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Into Thy WordJames Bible Study!

1994, 2004, 2005 Into Thy Word Ministries, Dr. Richard J. Krejcir, Pasadena,California USA www.intothyword.org

Introduction on how to use the Into Thy Word Bible Studies:

This is copyrighted 1994-2005 to Richard Joseph Krejcir and Into Thy WordMinistries www.intothyword.org however; you may use it for teaching the Wordpublicly and privately. More resources are available on our Website!

How we did this:

These Bible studies are designed so that you can role out of bed and lead aBible study; all the hard work is done for you! They can in turn teach you how

to develop your own studies, how to better understand and prepare youroutlining and teaching and of course to glorify Him. They are for the beginnerand for the seasoned pastor. They can also be easily converted into asermon series, thus you can use them for your Bible study, sermons inpersonal devotions, church and group use. See our online resources formore Bible studies and articles on How to lead Bible Studies and sermonpreparations. Also for a deeper engaging study it is best to do your ownoutline of the Bible passage. You should do this first before any outsideinfluence, such as commentaries that may stray your objectivity. See How toOutline on our website or better yet order our book Into Thy Word Orderthe book, 'Into Thy Word' with a 15-week curriculum!

The approach I took was Inductive, which is I asked primarily inductivequestions to the text, then I researched the word meanings, researched thecultural settings, checked with other scholars. Then I and wrote it out in aninductive format. The first part is the general idea, which is asking the questionwhat does it say: then the body of the lesson is the what does it mean aspectthen closing with the aspect, how does it apply.

The Essential Inductive Questions(for more Inductive questions see InductiveBible Study):

1. What does this passage say?

2. What does this passage mean?

3. What is God telling me? How am I encouraged and strengthened?

4. Is there sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed?
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5. How can I be changed, so I can learn and grow?

6. What is in the way of these precepts affecting me? What is in the way of mylistening to God?

7. How does this apply to me? What will I do about it?

8. What can I model and teach? What does God want me to share withsomeone?

How to use these Studies?

All you need to do is carefully read the passage, study all you can and useour outlines as your teaching notes. You can also use these studies forpreaching! Note that these studies are very comprehensive and you may notneed to use all that is there. Thus, you may desire to use what is relevant to your

people. Usually Pastors use all of the General Idea and the concludingparagraphs. Then they use the deductive notes where the bullet points are, asthey fit their sermon or Bible study. Then the same goes for a Bible study, youcan chose the questions that best pertain to your group, because you may nothave the time to use them all. The Questions mostly follow the order of theteaching notes and the application questions are at the end to make yourteaching easer, especially if you use one study for more than one session. Youwill find many online commentaries and numerous resources free on our BibleStudy Aids channel for further information. You can also use the questions tofurther your sermon by asking the questions, our answering them in your sermon.You can also use our article on How to Prepare Bible Study Questions on the

How to Study the Bible and How to Lead Bible Studies to develop more of yourown questions!

Remember these resources are free for you! Most ministries only sellthere materials, we feel we are doing what God has called us too, by goingahead and offering the best materials possible for free and seek support fordoing so. There is no obligation but please consider supporting our ministry if youare able to do so. As these materials have cost us a tremendous amount of timeeffort and financial resources that have taken us years to develop for you!

Feel free to pass this around to any pastor who is overseas or on themission field who may need it! We also have several Pastors Training Packsavailable in various languages on: How to Study and Teach the Bible, How toLead and Manage the Church and many more. As a missions and discipleshiporganization it is our call to train pastors and provide resources to Christians andChurch leaders all over the world. They may printout any information we haveposted, reproduce it, make the needed cultural changes and translate it. All weask of you is to keep us in prayer, keep the name of our ministry and anycopyright information on the resources, and tell other pastors what we have to
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offer. If anyone does translate any of our material, (and this is muchneeded!!!) please let us know and give us a copy so we can make themavailable to others in their language and culture!

If you are wondering about the theology at Into Thy Word, it is conservative

and Biblical! We are Spirit filled! We add nothing to the Word that is notthere, nor do we read into it what is not there! We are conservative ReformedEvangelicals who hold to the inerrancy of the Bible and the historicconfessions of the Church! Please see our Statement of Faith on the AboutChannel. Most of our people are in the Reformed Churches while others arewith Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, Calvary Chapel, Non-Denominationalplus many more; we share a passion for the Word and a heart for pastorsoverseas!

There are over 19 lessons! If you use them as sermons or Bible studies foryour church, it will take you five to six months!

Blessings

Richard Krejcir Ph.D.Into Thy Word MinistriesPhil. 1:6www.intothyword.org

First is an article on the background of James to further help you!

James Introduction:Background MaterialIf you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!Proverbs 24:10

James is a book about the application of our faith and the importance tolearn and grow in Christ. That way, we can grow in faith and maturity so we canapply our Christian character and conduct in how we are to others! The primarytheme running through James is the knowledge we are given by our Lord. Theknowledge we gain from our experiences in life must be rooted in our hearts so itcan bubble up into our daily life. That is, the knowledge that is in our heart musttransition to how we live our life! At the time, the Jewish statuesque and many

Greek philosophers believed that we are called to gain knowledge forknowledges sake. To them, its only purpose is that it improves who we are as aperson. But, there is no requirement to put any knowledge into practice, andsome even taught only a low-life person would practice faith. They sincerelybelieved knowledge alone was the way to spiritual enlightenment; they weresincerely wrong! James combats this terrible mindset that was starting to comeabout in his time and that has taken root in many churches today. Our knowledge
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must change over from our hearts to our hands and feet so it is integrated intoour life and church!

If faith has not changed you over, you will lead a life of problems, withoutpurpose and one of no distinction or betterment to yourself or others. Why?

Because, problems are a part of life. At any one time, a problem is headed yourway now, you have just gotten out of a problem, or you are headed into aproblem. So, we have to know thisproblems are coming! Problems are here!The question is not how to avoid them, as most will not be able tonor shouldthe question to ask be, why did this happen to me?Rather, the question needs tobe, how we are going to deal with them?The Epistle of James is about how tobe a Christian of faith so we will be able to handle problems and life while beingdoers of our faith. When we are being real with our faith, we will be growing,learning, maturing, and we will be leading a life of excellence to our Lords glory!

During the time of James, the church was at a crossroads of ending its

honeymoon period of being ignored by the religious leaders, so they weregrowing and feeling comfortable and good. They were still a part of Judaism andhad not split off form their roots. Now, they are being singled out and picked on.The persecutions were just starting; the two other Jameses in the NewTestament had been martyred, Steven had been stoned to death, and manywere leaving the faith because of fear. The Church was also starting to deal withthe human, sinful nature of gossip, strife, carnality, slander, doctrinal argumentsand power plays, so their faith was becoming useless and unproductivethethemes we still have with us today. The self-filled life and the focus on the will ofourselves was overtaking fulfillment in Him and seeking Gods Will (John 1:16;3:30; Eph. 1:23; 3:19; 4:13; Col. 1:19; Col. 1:25). James seeks to write an

extolment of Christ and an encouragement to the saints to look to Christ in faithand not to their circumstances. Thus, we will then be able to live a righteous lifeand be a meaningful Christian.

Many of the Apostles had gone far off in their missionary journeys asJesus called, or had been martyred, so James takes over the lead of the Churchbase in Jerusalem. Without the New Testament being available yet and theinstructions from the Apostles absent, a vacuum of instruction came into theChurch. James starts to write his sermons, based on Jesus teaching, to extoland encourage the Church. He writes like a pastor to point out problems,potential problems as well as sin, and encourage them to really follow Christ byfaith and make the changes in their lives so they reflect Christ. Then they will beable to do something with their faith that is worthwhile.

James is a book of unparallel distinction, with no counterpart incontroversy in the early church to the Reformers. It is a book that is unique, as itis not about the life of Jesus as the Gospels are, nor is it a treatise of doctrinesuch as Pauls letters, nor is it a prophecy as is the Revelation. Rather, it is a


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how to in practical living and encouragement for what lies ahead. It is more likeProverbs than any other New Testament book.

Perhaps the actual burial box of James. The Signature of James James, aservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ

Background Setting: James is primarily speaking to Jews living in Jerusalemwho are starting to face persecution. Given the period; it has only been a decadesince Jesus death and resurrection. The Pharisees had started to persecute theearly Christians. They Killed James the brother of John, then Steven, and Paulwas on the prowl to destroy the Church (Acts 6-9). The Israelites, of whom mostof the Early Church was made up, had a history of difficult circumstances, fromgreedy fellow Israelites taking advantage of them, to famine, and then to the

Romans coming and taking most of the rich peoples land away; and then, thingsgot worse. Many of the new Christians, after having a honeymoon period of thefaith and enjoying the freedom from the Law, suddenly scattered because theyfeared the persecution. Their faith was in circumstances and not really in thesubstance of our Lord. Many put their faith in the shallow end of the Christianitypool and had not developed the maturity, depth, or character to endure. Becausefaith was weak, the ways of the flesh sprang up; the gossip, slander, and strife,as well as spiritual warfare, abounded. Thus, James was addressing the socialtensions of the time and pointing people to take responsibility for their faithdevelopment by seeking Christ and not their circumstances.

Israel was under Roman occupation. The Romans had taken away manyof the influential families land and turned them into sharecroppers and intoforced poverty. The smaller families with the smaller farms were driven out ofbusiness and left destitute. This is the reason Barabbas rose up to seekinsurrection (Matt. 27: 15-26). What little land was left in Jewish hands was thentaken by Herod the Great, and the people were forced to work the feudal estatesand farms. Thus, the culture was angry, poor, devastated, and downtrodden.This caused people to gather in the market places to seek work, wherever and


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whatever they could get it (Matt. 20:1-16). This created an extreme sense ofresentment between the poor and the rich that escalated into forming Zealotgroups and violence. The rich had guards that would force their will by maimingand killing the poor (Matt. 21:33-46; Acts 21: 30-32), and the poor would rise upin gangs, resorting to rioting and political revolts by desperation. They had no

hopeonly anger. Since they did not have the money for arms, they lost.

One of the largest revolts occurred in 66AD because of grain shortagesand extreme corruption. The people rose up and attacked, and subsequentlymassacred the priests (many who were wicked and oppressed the poor) and aRoman garrison. Since this happened at the Temple, this led the Romans todestroy Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. this was called The Judean War.The remainder of the Zealots who survived gathered at Masada, Herodsfortress, and held out for three years until they were starved and killed in 73 A.D.Many committed suicide rather than fall into the hands of Romans, includingwomen and children. This was the big news while James readers were reading

this Epistle and perhaps facing a similar fate themselves!

James Epistle was copied and dispatched to all the known Christian worldas a handbook on how to endure persecution, model authentic faith, and beencouraged because Christ loves you!It was also a first century sermonresource to pastors!

Theme: Right belief equals right behaviors from a Christ-directed and faith-centered life. The theme is that the knowledge of what God puts in our heartsmust transmit into our daily lives. The key verse is, faith without works isdead (James 2:14-20). The principle theme is, real, authentic faith will

produce works to glorify our Lord. Faith, without any actions to prove it, isworthless and meaningless. Saved? Perhaps. But, what good are youclaimingto be a Christian and not doing anything with your faith!

James is more of a book of sayings that it is an epistle, (meaning, a letter)as it was not addressed or meant to a particular person or group, but it is also apractical discourse of wisdom literature focusing on moral exhortations, just likeProverbs. It is about personal responsibility by aligning ones beliefs to be rightso that ones behaviors are right. James uses the Old Testament, especiallyPsalm 15, as his background, and his exhortations are almost like a commentaryto it. James warns and encourages his readers that the sufferings they areexperiencing are only the beginning, and it will get worse. But, when our faith isin who Christ is and His work in us, we will have the confidence andperseverance to not only get through our trials, but actually persevere so we willalso learn and grow through them! As a result, we will be even better and moremature and then will be able to extol others for the faith. James then switches topractical, hands on Christian livingto control our attitudes and tongue, to belisteners, and to stay away from pride and sin. When we do such things, we willbe better able to grow in the faith and model the Christian life to others.


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James uses illustrations directly for the time and events the people werethen facing; he draws from nature and Greek Philosophy. James mainassertions are our relationship of faith and life, and that we must make ourChristian life real and meaningful; if not, it is worthless (2:14-26). James speaks

to both the rich and the poor (1:9-11; 2:1-9; 4:13-17), to persecutions (1:2-8; 2:6-7; 5:4-6), temptations (1: 2-4; 2:11; 4:2), handling our words (1:19-20,26; 3:1-12;4:11-12; 5:9), how to seek wisdom (1:5; 3:14-18), developing our faith (1:6-8;2:14-26), and enduring trials to benefit us (1:9-11; 5:7-11). James writings wereused by the early Church as sermon material, and often read in worship servicesand gatherings. James was a man who not only taught the way of his Lord, butalso lived the life of sincerity with evangelical faith and righteous obedience, amodel for us today! This Epistles destination was for the use, in the church inJerusalem, as a resource; then it was recopied numerous times and sent asletters to all the known churches there by courier.

Authorship: Who was the author of this epistle? Who is this James? Mostbiblical scholars contend it is James the Son of Josephthe half brother of ourLord and Savior Jesus Christwho was fathered from Joseph and Mary,whereas Jesus, His humanity, was fathered from God and Mary. The Epistledoes not give us the details of who James is; we have to research through thewritings of the Early Church Fathers as well as archeology, Church tradition, andtextual criticism. We know he was prominent and well known. The only prominentand well known James we know of from the above areas of research is James,the half brother of Jesus (Psalm 69:8; Matt. 13:55-56, Mark 6:3, Luke 24:10,John 7:5; Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:17-26; 1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 1:18-19; 2:9,12).There are four other Jameses in the New Testament, including the brother of

John referred by the Early Church Fathers as James the Less (Matt. 4:21; 10:2;Mark 15:40). This was James, the son of Zebedee, who was the brother of John(Matt. 4: 21-22). He was also a fisherman, and was a partner with Peter (Luke5:10). He and his brother John (the writer of the Gospel of John, three Epistles,and the RevelationJohn 21:20-24), were called the SonsofThunder, perhapsbecause of the hot temperament of their father, or of themselves, as supportedin Luke 9: 52-54. This James was the first of the Apostles to be martyred in 44A.D. (Acts 12:1-2). It is rumored that he preached in India and Spain beforeHerod had him beheaded (Acts 12:1-2). There was also another Disciple namedJamesJames, the son of Alphaeus, who was also referred to as, JamestheLess. Other than in the lists of apostles, little is known of him. He is notmentioned elsewhere in Scripture. The Jews later stoned him. However, theJames who wrote the epistle was also the main spokesperson for the Jerusalemchurch, first as an elder, and then as its leader (Acts 12: 17; 15:13-23; 21:17-19;Gal. 2:9-12). The brother of John and the other James were conceivably alreadymartyred by this time.

James, the half brother of Jesus, was curious and yet skeptical of Jesusuntil His resurrection when he was convinced and then converted (Mark 6:3;


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John 7:5; 1 Cor. 15:5-7). It is assumed he was married (1 Cor. 9:5) and he wasnot among the original twelve or perhaps only followed occasionally (Matt. 10:1-4). He was probably there at Jesus last days, helping prepare the Passover dueto cultural customs, and was there at Pentecost (Matthew 26:17; Acts 1:12-14).The Early Church Fathers call him James the Just, telling us of his

extraordinary godliness, integrity, and righteousness. He had a repetition for zealand prayer and was most known for his obedience. His nickname was CamelKnees because of his constant prayer and the calluses on his knees because ofit. Remember, Jesus was his half brother; how many obedient younger halfbrothers have you met? Eusebius and Hegesippus tell us James was beaten todeath with clubs and then thrown down the Temple parapet after witnessing hisfaith to the religious leaders and Pharisees (Matt. 23). He is credited for sayingthe same words of his Brother, Father,forgive them for they know not what theydo! There are no other known men called James who would qualifyby beingalive and by being leaderswho could have written this Epistle.

Objections to James, the half brother of Jesus, as the author? The Epistlesuggests a higher learning and grammatical structure that he may have hadaccess to. James, the half brother of Jesus, was uneducated. But, is this true? Ihave no idea how the idea that the disciples were uneducated and illiterate mencame about. In fact, the disciples had the equivalent of a college education, asthey attended school and were able to read and write well. They did not have thefurther formal education that the Scribes and Pharisees had, which wasequivalent to a Ph.D. of today. That is the reason the Pharisees looked down atthembecause they did not have their education and title, and they were notunder the care of another Rabbi (that they approved of)not because they wereuneducated (Mark 6:2-3; 11:27-28; John 7:14). But, modern research now

suggests that Ezra indeed did set up schools and most of the population, as inours today in the U.S., were educated to read and write; in addition, they weretaught to know the Torah. The Romans also set up schools where peoplelearned to read and write Greek, then, forced it as the official language. Theobjections the Religious leaders gave concerning that the Disciples wereuneducated is not that they did not know how to read and write, but rather thatthey did not go to their schools! This was a snob approach, such as saying heyyou did not go to Harvard? Then you are uneducated!Thus, James and all of theDisciples were more than capable to write such a letter and or had access toAmanuenses (secretaries). Paul, the most educated of all of the Disciples,dictated his letters, as did the very educated Josephus. James, being acarpenter, would have access to even higher education that was necessary forsuch a profession then. Galilee was not the backwards dump as manycommentators have espoused, and its near by city of Capernaum was, in fact, ametropolis; it was a large, industrious city which would also have afforded manyother educational opportunities. Thus, James certainty could have written it ordictated it.


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The further proof of is that the Early Church Fathers credited it to him.Origen (185-253AD), Eusebius (265-340), and Jerome (340-420) all state,without a doubt, that James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote this epistle. Also, thetextual criticism (examining the recorded speech pattern from the grammar andvocabulary in the writings of Acts 15:13-29) to the Epistle clearly shows author

agreement.

Date: Most conservative scholars give the date at about 44 to 50 A.D. and 60A.D. at the very latest; this is from the use of language and its colloquialisms,structure, describing of events prior to the destruction of the Temple as recordedin Acts 12, and before the events in Acts 15. James himself was martyred in 62A.D. by the high priest Ananus II, of which Josephus and Eusebius record. Themost logical date is 49 A.D., making this one of the first, if not the first NewTestament writing. The Early Church was just starting to be persecuted andJames purpose was to prepare the people for such further travesties andsufferings that will come but that have not come yet. Also, the great Judaizer

controversy is not mentioned or the debate of circumcision that came after50A.D. James pattern of writing is more like Proverbs and does not fit the genrestyle of the Gospels and other Epistles that set the later tone. James uses theGreek word forsynagogue as the meeting of worship and not church, thusindicating that the Christians have not spit off from the Jews yet, which alsohappened after 50 A.D. In 66 A.D., the war with Rome erupted, leading to thedestruction of the Temple. Such events would have been recorded. The liberalargument that it was written a generation or generations later just does not holdup to textual evidence or use of rhetoric. James use of rhetoric was in line withlocal and historical customs and use, and such rhetoric would be difficult, if notimpossible, to replicate a few centuries later, as some liberal scholars have

contended. It is possible that James was a collation of his sermons put togetherby a scribe later in time. If so, this does not take away from the actual veracity orthe date and author. The only difference would be when it was edited anddistributed, and this still would be prior to 70 A.D.

Destination: How James addresses the letter, and that the Gentiles are notmentioned, (as they come into the Church after 50 A.D.) are also strongindications for an early date (Acts 8:1). Thus, at this time, this letter was written toa church that was primarily Jewish, to the twelve tribes (1:1). Also, the mention ofassemblyormeetingin the Greek (2:2) refers to a synagogue. Furthermore,James uses the Hebrew term Lord AlmightyorLord of the Sabbath (5:4)meaning Lord of Hosts. Thus, the letter was intended for the first Christians whowere mostly, if not, all Jews. Fear not, if you are not a Jew, because the rest ofus have been grafted in; thus, this letter is for you, too (Rom. 11:17-21)!

Canonicity: In contrast to Matthew, that was the darling of the Church withoutcontroversy or argument, James was the most contested Epistle of the NewTestament, barely making it in the canon. This letter was not fully embraced bythe Early Church as Scripture. Many only took it as a set of new proverbs; since itwas not from an apostle, it was not theological enough and did not contain a


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significant amount of direct quotations from Jesus, so they saw it as a merecommentary that was profitable but not canonical. The authority was not inquestion, nor was fault found in it as with other Gospels that were not includedsuch as 1 Clement. However, it was not used much in the Church. Just as today,people did not like to be convicted, and James is a book about convictions!

People discredited it, but as time went on, it gained more acceptance. Eusebiusand Jerome put their stamp of approval on it; finally, in 397 A.D., at the Council ofCarthage, James was recognized as authoritative. Ironically, it may have beenthe first written, yet the last approved! What swayed them? They realized thatJames contains the very words and very thoughts of our Lord. See the outlinebelow!

Theological Value: The lack of theological value does not take away from theimportance, as James contains the application of theology. It is far more valuableto do what Jesus says than just believe and not do! Ironically, James doescontain a lot of theological value apart from faith without works is dead. It has a

good presence of the doctrines of God, as in His generosity, holiness,unchanging, goodness, sovereignty, justice, mercy, and His concern for us (1:5,17; 2:19; 3:9; 4:15; 5:11). James also gives us a Doctrine of Sin, its indwelling ofall humanity, giving of death, its anger, it is filthy, it blasphemes, it is prejudiced,bitter, lustful, its universality, evil, pride, and its oppression (1:14-15, 20-21; 2:7,9-11; 3:2; 4:1-4, 6; 5:4). Even though the Church was not formed yet, Jamesgives a glimpse of Eschatology (end times)the end of the Church; we will berewarded, our hope is eternity, Gods Kingdom is coming, Judgment will come,and Jesus will return (1:12; 2:5, 12; 3:1; 5:7-8). Also, Jesus is called God (1:1;2:1), we are regenerated (1:18), salvation is from Christ alone (1:21), faith that isreal will show fruit (2:14-26), justification is by faith alone (2:21-25), and our sins

will be forgiven (5:15). James, indeed, is a book of theological value andeminence!

The great Reformer Martin Luther called this a Strawy Epistle (meaningmade of feeble straw that does not hold up), because he thought it contradictedthe rest of the veracity of Scripture, especially of Paul and the Romans. However,with all due respect to one of the Reformations great heroes, he got this onewrong. James does not contradict Paul; in fact, they complement and dovetailnicely into each other (Rom. 5:1-5 vs. James 1:2-8). Luther should have saw thatJames enlightens us further to put more action to our faith. Luther was concernedabout how we become a Christian and James was concerned how to act likeone, so they are like two ships that missed each other in the night. However,there is no contradiction, because all three, Luther, Paul, and James wouldwhole-heartedly agree that real faith produces real works. James is not aboutsalvation; it is about holiness, as in living as a Christian. While other critics ofJames said he was about legalism, this, too, is not true. We are not forced tocomply to the precepts of James or Paul; rather, because we know God loves us,we should be grateful and strive to live a purpose filled life. And, Paul


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encourages and extols us to holy living as, of course, our Lord does in theGospels.

Genre: The type of literature is a Greek essay for exhortation called Parenesis.It is literally a series of short exhortation sermons. James is a book of exhortation

that is intended to persuade, incite, advise, counsel, and rebuke us whileencouraging us to be responsible with our faith. James is calling Christians totake their faith seriously and not recklessly.

James is perhaps based as a commentary from Psalm 15, andincorporates Classic Jewish wisdom, some Greek stoic philosophy, Greekrhetorical insights (indicating his higher education level) and some of his Bothersteachings (Matthew chapters 5-7). It is possible these were sermons and writings(proverbs) from James that were collected and turned into this Epistle after hisdeath, but this is speculation. It is more probable that this is a single, polishedwork from James to encourage and extol the Early Church and prepare them for

the coming persecutions. This is referred to as a letter-essay. Epistles, such asthis and of Pauls, were copied and delivered by messengers who also gave theintroductions, further explanations, purpose, and updated happenings. However,textual research clearly shows that this Epistle is polished and unified and isperhaps a single work by James that he drew from his own previous material likeany author does today. Keep in mind that paper and ink were some of the mostexpensive possessions and the cost would amount to several months of salary!That is why they are short and to the point! Remember, God uses thepersonality, culture, and words of the writer to convey His most precious, inerrantWord!

The Masada

Outline (James draws principally from Psalm 15 and Matthew, chapters 5through 7)

Chapter 1: How do we react to pressure? Faith will not break when it is real,even when times are dire. We are stable because who we are in Christ and notbecause of our circumstances.


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I. Trials are a part of life.1:1 Greetings1:2-4 Seeking Jesus to deal with problems! We can declare them joy(Matt. 5:11-12; Luke 6:22-23)

1:5 Seeking wisdom to deal with life; receiving from God (Matt. 7:7; Luke11:19)1: 6--8!Asking for faith and not doubting (Matt. 21:-22; Mark 11:22-24)

II. Temptations will come.1: 9-11 Humbleness, and seeking the proper perspective on life (Matt.13:6; 23:12; Mark 4:7; Luke 14:11; 18:14)

III. How will you handle trials and guard against impurity?1:12 Importance of perseverance (Matt. 5:11-12)1:13-18 Holding on to the goodness of God (Matt. 7:12; 19:16; Luke 6:27,

35)

IV. We have to be doers of the Word, not just hearers.1:19-20 The importance of listening (Matt. 7:11; Luke 6:46-49).1:21-27 Our call to be compassionate toward those who hurt (Matt. 25:34-36)

Chapter 2: When Faith is authentic, it will show it in our lives. We will have real,dependable love that transitions into respect for God, for others, and forourselves!

I. Favoritism and prejudices.2:1-4 Paying attention to what is important (Luke 12:21)2:5 The poor will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5; Luke 6:20)

II. Apathy and wrong mindsets.2:6-9 Love your neighbor as your self (Matt. 22:39; Mark 12:30-31)2: 10-12 Do not break the commandments (Matt. 5:19)2:13 Mercy triumphs over Judgment (Prov. 21:13)2:14-26

III. Obedience and action are the proofs of faith.2: 11-13 Faith without works is meaningless (Matt. 18:23-34; 25:41-46)2:14-26 We show our friendship with God by our obedience (Matt. 7:21-23,26; 21:28-32; John 15:13-15)

Chapter 3: When our faith is real, we will show control and humility. We will haveconstructive ways of being encouraging by our communication!

I. How we use our words reflects what is in our soul.


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3:1 Teachers are more responsible (Mark 9:38-40; Luke 20:45-47)3:2 We are judged by our words (Matt. 12:37)3:3-6 Real corruption comes from our mouth (Matt. 15:11, 18; Mark7:15,20; Luke 6:45)3:7-12 We cannot do both good and evil together (Matt. 7:16-20; Luke

6:43-44)

II. How we express our attitude shows how real our faith is.3:13-15 Bitterness and envy destroy relationships and opportunities (Prov.13:30; 27:4)3: 16-18 Blessed are the peacemakers (Matt. 5:9)

Chapter 4: When faith is working, we will be expressing patience. We will beable to handle conflict and strife and resolve the tough issues of life!

I. How we control our desires shows whether we want Gods will or ours.

4:1-3 Desires will consume us (Matt. 4:39)4:4 Spiritual adultery (Mark 8:38)4:5 Friendship with the world means being enemies of God (John 15 18-21)

II. Pride destroys4:6 God hates pride and loves humility (Psalm 49; Luke 14:11)

III. Humility shows our devotion4:7 Flee from the devil (Matt. 12:26-28)4:8 Submit to God (Matt. 26:39)

4:9 Laughter turns into mourning (Matt. 5:4; Luke 6:25)4:10 God is the One to lift us up (Matt. 12:17-20; Luke 3:16)

IV. We have no right to judge4:11 Do not slander (Matt. 7:1-2)4:12 Only God has the right to judge (Matt. 10:28)4:13-16 Do not plan ahead without God (Luke 12:18-20)4:17 We sin when we know Gods will but do not do it (Luke 12:47-48)

Chapter 5: When we are patient, we are persevering. We will have confidenceand hope in life whatever we face because who we are in Christ.

I. How we handle our money shows our devotion and what matters to us.5:1 Woes to the rich and to corruption (Luke 6:24)5:2-4 Wealth in time is all worthless (Matt. 6:19-20))5:5-6 Self indulgence is sin and is of no benefit (Luke 16:19-20, 25)

II. Patience perseveres our faith.5:7 Be patient (Luke 18:1-8)


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5: 8-9 Watch because Jesus will return (Matt. 24:33; Mark 13:35-39)5:10 The Prophets are our example (Matt. 5:10-12)

III. We are called to act with kindness to others.5:11 God is kind to us (Psalm 94:12; Job 1:21-22)

5:12 Do not swear oaths (Matt. 5:33-37)5:13-14 Meeting needs of others (Psalm 50:14-15)5:15-18 Power of prayer (Matt. 6:6-8; Luke 11:2-4)

IV. Our call to care and bring back those who stray from the faith.5:19-21 Our call to help restore the stray sheep (Matt. 18:15)

The final thought about James? Our short-term setbacks will producelong-term results that glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Psalm 15: A Primer for James

Using Our Faith To Live the Life To Which We Have Been Called !

Before we get into James directly, let us look at Psalm 15 for a generaloverview and a primer to the precepts we will learn and be challenged by. As aChristian, you should desire to grow beyond just being saved, right? Beingsaved is being justified by faith for what Christ has done for us. This assures usof eternal life, but is that all? Is there more to the story? No, for Grace; yes, forobedience! Saved? Yes, we are! But, what good is it if we do nothing with our

faith? This is what James is addressing. A criticism of Christians by secularistsand people whom the church has failed (those who have been hurt by spiritualabuse, gossip, slander, etc.) is that they are hypocrites; they like to take thecheap grace and then live their lives as if nothing that Christ did really mattered.The criticism goes on to say that many Christians just seek salvation like a fireinsurance policy against going to hell. Thus, their lives do not show any realcommitment to being a disciple. Character, fruit, maturity, and integrity seem tobe absent! James is a book of practical living, which challenges us away from

just being saved to where the rubber of our faith meets the road of life. It is ascary book because it requires a response, as does Psalm 15.

The opposite end of this coin of doing nothing with our faith is legalism--the forced practice of being good by means of a set of rules and regulations.Even though these rules may be good, they come from obligation and not from aheart of gratitude. Sanctification is not a part of legalism because the qualities ofChrist we are called to emulate are not present. Psalm 15 and James are aboutliving out a life of holiness, not because we have to, or we feel compelled byobligation; rather, because we want to please the Father, we want to grow inChrist, and we want to be empowered by the Spirit. It is not about receiving our


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salvation; it is about what we do with it once we have it. Does our life make adifference or are we just saved? And, if so, James and Psalm 15 say, so what!

Many commentators over the last two millennia have noticed that James isa succession of sermons based on Jesus own words and Psalm 15 (See James

Background Article). Psalm 15 is about righteousness and ethics. It is called anentrance liturgy about how we approach God in His Tabernacle, the tentdwelling prior to the building of the Temple. Priests were not allowed to approachGod in a wrong attitude or for personal agendas or with just ceremonies; ratherwith a heart of virtue (Lev. 10; 22:2). For us, it is how we worship and treat Godand how God desires us to be to others (Psalm 1; 24:3-6; 33:14-16), as ourpersonal agendas will cloud His work in us. This Psalm is a crucial image of howwe are to approach God and how we are to live our lives (Col. 1:1-8). It is atemplate to James, his life, his work, and his Epistle. It should also be ourtemplate on how we approach God and life with others! This Psalm is also anexcellent way to analyze to see if Christ is indeed working in you! Do you wonder

if you are really learning and receiving His Truth? Do you wonder if you are reallywilling, and able to impart His Word, Fruit, and Character to others, as we havebeen called to? Then, this is the Psalm to impact you, for you to memorize andlive by! This is the Psalm for the Christian who is real, authentic, and desires toglorify our Lord, model His precepts, and be impacting to others! These are thetraits of faith that will produce results in a life that is victorious and impacting(Phil. 1:6; 3:7-11; 4:4-9). Being wiling and able to develop your faith and Christianwalk will help, along with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, to build yourmaturity and character (Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Pet. 1:5-11).

As Christians who desire to grow in Christ and be more than we are now,

we must come to the point that we allow the search and conviction of the HolySpirit upon our lives to the very core of our souls (2 Cor. 13:5)! Once thishappens, the result will be more faith and more use of ourselves to Christ. Theresult for your church will be more focus upon His precepts and increased prayer,which will bring an outpouring of the Spirit and renewal! This will impact yourneighborhood and the world in which you live. It all starts with your determinationto encompass the faith He has given you and obey! What is stopping you?

The wondrous privilege we have is that because of Grace, we may beable to dwell in the Lords Sanctuaryand place our home on His Holy Hill. But,what good will it be if we do not show our gratitude and obedience for what Hehas done by living out His principles!

If you are wondering if you have growing faith and a mature walk withChrist or if you need the precepts to know what to do, the results of the formerwill be:

Walking with integrity and honesty, genuine and just to God and to others!

Worshiping, rejoicing, and praising Christ as Lord!


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Teaching Gods Truth with power, conviction, and clarity!

Restraining the tongue that reflects the soul!

Working and living for righteousness and truth!

Modeling Christs love to others!

Always humble, generous, gentle, and kind!

Not over-worrying, but trusting in the Lord! Committed to the importance and practice of prayer!

Speaking from the heart with love!

No gossiping, slandering or lyingor even listening to it!

Not doing evil or reproaching others!

Despising ungodliness!

Honoring people who fear and respect the Lord!

Not being influenced by power or positionof self, or of others!

Not being corrupt!

Not extorting, manipulating, or using people for false gains!

Not taking bribes or fighting against the innocent! Allowing the Holy Sprit to direct your life!

Swearing to ones own oath and keeping promises!

Those who do these things will never be shaken!!!

What are the results? Usually, when we treat others well they reciprocateand treat us well, too. These are the instruments used to determine characterand how one has taken in and used faith. These gauges do not lie. If theseprecepts are weak, functioning improperly, or not at all, then there is somethingdefinitely wrong and you need to get on your knees and into His Word. Without a

real, working faith, you will not be able to be used by God to build His Church!(Prov. 26:10)! Need help? Of course you do; we all do! I know I do! This is oneof the roles of the Holy Spirit. So, commit yourself in prayer to Him to strive withall of your strength and with His guidance to implement these principles!Remember, we will not be perfect; we will have times of failure. The call for us isnot perfection; it is to strive in this direction with all of our faith, mindset, andresources available!

Real faith will cause the above principles to work from you to those aroundyou! A real, called, mature Christianespecially a church leadermust followthese principles from a heart and a desire to please God, resulting from the work

of the Spirit within him or her. A pretender or false teacher in the pulpit will notexhibit these characteristics either publicly or privately!

Questions:

1. How do you feel when a Christian is dishonest or gossips to you? Why is thisbad?


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2. How well can you relate to these principles from Psalm 15? Are they realisticand practical for you, for today? Why, or why not? What do you think? Doyour thoughts mesh with Psalm 15 and the rest of Scripture?

3. Read Eph. 2:8-9 and James 2:14. Compare and contrast these passages.How do they differ? How are they the same?

4. How can your growth in Faith and Character impact your church?

5. Some Christians put their emphases on what they believe, while othersemphasize on how they are to behave. What are the values of belief andknowledge, and how does this relate to how we react in life?

6. Look at each of these Principals and answer the question, how have youapplied these to yourself, your family, your friends, your church, and people in

general?

7. Why would you or a church not want to follow these principles?

8. What about ways to demonstrate these principles to others around you sothat it affects who you are in your personality and deeds? In doing so, younot only hear what God says, but truly listen and apply His principles in allthat you do.

9. What happens when we are not following these or other godly principles?

10.What would be the characteristics of a pretender or false teacher? Would heor she model the above precepts? How would you know?

11.Our focus must be on edifying and encouraging. So, what can you and/oryour church do to make this a priority?

12.Which of the stanzas of Psalm 15 strike at you so that you need to deal with itin your own life? When, and how will you?

13.How will these principles be used to build your faith and church?

14.How can you improve your spiritual walk so you can be the person whomodels Psalm 15?

15.Can you think of other practical ways to demonstrate these principles in yourlife?


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Listening and not doing is wrong; but to obey what the Word of Godreveals in Psalm 15 is being a realdisciple! Because of Grace, we may be ableto dwell in the Lords Sanctuary and place our home on His Holy Hill, but whatgood will it be if we do not show our gratitude and obedience for what He hasdone by living out His principles? Remember the last verse: He who does these

things will never be shaken.

Let us use our lives for His glory so we point people to Christ with passion,integrity, and consistency!

1992, 2004 R. J. Krejcir Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.org

James 1:1-4 Seeking Jesus to Deal with Problems!

The general idea: James begins his Epistle in a very direct and blunt way. Hetells us that the key to dealing with our problems is to keep our eyes upon Christ,allowing Him to be not only Savior but also Lord. James is addressing the newChurch that was starting to become complacent when suddenly Steven wasmartyred (Acts 7:54-60). A wake up call is being pronounced that Christianity isdangerous and requires a level of faith that some may not be willing to give.Hardy anyone in the first century thought that becoming a Christian could bringloss and suffering, they were only seeing the liberation from the Law. James issaying that our faith is not to be cheap and he gives us a warning that trials arecoming so we had better be prepared for them!

For us to survive suffering and grow in maturity, we must have a real,authentic faith. Our eyes must be on Him as well as our trust and faith. God musthave us in Him, all of usevery aspect (Phil. 3)! Why do we need to allowourselves to surrender to Him? One of the reasons that James implies is thatproblems are not an if, they are a when! We will face problems; they areinevitable, unavoidable, and unpredictable, and no one is immune! How we dealwith them is crucial for our contentment and faith. We cannot deal with themeffectively without Christ as Lord! He gives us the attitude of joy and the ability topersevere! This attitude of joy is also a key attribute for an athlete in order toexcel on the field as well as for a Christian to grow in the Lord. What will you do?Surrender to Him or live unto yourself (Job 14:1; Psalm 34:14; John 3:30; 2 Cor.4:7-12; Gal. 2:20-21; 1 Peter 4:12)?

James simply tells us we can actually profit from trials. The key is for us tolook to Christ, not to our situation, and declare our circumstances as joy. We areto be content and satisfied, to face them, and then learn and grow from them.This does not mean to give up and do nothing; it means to refocus our energiesinto productivity and faithnot questions and bitterness. It is to have our
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convictions and fulfillment in Christ, not circumstances. So, when something verydifficult comes upon us, we will have the great comfort that God is in control andwill not allow us to carry more than we can tolerate.

Vs. 1 a: James starts out his book by massive humbleness in confessing who

Jesus is. James is so indebted to his Lord and Savior, that he calls himself aslave to Jesus. He is not speaking of one who is in forced bondage, rather onewho has been freed and still desires to serve Jesus with all of his life andstrength, to glorify Him. James realized that his life and purpose was all aboutwho God is, and not who he is (Psalm 15; 101; 2 Thess. 1:12; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter1:1).

James is a form of Jacob (Gen. 49) (see introductory article).

Bondservant, in Greek times,meant the lowest form of a slave, totally at themasters disposal and even expendable. They rowed the boats of war with a

whip at their back (Rom. 9:3). This is a profound testimony for James (1 Cor.15:3-8)! For us, it means total, surrendered devotion to the Lord; our will hasbeen sacrificed to God's will and thus we are totally at the disposal of ourLord (Acts 6:1-6; Rom. 12:7; Gal. 1:15; 2:20; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 2:8-3:13; 4:6)!

Vs. 1b: James desire was to communicate with passion, conviction, clarity, andtruth, the key essential issues facing them as Apostles, as Churches, and asfollowers of Christ. These are the same issues we have today.

Twelve tribes, refers to all those who are Jewish. At this time (and still in ours)ten out of the twelve tribes are scattered and lost. It can also refer to all

Christians, since, as Christians, we are spiritually grafted in as Jews (Rom.11:17-21; 1 Peter 1:1).

Vs. 2: We are to look at whatever situation we face and say this is good, this willbetter me, orthis will help me. I may not understand it, but I can trust God; He isthere and He will carry me through it!We are called to declare our situation,whatever it may be, as joy! Because, it is not a question of ifwe have problemsbut when, as we all will face them. There is no escape living in our corporealbodies and in a sinful world (Gal. 3:26; Col. 3:1-4)!!

Brethren means fellow believers, as a respectful and endearing greeting.

As Christians, we are all bothers and sisters under God. We are family, andneed to treat others in Him with the same reverence and endearment asChrist has given us!

Count it joyrefers to declaring our situation as happy and fulfilling. It is tochange our mindset and focus. It is realizing the sovereignty of God and that


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He is in control, even when life seems to be turned upside down and insideout!

Joy will allow us to enjoy our relationship with Christ, His creation, and others,regardless of our circumstances, with anexpression of delight and real,

authentic happiness that comes from and with harmony with God and others.(Psalm 32:7-9; Proverbs 15:13; John 15:11; 17:13; 2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Peter 4:13-19; Heb 10:34)

Joy helps us understand Gods perspective and gives us the confidence andpatience to endure anything!

Joy is not happiness, because we may not be content and pleased with it;rather, joy is hope; it is our hope. It is not a meager wish, rather theunshakable confidence in our future in Christ. Our pleasure comes fromknowing He is in charge and caring for us (Psalm 34:1-8; 1 Thess. 5:18)!

Trials refer to persecution, but can also refer to any harsh circumstance thatis not under our control, such as adversity or some temptations like lust andgreed (they creep up, but we can still deal with temptations). It also refers, inthis context, to povertyoppression that the poor experience, not as any faultof their own (James 1:9-11; 2:5-6; 5:1-6)!

Testingrefers to the circumstances that God allows so we will learnperseverance, produce our fruit, and prove and develop our faith further. Thisgives us our maturity, our character, and enables our fruit to benefit others.These are for our direct benefit and growth that He works out for our benefit

and for His glory (Romans 5:3; chap. 8).

We need to realize that we have no control over what happens to us at times,whether it be trials, suffering, setbacks, injury, sickness, or death of a loved one.We only have control of our attitude and response. We are called to choose todeclare our situation joy! We cannot change our circumstances; however, we canaccept them by learning and growing from them (Isa. 26:3). It does no good tocomplain, to fret, or to be angry or bitter, as these things do neither others nor usany good. All that complaining just escalates the situation and blinds us to ourability to be better and not bitter! Real, authentic, Christian maturity will grow as aresult of our problems. They will strengthen us and make us better, stronger, and

able to get over things faster and get on with our lives. Then, we will be able tobe of better use to God and to others.

Vs. 3-4: Our Lord comforts us with the assurance that when we go through toughstuff, even testing and trials, we will be better for it! Our setbacks and sufferingswill produce greater character and maturity in us; we will gain patience and ourfaith will grow and be strengthened. When we see Christ, we have confidencethat we will be complete.


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Patience is staying power. It is like perseverance and the endurance to notgive up; it is about actively overcoming our situationnot just sitting,accepting, and doing nothing (Hos. 2:19-23; Psalm 33:20; Matt.27:14;Rom.5:3; 12:12; Gal. 5:1; 6:9; Col. 1:11; James 1:3-4,12; 5:10-11)!

Stoic philosophy, popular then, states that we can control our responses butnot our fate. Thus, we have no choice but to be content.

Our faith and learning leads to our growth and development that further leadsto helping others in their situations (Romans 5:3-5; 8:28; James 1:14-15; 1Peter 1:5-7).

Patience will help allow us to receive and participate in Gods lovebecause it builds loyalty and faithfulness, as in the life of Hosea. It will take usbeyond our comfort zone, into an area we do not want to go. Yet, when we do,

we are better and more able to be used by God and to be available for others.Patience is not an excuse to do nothing, as it requires an action and a response;so, wait for the right time and in the meanwhile learn and grow! Patience islooking to hope and a time when there will be no more tears (Rev. 7:17; 21:4),and when we will fully realize the wondrous purpose for which God created us.Patience is not a finished product; it is a beta site. That means it is in processand waiting for updated design, refit, and then placement! Patience also needspersistence, to which this passage testifies (1 John 3:1-3)!

Applying His Precepts to our life!

There are two ways most people deal with trials; the first is to ignore them,and the second is to panic. The first group can think all they want that, well, thatwill never happen to me, but it will. The others can panic all they want, but panicnever solved anything. We have to literally change our mindset and consider thetrials as Joy. We are to take our lead from biblical considerations and the leadingof the Spiritnot the leading of ignorance or panic. This means we will see trialsfrom God's perspective and not ours or the worlds. Trials do not mean despair;they mean opportunity and growth. They have a purpose. They are not Godsoriginal plan, but are, however, the one we have now because of sin. Do notdespair; we have the assurance of God's providential care. We have theassurance of God's love, and that He is indeed in control!

Why do we struggle? To produce and enhance our faith, character andexcellence! If not, we produce despair from our callousness, carelessness, andlaziness. Just like in building muscles, it takes work. A bodybuilder or anOlympian needs to work out several hours a day several days a week to competeand succeed. A Christian needs to do the same in His Word; so, we can chooseto grow deeper in Him or not. Just be aware. If we do not, we will just sit on thesidelines as the game of life passes us by and the carnal life takes us over (Rom.


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8:1-11)! Our working out in our faith through struggle and trials means ourtriumph and growth (Rom. 8:31-39). No, we do not like trials; we never need seekthem because they will always seek us. However, for our benefit and othersencouragement and mentoring, we may as well let them teach and train us forour Lords Glory. Otherwise our impulsiveness and self-interests will distract us

from our Lord and His plan. We may just keep repeating the problem until welearn what we need to learn! If not, we gain nothing but despair, and how sadthat would be! We do not need material things and our ways fulfilled to make uscomplete. Jesus makes us complete. He is perfect and His perfection covers usand makes us whole!

James 1:5-8 Seeking Wisdom to Deal with Life!

The general idea: James is addressing Christians who are relying onthemselves and not really wholeheartedly seeking after God. He implores us to

literally beg for wisdom because we are empty in of ourselves. If we do not seekwisdom, but remain in our own thinking, we will be un-tethered like a small boatwithout an anchor in a storm, tossed and tumbled in the waves of stress and life.We will be literally unstable mentally, relationally, and spiritually without ourLords direction!

We, as Christians, need wisdom to take us through all of the avenues of life,especially through the hard times of stress and suffering. If we do not seekwisdom, we will never learn from our mistakes and experiences. We will nevergrow and, in fact, we just may keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.How sad it would be to go through a tough time and not get anything out of it! It

would just be a waste, an empty experience void of meaning or benefit to us, orothers around us. Without wisdom, we will neither learn His precepts nor haveHis wisdom and help. We will not be infused with faith; therefore, the ways of ourself and the world will toss us about until we drown in anxiety and despair. Ourlife will have been a vapor that had little meaning or benefita life wastedinstead of a life triumphant. What is the key? It is learning that our hope is in theLord, not in our expectations (Psalm 25:4-5; Mark 9:17-27; John 16:33; 2 Cor.12:7-10; 11:23-27; Heb. 12: 6-10)!

Vs. 5-6: We are to accept Gods plan for our life and then ask for wisdom to dealwith it, not seeking what we think or want, or what others who are less maturehave to say; rather, we are to seek God and His Word to give us the knowledgeto grow and to get through. God assures us that when we seek Him, He willrespond. When we ask for wisdom, He will give it to us! The key is to ask by faith.This is the confidence in Gods power that without doubt, He is there and He willhelp. For, if we doubt, we will not have confidence, and we will be tossed, by ourstruggles, to the point that they drown us.


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Wisdom is not just knowledge and information; rather, it is practical, spiritualinsight from Gods values and then application of righteousness and truth. Itmeans to be wise, as in understanding, to ask God for comprehension, whatHis perspective is, to cooperate with Him, not just asking why, but rather howwe can learn and grow. It is also a response of being godly, how we can

please God in character and maturity (Prov. 1:2-4; 2:10-15; 4:5-9; 9:10-12; 1Kings 3; Heb. 5:14).

Ask God, means to beg God passionately, realizing we are helpless and ingreat need. He is the source of wisdom and the One we are to go to for allaspects of life! He will grant our request as long as it is sincere and in His will(1 Kings 3:5-9; Prov. 2:6; Luke 11:9; James 4:2; 1 John 3:21-24; 5:14-15)!

Tossedrefers to being unstable, immature, and weak in faith (Eph. 4:14-16).We only become un-tossed by the Anchor of who Christ is in us, and pursuingHim!

Sea is a term that drove fear into Jews then; they did not venture into theocean, but relied on others to do that in fishing and commerce (Isa. 57:20).

Be given. Life is about pleasing God, not pleasing ones self! It is aboutabandoning our desires and focusing on Him! His plan is far better than ourdesires!

Faith is our object and loyalty. Christ is what we hope for; Christ is what is tobe seen! Faith is the promise of God that gives us the hope and confidence,so we can receive, act on, obey, and trust Gods promises because God is

sovereign and trustworthy. Faith will help us perceive the world by what itspotential is, not just by the suffering we experience and see. This helps us beimplanted with hope (Matt. 6:33; John 14:9; Rom. 12:2; Phil. 4:8; Hebrews11:1).

Doubtcomes when we are not exercising our faith. We will be consumedwith doubt and distrustthe opposite of Gods call and plan for us. We willlose our trust and hope that God is in control! When we do this, we will lose ormiss out on seeing God come through with His promises!

We may not understand our problems or ever get a reason, as Job did not;

however, we can still trust in Him who loves us and is caring us through! Do youaccept His caring? It is sad how so few Christians, when faced with problems,will really seek and rely on God. They tend to only see their situation, cowering inbitterness and anger, even aiming that anger toward God. They do not see thatHe is, indeed, in control (2 Cor. 4:7-12). Thus, many Christians withdraw intoisolation, bitterness, and denial, and avoid His true love and plan for them. Wehave to learn to learn; we have to grow, so we can grow. If not, we stagnate andour circumstances will sink us. We have been given victory. That is what the


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Christian experience is all about, our victory over sin and despair by what Christhas done on our behalf. If we do not declare the victory, we will only see defeat.Even though we already have the victory, we will be defeated!

Doubts should not derail us unless it is the Holy Spirit saying we are going in

the wrong direction. To know the difference, be in prayer. Take comfort; theimpossible becomes the possible in Christ (Matt. 21:21-22)! Doubt will hinder yougreatly in your service and growth in Christ; doubt can actually cancel out yourprayer and His work in you! We are not called to be perfect, as He uses ourweakness and failures, but doubt is like putting our shoes on backwards; we willbe uncomfortable, hurt, and not go very far! Doubt will greatly hinder us! We haveto see how much God loves and cares for us, so we do not need to doubt! Havesin and discouragement got you by the heel or throat? Seek out why you aredoubting; is there a good reason, or are past experiences and fears hinderingyou (Luke 11:10)?

We have to take the initiative to reach out and accept His Hand; allow Himlead you out. Do not try to swim by yourself, as the waters of life are too strong;the currents and tides of desires and wrong opportunities will overwhelm us.Anticipate what may lie ahead and prepare; this is James whole point!Unequivocally, we have to reach out for Christ and Him only! We can choose notto be bitter, rather be better!

Vs. 7-8: What we receive from God is good. What we receive from self andothers, with personal agendas that are not centered on God, will be bad anddistract us from our growth. If we are being real with our spiritual formation, wewill realize our need for Christ and our continual need for His wisdom (Matt. 5:3)!

Double mindedrefers to being unstable emotionally and in thoughts, like asplit personality orschizophrenia. It also means to be a person who has twosouls in conflict, two desires that cannot be reconciled, two masters who askdifferent things at the same time. This is I want my will andGods will. This

just cannot be!

Doubt, along with double-minded, is also a form of inconsistent living andhypocrisy, and is greatly condemned by God. It is saying one thing and doinganother (1 Chron. 12:33; Psalm 12:2; Matt. 6:24; James 4:8). This is alsoindecision! It is not being willing to make up your mind and go in the right

direction!

Unstable. We are called to make decisions based on Gods values and notour ideas or indecisions. How does our decision affect others? How is itrelational and beneficial to others and Gods glory?

Disappointments are the collision between our expectations and experiences,while ignoring the signposts of Gods promises. Our expectations will collide with


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our experiences and then create a wrecked life of self-pity and resentment. Or,that can lead to a triumphant life. The choice is ours and the key is where welook for our hope! This is about our circumstances and how we look at our Lord.How we see adversity and His sovereignty will totally affect how we learn anddeal with it (Phil 1:27-30). Unanchored stress and disappointments along with

detachment from looking to God, will take us away from seeing His signposts ofprecepts. Thus, we ignore Gods plan and this dumps us in the middle of atossed sea (Job 23:10; Rom. 5:3-5; 1 Thess. 5:16-18). We cannot just expectGod to get us through without any effort on our part. To grow, we have tostruggle and work it out (Phil. 2). It is the struggle that helps us; it is what buildsus and forms us. Without it, there is no growth or real impacting faith, honestcharacter, genuine patience, or maturity (Prov. 3:5-6; 20:30; Job. 36:5; Rom.8:28-29; 2 Cor. 1:9; 1 Peter 1:6-7). When we do not rely on God, we are, in fact,not taking care of ourselves by helping Him out; rather we are insulting Him!

The key is to learn to take your life and your surroundings as they are, and

then strive to build them to what they can be for His glory, not just as you wantedit. If our hearts and minds are divided between seeking God or seekingourselves, we will become double minded and unstable. We will becomespiritually and emotionally unstable and thus sink in the waves of stress and life!We will literally be torn apart spiritually and physically by our stress and worry,because we have not yielded to Him. Let go and let God; allow yourwholehearted devotion to be on Christ and not on yourself. God will not makeyour decisions for you; you need to seek His precepts and distil what is best forvalues and characters sake; then, He will enable us to form it and grow (Isa.26:3; Matt. 6:33)

What do I do when I am overwhelmed? Ask God for help; for He is able!Trust in His control! He is the God who can keep us walking above the waves,and keep us alive and going when we are under them! Go through His Word,seek what you are to learn, how you can get through, and for wisdom. If we donot learn, all those waves will just be a waste, and perhaps we will keep goingthrough them until we do learn (Psalm 142:1-7; John 7:17; 1 Peter 1:6-7). Do notescalate your situation by complaining, or distort it by denial, bitterness, orisolation! Do not be dumb, trapped in your own anger and regret. Be smart; be aChristian who learns and grows and who is committed to obedience, spiritualgrowth, and maturity. Instead of moaning, seek His grace to solve the situation!Do not blame, or seek fault in others or yourself; rather, get on with life and yourcommitment to Christ. Allow His amazing work in you! Resistance to God, ourbad attitudes, and anger only cause us more harm, choosing for ourselves to betossed by the seas of life without hope or purpose. Let Christ be your anchor, orelse you will drown and your life will be a series of wasted opportunities. Whenyou could have and should have grown, you will have squandered His call andput your energies into complaints, and your mindsets and attitudes into bitternessand anger. We need to come to the point that we trust in the Lord, regardless of


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how good or how bad life is, for it is temporary. What we learn will be eternal(John 7:17-18)!

The Essential Inductive Questions (for more Inductive questions see InductiveBible Study):




4. Is there a sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed?

5. How can I be changed so I can learn and grow?




Additional Questions:

1. Are you impulsive? Why and how so? How does this benefit your personallife? How can it distract you from growing in faith? What would be a healthyBiblical balance for you to be free and spontaneous yet be pious and relianton Him?

2. What is not right in your life that needs wisdom and attention from God?

3. What causes you to be unstable? What do you need to do to become morestable and to have an Anchor for the storms of life?

4. How can you become more confident that God gives us the plan and thevictory?

5. What do you do when you are overwhelmed? Because of this passage, whatwill you do now?

6. Why do Christians need wisdom to take us though the avenues of life? Whathappens if we do not seek wisdom? How will never learning from ourmistakes and experiences affect us as well as others?
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7. How would you define Wisdom?

8. How do you make decisions? How can this passage help you be moredecisive?

9. How does Faith give us the promise of God, hope, and confidence? How willyou receive, act on, obey, and trust in Gods promises?

10. What happens when Doubt comes into your life? What will you do about itnext time it happens?

11.How can you better deal with your expectations and experiences so they donot turn into disappointments?

12.How can you learn to take your life and your surroundings as they are, and

then strive to become what you can be for His glory, not just for what youwant? What would your life be like then? How would you benefit others?

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because hetrusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rocketernal. Isaiah 26:3-4

James 1: 9-11 Seeking the Proper Perspective on Life!

General idea: This passage is about our eternal perspective! James premise isto move us to more maturity by moving our mindset away from false beliefs andideas. What we tend to pursue, in our desires in life, is meaningless against thebackdrop of seeking faith and the call that Christ gives us. How do we keep onHis track? Perspective! Perspective is the mental view or outlook of what we seein our world, our circumstances, our situation, and our Lord. The reality andoutcome of our viewpoints influences our beliefs that in turn influence our attitudewhich affects our actions. This is also called worldview. It is a position which willdramatically and dogmatically affects our outcome in trials and in life. How doyou look at the world? Is it for what you can get out of it and what is in it forme,or is it for what you can learn and grow? The answer will determine yourcharacter, maturity, spiritual growth, how you deal with problems, and how youcan make your situation positive and meaningful! Without proper perspective, wewill be torn apart by our desires and the worlds influence, while our faith andGods precepts are being ignored.

Perspective is also the hope we are to have because of the reality of Christsredemption. Our hope is anchored because He paid our debt. Because of this,we will realize that He is more than able to carry us through whatever happens to


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(Federalist Papers)! Riches can also mean being self-focused. Being self-focused will never gain us a thing of real meaning.

Humiliation refers to being poor socially and financially because of oppressionby others or themselves.

The O.T. and Jewish wisdom literature both tell that riches fade, and thatGod vindicates the poor and oppressed. God will judge the oppressor harshlyespecially those who have yet do not share with those who do not have(Psalm 102; Isa. 40:6-7).

Take comfort that God does not take us through trials to punish us,although He may at times (Rom. 1:24). Rather, He takes us through thembecause they are a part of life. They are a part of our sinful nature, the sins ofothers impacting and converging upon us, wrong choices, and our sin allcongregating, building in synergy, and affecting allus, others, and our

environment. So, we will face suffering! The great news is we do not face italone; Jesus is there! He will take us through it even if He does not take us out ofit. He will even use us to help others around us. So, never consider trials andsetbacks as a personal attack from God, but, rather, opportunities for you to learnand grow, and to be better, stronger, and more mature!

Our perspective is eternity. When we see our life here on earth as a mererehearsal, and how to learn and build to what is to come in eternity, we can bebetter prepared to face anythingeven dire situations and death, because oureyes and attitude are in Him and not our circumstances! If we do not learn in ourtrials and circumstances, they will be a waste. We need to seek their purpose

and allow them to better us and not bitter us! When we trust in Christ, we will beallowing ourselves to learn from suffering and not take our blessings for granted.

Vs. 11: Poverty, in this context, is referring to a trial that we can overcome. Richpeople have their problems as poor people do. Money really does not bringsatisfaction; it only takes a person from one set of problems to another. Beingeither rich or poor will bring trials and circumstances we need to learn from andovercome. Thus, our focus needs to be on Christ and not wealth. Christ, whosaves us, is the same Christ who is there for us and gives us our significanceand hope. Being in Christ means our social structures have been obliterated(Gal. 3:28).

Burning heatand scorching windrefers to the Sirocco (not the VW sportscar, rather the hot winds that came during the summer from the desert intothe Palestine area). They were devastating to crops and peoples health. Thescored crops were useless as food so they were used as kindling for fires forthe cold winter ahead.


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Wealth is never a proof of Gods work or blessings, only growth in Him is.Wealth is a not wrong; it is only a mere tool. However, it can also be a deadlydistraction! Wealth does not bring real security or contentment; it only bringsmore trials and obstacles! James is condemning the Jewish Aristocracy thatsaw material blessing as a sign of Gods blessing. This is not so!

When we realize who we are in Christ, all of our problems andopportunities come into perspective (1 Pet. 1:6-7). We need to realize where oursecurity is placed; is it in stuff that will rot, or in Christ, who loves us and iseternal? We should never trust in wealth and what is temporary when we canhave so much more in Him! We need to admit we cannot get out of trialsourselves by just working harder; we have to realize Christ is willing and able tohelp us! He cares! Go to Him with all honesty; do not make up situations, edit, ordistort them, for He already knows. Seek Him, His perspective, and His wisdomto give you understanding, skills, opportunities, forgiveness, Fruit, the help ofothers, attitude update, counseling, or whatever it may be. Then, do what He

reveals to you that you should do (Prov. 2:6; John 7:17).

God gives us the plan and the victory. We may not see it at times, but,nonetheless, victory is there, because victory comes from being obedient. Ourkey to growing as well as to reaching others for Christ is our patience while werely on Gods power (Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:16-18)! God gives us His Spirit andHis power in love, and we are to take that power of love, with the care andcompassion that God gave us, and present it as a tender mercy (Luke 1:77-79;Colossians 3:12-17). This is what God does for us and calls us to in our dealingswith others, whether poor or rich! The love will be the power, as when the Spiritintercedes in the lost soul (John 6:44-45; 64). They will see your efforts of care

and consistency (John 13:34-35), and they will see His Fruit in you (Galatians5:22-23)! Your growth and experiences while coming out of trials will be theevidence of Christs power! Your ability to be a Christian who realizes that youare a witness to the Light of Christ will be the light that impacts others. Yourreliability in being a light to those who are weak in Him or do not know Him will bethe essence of Christ that others may see in you (John 1:6-9; 1 John 1:7)!

What is our benefit of perspective? Perspective will focus upon Christ asLord, the One to carry us through. This will infuse with our spiritual formation andpersonal growth. When we are growing, we are becoming more mature in Himand then being contagious with our faith. We will then be able to witness because

we will have something to say and something to model that people will want.Everyone hurts; everyone needs help! When we are growing, we will become thechurch that Christ designed, mobilized in Him to be welcoming and connective toothers for Him. This is the church triumphant! Let us, as the church triumphant,adhere to His call and follow. Apply your faith! Watch yourself succeed and growand be contagious to others (Psalm 16:11; 107:09; Isa. 26:3; John 14:21; Gal.5:16; 22-23; 1 John 1:7-9; 3 John 4)!


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Put yourself in Jesus hands, and then your heart will be on Him and noton what you desire. You will then be the person of faith and integrity who issurrendered and poured out to Christ and will be used, powerfully, in the lives ofothers (John 3:30; Gal. 2:20-21; Phil. 3:10)!

The Essential Inductive Questions (for more Inductive questions see InductiveBible Study):




4. Is there a sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed?

5. How can I be changed so I can learn and grow?




Additional Questions:

1. As you look back on your life, do you see good times or bad times as moreprominent?

2. How would you describe your perspective on life; what is God doing in youand through you?

3. How important are your perspectives and viewpoints on life? Are youconfident that you are right? How so? What would cause you to change yourviewpoint on a particular subject?

4. How does your world-view influence your beliefs and actions? How does itaffect your outcome in trials and in life?

5. Have you realized yet that how you deal with trials will determine yourcharacter, maturity, and spiritual growth? Have you realized that how you dealwith problems can make your situation positive and meaningful? How so? Ifnot, what is in the way?
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that God is indeed good. He is there for us! He does not bring harm to us; ratherHe helps lead us out and away from sin and harm. He will take our temptationsand turn them into His great glory. Because of this, we will wear an inconceivablecrown all through eternity. Therefore, since God is good and we have a reason togo through what we go through, then we can resist temptations. In fact, we can

stop blaming God and others, and take responsibility for our temptations. Then,we can come to a place where the evils and ways of the world will no longerinterest us! Why? Because. Christ is formed in us, and He becomes greater thanour desires (John 1:29; 3:30; Gal. 4:19).

Vs. 12: James jumps off one of Jesus Beatitudes; he tells us how happy weneedto be because happy is what we oughtto be. Keep in mind that truehappiness is like joy; it is not constrained to our circumstances. Rather, it isdetermined by how we choose to respond in attitude and will. How and why canwe be happy? Because God loves us and cares for us, we can respond to Hisprecepts and apply them to our lives. Abiding in His will brings happiness; but,

living outside of it brings doom and gloom. He does not bring it; on the contrary,we bring it by our disobedience, by being self-willed and not Christ-willed. Theresults of realizing we are approved by God will bring perseverance that buildsour maturity, character, and faith.

Blessed is orhappy is, refers to an emotional state of satisfaction, well-being,and contentment that results from being approved by God, by our fulfilling ofour duty. God is happy when we do not give up. So, let us persevere andlearn that He is happy when we do not give into sin. It is devotion, enjoyingGods special favor and His Grace working in us. It is like being told by ourparent/father that He is proud of us. This is also a prophetical oracle (Psalm

1; 32:2; 34:8; 84:12; Isa. 56:2; Matt. 5:3-11; 17:7).

Endures orPerseveres means one does not give up. It is similar to patiencewithtolerance of and fortitude to others added on. It means even acceptingdifficult situations from them and God without making demands or conditions(Matthew 27:14; Romans 12:12;James 1:3). It is the possession of innerstrength needed to remain in Christ along with staying power in order toaccomplish God's will. Thus, we can have confidence in Him and not be faintwith our call or situation so we are able to persist and continue to deal withstress in order that we can accomplish that to which God calls us.

Temptation, Tempted, orTesting, in this context, does not refer to tempting.To tempt usually means to lure someone by deceit or enticement to sin; testmeans to see if it is good. Here, it refers to our inclinations to either lean onGod or on our apathy. To the Jews, this meant poverty, famine, or oppressionfrom either the government or the rich. And, many did. But, God does nottempt us in this way! He does test us, as in Jesus example; God tested Himwhile Satan tempted Him (Matt. 4:1-11). We do not get even with God nor do


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we have the right to do so, because He is not causing our situation. He,rather, desires that we learn and grow from it, and then get out of it.

Approvedorstood the testis a term meaning to test a precious metal, suchas gold, to make sure it is genuine. It means we overcome the obstacle. God

sees if we are genuine and real, such as, is our faith real all the time or is itreal only when we feel like it. God looks for authenticity; Satan seeks to get usin trouble (Rom. 5:1-5; 1 Cor. 13:13; 1 Thess. 1:3).

Crown of life is the prize given to a winning athlete. It was usually a wreath ofwoven olive leaves the athlete won, and was valued more than a gold medaltoday. The value is not in the substance of the medal, but, rather, in itsmeaning and the achievement. When we endure, we win too! We arevictorious when we endure struggles (Psalm 16:11; 25:4-5; 119:30; Rom. 5:3-5)!

Promises refers to our place in eternity and for a higher quality of life now.The catch? We have to receive Christ first (John 3:16; 5:24).

James Jewish audience saw temptations as testing, as many frustratedChristians do today. They saw God as the One who caused the evil or allowedthe suffering. So, they saw their distress as opportunities to sin, thinking, well,what worse could happen orGod does not care. Look what He has done to me.The Jews then, and some people still today, thought that God was causing themto sin merely for His own amusement or for some purpose that was notunderstandable. The fact is, we choose to sin. Period. God does not tempt us tosin. Sin comes from our choices and those of others conflicting on ours. God

seeks that we avoid them and thereby grow in maturity. James is making thepoint that we need to be responsible with temptations and avoid themnot toblame God or others. The Christian life is also about being responsible! We haveto realize we are responsible for our welfare, the choices we make, and theconsequences from such choices. God will get us through them even when wemess up; this is His love and grace for us. But, why get ourselves in a badsituation and have to face repercussions from our actions (Rom. 6:1)?

Vs. 13-16: The Jewish people, at that time, thought God had bad motives (attimes), was callous, or was unconcerned with them, personally. Some Christianstoday also think this way. Some think He tests us to cause us to fail or to suffer

needlessly. God does test us by bringing us into situations where we can learnand grow. But, James point is, He does not tempt us to cause us harm nor doesHe seek to cause us failure. Rather, Gods desire is for us to persevere and bevictorious in Him (Gen. 11:1-f; Deut. 8:2; 13:3; Judg. 2:22). It is Satans motive totempt and cause us harm, cause us to fail, and cause us to be immoral so Godscharacter is not seen in our personal lives (Job 1:9-12; Matt. 13:19; James 4:7; 1Pet. 5:8). Although, in this context, James is focusing on the human element; hetakes on spiritual warfare in chapter four.


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Temptedis what the Israelites did to God in the Old Testament (Num. 14:22;Psalm 78:18, 41, 56; 95:9; Mal. 3:15), deliberately sinning by disobeying toinvoke His anger. They used sins such as pride, greed, lust, and sexualimpurity, showing themselves to be callous and unconcerned with truth or the

true benefit of self and others. God cannot be tempted, nor does He have anymalice or evil; therefore He will not direct any malice to us!

Desires is to seek out and entice yourself or someone else to sin by trickeryor aspiration; this is a form of lust, an evil impulse we all have. God has noevil or impulse to cause us to sin. This is the role of Satan, not of God. God isworking His plan of redemption to save us, not destroy us.

The fact is, Satan does not tempt us just so we can do the wrong things inlife or so we can gain more in what we feel is owed to us; rather, he tempts us sowe can lose more! It is his desire to block or take away what God has given and

what God has for us in future opportunities, experiences, relationships, andministry. We tend to want to make the world a way that will please us, and notseek how we can please Christ and thereby, by this mindset, make the worldbetter. Our focus tends to be on Satans ways and not Gods way; while we willfight with all of our might and say this is not so, it still is. Our focus needs to be onthe victory we have in Him and the perseverance we earn, not the desires wemay have or the defeat we may feel.

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