Sermons

Isaiah 53:4-8
4 He took our pain and bore our suffering.
5 He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way: and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away. Yet who of His generation protested? for the transgression of My people He was punished.

Psalm 22:14-18
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within Me.
15 My mouth is dried up and my tongue sticks to the roof of My mouth; you lay Me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround Me, a pack of villains encircles Me; they pierce My hands and My feet.
17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over Me.
18 They divide My clothes and cast lots for My garment.

We all know Jesus was crucified…but…few realize the pain and ugliness associated with crucifixion…two thousand years has desensitized us of how gruesome crucifixion was.

Do a search on Google for images of Jesus’ crucifixion…most images of Jesus on the cross are petty mild…some have nails driven through His hands and feet…which hardly caused any bleeding at all.

People have become calloused to the excruciating pain that Jesus endured that Good Friday…it’s just a matter of ‘ho hum’ …the brutality experienced by Jesus that day has become just a matter of ‘yea it happened’.

Crucifixion was invented by the Persians 400 years before Jesus was born and is generally considered the most painful death ever invented by humankind.

Because it’s such a slow and painful death the English language derives the word ‘excruciating’ from the word crucifixion.

Roman crucifixion was not only painful but it was designed to cause the most gruesome…humiliating…and inhumane death as possible…it was carefully orchestrated to produce a slow death with maximum pain.

In the first century this form of death was reserved for only the worst of criminals…in fact crucifixion was so hideous that Roman law prohibited Roman citizens from being crucified…except under only the worse crimes… the reason Paul was not crucified.

Crucifixion was a means of extermination…it had as its express purpose to eliminate victims as members of the human race.

If a first-century Roman soldier was to walk into a Catholic church today he’d be shocked to see such a hideous instrument of capital punishment as something worshiped.

I say a Catholic church because traditionally…historically…Baptist churches don’t have statues…or a crucifix.

I don’t think we can relate to the Passion of Jesus…we’ve all had a bad day at work…we deal with health issues…being hurt by a family member or friend… we all know how annoyed we are when we suffer even the slightest pain…a splinter in our hand…hit your finger with a hammer…but to really grasp the nature of Jesus’s sacrifice you need to picture its full tragic reality.

That video depicted just the pre-crucifixion part of what Jesus endured.

For Jesus it was a long 24 hours of abuse that started after His arrest in the Garden Thursday evening after the Last Supper.

It was the fulfillment of His own prophecy concerning how He would suffer and die. [Matt. 16:21].

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

From Thursday night until Friday morning Jesus was subjected to six trials… three religious…and three civil…interesting…in all three Roman trials Jesus was proclaimed innocent…His only charge was:

You being man, make yourself God [John 10:33]

The Six Trials of Jesus:
Three Jewish religious trials where he was proclaimed a sinner:

1. First Religious Trial (Jewish): Annas, Jn.18:12-14.
2. Second Religious Trial: Caiaphas, Mt.26:57-68
3. Third Religious Trial, Sanhedrin, Mt.27:1-2, Lk.22:63-71
   Three Roman Civic trials where Jesus was proclaimed innocent.
4. First Civil Trial (Roman): Pilate, Jn.18:28-38… Decision: Not guilty.
5. Second Civil Trial: Herod, Lk.23:6-12… Decision: Not guilty.
6. Third Civil Trial: Pilate again, Jn.18:39-19:6. Decision: Not guilty
   —————————————————————–
   His first trauma began right after His arrest when He was taken before Caiaphas the Jewish High Priest…there a soldier strikes Jesus across the face for not answering Caiaphas’s question.

The palace guards then put a blindfold on Him and began pulling out His beard while continuing to strike Him in the face.

By early Friday morning Jesus…battered…bruised…dehydrated…and exhausted is taken across Jerusalem to the Roman seat of government …a walk of approximately two and a half miles one way from Pilate to Herod and then back again…after a 5 mile walk he is pronounced for the third time ‘not guilty’ …but regardless

Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified…[John 19:16]

This is where the Romans took over…Pilate orders Jesus to be flogged as required by Roman law before crucifixion.

These guys were specialists…they were trained to cause maximum pain without allowing the accused to pass out or die…it was an art.

The condemned were stripped naked in order to die with as little dignity as possible while mocking and jeering was encouraged…it was a form of entertainment.

The Romans would begin by using sticks to beat the condemned…then a scourging whip was used next…a leather whip that had iron balls tied near the end with sharp bones attached to the leather.

When hit the metal ball would cause serious bruising or contusions while the sharp bones at the end would cut into the skin causing deep lacerations.

Interestingly…Jewish law prohibited any one to be struck more than 40 lashes which is why Paul several times received 39 lashes…but the Romans made no attempt to follow Jewish law and was probably the reason why Jesus received many more than that.

Imagine the tremendous physical pain and suffering in being beaten by a Roman scourging whip to the point of either passing out or dying.

He was then forced to carry the horizontal portion of the cross to His place of crucifixion…often times Jesus is pictured carrying the entire cross but the accused carried only the horizontal piece…the vertical piece remained in the ground permanently.

The accused was made to carry the crossbeam…weighing about 100 lbs., from inside the city to a location outside the city where they were to be crucified.

We can imagine how difficult it would be for a man at full strength to carry that crossbeam for any distance…let along someone having spent a night of being brutally beaten…as such He is unable to carry the cross…so Simon of Cyrene is forced to assist (Matt. 27:32).

By this time Jesus’s physical condition had become critical…severe blood loss, exhaustion…dehydration…caused Jesus to be undoubtedly in shock.

In the politically correct 21st century we live in we shy away from the graphic images of Christ’s crucifixion…it’s repulsive…for many the Cross is little more than a religious symbol.

…but it’s a reminder that on the Cross God put on Jesus the punishment we all deserve…theological term is called propitiation.

In the 5,000 year history of mankind three events stand out against all others.

First— the crucifixion of Jesus…which was both the greatest crime committed in the history of mankind…and the greatest supreme act of sacrificial love in the history of mankind.

Secondly — what separates Christianity from the other 4000 religions in the world…was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Thirdly — the only time in eternity when God the Father and Jesus the Son were separated…at the Cross God poured all of our sins on Jesus…because God cannot look upon sin He turned His back on Jesus for those six hours.

We don’t like to dwell on the events of Good Friday…not wanting to visualize the horrors of a man put to death on a Cross.

All the events leading up to the betrayal…crucifixion…and resurrection were confusing and traumatic.

For a moment let’s project ourselves into the thought process of the disciples… they watched Jesus being nailed to a cross…some stood at the foot of the cross weeping…hoping for a miracle that didn’t happen…some looked on at a distance in hopes that somehow He would come down from the Cross…but He didn’t.

After His death they were so disheartened and confused they just walked away and went into hiding.

On the surface…from their thinking…it was preposterous to believe that anyone could raise themselves from the dead…it’s all over…no one…not even those closest to Him, ever expected to see Jesus alive again…no one comes back from the grave!

People today aren’t really much different than the disciples in that respect… they may say they believe Jesus rose from the dead…but for some it’s a belief that is a mere idea…and not a conviction that dwells in their hearts.

Even for millions of Christians around the world Resurrection Sunday is a story with an exciting ending…they have all the basic facts down…Jesus was arrested…crucified…and three days later God raised Him from the dead.

They miss what turns Resurrection Sunday into a life altering event…as ugly as it was…without Good Friday…when Jesus…voluntarily…willingly… sacrificially…and obediently of His own free will went to the Cross…there would be no Resurrection Sunday…which brings us to where we are today.

1 after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. [Matthew 28]

3 But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord. [Luke 24]

I would suspect that because you’re here this morning…for you…Jesus’s resurrection is more than a mere idea.

For us…the belief that Jesus Christ is alive today, risen from the dead, is the most powerful belief in the world.

Resurrection Sunday is God’s promise that not only has Christ risen from the grave, but that we, through his power, shall also rise one day victorious from the grave.

Jesus’s death and Resurrection proves you can have life after death… that there is life beyond the grave…but it requires that you do something…
FIRST…it’s a decision you have to make…it’s not just given to you.
SECONDLY…the determined decision to believe that Jesus is God’s Son.
THIRDLY…a commitment to be a follower by living a lifestyle that is Bible based.

I would hope that every member of The Branches church KNOWS that God gives eternal life to anyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior and puts their trust in Him to be their Savior…that’s salvation 101.

This is our 11th week in the book of James and so far it may seem like all it has been is a set of standards that I should be living up to…let me add another one.

14 What use is it, my brothers if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Notice James uses almost the same scenario here as he did when talking about partiality…making reference to a 2 man com(ing) into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothing and also comes in a man in dirty clothes 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say…you…(have)…become judges with evil thoughts?

In both those instances the issue is someone coming into Church and being treated in a manner that is not Christ like…BUT…how it is often perceived is I’m being told how to act…that seems to be the problem with religion today…it’s too authoritative.

Having lived through the 60’s…a time when a full-fledged cultural rebellion was underway…probably one of the most divisive decades in U.S. history…an era marked by the civil rights movement…the Vietnam War…political assassinations protests…the emerging ‘generation gap.’ …when all forms of authority were being questioned…and it’s still prevalent today.

As Christians we live in a world that is increasingly shaped by anti-authority sentiments…the problem with authority is we don’t trust it and we don’t like it.

Heard a statement defining the political landscape in this country…The Republicans lie…and the Democrats leave out the parts that are true.

In James there are two authoritative issues…one is the idea that someone should do this or that simply ‘because the Bible says so’ …we’ve probably all heard it… ‘The Bible says it…I believe it…that settles it’…and number two…because ‘Jesus says so.’

With respect to the Bible…how can an ancient document have the right to command me to any belief…action…or practice….really…why should any book bind me to matters of faith…and life?

Within the church the question is what do we mean by authority…how can there be such a thing as an authoritative book? …what sort of claim are we making about a book when we say that it’s authoritative?

A phrase often used in religious circles is…‘authority of Scripture’ …a term used by evangelicals…pastors…and theologians to mean… ‘trust us…we are the ones who know what the Bible says.’

Unfortunately…when some in the church talk about authority they are often talking about controlling people or situations…that everything is regulated or controlled properly according to their desires.

Is that really what the Bible is for…to control the church?…when I say church I mean you as members.

If you spend much time in the Bible then you know that most of the Bible does not consist of rules…regulations…creeds…or a list of commands that are to be obeyed or believed.

When the Bible is treated in that fashion all you’re doing is taking your place alongside a long list of Christians who have traditionally tried to make the Bible a set of abstract truths…rules…and regulations…that’s not what the Bible is.

If you look in Scripture to find where the authority is held…the answer is on page after page…all authority in the Bible lies with God Himself.

The writers of the New Testament were giving the foundational document to the Church bearing God’s authority.

And what does Jesus say about Himself…‘all authority is given to me’… that is exactly the conclusion of those who heard the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew records the crowds were so amazed at His teaching because (Matt. 7:29):

“He taught as one having authority, not as the teachers of the law.”

BUT…here’s where the issue with Jesus as a teacher comes in…here’s how the secular world sees Jesus as a teacher…go online and look at who are identified as teachers:

–5 famous teachers in history who made a difference…Jesus isn’t one of them.
–17 teachers who changed the world for the better…Jesus isn’t one of them.
–20 famous teachers everyone should know…again…Jesus isn’t one of them.

Yet the writers of the four Gospels make it clear that Jesus was a teacher… history has shown the contributions Jesus has made in the area of art… literature…medicine…politics…economics…religion…science…education…human rights and the improvements of mankind in general.

No leader ever born has inspired mankind to a greater extent than Jesus…yet He is not even recognized as one of the 20 famous teachers of all time.

BUT…here we see the most significant impact of Jesus’s teaching and what sets Him apart as only a teacher…if Jesus is only a teacher…then all He can do is frustrate me by calling me to a set of standards I cannot attain.

What is the point of presenting me with standards that I cannot possibly come close to reaching? …why frustrate me with that…here’s the Ten Commandments, live by them…I can’t…what good is there in telling me to be what I can never be?

I would be happier if I never knew it.

Here’s where Jesus’s authority comes in…not only did He come to give me godly standards to live by…but He came to live by them…giving me the example and also the ability to live a life He both taught and lived Himself.

As a true follower of Jesus…as a believer…when I am born again thru salvation — thru the Spirit of God — then I realize that Jesus did not come only to teach me BUT…He came to make me what He teaches that I should be.

This is what James is doing in his book…he is writing about the practical aspects of the Christian life…already covered a number of them…his book is like a series of brief sayings arranged in the form of a letter under the authority of God.

What occurs in a person’s life is the result of being a Christian…not the reason I’m a Christian…so we may have a better understanding of how God works in the life of a Christian.

James continues in his description of the Christian life…a passage of Scripture that has caused so much confusion and controversy over the years that some have even tried to remove it from the Bible.

In verses 14 thru 20 James seems to be countering another Biblical doctrine by emphasizing that a profession in Jesus as Lord and Savior is evidenced more by what a person does than by what he claims.

14 if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
This is the second time that James has concluded that if we’re not living a certain way…it brings into question our salvation.

Earlier he stated that

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue…this person’s religion is worthless.

Now he’s suggesting that if you’re not doing something your faith is dead.
faith if it has no works, is dead.

James seems to be hammering us pretty hard on the importance of how to live a Christian life…all the while…implying exactly the opposite of what we have all been taught since Sunday School…it is faith that gives us eternal life…but …James is declaring the importance of doing something in addition to believing….that faith without works is dead.

This is one of the concepts Martin Luther battled the Catholic church over…he stated salvation is by faith…outside of anything we can do… that is how to receive eternal life.

He was so insistent on justification by grace through faith alone in Jesus—that this single statement along with 94 other reasons is why we’re not part of the Catholic church.

That started what is known as the Protestant Reformation that resulted in an estimated 8 million Christians being killed by Christians…and the eventual excommunication of Luther from the church by the pope and being condemned as an outlaw.

So here we have a similar issue…if you’re familiar with Paul’s writing then you know there is an apparent contradiction between Paul’s writing about salvation by faith and James’ position on the issue of salvation being by works.

Let me just say something about that right up front…there is no contradiction in the Bible…well hold it…you just mentioned one…Paul wrote…(Romans 3:28).

For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works.

Which seems to be in direct opposition to James’ statement of faith if it has no works, is dead…so there is a contradiction.

That’s just one example people use of why they don’t read the Bible… ‘there’s just too many contradictions in it’…most people can’t even tell you what those contradictions are…they just use that as an excuse not to read the Bible.

SO…is there a contradiction between what Paul wrote…Jesus taught…and what James is implying that as Christians [1:22]?

22 prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.

That statement along with [2:17] …faith if it has no works is dead being by itself…seems to suggest a contradiction and the necessity of doing things.

A careful contextual study of this passage reveals there’s not a contradiction… context is the KEY.

James begins by asking three rhetorical questions that are examples of worthless faith.

FIRST question…14 What use is it…if someone says he has faith, but he has no works?

Notice James is saying ‘IF— someone says he has faith’ …

Faith alone is enough to be made right with God…for by grace you are saved through faith [Eph. 2:8] that’s one side of the coin…the other side is…works.

The two go hand in hand…you cannot separate the two…it appears that the two can be distinguished from one another…faith and works…but genuine faith is only known by its deeds.

What is genuine faith?…faith that is demonstrated by good works.

Doing things is not salvation …it’s the result of salvation.

SECOND question…Can that faith save him? …James seems to be making a clear distinction between claiming to have faith…and having faith…can just claiming to have faith be enough to get you into Heaven?

Goes back to what I just said…what is genuine faith?…faith that is demonstrated by good works.

Faith without works is dead because it comes from a heart that has not been regenerated by God…it’s just an empty profession of faith that is worthless.

SO…what is the answer to the question…Can that faith save him? …the answer to that question is in the question itself…don’t see this in any English translation because they all just simply ask the question…Can that faith save him? …and that is the correct translation…BUT…in the Greek it gives you both the question and the answer.

On the surface it seems as though James is asking a question without giving you the answer…but the answer is in the question.

Too often the English doesn’t bring out clearly what is written in the Greek… we lose something in the translation…that’s with any language.

In the Greek this is a negative rhetorical question…in the English it seems to be an open-ended question…can that faith save him? …so what’s the answer? …James gives you the answer in the question…there’s a little two letter participle (μή) in that question that is the KEY.

When a question begins with that word…a negative answer is expected…so the best translation could actually be…Can that faith save him? …No, of course not.

A mere claim of faith is not sufficient…genuine faith produces good works.

THIRD question…15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

A living faith in Christ will always respond to the needs of others with action… not mere lip service…the ol…‘I’m praying for you brother’ doesn’t gain much traction when someone is in need of help…saving faith manifests itself in good works.

As we continue through the book of James he continues to focus on the question …‘What the life of someone who professes to be a Christian looks like.’…so far he’s offered areas we should be aware of as Christians…
One…how we encounter trials that come into our life.
Two…importance of maturing as a Christian so we can perfect and complete
Three…Importance of asking in faith without doubting
Four…That God will give rewards in Heaven based on our faithfulness.
Five…Temptations do not come from God.
Six…Our anger does not bring about the righteousness of God.
Seven…Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth.
Eight…Prove yourselves doers of the word and not just hearers only.

This morning we’re looking at another concern that is often overlooked…ignored …or unseen…it can take many forms…affects many different people and be called by many names…in James 2 it is called the sin of partiality.

2 My brothers, …a term he would use only when referring to professing Christians…do not hold your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothing and there also comes in a man in dirty clothes 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5
6 …you have dishonored the poor man.
7
8 If however you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to the who has shown no mercy.

The kind of partiality referred to is the result of judging others and doing it unfairly.

BUT…at the same time we are not to pander to the various ideas…lifestyles and philosophies of the world that takes the position…‘Well it’s not for me to judge’ …the idea of different strokes for different folks is not an acceptable position because we should not condone a lifestyle that is in opposition to God’s values.

James’ concern is protecting the faith, NOT protecting diversity of ideas…He is telling us to make careful judgments…to be discerning and not accept the ideologies of the world.

What he is saying is we should not show partiality or favoritism toward people because of their position in society…should we be respectful?…yes…but being partial is sinful in God’s eyes because showing partiality is hating your neighbor …which violates one of the two fundamental laws of God [Matt. 22:37]:
37 ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 39 And…‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

When we show partiality we’re making distinctions among ourselves…and thereby making judgments that are inconsistent with our faith.

The Bible identifies a number of people who probably had the best intentions and reasons for their bias…but their partiality had unfortunate consequences even when that was not the intention.
»Isaac favored Esau…Rebecca favored Jacob…this instilled a spirit of strife, and resentment that has been ongoing for more than 3,500 years.
»Jacob’s partiality to Rachel was the source of hostility and scheming among Jacob’s wives which created rivalries between their sons.
»Jacob’s favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him.
»King David’s partiality blinded his eyes to his children’s evil actions,…Amnon’s rape of his half-sister Tamar…Absalom’s murder of Amnon and his rebellion against David himself.
»The story of Esther is a story of one man’s prejudice that almost cost the lives of all the Jews living in the Persian Empire.
As Christians we are not to judge people based on race…color …greed… gender …gender identification or on how they’re dressed or their demeanor (Rom. 2:11; 3:22).

We are not allowed to let our personal biased opinion dictate our acceptance of people.

Unfortunately our wrong assumptions and preferences can affect the way we treat others…even those in the faith.

This really goes back to last week’s sermon and James’s warning regarding the tongue:

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle
his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

Let me explain this verse…So…if I curse then is my religion worthless?… Scripture tells us that we are going to sin…it’s inevitable….in fact the Bible says

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).

There’s that word deceive again…a word that is used almost 40 times in the New Testament…SO…what does it mean that when we don’t curb our tongue it’s a sign of worthless religion?

There is practically no one who is immune to occasionally using inappropriate language…nor…is anyone…including myself…immune to the temptation of partiality.

BUT…the promise of 1 John 1:9 is that when we do occasionally sin confession removes the sin…BUT…just in case someone is using those verses as an excuse to sin because the Bible says we all sin [Rom. 3:23] …that’s an unwise decision.

What is not permitted is the deliberate…determined…persistent and continued use of bad language or the habitual showing of partiality towards some then trusting that all I have to do is confess it and I’m forgiven.

God is patient and slow to anger but his patience will not abide forever…God’s patience does have a limit.

It seems at times that I’m a habitually pessimistic person…that I’m always displaying the dark side of the Bible…I’m not…actually I’m a realist…a person who accepts a situation as it is and is prepared to deal with it accordingly.

I’m not wanting to always display the dark side of God…instead I want you all to know how God interacts with people.

God does display patience and forbearance with the world…that ought to lead people to repentance…but instead…people take advantage of that…causing people to be more rebellious…by mocking the patience of God.

Here’s what happens when we do that…that does nothing more than store up greater judgment because of people’s ungodly response to His kind patience…mistaking God’s patience for His grace.

When a person continues in their sinful habits without experiencing immediate correction from God, they falsely reason there will be no consequences…it is foolishness to assume a day of accountability will not come.
https://wildwoodchurch.com/the-sin-of-partiality/

James then makes a statement that most people are not even aware of…how God views sin….is all sin equal or should we think of there being degrees of sin? …are some sins more serious than others or does God view all sin as the same in terms of its consequences?

Does the Bible distinguish between greater and lesser sins…in terms of their damaging effects…some argue all sins are the same…but some argue that some sins are worse than others. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/degrees-of-sin/

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

At the expense of turning this into a seminary lecture…because I do teach more than I preach…I don’t intend for my sermons to be a seminary discourse… however…there is a disagreement between Reformers and our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic church…Two aspects in Catholic theology:

FIRST…is MORTAL SIN which is the deliberate or intentional rejection of the decalogue or the Ten Commandments.

SECOND…is what is known as VENIAL SIN…sins that are less serious…like cussing or getting drunk…which if you’re a Christian won’t keep you out of Heaven but will result in temporal punishments.

That is all I’m going to say about those two because this is not what I believe the Bible teaches…rejecting both the mortal-venial distinction in defining sin.

Let me just sum this up in language anyone can understand and is plainly defined in the Bible…attempting to distinguish between which sins are greater or lesser is futile… because sin:
…Results in both spiritual and physical death [Rom. 6:23].
…Separates us from God [Isa. 59:1-2].
…places us all under God’s wrath [Rom.[ 1:18-32].

Therefore….all sin before God is mortal…there’s no splitting hairs…to break any point of the law is to break all of it…breaking just one commandment results in our condemnation before God.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.

James is reminding us that as believers we are no longer under the old Law… instead…we are under a new law…the law of freedom that was established through Jesus’s death and resurrection known as the New Covenant.

BUT…at the same time it’s not a matter of telling ourselves that we are saved and therefore we don’t have to keep the Ten Commandments or any of God’s other precepts.

As believers we do have the freedom to choose…we can elect to sin or not to sin BUT…we willingly choose to obey God not out of necessity but because Jesus gives us the freedom from the power of sin…therefore believers should see a decreasing pattern of practicing sin as a way of life. (1 John 3:5–6; 5:18)

We have that option…unbelievers who do not have that option…they will continue to practice sin as a way of life…they become slaves to sin (Romans 6:20-22)…they don’t have the power to not sin.

That’s what separates a believer from a nonbeliever…a believer will not be able to excuse their sin by saying ‘I couldn’t help it,’ because the cross did away with the bondage to sin…whereas an unbeliever is still under that bondage.

Because we are no longer under bondage to sin…James gives us a word of encouragement:

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

Most people don’t associate ‘law’ and ‘liberty’ as being synonymous…what we normally think of when we think of laws is something that is oppressive… restrictive…many see ‘law’…in any form…as a threat to freedom…that’s the way some people see the Bible…as oppressive…and restrictive.

But that’s not the intent…in the Greek this verse makes more sense…

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom

That’s what God wants for His people…to be free…He gave us the Law to protect our freedom…that’s why it’s referred to as the Law to protect our freedom.

Jesus said…
You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
If the Son shall make you free you shall surely be free indeed” (John 8:36).

When we walk in…and continue walking in God’s Word we are being led by the Spirit…(Romans 8:14)…as we put God’s word into action/practice it will change minds…putting God’s word into action will change hearts…putting God’s word into practice sanctifies us and makes us more like Him.

Again…James is specifically addressing believers…that’s why partiality has no place in the life of a Church…because God is not a respecter of persons neither should we…we should be respecting of every member of the church as an equal brother or sister in Christ.

As we close out chapter one of the book of James, he has already given us some everyday practical advice…be quick to hear…slow to speak…and slow to anger…to put aside filthiness and wickedness…in today’s message James is revealing the danger of not being a doer of the word.

That sums up the ideas that we should be aspiring to in our Christian walk …be quick to hear…slow to speak…and slow to anger…put aside filthiness and wickedness…and…not just be a hearer of the word but a doer as well.

Now in verses [26, 27] he identifies two kinds of religion…one is a picture of useless religion…the other a picture of pure religion.

Something I haven’t shared with you for a while is the purpose of the book of James…it’s important that we continually remind ourselves of the purpose because throughout the book the emphasis is separating true Christians from those who aren’t.

James’s purpose is for professed Christians to test their faith to find out whether it is genuine or false.

Here’s the importance Jesus puts on being a doer of the word…after preaching the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave a parable to illustrate how important being a doer is: [Matthew 7:24-27]

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

In [26] James is reiterating the importance of what Jesus said by identifying more specifically what ‘words of mine’ we should be putting into practice.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

Couple things up front about that verse.
FIRST…It would seem to indicate that religion is ‘work’ based…if I’m not cussing or speaking bad about people I’m in pretty good standing with God.

SECONDLY…’This person’s religion is worthless’ is pretty strong talk…so who is that person whose religion is worthless?

The Bible identifies at least four different types of people when it comes to religion…last week James identified the unbeliever as a person one who is a hearer of the word but not a doer because they see no benefit in living a Christian lifestyle…religion means nothing to them…therefore

The unbeliever is without Christ and without the Holy Spirit…seeing spiritual things as foolishness…having no desire to accept anything that is remotely tied to the church.

This goes along with the other two types of people the Bible speaks of besides the unbeliever…one type Paul calls the ‘natural man’ [1 Cor. 2:14] …Jesus refers to them as being ‘lukewarm’ [Rev. 3:15]…the second person is the carnal Christian.

Here’s the danger with lukewarm people…whose religion is also worthless… BUT… unlike the unbeliever who flatly refuses to be associated with anything ‘religious’ …the lukewarm person feels secure because they do all the things associated with salvation…they attend church…they make a profession of faith …they’re baptized…they take communion…mistakenly believing salvation is just doing things.

As a result they don’t live by faith…their emphasis is on doing things…they don’t genuinely seek God…the influence of God’s Word has no effect on their lives…because they believe all salvation consists of is in doing things.

Here’s how they deceive themselves…Jesus makes reference to them…those who mistakenly believe salvation is in doing things.

22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ [Matt. 7:22.]

Look at all the things I did…attempting to convince themselves …and more importantly Jesus…that they did show evidence of being born again.

Here’s the danger…being a doer is destructive when fueled by wicked motives.

Hypocrites perform religious duties in order to convince THEMSELVES of their righteousness.

They think… ‘Just look at all the good things I do…I must be a Christian’… believing they’re saved when they’re not.

Deceivers perform religious duties for two reasons:
…1) in order to convince OTHERS of their righteousness…the more I do the more righteous I appear.
… 2) believing themselves to be better than you but in actuality their lives really aren’t any different from the unbeliever.

The mark of religious deceivers and hypocrites is that they selfishly pick and choose which works they want to perform…those that will bring them the greatest admiration.

When people’s spiritual eyes are open that is what makes it possible for them to turn themselves from darkness to light…BUT…that is not SALVATION.

Their eyes may be opened and they may be able to discern the darkness from light…and they may even acknowledge the truths about Jesus but that is not salvation either.

Salvation means that we are brought to the place in our lives where we are able to RECEIVE something from God…the forgiveness of sin and the Holy Spirit.

No matter how sincere our acknowledgment about who Christ is…the mere intellectual acceptance of divine truth does not bring salvation.

Here’s how Jesus will respond to their claims of those who do things in Matt 7.
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’

See the danger of deception?…it has eternal consequences.

Then in [26] James introduces another type of person…it’s what theologians have come to call the carnal Christian…so who is that?

The carnal Christian is somewhere in between the unbeliever…who is not saved…the lukewarm Christian who believes they’re saved, and the spiritual Christian who is saved.

It’s someone who has trusted Jesus as Lord of their life…but because their faith is weak they often return to their old way of life.

This is where the ‘lose your salvation’ argument comes in… ‘well if they’re saved but they’ve reverted back to their old habits / lifestyle they must have lost their salvation.’

NO…it doesn’t mean they’ve lost their salvation because Paul refers to them as brethren [1 Cor. 3:1] …something he would not call an unbeliever…but because they have failed to grow spiritually Paul calls them infants in Christ.

It’s not that these people aren’t Christians because they are…BUT because they are immature in their Christian walk, Paul can’t even address them as spiritual because they were still so worldly.

Here’s the difference between an unbeliever and a carnal Christian…both may resemble each other outwardly…BUT…a Christian will not remain that way for a lifetime.

Carnal Christians can and do fall outside of God’s will at times…being disobedient for a while…BUT…the key thing to understand…a true Christian will not remain carnal but will eventually come back into fellowship with God.

Unfortunately…during the time the carnal Christian is outside of God’s will… doing worldly things they will not be receiving God’s blessing.

Here’s how people are deceived…people attempt to pass themselves off as being a carnal Christian…commonly called ‘backsliders’ …people even joke about it…I’m really a Christian…just not living like it.

NO…you’re not a Christian…an unbeliever will continue to live that lifestyle their entire life…with no hope of salvation without accepting Jesus as their Savior, believing they are saved when they’re not.

A carnal Christian may live that type of lifestyle for a while…but will eventually return because the Holy Spirit will continue to convict them until they do.

Then there’s the spiritual Christian…that is the person who more and more is controlled by the fruit of the Spirit…earnestly seeking to rid themselves of all their old sins and habits…James calls those filthiness and wickedness …all the while striving to live a life that is glorifying to God.

It’s important that we continually evaluate ourselves because based on how we conduct ourselves will determine which one of those four categories we’re in… a Christian…a carnal Christian…an unbeliever…or those who are lukewarm.

But really there’s one more category that can result in deception…another issue that needs to be addressed.

Those who claim to be ‘spiritual’ as opposed to those who identify themselves as being ‘religious.’

There is a difference between being religious and being spiritual…because they’re not the same.

Some differences between being religious and being spiritual:

…Religion is communal…involving groups of people holding the same belief and worshipping the same God.
…Spirituality is more of a personal quest rarely following a set of external rules…preferring to ‘go solo’.

…Religion is structured…having moral rules…creeds…and doctrines… fellowship with God based on lifestyle that is Bible based.
….Spirituality breaks from the restrictions and rigid structure associated with religion…because religion is too confining…too restrictive.

…Religion deals with the future…when we will be eternally joined with Jesus …Spirituality is concerned with the present…experiencing life as it happens.

…Judgment is central to religion…there will come a time when we all will answer for how we conducted ourselves during our time on earth.
…Spirituality has no right or wrong and therefore no judgment.

This ties back to the previous verse regarding being a doer of the word…and how we can determine which category we’re in.

James gives an indicator for us to judge the category we’re in.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

Bluntly said…the indicator to determine your position in Christ…no one should think of themselves as being ‘religious’ if they cannot control their tongue.

If we cannot control the words that come out of our mouths…then we are lying to ourselves about being a Christian.

In chapter 3 James goes even further into the evils of the tongue.
3 Now if we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. 4 Behold the ships though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines.
5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the entire body and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by Hell.
7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. these things should not be this way.

It’s been said we should taste our words before we speak them.

When there is no desire to improve your character…no ambition in seeking to be a better person…we stunt our growth and run the risk of stagnating in our fellowship with the Lord…our religion is worthless.

Looking at verse [25] most all English translations translate it alike….being a doer of the word.

BUT what it actually says in the Greek is not ‘word’…but ‘work’ which adds a whole new dimension to what James is talking about [25].

not having been a forgetful hearer but a doer of work, this one will be (future indicative) blessed in his work.

What’s it mean to be a doer of work? …seems James is emphasizing the importance of doing things by using the word ‘work’ …which is counter to everything I’ve said up to now about how futile your religion is if it’s centered on works.

It’s the spiritual Christian who is earnestly seeking to rid themselves of all their old sins and habits…James calls those filthiness and wickedness…all the while striving to live a life that is controlled by the fruit of the Spirit.

People have the mistaken idea that becoming a Christian is sitting back and coasting through life until I get to be with Jesus…even thinking that going to church is an obligation I don’t have to participate in…‘cause I’m saved.’

One of the ways that believers go astray is to forget the things we have been taught…that’s why James insists that the one who looks intently at the perfect law and abides by it will be blessed.

Our ears can quickly become blocked and our sight can grow dim if we take our eyes off the truth of God’s Word.

We can become forgetful hearers, powerless in our ministry and ineffective in our testimony if we do not take this warning to heart…and the consequences of doing that is missing out on being blessed in all we do.

Hence the importance of being in Sunday School and church…it’s possible to become careless in our Christian walk and drift away from the narrow pathway that leads to life…why it’s important we don’t judge how religious we are by:

–Our church attendance.
–Our ministry activity.
–By the fact that you haven’t broken any major laws…haven’t robbed anybody…murdered anybody…haven’t lied or cheated on your Income Tax …haven’t abused your wife.

That isn’t what makes you a Christian…nor is going to church…being baptized …or taking communion.

Those who have been saved by faith in Christ understand that we have already received God’s favor…the ‘works’ part of religion is not in doing things…it’s being controlled by the Holy Spirit so how we act…what we say…how we conduct ourselves brings glory to God by our actions…which is the natural result of having our lives dwelt by the Holy Spirit.

We all want to make the most of our life…and probably each one of us has a list of things…at least in our minds…of what it takes to achieve that.

James is telling us that it isn’t enough to get the list straight in your mind…just thinking about it is not going to make it happen…we must be doers as well… here James is elaborating on what exactly that means…he starts off with the word…

21 Therefore,

James is telling us to look back at some of the things he has written about what it takes for us to make the most of our lives…knowing how we
…should approach sin and temptation
…the importance of being…quick to hear…slow to speak…and slow to anger.
…and most importantly…the dangers of being deceived.

It’s not just THINKING about doing the right thing…it’s DOING the right thing …it’s possible for us to get our list right and still have our lives be wrong by not doing what we know to be right.

I suspect jails and prisons are full of people who knew to do the right thing…or at least knew what not to do…but didn’t do it.

This is exactly the danger of easy believism of salvation…same principle …the error is in the fallacy of thinking that all I have to do is do some religious stuff and I’m Heaven bound.

James says that won’t do…it requires a conscious decision to:

21 put aside all filthiness (a word that occurs only here in the New Testament) and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and continues in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.

That sums up the entire Christian walk…if this was all the information you had in what it takes to live a Christian life, you’d be good to go…put aside filthiness and wickedness…be not only a hearer but a doer of God’s Word…and rejoice in the blessings from God.

Again…it’s not just enough to KNOW to do the right thing…it’s a matter of DOING the right thing…be a doer.

You cannot expect to be blessed by God if you continue to live a lifestyle that is controlled by filthiness and wickedness.

That’s the importance of receiving ‘the word implanted.’

In seminary you have to take preaching classes…both in the preparation and in the delivery of sermons…the emphasis is on expository preaching…it’s a form of preaching that details the meaning of a text or passage.

That’s what I want to do with the word ‘implanted’…I want to detail the meaning of the word…in the Greek (ἔμφυτος) ‘implanted’ has two general meanings.

FIRST…it can mean inborn…something that is intuitively known like the difference between good and evil…do you really have to tell someone that stealing is wrong?…you intuitively know that…you don’t have to be taught that…it’s instinctively known.

SECONDLY…it can also mean like planting a seed in the ground…goes back to the Parable of the Sower [Matt. 13:1-8] where the seed…the Word…is sown into the hearts of men…probably here in this context is what the word is referring to.

So how do we receive the word implanted?

One way is to listen to people who are familiar with what the Word says… here the importance of receiving the word implanted is so you won’t be deceived by those who distort the Bible for their own personal gain.

Every Sunday morning we have Sunday School…a lot of churches have done away with it…not us…we have teachers who are diligent in preparing their lessons…going far deeper into the Word than what I can in preaching.

Here’s the benefit in hearing the word taught by our Sunday school teachers… people who are less than creditable in knowing God’s Word can distort the Bible which significantly impacts not only our image of God but gives a misleading account of what the Bible says.

It’s one thing to read the Bible to know what it says…there’s a lot of people who know what the Bible says…it’s another thing to be led by it …they just simply ignore it or think all the commandments associated with living a Christian life are merely suggestions.

They mistakenly believe that salvation is just acknowledging Jesus as Lord and going through the motion of doing some ‘churchie’ things…so they do.

— They walk the aisle
— They make a profession of faith
— They’re baptized
— but they continue to live the same lifestyle as they did before.

That’s the meaning of…prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers…that is the necessity of having the word implanted.

Notice…when James refers to the Word being implanted…being sown into the hearts of people…he is indicating that this verse is for those who are already saved… James is not talking to unbelievers here…how do I know that?

TWO WAYS I know that:
FIRST…The word of God is not engrafted or implanted in the hearts of lost sinners…it’s foolishness to them…they can’t grasp it…understand it…they reject it…refuse to accept it as true…that’s why it’s only engrafted in the hearts of God’s children.

SECONDLY…this verse and the words ‘able to save your souls’ is not viewed as our salvation from condemnation…it’s natural to think of this verse as talking about salvation…he’s not talking about being saved.

Rather what he’s referring to in this context must be viewed as the salvation of our inner character…from the selfish corruption of our hearts that includes filthiness and wickedness.

If God’s Word is to be effective in delivering our character from sinful corruption and transforming our character into Christ’s righteousness…it must be received.

It can only be received if it’s first heard…hence the importance of opening our ears to God’s Word…of not stagnating in our Christian growth by being lazy in our commitment to be in church…but striving in our spiritual maturity.

That is why we must not refuse to receive the commands and corrections from God’s Word…the importance of having the word ‘implanted’ is so it may continually take deeper roots within our hearts as the governing principle of how we live our lives.

No shortage of people claiming to be saved…everybody’s saved, right?…NO… because they refuse to receive the commands and corrections from God’s Word …every person has a responsibility to be obedient to God.

People want to tell you how much they love Jesus… ‘Oh how I love Jesus’… here’s the proof…If you love me keep my commandments. [John 14:15].

The person who is truly related to Christ through saving faith responds gladly to His word….the person who does not belong to Christ gives evidence by having no interest in hearing or obeying God’s Word.

Here’s the confirmation that validates the promise that when we embrace God’s Word into our lives and live a life that is in agreement with His word …it…is able to save our soul.

Obedience to the Word of God is the most basic spiritual requirement AND is the common denominator for all true believers.

Here’s how salvation works…God empowers us to have faith…that faith in turn draws us to God…it makes us want to come to Him…God’s divine power coupled with the truth of the Scriptures draws us to God…we then make the determined decision to accept that faith and believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior… that brings salvation to its final perfection.

Salvation can be seen as being in three tenses…which proves the eternal security of the believer:
Past tense…We have been saved (justified) by God from His judgement.
Present tense…We are kept saved (sanctified) through the daily process of growing into the image of Jesus.
Future tense…We will be eternally saved (glorified). We shall be like Him.

James says with the final results being…the salvation of your souls…So…how do we distinguish the soul from the spirit…what exactly is the difference?

The Bible clearly states that we are composed of three parts…the body…the soul…and the spirit [1 Thess. 5:23] …but it should not be understood as defining three separate parts of a person…but as representing the whole person.

The spirit is the part that enables us to perceive God…it’s how we can know and communicate with God…it provides each person with a consciousness of God.

The soul is intertwined with the spirit…but at the same time there is a clear distinction between the two [Heb. 4:12] it distinguishes us as individuals …it’s how we tell us apart from one another…could say it’s your personality.

To simplify…these are the parts of a person.
Spirit – The part of you that communes with God.
Soul – Your personality, mind, will and emotions.
At death both your soul and spirit go with you to paradise.
Body – The physical part of you that gives testimony to whether or not you’re a Christian

That is just a very basic description…theologians like to go much deeper than that…we’re not…most will agree there is an unresolved mystery regarding the interrelationships between the spirit…soul…and body…and how each one affects the other…but for our discussion what I’ve given is adequate.

James then makes a statement that has had denominations fighting with one another for centuries.

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.

I think probably the top two issues that have plagued the church for centuries is the misunderstanding concerning the security of the believer and working my way to heaven.

There are two views on what this means.
Regarding working my way to heaven James seems to be saying…if you’re not working…doing things…then you need to be…but here’s the mistaken idea people believe happens when you do.

…that will make God like us
…that He’ll find favor in us
…that we can be more acceptable to Him
…that somehow that might offset some of the bad things I’ve done in my life
…that it elevates my position in Heaven…without really having to make the commitment to become a Christian.

Here’s the difference between Christianity and the other 4,000 religions in the world…it’s the mistaken idea that I have to do something and when I do… well…take your pick of which one of those blessings God will respond with.

Only in Christianity is God reaching down to man…in every other religion in the world it’s always man attempting to reach or please God…on their terms.

Back in the 70’s there was a little paperback book titled “How to be a Christian Without Being Religious” …it embraced that idea…you became a Christian by doing things…pleasing God is accomplished through human effort…how to be religious without necessarily being a Christian.

There’s a benefit to that if you’re not particularly interested in being ‘churchie’ …here’s what that does…it frees you from organized religion and the religious system that suggests the pastor is the spiritual leader of the church…who put him in charge anyway?

…It frees you from having to go to Church but still allows you to have a form of godliness
…it releases you from the feeling of guilt that not going to church causes
…it frees you from the financial bondage that going to church imposes on you
…and it breaks you from the religious oppression that Church inflicts on you.

Instead of having all the grief of going to church and having to put up with all the ‘do this’ ‘don’t do that’ that accompanies church…you just do things and God blesses you for them.

That segues into the correct and true meaning regarding being a doer… and it does means what it says…that every believer should be a doer of the word.

Doing what? …really how important is it that we be doers of the word…isn’t that directed at people who are in full time ministry?

By making that statement here’s what James is saying…he’s separating true Christians from those who are unbelievers.

Here’s the difference…two areas of concern:
One is the unbeliever who may show signs of being saved but will eventually return to their previous lifestyle showing no evidence of being born again and remaining that way.

The second area of concern are the multitudes who seem to imagine that they have done all that is required of them for salvation…doing those things I previously mentioned.
— They walk the aisle — They make a profession of faith — They’re baptized

But the influence of God’s Word on their lives had no effect…they continue to live the same lifestyle as they did before…tragically believing they are saved when they’re not.

So let me ask you…how do you know if you’re a true believer?…James has just told us…prove yourselves doers of the word…I’ve already mentioned one way.
If you love me keep my commandments. [John 14:15].

If you’re striving to follow…obeying…and keeping Jesus’ commandments… then what comes naturally will also confirm your position in Christ.

By this shall all men know you’re my disciples if you have love one for another [John 13:35].

Merely hearing the word…even understanding and believing what you hear …but not following through on what you hear is self-deception if you don’t reduce it to practice.

In a nutshell here’s what James is saying…he’s pushing back on those whose idea of Christianity is to simply coast through life…who say…‘I believe’ then gloss over their commitment with no action and then call that faith…that goes back to the word James uses three times in chapter one alone…being deceived.

It’s not a matter of working your way to Heaven because you can’t…but it is doing the work of a Christian in how we live out our lives during our stay on earth and when we do James says this man will be blessed in what he does.

19 This you know…know what
…in how we should approach sin and temptation
…the dangers of being deceived
…how God works in the giving of His perfect gifts including salvation
…that all good gifts come from God

James then writes…I want to add to that…
everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not bring about the righteousness of God.

We have spent the first 18 verses of James talking about how a believer handles trials…troubles…and temptations…advice that seems to go against everything logical… BUT as Christians that is exactly what James is saying…we should be:
• Joyful during times of adversity
• Trusting in times of dismay
• Glorying in times of hardship
• Enduring through life’s difficulties
• Discerning of their purpose

You can tell quite a bit about a person’s faith simply in how they respond to life’s difficulties.

How we respond to life’s difficulties…has an impact on the two beliefs that have the most effect on our lives…how God sees us…and how we see God…it is those two beliefs which in turn determine our future and how we live.

In both of those beliefs…how we see God…and how we think God sees us…is revealed in God’s predetermined plan He established before the creation of the world.

Two Things Concerning God’s Predetermined Plan.
1) God has always had a predestined plan regarding His Son
Before the world was even created…God had a plan to provide salvation to all people through His Son Jesus Christ….for all who would believe…that is how God sees us…no longer as ‘converted sinners’ but as saints because old things have passed away [2 Cor. 5:17]. Don’t call a butterfly a converted caterpillar.

2) God has a predestined purpose for His people
A plan just for you…a plan that was purposed before the foundation of the world…God loves you enough to give you a place in His plan [2:10].
Before the world began God purposed a plan for everyone who chooses to become a Christian…it’s a plan that is in accordance with His will…God gives us opportunities for service…it was never God’s intent that once we become
Christians we just sit around and wait to go to heaven.

BUT TWO THINGS…
FIRST— Salvation is conditional

A gift that you have to receive…It all begins when we make the determined decision to be saved by grace through faith in God’s Son as Lord and Savior …a faith that you have to accept… it’s not just automatically given…nor should it be automatically assumed…that’s a misunderstanding in how God works in the lives of people.

It’s God’s ‘desire’ that all would come to a saving knowing that Jesus is Lord… [1 Tim 2:4] but in the Greek that word ‘desire’ doesn’t mean it’s going to happen just because God would like for it to…just because God desires something doesn’t mean it’s going to happen…God desires that there be no sin…but there is.

It’s God desire…His wish…that all be saved…but it’s a desire that can be turned down…you have to make the determined decision to accept eternal life.

Then when you do…James says all believers in this Church age are considered to be ‘kind of first fruits among His creatures’ [1:18].

This statement has to do with the resurrection…and more specifically the order of the resurrection….Bible makes reference to 14 different resurrections.

BUT…Scripture says Christ was the ‘first-fruit’ from the dead [1 Cor. 15:20]. This means that Christ was the first person to ever rise with an immortal body…as a result…all who trust in Jesus by grace through faith for salvation will also be a kind of first fruit among His creatures [18]…also with an immortal body.

We are living between two resurrections…theologians call it the church age… first was the resurrection of Jesus…the second…will be the resurrection of the redeemed…the Bible speaks in what order the resurrections are to take place.

First
Christ’s resurrection — He is the first fruits.

Second
The resurrection of believers between Pentecost to the Rapture.
Two stages…those who have died and those who are alive.

— First the dead in Christ shall rise [1 Thess. 4:16]
–Second is the transformation of all Christians who are alive on the earth at the Rapture.
Then we who are alive shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we be ever with the Lord [1 Thess. 4:16-17].

— Then the resurrection of the tribulation saints along with the resurrection of O.T. saints at the end of the Tribulation.
https://www.gotquestions.org/millennial-kingdom.html

Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum… suggests that death in the Millennium will be for unbelievers only. Nowhere in the Bible does it speak of a resurrection of Millennial saints. This may be why the resurrection of the tribulation saints is said to complete the “first resurrection” (Rev 20:4-6). From the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34, it would seem that there will be no Jewish unbelievers in the kingdom; all Jews born during the Millennium will accept the Messiah before their 100th year. Unbelief would be among the Gentiles only ,therefore, death would exist only among Gentiles

Third
The resurrection of the unrighteous who will be raised at the end of the millennial [John 5:29].

Secondly – like salvation…God’s predestined purpose for your life has to be received…we discover that purpose only when we make God our reference point.

James then concludes with something he mentioned earlier…before continuing on in a new topic…in [19] James focuses on another area that we can be deceived in…James offers up some practical advice…giving three commands…what’s interesting about the book of James is that in only 108 verses he identifies 54 commands…here’s 3 more.

Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

That’s just good practical advice, I don’t care who you are…it’s just human nature that we’re all poor listeners from time to time…we like to share our own thoughts and opinions but rarely do we want to listen to what others have to say…SO…

First, “be quick to hear” …No shortage of outlets for sharing…giving or expressing your opinion…sites like Facebook…Snapchat…Twitter… Instagram… and TikTok all provide a means for us to share our thoughts thru an online platform many times without first proofreading our comments.

Whether it’s something we’ve written or when speaking the idea is that we should be eager to understand the message that others (including God) is trying to communicate to us before we respond.

Ever been around someone who all they want to do is command the discussion
…no matter what is being said they have an opinion…and many times their opinion is less than accurate.

To be quick to listen means that we’re checking all of our blind spots…things we’re unfamiliar with…areas we need to grow in…things we know nothing about and maybe things we don’t even realize about ourselves.

Secondly James says, “. . .be slow to speak” …meaning we should be eager to listen more often than we are to speak.

To be slow to speak means we’re slow to make excuses…slow to contradict… slow to defend ourselves…and slow to give our opinion.

It’s not that we should never speak…but we should not say the first thing that pops into our minds because it might not be true—it might not be kind—or it might not be the need of the moment.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth but only such a word as is good for the edification according to the need of the moment. (Ephesians 4:29).

Here’s the importance of being quick to hear and slow to speak:
…it means letting the other person express themselves without interruption.
…it means holding your thoughts to give them time to finish.
…it means to be slow to share your opinion or thoughts.
…it means listening to people instead of just speaking your opinion.
…it means allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us before we speak to others… giving the Spirit time to prompt us on what to say.

It’s been said there are 4 ways to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

FIRST – Ask clarifying questions
At times we think we hear one thing but what was actually said was something completely different…ask clarifying questions.

SECONDLY – Define terms
Some words mean different things to different people.

THIRDLY – Be comfortable with silence
Resist the temptation to ensure every moment has noise.

FOURTHLY – Pause before you speak
Avoid the temptation to respond immediately…give the other person’s words a moment to settle.

Then James says it’s good if we adopt an attribute from God… ‘be slow to anger.’ [Ps 145:8].

It’s been said that anger has two main purposes:
…first is to secure our safety and survival…we respond with anger when we are threatened…anger is a kind of built-in protection.

…Second purpose is it motivates us to improve ourselves and create peace and harmony in our lives…I don’t think James is referring to that type of anger.

When you think about anger on a national level and people’s response to situations in ways that seem to be teetering on what some call a revolt…that our country is in the early stages of a revolution with full blown rioting…burning and looting in the streets.

Trust in the government has declined significantly over the past 60 years…in 2016 only 20% of Americans said they trusted the government.
https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/mad-as-hell-how-anger-diminishes-trust-in-government/

When you think about anger on a personal level…how many marriages could be saved…how many prison sentences avoided…how many altercations averted… and how many hurt feelings could be avoided if people would control their anger?

Understanding why we should be slow to anger is one of the most valuable lessons we can learn in the Christian life because God is slow to anger.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. [Prov 15:18]

Examine almost any conflict and you’ll find the root cause is someone who could not control their temper…even in how we deal with everyday issues…like when the car won’t start…our favorite team loses…or when our spouse or children are less than accommodating.

Here’s the thing about anger…it’s more than just a minor irritation…it’s not as simple as being impatient or frustrated…anger is often mixed with egotism …selfishness…jealousy…revenge…the potential to degenerate into ill-will.

An angry person desires some degree of revenge and thus hopes that another will suffer some measure of harm…that’s why Satan loves to exploit anger because he can deceive you into thinking that it is somehow justified…when it isn’t.

There’s been given a lot of advice about anger…we hear endless contradictory advice about how to handle it:

1. Anger is weakness.
2. Anyone who is angry is a bad person.
3. Husbands and wives should never go to bed angry.
4. A good parent never gets angry at their child.
5. Happily married people never get angry.
6. Explosive anger is a sign of strength.
7. Don’t hold it in…express it and get it out.

Read an article by a doctor who’s an anger management specialist…he recommends something I’ve found to be a pretty much common-sense approach to curbing anger.

1. Turn off the news…I personally don’t watch or listen to the news…I don’t even watch the weather…news outlets design the news to raise your anxiety level… wanting you to engage angrily with the person or situation they’re reporting on…many times with ‘breaking news’ that’s not substantiated or factual…just hearsay…opinions…or ‘maybes’…and you walk away angry.
2. Refrain from heated discussion…we’re all guilty of saying to someone ‘You make me so mad’. When you find yourself in that situation don’t debate…move on.
3. Don’t engage on Social Media over hot topics…I personally don’t do social media for that very reason…social media is a place where people feel free to express their anger with words they’d probably never use in public.

So let me ask you…is it ever OK to be angry at God…ever been angry at God?

This question typically arises in times of great suffering…the result of a death… a divorce…a job…financial collapse…all can have the effect of causing us to be angry at God.

SO…is it ever right to be angry at God…NO…NEVER…anger…whether at another person or at God Himself is always unacceptable…WHY…as I mentioned earlier…it always involves ill-will.

To be angry at God implies you believe He has committed an injustice…or He has done something unacceptable…or that He’s guilty of some mistake.

At times…we can certainly be confused by what God does or permits…we can be frustrated by it…we can be bewildered and saddened by it…we can feel deep emotional pain and hurt from it…and we can certainly weep over it.

BUT…to be angry at God implies that God is in the wrong…that He has erred, that He has somehow in some way committed a sin or done something wrong.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t suppress your feelings or deny that you are angry and hurt…in fact…tell God how you feel…He wants to know.

BUT… NEVER NEVER…stick your finger in God’s chest and demand that He give you an answer to anything He does as if He owes you anything…because He doesn’t.

James then tells believers why they need to have these attributes…because making the habit of being quick to hear…slow to speak…and slow to anger will produce in our lives the kind of behavior that is pleasing God.

Notice I didn’t say…to earn God’s approval because there is not enough you could ever do…or do enough…to earn God’s approval.

This morning I want us to look at how easy it can be for us to be deceived.
James mentions three areas where deception can cause us to have a less than biblical understanding of how God works in the world and how we perceive God.

Last week we looked at the source of sin in our lives…for those who would like to place the blame on someone other than themselves. That’s why James mentions how deceiving sin can be.

Because of deception most people associate sin with either God or Satan.

The word deceived is used 39 times in the New Testament…the word used here is in the imperative voice meaning it’s a command…God is saying do not be deceived…it will cause you to have the wrong idea about sin.

It’s easy to blame Satan or God as being responsible for temptations and sin…but notice in [13] James removes God as the source of temptation.

13 Let one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”

For those who would like to place the blame on Satan…James doesn’t even mention him so he’s also excluded as the source of sin.

Since God cannot be responsible for making me sin…and Satan is not even mentioned…James reveals the origin of evil and temptations… the only one left on the list for being responsible for sin is us: [14] it’s our own hearts.

14 Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Here’s the key…16 Do not be deceived (πλανάω)…deception is just one in many areas where Satan can easily trick you…that’s why James is specifically drawing attention to the cause of sin…sin is the result of a specific process.

The Four “D’s” of deception
DESIRE – sin begins as an emotion, a subconscious longing for something.
DECEPTION – We think about a desired object and we begin to rationalize or justify getting it. Our desire to have it discounts the possible danger or harm in getting it.
DESIGN – When plans start to be made to fulfill the desire to have it…it involves our will, our conscious decision to pursue it until we have it.
DISOBEDIENCE – If we allow the process to continue, it inevitably produces disobedience and “gives birth to sin.”

Desire leads to deception…deception to design…design to disobedience which leads to sin…as a result James says…, ‘Do not be deceived’.

If you notice James has sandwiched this warning in between two verses that might cause us to be deceived.

Just mentioned one…our propensity to sin…it’s the sin nature in man that makes us rebel against God…we have a natural inclination to sin…sin is deliberate and determined independence from God.

The second area in which we can be deceived…is an area that has caused great confusion in the church for years…God’s giving and His gifts.

17 Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In His predetermined intention He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind
of first fruits among His creatures.

There are 3 points about God’s giving in this verse.
…FIRST…God gives only good gifts
…SECONDLY…God only gives perfect gifts
…THIRDLY…Good and perfect gifts come from only one source…God

The word rendered ‘gift’…every perfect gift…in the Greek is not the same as what we think when we hear the word ‘gift’ in English.

They are closely related but not identical…one signifies the act of giving …every good act of giving…and the other is what is given…perfect gifts.

The English translation ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift’ is incorrectly translated…because it fails to reveal two different meanings as seen in the Greek.

In the phrase ‘every good thing given’ refers to the manner of giving… suggests the act of giving as a donation…everything we touch…feel…see…or hear is a gift God gives of His own free will.

Whereas the phrase ‘every perfect gift’ refers to what is given…a gift we did not make…or buy…or deserve.

Combining them together… ‘every good gift given and every perfect gift’ is revealing that ‘every good thing given’ is a donation given as a result of unconditional love…and His gifts are always perfect in nature.

BUT hold it…been talking for three weeks about trials…troubles…temptations those are the things given by God…and they don’t at times seem to be so good.

It ties back to [2] and how we are to receive what has been given…even if they don’t seem to be good we are to ‘Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials’.

The act of giving is the trials God gives us…what is given when we persevere is the spiritual maturity that is produced in us.

What James says next has caused confusion…church splits…and even possibly contributed to the reformation:

18 In His predetermined intention He gave us birth.

Have you ever thought about how you’re saved…ever thought about how that process is accomplished?…for hundreds of years that has been debated in the church with complete mystification…and bewilderment.

It’s something we don’t think about…we just take it for granted…God loves me and so therefore I’m saved…seems pretty simple.

It’s like when looking at nature…in the spring flowers bloom…leaves come out on the trees…grass turns green…it just naturally happens…well kinda.

Science tells us…Chlorophyll is the pigment that makes leaves green and allows trees to convert sunlight, water and CO2 into food (and oxygen)….not realizing that what it is actually revealing is the existence of God who makes all that possible…it’s not by accident.

It’s the same thing with Christianity…every real Christian has been born twice… exactly what Jesus told Nicodemus…first we are born naturally…that birth is how we calculate our age…in the second birth we are born spiritually and became a new person.

I don’t want to turn this into a classroom lecture on how we’re saved but it’s important to know how God works in the life of every person who has made a commitment to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, so you won’t be deceived.

Five views of salvation…limited atonement…unlimited atonement… Prevenient grace… universalism and Pluralism…and the danger in not knowing the difference.

Limited atonement or Unconditional grace was devised by John Calvin in the 1600’s…Baptists tend to accept this concept…I don’t.

Limited atonement says God chose people to salvation based on God’s own sovereign choice…nothing you did caused God to choose you…God chose you because He wanted to and you couldn’t do anything about it…WRONG. https://redeeminggod.com/acts-13_48-unconditional-election/

Pluralism is the teaching that there is more than one way to get to heaven …that all roads…all religions…and all beliefs lead to heaven…that all people eventually will end up in heaven…WRONG…[ John 14:6] I AM the way.

Universalism is opposed to John Calvin’s idea that only some are saved… universalism is actually at the other end of the spectrum…John Calvin believed that only a certain number of people are saved whereas universalism teaches that everyone goes to heaven.

They believe it’s impossible that a loving God would elect only a portion of all humankind to salvation and doom the rest to eternal punishment…that’s true… God doesn’t…but their reasoning that He doesn’t because God just loves everybody…is WRONG.

God’s love for everyone does not mean that everyone will be saved [Matt. 25:26] …God will not ignore sin nor will sin go unpunished forever [Rom. 3:25].

The love of God that justifies sinners and brings people into intimacy with God is only extended to those who have faith in Jesus [Rom. 5:1].

To ignore God’s merciful love and reject or deny Jesus as Savior is to subject oneself to God’s wrath for eternity [Rom. 1:18]…not His love.

Unlimited atonement is also opposed to John Calvin’s idea of limited atonement because Jesus Himself gave a parable that illustrates that everyone has the opportunity to receive Jesus and be saved [Matt 22].

Unlimited atonement says Jesus died for all people…even for those who would never believe in Him…that’s Scriptural…BUT you have to do something… salvation is only given to those who believe that Jesus is God’s Son [Rom. 10:9].

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

There are 100 Bible verses about the necessity of believing in Jesus…so to reject Christ…and deny Jesus as Savior and to just assume everybody goes to
heaven is WRONG.

Prevenient grace is also opposed to John Calvin’s idea of limited atonement… that ‘some are chosen to be saved and some are doomed to be lost’…and you don’t really have to do anything to be saved…WRONG.

John Wesley was opposed to the idea that you don’t have to do anything to be saved…because you do have to do something to be saved.

This goes against Baptist teaching concerning salvation because we have always been told that salvation is unconditional…you don’t have to do anything…WRONG.

The idea that God chooses some for salvation without us having to do anything is not Biblical…the Bible says, ‘we are saved through faith’ [Eph 2:8]…well doesn’t that mean we don’t have to do anything?…NO.

On the surface that sounds like we do nothing…but faith is something we have to acknowledge…you have to do something.

Here’s how this works…I can give you a gift…wrap it up and put a bow on it BUT unless you unwrap the gift it’s worthless…it’s useless.

Salvation is like that…humans are incapable of responding to God without God first empowering them to have faith…it draws us to God…then you have to do something…the rest of that verse says that faith is a ‘gift from God.’ BUT…
unless I make the effort to accept that gift it’s useless.

Prevenient Grace doesn’t save us but rather it comes before anything we do because it draws us to God making us WANT to come to Him…all humans receive it regardless of their having heard of Jesus or not.

We then must act upon that faith and accept Jesus as our Savior…see…you do have to do something…BUT…it does not guarantee that all will actually do so. That’s why no one on that day can say… ‘well Jesus you didn’t choose me’ as John Calvin suggests…but rather Jesus will say…it was you who didn’t choose Me.

This goes back to James’s warning…Do not be deceived…that’s why it’s critical for people to study…research…examine and read the Bible.

When people fail to read the Bible…fail to understand God’s plan of salvation … refuse to grasp the complexity in the question ‘what must I do to be saved?’ [Acts 16:30] it leads to the acceptance of unbiblical ideas.

The answer Paul gave …‘believe in the Lord Jesus’…[Acts 16:31] on the surface that sounds pretty easy…and that is exactly what must be done…you have to make the conscious decision to do something.

Why Universalism that teaches everyone goes to heaven is WRONG,
Why Pluralism that there’s more than one way to get to heaven is WRONG.
Why limited atonement that says only certain people go to heaven is WRONG.

To believe in the Lord Jesus is more than just knowing about Jesus…it’s the result of acting on the faith that God gives every person…in the case of the jailer he had remorse but remorse is not repentance…he had fear but fear is not faith.

Salvation encompasses more than just knowing about Jesus…it must be combined with faith…that also includes repentance…a sincere willingness to want to change your behavior by being obedient to Christ…you have to do something.

Stop blaming other people…your circumstances…God…or Satan for your temptation and sins…the excuse that the dog ate my homework won’t cut it.

The third area in which we can be deceived is that in God there ‘is no variation or shifting shadow.’

Here James is presenting the third test of a true believer – how we respond to the immutability of God.

Malachi 3:6 – “I am the Lord, I change not.”
Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.”

To say that God is immutable—that He does not change—is to declare that He is the Almighty…the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth…that none can defeat…thwart…or resist His will.

Simply put God is sovereign…He does as He pleases…only as He pleases… always as He pleases…that He is unchanging in His character…that whatever takes place in time is the outworking of what He decreed from eternity. I AM THAT I AM – that He is the Supreme and Sovereign Being of the universe.

Here’s the importance in that…FIRST…if anything changes it must do so in some chronological order meaning…there must be a point before the change and a point in time after the change…BUT…God is eternal therefore He exists outside of time.

Secondly…if anything changes it must change for the better or the worse because a change that makes no difference is not a change…but because God is perfect He does not need to change.

Thirdly…God knows everything…there’s a word for that—omniscience—if it were possible for God to learn something new that means God could change His mind about something.

If God was affected by anything outside Himself He wouldn’t be the all-knowing all-seeing God of the universe.

In the opening 17 verses James has presented three tests of a true believer …more to follow…on how we should approach sin and temptation…how God works in the giving of His perfect gifts including salvation…and the dangers of being deceived.

As we continue on in James this book is an encouragement for us as God’s people to act like God’s people by how they conduct themselves…if those who call themselves God’s people truly belong to Jesus their lives will produce the results of a life lived like a Christian.

The question for us this morning as Christians is do we apply what James has revealed…do we accept them as truth or buy into Satan’s great strategy and lie of ‘Go ahead and live as you like’ …which is to convince us that God is less than who He says He is…a lie Satan’s been repeating ever since he told Eve… ‘You will not surely die.’

In Verse 12 James puts the finishing touches on the thought he began in [v.2] where he called on believers to assign difficult times as joyful for two reasons:

ONE…because our faith only grows stronger when tested by trials.

SECONDLY…because God blesses those who go through trials.

Blessed is the man who endures…for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (v12)

TWO THINGS
First…Something we fail to recognize is that God rewards us here on earth… it’s referred to in the Bible as being blessed…God can’t help Himself…there are 79 verses in the Bible about God’s blessings.

Problem is we get so caught up and focused on the rewards and promises of Heaven that we overlook the blessings He gives us while still on earth.

‘Blessing’ in the Greek means more than simply being happy…a ‘blessed’ person is a privileged recipient of God’s favor…that’s why God blesses us…it is God’s plan to bless people so that they will bless others.

Just looking at your individual gifts…skills…experiences…or resources…that God has blessed you with in your life so that you could help others.

For when he has been approved…stating the purpose of God in allowing trials and temptations…it’s to approve us…that through testing we would be found to be genuine and strong in our faith.

These blessings are not only for the distant future but also for the here and now…it’s the inner joy that is undisturbed by outward circumstances.

When we embrace problems and truly search for the reason we are experiencing them…afterwards we see they were opportunities for personal growth and spiritual enrichment which they produced in us.

Secondly…something that goes along with the blessing we receive here on earth…are the rewards God has prepared for us in Heaven.

When we trust God in the midst of our everyday trials and difficulties, we have the promise we will receive the ‘crown of life’.

The Bible mentions rewards in heaven multiple times (Matthew 5:12; Luke 6:23, 35; 1 Corinthians 3:14; 9:18)…but why…won’t being in heaven with God be good enough?
…experiencing Him…and His glory…it’s hard to understand why rewards would be needed…really…what have I done during my time on earth that would merit additional rewards?

God will give rewards in heaven at the judgment seat of Christ to Christians based on our faithfulness in service to Him.

For a few minutes I want to talk about the rewards awaiting us in Heaven.

The treasures and rewards God has waiting for us are not like the rewards we think of on earth…we tend to think in material terms…like mansions…but the rewards we receive in heaven will be based on:

1) our faithfulness in service to God [2 Cor. 5:10] and 2) it’s God making good on His promise that our labor was not in vain ]1 Cor. 15:58].

The Bible mentions five heavenly crowns that will be awarded to believers… crowns that will be given to SOME of God’s people when they enter into heaven.

These crowns are given in addition to other treasures that believers will be given on that ‘day.’

The crown James is referring to in [12] is the ‘Crown of Life’ which at first glance appears to be referring to eternal life…BUT…eternal life is not earned…it comes by faith in Jesus.

SO…what is the purpose of the crown of life…it is given to those who faithfully and patiently trusted in God during hardships…who not only persevered in trials…but most notably for those who were persecuted for Jesus even to the point of death.

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. [Rev. 2:10]

Then there’s the Crown of Victory or as Paul refers to it…the incorruptible crown …that is given to those who have strived to be obedient in their Christian walk.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever [1 Cor. 9:25].

Being obedient means holding fast without wavering in our profession of faith.

Doesn’t mean they’re sin-free…no one is…here Paul is talking about self-control.
I discipline my body and make it my slave [1 Cor. 9:25]…emphasizing the need that we should make use of all possible means to subdue our carnal urges …our faith must be kept pure and incorrupt against all opposition.

It might be what we refer to as a genuine Christian…who is that person:
…it’s someone who has made a profession of faith in Jesus
…who demonstrates true faith by an ongoing love for God
…a love that cannot be damaged…destroyed…or compromised by troubles…or afflictions

Then there’s the Crown of Rejoicing. It is given to those who engage in evangelism…who have witnessed to others and who have built up the church.

What will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before Jesus when he returns? It is you! [1 Thessalonians 2:19].

In addition is the Crown of Righteousness that is given to every person who is rejoicing in the anticipation of Jesus’ return.

there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord will give to all who have loved His appearing.” [2 Tim. 4:8]

Then there’s a Crown of Glory given to those in the Church who have been placed there to be in service to God …pastors… prophets… evangelists… teachers … ministers… every person who has shepherd the flock of God properly.

When the Chief Shepherd appears you will receive the unfading crown of glory [1 Peter 5:4].

These crowns collectively represent our tangible rewards which we will receive in the Kingdom.

BUT…Jesus also said that there are degrees of rewards in Heaven…Jesus clearly told His followers they would be rewarded according to their deeds.

If you do a lot with what God has given you, you will get a greater reward in Heaven…

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will repay every man according to what he has done (Matt 16:27).

We see this emphasized in Jesus’ Parable of the Talents…a story that reveals the importance of using what God has gifted us with to further God’s kingdom on earth.

Each person from the time of creation has been entrusted with a gift…as such we will be held responsible for how we used that gift.

Paul reinforces this idea by stating that Jesus…will render to every man according to his deeds [Rom. 2:5] …here’s the warning…if you squander what God has given you; don’t be surprised to find that your rewards are few.

Need to remember that God does not render salvation according to our deeds or anything that we do…so what is He repaying? ….He’s rendering rewards and treasures according to our deeds…as our deeds increase our rewards increase.

After stressing the importance of enduring trials…beginning in [13] James directs his readers towards something that as a Christian…will stunt our spiritual growth if you do not learn this Biblical truth.

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is accomplished brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Allow me to state the obvious.

You cannot enjoy blessings from God if you do not learn to overcome temptation.

The excuse is …’God, you know I’m weak in that area of my life…just can’t help myself’…that won’t cut it…we can’t blame God for our temptations…because the source of sin is not God.

Notice how James is eliminating the possibilities of who could be responsible for temptations and sin…he doesn’t even mention Satan…the Flip Wilson excuse of ‘the Devil made me do it’ doesn’t apply…he’s also excluded as the source of sin.

Since God cannot be responsible for making me sin…and Satan is not even mentioned…James reveals the origin of evil and temptations…it’s our own hearts… so…the only one left on the list for being responsible for sin is us [14].

Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Bible does not say that God punished the human race for man’s sin but the nature of sin.

It’s the sin nature in man that makes us rebel against God…we have a natural inclination to sin…the Bible speaks of ‘sinful flesh’ …it’s our ‘earthly nature’ that produces sin…SO…what was…and what is…the single ‘sin’ that causes us to rebel?

It’s my claim to my right to control myself…the nature of self-sufficiency which leads me to say—I am my own god—Sin is deliberate and determined independence from God.

Given the choice to do God’s will or our own…because of our sin nature… we will naturally choose to do our own will.

With devastating results…

and sin, when accomplished brings forth death. 6 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

By supposing that God is the author of sin, people can justify their evil actions… James here is stating the source of sin…that sin originates in the heart and in the mind…by pointing out the origin of sin he’s established that sin is not to be traced to God…but to man himself…as a result we are not to be deceived.

We see the downward spiral that is the result of sin…

when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin when it is accomplished brings forth death. (v15)

Death… I hate it…death is the result of sin…Bible says so… ‘for the wages of sin is death’ [Rom. 6:23] …that in a nutshell is the reason that we all will someday die…unless Jesus comes back…and just looking at Scripture…I think that is in the distant future.

So…until then the whole world is subject to death…God gave clear warning to Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death… ‘you will surely die’ [Gen 2:17]…here’s where things become complicated.

Did Adam immediately die?…Yes and No.

Adam immediately experienced spiritual death which caused him to hide from God…some people spend their entire lives hiding from God…later Adam experienced physical death [Gen 5:5] and because we are all descendants of Adam we all will experience death as well.

It’s something I allude to in every funeral I preach…because we have received from Adam the inherent propensity to defy God and His commandments as a result of being Adam’s descendants, we all will experience death.

Here’s the key…16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

That is the problem…the world has been deceived by Satan since Adam and Eve…a deception that has been to convince the world that ‘you will not surely die’ [Gen. 3:4].

BUT… Jesus Himself discussed a time when He will separate the ‘sheep from the goats’ …referring to those who have been declared righteous by their faith in Him as Savior will spend eternity with Him—the sheep—and those who have rejected Him –the goats—who will be eternally separated from Him.

Well how mean is that…it’s not…God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone [Ezekiel 33:11] not wanting anyone to perish [2 Peter 3:9] …and because He is not the author of sin…what comes as a result of sin…which is death…is people’s own fault.

For the unsaved person…death brings to an end the chance to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation [Heb. 9:27] …BUT for the saved death ushers us into the presence of Jesus [2 Cor. 5:8 / Phil. 1:23] and the promise of going to a time when ‘there shall be no more death’ [Rev. 21:4].

James has shared the blessings that come from enduring trials…and the harsh reality that accompanies sin…not that that God wills it…desires it…or takes pleasure in it…but it is a revelation of God’s character and His strong feelings of hostility…disgust…and utter dislike for sin. WHY…

God hates sin because sin separates us from Him.
God hates sin because of its deceitfulness to focus on worldly pleasure.
God hates sin because it blinds us to the truth.
God hates sin because it enslaves us and will eventually destroy us.
God hates sin because it lessens our love for Him.

That is why God is so desirous that all men come to a saving knowledge of Jesus for salvation…coupled with the importance of enduring in faith so one day He can reward us for our effort.

God’s Word is filled with paradoxes…what’s a paradox?…a paradox is “a statement that is seemingly contradictory…like…eating foods that are green are good for you…or are opposed to common sense and yet are perhaps true … some examples from the Bible:
• Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10)
• Jesus said, “Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it” (Matt. 10:39).
• Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.” (Mark 10:43)
• Jesus said, “The last will be first, and the first last.”

All those statements catch our attention because they sound contradictory at first, until you think about them….verses 9 and 10 of James are a paradox.

VERSE 9 – But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position:

VERSE 10 – and let the rich man glory in his humiliation.

God uses paradoxical verses like this to cause us to pause…to slow down and think deeper about it.

For the past three weeks we have looked at what James has said concerning trials in the life of a Christian and how to face them…James’s response in itself is a paradox…He says to look upon trials with joy, endurance, and wisdom…sounds a little contradictory…but the results are spiritually beneficial.

Before we look at these two paradoxes we need to observe a couple things.

Notice James refers to one person as ‘brother’ [9] …but the other [10] only as ‘the rich man.’

This causes us to look at these two verses in entirely different ways…it suggests one is a Christian and the other is not…WHY…in Scripture Christians are called ‘brothers’ or saints…the lost are never referred to as God’s children [Eph. 2:3].

As part of God’s creation, we may all be brothers and sisters in the ‘family of humanity’ BUT…that doesn’t make us ‘brothers and sisters in Christ.’

James doesn’t say ‘the rich brother’ like when referring to the brother of humble circumstance…but only as the one who is rich.

Therefore, when you find in Scripture the word ‘brother’ you should understand the reference is being made to a Christian.

Secondly…As we progress through the book of James a repeated theme that is woven throughout is the contrast between the rich and the poor.

Here James is bringing together the teaching of something that is seen throughout the Old Testament and in the teachings of Jesus.

James is picking up on the teachings in both the Old and New Testaments that God has a particular concern for the poor…including widows and orphans.

James says one aspect of pure religion is…to visit orphans and widows in their distress [1:27] …because the person who neglects or ignores the physical needs of any of these three…the poor…orphans…or widows…James says their faith is dead [2:15-16].

Thirdly…at times Jesus does contrast the poor and the rich…Blessed are you who are poor… But woe to you who are rich (Luke 6:20, 24).

Now…it is wrong to assume in all cases that the Bible automatically identifies the poor as being humble and the rich as being wicked.

That goes along with the common misplaced idea in Christianity that people who have money are wicked oppressors…arrogant…greedy and self-reliant…who have no need for God because they trust in money.

That idea is uncharacteristic of all people with money because the Bible gives evidence of many wealthy men who did follow God and were blessed with wealth from God…Job… Abraham…David…Solomon and others.

God is not anti-wealth…He does not condemn earthly riches.

Back to the man of ‘humble circumstances’ [9], that word is the translation of a single Greek word (ταπεινὸς) describing a person in two ways:

FIRST…it can describe a person who depends on the Lord rather than self…it’s the same root word found in Phil. 2:8 describing Jesus.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

SECONDLY…It can also describe any person who is lowly in spirit…or position…or in poverty as used here…someone who is in a humble state feeling powerless and in despair about how little they have.

As a result, we might consider someone with ‘humble circumstances’ as a person who is living below the standards of the world…a person who is downtrodden or of lowly character.

There’s actually quite a bit of debate about what James is saying since he doesn’t clearly explain it…we’re left to discern the meaning by considering the context.

In verse [9, 10] James identifies two types of people who will be tested…one will be tested in poverty and the other tested in their wealth… although tested differently…both will need faith and wisdom to face the test.

In [9] it seems that James is primarily dealing with people who lack financial resources but the term ‘humble circumstances’ could also have reference to those who might be looked down upon in society for various reasons… disabilities…limited education…old age…or ethnic background.

People are tempted to become discouraged because they evaluate themselves by society’s wrong standards…not educated enough…not wealthy enough… not beautiful enough…not athletic enough resulting in insecurity and even depression.

The poor are challenged with the temptations that comes with having limited financial resources…it does restrict our choices…for example…if we have no money our power to act is limited.

The test is in trusting God to provide what they need…the temptation is to doubt God to provide that need by taking matters into their own hands.

They may steal for what they need all the while asking… “Where is the Lord?” He hasn’t provided yet…where is He when you need Him?

The rich will be challenged with the temptation to rely on their money to meet their needs…unlike the poor person the rich person may be elevated in society because of their wealth and abilities.

As a result, people celebrate them…rejoice in their success and want to be friends with them causing them to think more highly of themselves than they ought to possibly causing them to drift away from God saying…God, who needs Him?

The poor are more likely to turn to God in the midst of their trials…praying and seeking God’s wisdom because they see God as their only hope…whereas the rich are more likely to trust in their finances instead of God in their trials.

Both poverty and wealth are trials that can hinder our spiritual growth if we don’t respond to them well…that is in essence what Proverbs 30:8-9 says:

Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you…and if I am poor I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name (NLT).

Now…with respect to people of ‘humble circumstances’ James is encouraging them to take pride in their high position by having them focus more on their spiritual status instead of what the world says about them.

Being in humble circumstances through spiritual eyes is actually a good thing because of their position as co-heirs with Christ…as well as in the future when one day they will inherit the earth and be recipients of God’s rewards.

BUT what is James referring to when he says for the rich to rejoice in their humiliation?

James is telling the rich that they need to humble themselves against the temptation of trusting in their wealth and place their trust in God.

Just as oddly as James says that the poor man is exalted…he says the rich man is humbled…and not only is he to be humbled…but that he should boast about it or be proud of the fact that he is humbled.

Again…this is where this verse becomes complicated…it’s not usually natural to think of a rich person being humble…but…if this person is a Christian then it is natural for someone who is in Christ and wealthy to be humbled before God.

To be clear…this humiliation is not an embarrassment…it carries the idea of taking a lower position…of being brought low…the humbling of oneself by confessing that as a person…wealthy or not… ‘I am nothing.’

Realizing that their wealth brings them no closer to God or of any greater value to God than the poorest saint…therefore they are not to boast in their wealth…but in their humble status as a servant of God…because ultimately:

VERSE 10…like flowering grass he will pass away

Throughout Scripture man is compared to…or ‘like’ grass that withers:

1 Peter 1:24 — All flesh is like grass
Psalm 103:15 — As for man, his days are like grass
Isaiah 40:6-7 — All flesh is grass
Isaiah 51:12 — man who is made like grass

This is illustrating the brevity and uncertainty of life…a statement that applies to the frailty of life…a statement to awaken the conscience of the rich man who because he has plenty is prone to forget that these are passing riches.

In verse 11 James describes how speedily the prideful pursuits of a rich man will pass away:

VERSE 11 – For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass: and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed: so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

It’s amazing how much stuff some people can own…Jay Leno…comedian and former Tonight Show host, is a noted car freak….he has a collection of more than 200 vehicles that rivals any museum in the world…total around $350 million.

When he dies someone else will own all those cars…everything we own will one day belong to someone else…we don’t own anything…everything has been loaned to us…how long will our riches last?…at best until the end of our lives… and there’s no guarantee not even that long.

Here’s what at times we fail to remember…the ultimate ownership of everything we have…resources…money…possessions…and abilities are all God owned.

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it” (Psalm 24:1).

He has merely entrusted the management of them to us…for one reason…to complete His purpose.

We have no right to claim ownership of anything we have…in the meantime… rather than focusing on our material status…we should be focused on our spiritual status because ultimately that will determine our eternal destiny…as such we should all have similar looking boasts.

That’s the application part of this sermon…we are all part of God’s family…one day we will live where there is no more struggle and none will lack anything… therefore we should all boast in Jesus as suggested by Jeremiah [9:23-24].

Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me….

How many of us can honestly say that…that we understand and know Him…
at the end of the day…either rich…poor…or somewhere in between we can look forward in confidence to a future where we will live in abundance forever.

The Bible has a universal application…it’s a book addressed to all humanity…a book that everyone can understand….but as we continue on in the book of James something I’ve mentioned and will continue to remind you of is although the Bible has a universal application…parts of the Bible were written to specific individuals…and other parts to specific groups…the book of James is such a book…his focus is on those who are already Christians rather than on those who are not.

This book is encouraging God’s people to act like God’s people…Christians evidence their faith by how they conduct themselves…we always hear the phrase… ‘Don’t judge someone’ but if a person’s lifestyle doesn’t reflect Godly living then we can question their commitment as a Christian.

If those who call themselves God’s people truly belong to Jesus, their lives will produce the results of a life lived like a Christian.

Throughout the entire book of James, he reveals those traits that should be evident in the life of someone who identifies themselves as being a Christian.

James’s purpose throughout this epistle is for professed Christians to test their faith to find out whether it is genuine or false.

For the past two weeks we’ve looked at the importance of trials…troubles…and tribulations that come into our lives…and although they may not seem to have any importance in our lives…they do.

Many times they come as a result of God wanting to teach us something…that’s why James writes:
2 Consider it all joy…when you encounter various trials

The word we translate in English as ‘consider’ in the Greek is ‘esteem’… meaning to highly regard…so WHY would we highly regard problems in our lives?

Because God’s ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development.

Trials don’t produce faith…but when trials are received in unbelief and grumbling trials can produce bitterness and discouragement…that is why James exhorts us to count it all joy…joy is faith’s response to a time of trial.

So how do we turn trials into joy?…three ways.
God’s Word provides the truth we need to grow…God’s people provide the support we need to grow…and circumstances strengthen our endurance.

Here’s how God’s people provide the support we need to grow…this emphasizes the importance of Church attendance…many people assume all that is needed for spiritual growth is Bible study and prayer…unfortunately most don’t even do that very well.

Here’s why church attendance is important…it’s not just so the church can get more money…God prefers to work through people…so we can depend on each other for fellowship…so we can grow together…hence the importance of church attendance.

You cannot grow in Christlikeness in isolation…you must be around other people and interact with them…you need to be a part of a church because you can’t develop a Christlike attitude without being in a relationship with other people.
(Purpose Driven Life pp 176)

…Fellowship makes us stronger by providing us with opportunity to learn and grow in our faith with other believers.
…Fellowship provides encouragement by lifting us up during difficult times.
…Fellowship reminds us we’re not alone…it allows us to build relationships so we’re never by ourselves.
…Fellowship helps us to grow when we collectively share our gifts for the building up of the entire church.

The issue is…what do you do when tragedy strikes…what do you do when a test comes…what is your first response?…with regards to the problem facing you right now…everybody has one…do you complain…blame… maybe try to reason your way out?

Here’s where we really go wrong…we sit down at the door of God’s purpose for our life and enter into a life of self-pity.

Here’s what’s important to know regarding trials…not everything that happens is God’s will…that is a terrible misunderstanding…to say that everything that happens is the will of God is a religious statement… not a Biblical truth.

If everything that happened was God’s will then nothing would be a sin… murder…stealing…lying…adultery…no such thing as a sin because it was all God’s will.

When we just arbitrarily respond with ‘Well, must have been God’s will’… regarding something happening, it doesn’t allow for people to accept responsibility for their actions or hold others accountable for their wrong actions.

Not everything that happens is God caused…God gets credited for things He doesn’t do…and gets blamed for things He doesn’t do.

We need to be careful what we credit God with and what we don’t…some things occur in life that are the result of being human…there are some circumstances in life that are common to man…natural disasters…thoughtless behavior.

The true source of human suffering is the devil…it’s not God punishing people…something that was not known until Jesus first revealed the true source of mankind’s suffering…it is Satan who is the instigator of much of humanity’s misery…(Ephesians 2:2 / 2 Corinthians 4:4 / 1 Peter 5:8).

SO…how does God develop our character?…God’s Word provides the truth we need to grow…God’s people provide the support we need to grow…and circumstances strengthen our endurance.

It’s what James is referring to [4]:

VERSE 4 – “and let endurance have its perfect result…”

TWO THINGS
FIRST…when we think of endurance it’s usually applied to the ability to sustain a physical activity for an extended period of time like running a marathon, BUT the meaning here is different.

Character development is the result of testing and testing results in endurance … so what does that mean…and what is the benefit?

Endurance is pictured as a test…instead of trying to escape because it’s just too uncomfortable…you make the determined resolution to remain there to see it through to the end…that growth helps to stay steadfast through the next trial.

Here it means to patiently remain…it’s not describing a situation where we just give up and pout…or complain…run in circles screaming and shouting…nor is it a passive ‘grin and bear’ it attitude…that is not what God intends for us to do…it’s triumphantly facing difficult circumstances…and enduring them to the end.

Endurance is the key for James…he’s referring to our ability to lean on God for strength through the trials of life…it’s accepting and submitting to the trials without compromising or wavering in your Christian commitment.

It’s relying on God for strength and guidance to endure when circumstances are difficult.

SECONDLY…in the Greek the word is not “result” …BUT… “work” … let endurance have its perfect work…it means any effect produced by a cause.

That’s what work is…something that is being done…for example…the result of work is some type of payment…at times it’s hard work to maintain our faith during trials…troubles and difficulties…but when we do…the effect—the work—produced is endurance.

The work of patient endurance is the mark of a person who is perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

It’s like someone training for a race…if you’re training to run a 5K…about 3 miles…you don’t just train running 3 miles…you train running farther than the race distance so when you run the actual 3 miles in the race it will seem easier because you’ve been training at a longer distance.

In the same way when we endure trials by faith…our faith grows…we gain endurance…we become stronger for the next trial…we know we can endure that one because we’ve already been through previous trials…with the result being

VERSE 4- that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.

So how’s that work…being perfect and complete lacking in nothing…where’s the signup sheet for that?…I‘ll take some of that…put my name near the top of the signup sheet…being perfect and complete lacking in nothing.

‘Perfect’ here does not mean what we normally think of when we think of ‘perfection’ …being morally…physically…sinlessly…or spiritually perfect because it’s impossible to achieve sinless perfection in this life.

The word is better rendered “mature” referring to being full grown…referring to spiritual maturity…meaning the completeness of your Christian development.

Oswald Chambers- God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase…He is getting me to the place where He can use me.

Notice James doesn’t say a thing about prayer…his focus on what is involved in creating mature Christians…it’s not a lesson on trials…or how they make us perfect…the emphasis is that God uses trials to refine us so we will be spiritually mature…to be well equipped for the purpose He created us for.

James then uses a word that is only used twice in the entire New Testament… ‘complete’…this is the same word that is used to described Job but is translated as ‘blameless’ meaning complete.

What does it mean to be complete or blameless?…it is not intended to imply that Job was absolutely perfect in his conduct at all times and in every circumstance… in Scripture ‘complete’ refers to those who are exceptionally obedient to God…in every aspect of their life.

Again…this does not mean that you can arrive at a state of sinless perfection or perfect spiritual maturity in this life…rather…the idea is that you will be well-equipped and knowledgeable for the purpose that God created you for…that’s the importance of wisdom.

VERSE 5 – 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

First of all the reference is to Godly wisdom…and secondly…it’s the divine knowledge or understanding that comes from God…a gift that He freely offers whenever any believer asks.

It’s just most of us don’t bother to ask even though the Bible says: [Prov 1:20-33]

Wisdom cries aloud in the street…in the markets…at the entrance of the city gates she speaks…‘How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

I’m not talking about being smart…there’s a difference between being smart and being wise…it might just sound like a question of semantics but there is much more to it than that.

Being smart refers to intelligence…in my former life I was an aircraft electrical design engineer…I worked around some guys who were really smart…if you’re designing an aircraft that has the potential of falling out of the sky you really need to ensure your design is flawless…smartness is figuring things out.

Whereas being wise refers to someone with good judgement…that’s why the Bible speaks so much on the topic of wisdom…being wise refers to a person’s ability to understand the difference between right and wrong.

Here’s where things fall apart fast
6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind 7 For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
TWO THINGS
FIRST…this verse is conditional…we are to ask in faith without any doubting because if there is any hint of doubt

7 let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord

SECONDLY…let’s go back to square one…the trials we face are designed to test our dependence upon God…to strengthen our faith in Him and by giving us the wisdom to know that our prayer or request will be in accordance with God’s will.

We should not pray so much for the removal of affliction…as for the wisdom to make the right use of it.

Wisdom is praying in faith being certain…without any doubting…that God is able to answer your request in a manner that will…not necessarily be in compliance with your request…or even benefit you…but will always bring glory to Him.

Wisdom is trusting God to provide the answer and the guidance you need to make the right decision.

When we do a casual reading of the first seven verses of James it seems like common knowledge…a guide for successful prayer…that consists of what to do in times of distress…but the central focus is what James will be highlighting throughout the book…that as Christians everything we do should be focused on doing it without any doubting, because faith is the basis for every encounter we have with God…and therefore without faith we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.