The Contrasts in Orgin of Wisdom (James 3:15-17a)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-24-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Contrasts in origin of wisdom

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  James 3:15 & 17a

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. But the wisdom from above.”

This is a new section and a new chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book, and is under the main point in his outline or the book:  “HE HAS POWER OVER HIS TONGUE.”  This is the third point entitled, “Application.”  I believe that the point of this is that using wisdom in the way that the Word of God prescribes it will be a good use of the tongue.

This section is entitled “Contrast in Origins,” and it contrasts the origin of the wisdom of the world, with the wisdom of God.  There are many examples in the Bible of man using their own wisdom in order to accomplish something, only to have thing not work out the way they had envisioned them to work out.  Dr. Wiersbe gives a number of examples in his book.  True wisdom comes from above as seen in verse 17, and false wisdom comes from below as seen in verse 15. 

There are three categories given in verse 15 that speak of false wisdom, that come from below: earthly, natural, and demonic are the way the NASB describes them.  These three are very similar to the three enemies of the believers which are the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Ephesians 2:1-3 gives some insight into these three:  “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 

The wisdom of the world is spoken of by Paul in 1Corthians 1:20,21 “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”  In verse 20 Paul says that man’s wisdom is foolishness to God, but also says that God’s wisdom is foolishness to man.  In Proverbs 9:10 we can see why God’s wisdom is foolishness to man, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  The results of man not fearing the Lord can be seen in most every aspect of life, as we know it today.  All one has to do is look at the TV for a short time to see that man has no fear of God.  Romans 3:18 says exactly this, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

The word translated “natural” in verse 15 comes from the root word “psuke” in the Greek and is where we get our work psychology from.  This word is used a number of times other places in the Bible and it can mean the opposite of spiritual as seen in 1Corthians 2:14; 15:44, & 46. 

The last origin of false wisdom comes from Satan and the best example of this is seen in Genesis 3 where Satan told and Eve accepted the “lie” and because of Adam also accepting it the world along with all mankind was plunged into sin.  People still believe the lie, that man can be like God even to this day.  Read Romans 1:18-25.

James writes of the origin of Godly wisdom in verse 17 where he says it comes from above.  James 1:17 tells us that every good gift and every perfect comes from above.  Our citizenship is in heaven, our treasures are in heaven, we were born from above, our home is in heaven, and our hope is in heaven.  It makes sense then that are wisdom should come from God in heaven. 

There are places where the believer looks to for wisdom.  Colossians 2:2,3 gives us the first place to look for wisdom, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The Word of God also gives us wisdom, and James has already written that we can receive wisdom through believing prayer as we ask God.  (See James 1:5)  Ephesians 1:17 says that The Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of wisdom.  “The origin of true spiritual wisdom is God.  To get your wisdom from any other source is to ask for trouble.”  (From “Be Mature”)

 

2. Spiritual meaning for my life today:  To get wisdom from the only sources of wisdom: Jesus Christ, The Word of God; Believing prayer; and The Holy Spirit of God.

 

 

The Word of God was challenging to my heart as I think about where I am to get my wisdom from day by day.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord for wisdom, especially for all of the trials that He has brought my way in these past weeks, and months.

 

Memory verses for the week:  James 1:1-5

 

1.      James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are scattered abroad, greetings.

2.      Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3.      Knowing that the testing of your faith produce endurance.

4.      And let endurance have its perfect results, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

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

 

 

Power to Delight: The Fountain and the Tree (James 3:9-12)

Spiritual Diary For 09-20-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Power to delight:  The fountain and the tree

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  James 3:9-12

 

            1.  Message of the verse: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig-tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”  (NIV)

            Proverbs 18:4  “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.  Proverbs 10:11  “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”  Proverbs 13:14  “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death.”

            Proverbs 18:21 gives another similarity between water and the tongue, for if water is not controlled it will cause much damage, and if the tongue is not controlled it too can cause great damage.  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”  Water can also be refreshing to us, and we need it to sustain life. Proverbs 18:12 speaks of the health that can come from the tongue of a person.  “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  As believers we too can bring refreshment to others with our kind and encouraging words that can help to heal someone who is hurting. 

            Water not only is life giving and refreshment, but it also cleanses us when we are dirty.  The Bible gives us some pictures of how this works spiritually:  (See John 13:5-10) 

The OT also gives us a picture of the importance of being clean, and in the examples is shown water to illustrate spiritual cleansing from sin.  John 15:3 given an illustration of being cleansed by words:  “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” This is truly amazing if you stop and think about the power that the Lord Jesus has in His Words, and the Bible teaches in other places the power that is in the Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  Ephesians 5:26 & 27 tells us more about being cleansed by Christ’s Words:  “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  The Bible teaches us that all believers are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, for His death satisfied the wrath of God, but the Bible also teaches us that we are made clean by His Words, for that is how we find out about His death for our sins.  Think about the power that we as believers have with the words that are formed on our tongues, for if we speak the Words of Christ to tell others about His provision for their sins then the Lord can use those words to bring life to a spiritual dead person, or we can use our words to hurt someone.  It is no wonder that James writes about controlling the tongue in relationship to a mature believer. 

            The tongue and the tree:  Trees can shelter us from the heat; they provide beauty to look at, such as in the fall when the leaves turn into beautiful colors.  Trees also produce fruit that we may eat and be nourished by.  In the same way the tongue, or words from the tongue can do this in a spiritual way if, like the trees, it has a good root system.  Psalm one is a wonderful example of this.  “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.” 

            A warning from James:  James has written in these verses warnings that believers need to learn from.  Two kinds of fruit cannot come from the same tree, and two kinds of water cannot come from the same spring.  Now if a tree has a bad root system and cannot get the proper nourishment to produce good fruit then that can be a problem.  Again our spiritual roots need to be in the Word of God so that it can work in our hearts, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  “The tongue that blesses the Father, and then turns around and curses men made in God’s image, is in desperate need of spiritual medicine.”  “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23)  “As we fill our hearts with God’s Word, and yield to the Holy Spirit, He can use us to bring delight to others, and we will be refreshing fountains and trees.”

Twelve words that, if you use them sincerely, can make a lot of difference.

“Please” and “Thank you.”  This helps to show that we are treating people like people and not things.

“I’m sorry.”  These words break down wall and build bridges.

“I love you.”  For husbands and wives and brethren in the Lord.

“I’m praying for you.”  When we speak to God about people then He will give us the confidence to speak to them about the Lord.

 

2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Every time that I read this section in James I get my toes stepped on, and this shows me that I certainly need the help of the Lord in order to guard the words that are formed by my tongue and come out of my mouth.  Trials can help give me more endurance and this will help remind me of speaking words that are medicine.

 

The Word of God has once again convicted my heart that there are too many times when the words that I speak are not godly words, or helpful words, or selfish words.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to make a commitment to the Lord that I will be led by His Holy Spirit to speak words that are helpful, and not hurtful.  I would pray that He would give me the courage to often speak those twelve words that are helpful in the right situations, and that these words would come from a grateful heart, also that I would not speak words when it is not necessary.

 

Memory verses for the week:  James 1:1-5

 

1.      James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings. 

2.      Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3.      Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4.      And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5.      But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who give to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

      

Power to Destroy: The Fire and Animals (James 3:5-8)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-19-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Power to destroy:  the Fire and animals

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  James 3:5-8

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  (NIV)

            I think that the most important thing that I have learned from this section is the hope that God can tame the tongue, for when the tongue is controlled by our old nature, or by Satan it can destroy.  Words can hurt, and they can destroy a life in a very short order.  Dr. Dobson read a letter from a woman who was teased without mercy in her school years, and must not have gotten any encouragement or instruction at her home, and because of those words she started to look for love in the wrong places, got into drugs, had a number of children before she was married, and basically had her life ruined.  The story turns out much better as she did get saved, and then got married having three children, but one could tell from her letter that she had been greatly wounded by words.

            James in this section compares the tongue to a fire and to wild animals, and one does not have to have to great of an imagination to see the similarities between the three.  It only takes a little spark to set a whole forest on fire, and it only takes a few words to devastate a person’s life.  Likewise an animal can also destroy and even kill a person, for it is impatient and unruly.

            While Jesus was upon the earth He heard people say hurtful things about Him.  I am sure that he was heard on many occasions that he was born out of wedlock, He was accused of being in league with Satan, and even a drunk.  If you think about these times and how Jesus handled those situations then you can get an idea of how we are to handle it when spoken to in harsh terms.  Jesus was meek, He was power under control, and certainly knew who He was and what He came to do, and did not deviate from His Father’s will for Him.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think the most important thing that I can learn from this section of Scripture is that God wants to control my tongue, and if I allow Him to do this then my life will bring honor and glory to Him, which is why I am here on earth.  The chief end of man is to glorify God.

 

The Word of God has brought a huge challenge to my heart as I read it this morning, and it also has convicted me.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord with the words that I speak, that they my bring honor and glory to His name.

 

Memory verses for the week:  James 1:1-4

 

1.      James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.

2.      Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3.      knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4.      And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The Power of the Tongue to Direct (James 3:1-4)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-18-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  The power of the tongue to direct

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  James 3:1-4

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “1 ¶ Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.  2 We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way.  3 We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.  4 And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong.”  (NLT)  “1 ¶ Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.  3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”  (NIV)

            This starts another new section, and it is on the power of the tongue.  In the outline at the beginning of the book “Be Mature” Warren Wiersbe says that the mature believer has power over his tongue.

            In verse one James seems to be saying, at least between the lines, that there were many of his readers who wanted to be teachers, and he then explains to them that God will judge teachers with greater strictness.  In verse two James gets into more of what he wants to explain to his readers and that is about the tongue, and it seems to me that this is why he was telling his readers about a stricter judgment for teachers, and one of those judgments would have to do with not using the tongue correctly.  One of the questions in the study guide asks why are sins of the tongue connected with the whole body?  I think that the answer to this is given in verse two where James writes, “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.”  I have heard it said many times at the Ford Plant, where I used to work, that a person should not let his mouth, (tongue) overload his backside.  This is another example of how the sins of the tongue can get the whole body in trouble.

            James uses the bit and the rudder to explain the power of a small thing like the tongue to control something larger.  The bit directs a large horse and the rudder directs a large ship.  Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces, and in the same way the tongue must overcome the contrary force of the old nature of a believer.  It must also control the circumstances around the believer.

            The tongue must be under a strong hand, just as the bit and the rudder are, in order that we have control over it.  That strong hand is the Lord Jesus Christ and if He is not in control of our tongues we will be much more apt to sin.  Proverbs 18:21 has this to say about the tongue, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”  David said this about the power of the tongue in Psalm 141:3-4a “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Do not incline my heart to any evil thing.”  David knew that the heart was what controlled the speech, as did the Lord Jesus who said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

            The bit and the rudder also have the power to direct, as does the tongue.  An example of this is the power of the tongue to direct words of encouragement, and words that can change peoples lives, like telling them about the Saviour and then see there lives change because of Him invading their lives.

             In conclusion of this section it is good to remember that a believer who is mature will have his tongue in control of the Lord Jesus Christ.

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life:  I must conclude with what David says in Psalm 141:3-4a, “3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil.”  Yes the tongue can cause much trouble and heartache for others and for myself if I do not guard it.

 

My Steps of Faith:  I want to give my tongue to the Lord Jesus Christ, once and for all, that He might control the words that it forms so that what ever I say may be pleasing to Him.

 

Memory verses for the week:  James 1:1-4

 

1.      James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.

2.      Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3.      knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4.      And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The Dynamic Faith (James 2:20-26)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-17-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Dynamic Faith

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  James 2:20-26

 

            1.  Message of the verses:  “20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God’s friend.  24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.  25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.  (NIV)

            In this long section James is writing about dynamic faith, the kind of faith that all believers have to have in order to be believers in Jesus Christ’s finished work on cross for the saving of their souls.  To recall in the first two sections James wrote about a dead faith that only affects the intellect, and a demonic faith that effect the intellect and the emotions.  Now in this section he writes on a dynamic faith that affects the whole man and, is based on the Word of God.  Faith always has to have an object, and of course the object of dynamic faith is the person of Jesus Christ.  “We are not saved by faith in faith; we are saved by faith in Christ as revealed in His Word.”  (Be Mature)  True Bible faith is believing the Word of God in spite of circumstances or consequences. 

            In this section James give two examples of dynamic faith with the illustration of Abraham and also of Rahab, but first he gets on his readers case a bit by asking them if they actually believe that a person can demonstrate dynamic faith without having any good works.  In verse 21 of the KJV it reads as follows, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” Strongs has this to say about the word justified, “1) to render righteous or such he ought to be 2) to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered

3) to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be.”  The NIV uses the phrase, “considered righteous” instead of “justified by works.”  The example that James is using here is the offering up of Isaac as a burnt offering which occurred many years after the conversion of Abraham, which James mentions in verse 23, which is a quote from Genesis 15:6.  James is showing that Abraham’s conversion was true and that the demonstration of it was his willingness to offer up Isaac believing that God would raise him from the dead, as the author of Hebrews tell us.  His faith was a dynamic faith that affected his whole person as seen in verse 22 where James says that his faith and his actions were working together.  Paul speaks of this in Ephesians 2:8-10, “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no-one can boast.10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (NIV) 

            The next example given by James is Rahab, and at first glance one might wonder what these two people have in common, for one being a person whom God called to be the father of the nation of Israel and the other a person who was a harlot living in a nation where they were enemies of God’s people, Israel.  Rahab must have been privileged too much information because of the kind of person that she was.  What she did was believe that God was indeed the One who had caused the defeat of Egypt through the ten miracles He did.  She believed this and when the spies came into her city she acted upon this faith in God and she was saved along with her family from the destruction of their city.  Rahab believed what she heard about God and put her faith into action and she can be seen in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

            James concludes this section and chapter with verse 26 which says that just as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead.  When a person is born physically the are dead spiritually and must be, as Jesus said to Nicodemus that we must be “born again,” or born from above in order to have life, (1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”)  Once a person is born from above and has new life in Jesus Christ then through his faith in Christ he will produce good works.  Jesus also spoke about this in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

 

 

     2.Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This is probably the most controversial section in the book of James and it does seem to me that the Lord has shown me more about this in the way that James intended his readers to understand it.  In order for these things to be true in my life I need to continue to keep my life clean and available to be used of by the Lord.  As James says in verse 26b “faith without works is dead.”

 

The Word of God has been refreshing to me and also it has been challenging to my heart.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to handle the trial that is going on at our Church in a godly way and not fall into any temptation that may arise because of this trial.

 

Memory verses for the week:  James 1:1-4

 

1.      James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.

2.      Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trails,

3.      knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4.      And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.

Demonic Faith *James 2:18-19)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-16-03

 

My Worship Time                 Focus:  Demonic Faith

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  James 2:18-19

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “18 But someone may well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”  (NASB)  “18 Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.’  19 Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!”  (NLT)

            James writes about dead faith in verses 14-17, which is by intellect alone, and in this section he writes about demonic faith which involves not only the intellect but also the emotions.  It may be a bit surprising to some that demons have faith, and that because of that faith they tremble.  A careful look at the gospels can show that Jesus dealt with the demonic world many times, and when He would cast out a demon from a person many times He had to quiet the demon from speaking about who He truly was.  The demons know who the Lord Jesus Christ is and they tremble because of their knowledge of Him.  In Ephesians 6:10 and following Paul spoke of how believers are to protect themselves from the activities of demons.  I believe that one of the points that James is driving home is that you can have faith but not have a saving faith, and his illustration is that of the demonic world. 

            In verse eighteen he makes a statement that shows the right relationship of faith and works where he writes, “and I will show you my faith by my works.”  Dr. Wiersbe writes, “Being a Christian involves trusting Christ and living for Christ; you receive the life, then you reveal the life.  Faith that is barren is not saving faith.”

This starts a new section, and a new chapter in the book “Be Mature” and Warren Wiersbe has entitled this chapter “False Faith,” and it goes from 2:14 to the end of chapter two which is verse 26.  We start out with verses 14-17 and this is probably the most misunderstood part of the letter that James has written, for in it some people have came to the conclusion the direct opposite of what James is writing about, for they have concluded that in order for a person to be accepted by God that all he has to do is “good works.”  We can see from James 1:18 and many, many other passages that this is not the case, for a man must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus spoke of this as did the rest of the NT writers.  Paul spent much of the first part of the book or Romans driving this point home to his readers. 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  One of the things that I have been learning from the trial of my investments is that I cannot help God do anything, and I think that that principle is tied into this section of James.  I as a true believer in Jesus Christ cannot just go out and start doing good works for the Lord without first talking to Him through prayer, and studying His Word, and then being sensitive to His Spirit as He leads me, for if I do not do the these things then I will probably not be doing the good works that the Lord wants me to be doing in my life.  Ephesians 2:10 speaks about this, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  I believe that this verse teaches that God has prepared works for me to do as a believer, and that when I come to Him by faith that He will reveal them to me and empower me to do them.  This is faith and works in action.

 

The Word of God was very refreshing to my heart, and was what I needed to hear this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I must say that I have had some doubts as to whether or not the Tuesday Bible study for our neighbors is of the Lord, and I have come to the conclusion that these doubts are from the enemy.  I trust that this Bible study is of the Lord and that He will use it to bring glory to Himself, and that I do not have to fret over whether or not certain people come, but to trust the Lord to bring those here that He wants here.

 

Memory verses for the week:  James 1:1-4

 

1.      James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.

2.      Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3.      knowing that the testing of you faith produces endurance.

4.      And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.

Dead Faith (James 2:14-17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-15-03

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Dead Faith

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  James 2:14-17

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “14 What use is it, my brethren, if a man 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," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  17  Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”  (NASB)

“14 ¶  Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone.  15  Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 16  and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?  17  So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.”(NLT)

            This starts a new section, and a new chapter in the book “Be Mature” and Warren Wiersbe has entitled this chapter “False Faith,” and it goes from 2:14 to the end of chapter two which is verse 26.  We start out with verses 14-17 and this is probably the most misunderstood part of the letter that James has written, for in it some people have came to the conclusion the direct opposite of what James is writing about, for they have concluded that in order for a person to be accepted by God that all he has to do is “good works.”  We can see from James 1:18 and many, many other passages that this is not the case, for a man must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus spoke of this as did the rest of the NT writers.  Paul spent much of the first part of the book or Romans driving this point home to his readers. 

            All of this being true, exactly what is James talking about in this section of his letter.  There are three questions to be answered in this section of his letter.  1)  What kind of faith really saves a person?  2)  Is it necessary to perform good works in order to be saved?  And 3)  How can a person tell whether or not he is exercising true saving faith? 

            James asks a number of questions to his readers in verse 14, and then gives an example of what he is writing about in verses 15 & 16, and then gives a concluding remark in verse 17 tying it all together.  James wants his readers to know that faith without works is dead faith, and that there are some people who do not really have saving faith.  They talk the talk but do not walk the walk.  They know many of the right answers about saving faith, but they do not demonstrate it in their lives.  I can think of a number of illustrations of this from the Scriptures that will help to make this clear.  “Matthew 7:18  "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Matthew 7:19  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”  In these verses Jesus is saying that if a person’s life has been changed that they will produce good fruit.  Paul brings this up in Galatians 5 where he talks about the “fruit of the Spirit.”  Another illustration than can be given to make these verses clearer is that of “life”  In John 14:6 Jesus says, “6  Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”  This verse speaks about Jesus being the life, and all true believers have this life reproduced in them by the Spirit of God and the Word of God.  1John 5:12 speaks to this issue of life, “12  He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”

            The point of all of this is that a person must be born again by grace through faith as Eph. 2:8-9 speak of and then they become a part of the family of God.  While that person is on the earth he will begin to grow in his faith, he will walk in his faith, (For we walk by faith, not by sight:), 2Cor, 5:7.  When we are walking by faith then we will do the good works that the Lord would have us to do, which is the fruit of our new life in Christ. 

            I have one more lesson to take out of this section and it comes from Paul’s writings in “2 Corinthians 13:5  Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”  I think that James is saying much of the same thing in these verses, for if some of his readers would test themselves than maybe they would not pass.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look at this section of James I can honestly say that from when I was first saved that I did not have much of a clue as to what this all meant, however after studying it over the years the Lord has revealed some of it’s deeper meaning to me and I am thankful for His teaching me these truths about this passage.  This passage does convict me from time to time about doing more good works in my walk with the Lord.  The Lord has changed my heart about people who are struggling and given me a desire help some of them and we have helped out Jeff a bit last year.

 

The Word of God was instructive and was convicting to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To be sensitive to the Spirit of God in His leading of my life today, that I may be able to hear that still small voice and obey it.

 

Memory verses for the week:  James 1:1-4

 

1.      James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.

2.      Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3.      knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4.      And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.