear from someone else, they then say it is right, then hear
from someone else and change again. They
had not really proved what the Word of our Lord said in the Scriptures. They become like the sea driven and tossed by
the wind.
Paul wrote to the Galatians
Gal 5:7-9 NKJV You ran well. Who
hindered you from obeying the truth?
(8) This persuasion does not come
from Him who calls you. (9) A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
There are many distorted teachings and heresies that
would easily throw the Christian off course.
Those who draw people away from the Christian faith are not innocently
misguided but deliberately deceitful and evil.
Samson is an good example.
We have an good example in the Scriptures
about a double minded man, that is Samson.
I think we know about the story about Samson. Samson was a Nararite.
Like John the Baptist, Samson
would be a Nararite from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:13-15). Normally, a Nazarite
vow was for only certain amount of days.
Only Samson, Samuel, and John the
Baptist were perpetual Nazarites; John the Baptist and Samson would be a
Nararite from his mother’s womb
A Nararite Vow.
- They abstained from drinking wine and strong drink;
- They avoided touching dead bodies;
- They allowed their hair to grow
As a side, It is so easy to
confuse Nazarite with Nazarene. Nazarene
is a city. Jesus was not a Nazarite: He
drank wine and He touched dead bodies.
His hair did not make him to stand out.
Two different things.
Why Samson, with the Philistines
· He didn’t take
his gifts from God or his work, seriously.
· Was bold before
men but weak with regards to women
· Empowered by the
Spirit of God, he yielded his body to the appetites of the flesh.
·
Called
to declare war on the Philistines, he fellowship with the enemy
· Tried to marry a
Philistine woman.
· He fought the
Lord’s battles by day
· Disobeyed the
Lord’s commandments by night.
· He ended up in
darkness, blinded by the enemy he was supposed to conquer.
· Samson was a man
of faith, but he wasn’t a faithful man, big difference
· he wasn’t
faithful to his parent’s teaching; or his Nazarite vow, of the laws of the
Lord.
· His strength was
a weapon to fight with and a tool to build with, not a toy to play with.
· He was a loner
· He never
“rallied his troops” to unite Israel to throw off the Philistine yoke.
· For 20 years he
played the champion, but not the leader.
1Tim
4:1-2 NKJV Now the Spirit expressly says
that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving
spirits and doctrines of demons,
(2) speaking lies in hypocrisy,
having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
1Th 5:21-22
NKJV Test all things; hold fast what is
good. (22) Abstain from every form of evil.
Changeableness is evidence of a weak (and,
perhaps, an inflated ego.)
The man who looks
to God all the time for guidance
will be certain
of his path.
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.
Jas 1:9 NKJV Let the lowly brother glory in his
exaltation,
Jas 1:10 NKJV but the rich in that he is made low: because
as a flower of the field he will pass away.
This is another example of a trial for a
Christian.
When 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 and rejoice in his high
position that is coming, being a King and Priest when Jesus returns to the
earth during the Millennium.
The lowly brother will be exalted - To
be a child of God, and an heir of glory.
Psa 25:9 NKJV The humble He
(God) guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
We should rejoice being in the hand of Him who makes no mistakes.
Jas 1:11 NKJV For no sooner has the sun risen with a
burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful
appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
All outward glory is only as the flower
of the field, and, like that, will wither and perish. Earthly
riches are destined to pass away, like the flower of the field
Isa 40:6-8
NKJV The voice said, "Cry
out!" And he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, And all its
loveliness is like the flower of the field. (7)
The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD
blows upon it; Surely the people are
grass. (8) The
grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."
If a
man has nothing but material wealth, then all his plans will end at the grave.
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
Jeremiah 9:23-24
NKJV Thus says the LORD: "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; (24) But let
him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising loving
kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I
delight," says the LORD.
We know
Personal property can burn up.
If our
wealth takes too much of our time, then we have less time for God.
Why,
because they have their desires on things other than the Way of Life Jesus
teaches, instruction and how Jesus lived his life.
Crown of Life
Jas 1:12 NKJV Blessed is the man who endures
temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has
promised to those who love Him.
How do
we show we love him, by obeying His commands, we cover earlier.
Rev 2:10 NKJV Do not fear any
of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to
throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have
tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. The Martyr’s Crown.
There are (at least) five Different
Crowns:
Crown of Life
(here)
James 1:12; and also in Rev 2:10. which we just read.
Crown of
Rejoicing
1Th 2:19 NKJV For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not
even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
Crown of
Righteousness
2Tim 4:8
NKJV Finally, there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only
but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Crown of
Glory
1Peter 5:4
NKJV and when the Chief Shepherd
appears, you will receive the crown of
glory that does not fade away.
Incorruptible Crown
1Co 9:24-27
NKJV Do you not know that those who run
in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may
obtain it. (25) And everyone who competes for the prize
is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown,
but we for an imperishable
(Incorrutible) crown.
(26) Therefore I run thus: not
with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. (27)
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when
I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Stop
Here – To be Continue
