Note for study: The Word of God is powerful and full bodied.
These are some thoughts on James Chapter 1.
The hope for all of us is that we hear from the Lord as we read
and integrate what we have learned into our lives.
This is by no means every explanation possible.
The word of God is alive and this is just what the Lord exposed to me.
Keep digging for more, the riches and richness of God’s treasure
is way beyond one person or any certain teaching.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:
for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. v 12
This can’t mean once but maybe the first time is the indicator.
The choice we make to serve good or evil in our lives?
The crown of life for choosing not to follow the seducer, Satan,
the one who tempts us.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:
for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: v 13
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust,
and enticed. v 14
This explains the temptation. Humans open the door. Choices we make.
That’s where Jesus said, if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee:
for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish,
and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:30
We are to not participate in sin,
to allow ourselves to be in situations that might entice us into sin.
We are not to touch the unclean things,
that is anything offensive to the Lord.
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence,
touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her;
be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. Isaiah 52:11
We are encouraged not to be partakers of sin
and are admonished to always keep our minds and hearts
filled with the word of God.
Washing the outside of our cups doesn’t do much good.
And the Lord said unto him,
Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter;
but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Luke 11:39
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:
and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. v 15
When lust hath conceived, in other words, has born its child, it is sin.
A process of intertwining with evil which is likely succumbing to the desires of the inside of our wretched souls. Death is the end result.
Do not err, my beloved brethren. v 16
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. v 17
We need to learn to honor the gifts from above
and not prefer any of the things the world has to offer us.
Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth,
that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. v 18
Jesus birthed us, gave us a new life in the spiritual into His Kingdom.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath: v 19 (see notations in verse 26)
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. v 20
Vengeance is Mine, I will repay says the Lord.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:
for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19
It is impossible for us to see the whole picture. Only God can see motives and intentions, so leave the vengeance to Him, He will perform His word.
He said, Then Yahweh said to me,
“You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.”
Jeremiah 1:12 WEB
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness,
and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls. v 21
The engrafted word, which means, it becomes a part of our hearts,
the word actually becomes a part of our nature,
where we receive it and allow it to change our inner-most being.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. v 22
Thinking of ourselves as actually applying the word, not just knowing it,
but understanding it and allowing the word we have heard
to work in our hearts, such as, loving our neighbor as ourselves.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: v 23
Similar to reading the word of God,
but not allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in your soul,
just reading it like a book, not taking it in, not letting it change you,
not really seeking the Lord so that you understand it as the Living Word.
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way,
and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. v 24
A reminder of the Parable of the Sower who spread the seeds:
And He spoke many things unto them in parables, saying,
“Behold, a sower went forth to sow.
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside;
and the fowls came and devoured them up.
Some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth;
and forthwith they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth.
And when the sun was up they were scorched,
and because they had no root they withered away.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
But others fell into good ground and brought forth fruit,
some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13: 3-9
Ask yourself, what sort of soil do you have in your heart?
Can you change it?
Or is it a form of submission to the Lord and His word
that allows it to be changed? Ask Him.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein,
he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work,
this man shall be blessed in his deed. v 25
This is a person who has allowed the Lord
to cultivate and bring forth fruit in his heart and soul,
one who has allowed the Lord to teach that person His precepts,
one who has let the engrafted word in and become a part of his or her heart.
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue,
but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. v 26
Many of us struggle with this, not being able to control our tongues.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverbs 16:32
Self-control needs to be practiced.
The Lord will help us and give us strength to do this when we ask Him.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,
and to keep himself unspotted from the world. v 27
Treating others as if Jesus were in their predicament.
I was hungry and you fed Me, thirsty and you gave Me drink.
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me:
I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren,
ye have done it unto Me. Matthew 25:35-40
Jesus cares about the less fortunate, especially the vulnerable, orphans and widows.
When we have and we don’t give, that is putrid to God.
Holding onto our wealth is not pleasing to God.
Not sharing God’s love with others is not pleasing to God.