The Doctrine of the Grace of God (James 2:5-7)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-10-03

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  The Doctrine of the Grace of God

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  James 2:5-7

 

            Message of the verse:  “5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?  6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?  7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” 

            James has many truths that he illustrates by writing about the rich, and most of them are negative things that the rich do.  “1:10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away; 1:11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits; 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him; 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts; 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!”

            The one thing that I want to keep in mind as I study the book of James at this time is the theme of being mature.  In this section of James the grace of God is seen, and it does seem to me that the grace of God certainly has much to do with a believer becoming more mature in his walk with the Lord.  The word “chosen” in verse five speaks of the grace of God, for indeed it was God who chose all of those who are saved for salvation.  Strongs says this about this word:  “1d) of God the Father choosing Christians, as those whom he set apart from the irreligious multitude as dear unto himself, and whom he has rendered, through faith in Christ, citizens in the Messianic kingdom: (#Jas 2:5) so that the ground of the choice lies in Christ and his merits only.”

            Now unless one think that that the rich cannot enter into the kingdom of God we only have to look at some examples in the Scriptures of some of the rich who were saved.  Matthew comes to mind, and also Zacchaeus.  Jesus spoke of how hard it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven and His disciple questioned Him about it and He told them, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

            There will be rich people on earth who will be poor in heaven, and there will be rich people on earth who will be rich in heaven.  There will be poor people on earth who will be rich in heaven, and there will be poor people on earth who will be poor in heaven.  It would seem that the level of maturity that is experienced on earth in the walk with the Lord would have something to do with the level of riches that one will have in heaven. 

            In verses six and seven James gives a rebuke to his readers in saying that if you despise the poor man you are behaving like the unsaved rich people.

            “The doctrine of God’s grace, if we really believe it, forces us to relate to people on the basis of God’s plan and not on the basis of human merit or social status.  When He died, Jesus broke down the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:11-22).  But in His birth and life Jesus broke down the walls between rich and poor, young and old, educated and uneducated.  It is wrong for us to build those walls again; we cannot rebuild them if we believe in the grace of God.”  From “Be Mature.” 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I would say that from the teaching of this section that I can learn to treat all people the same, and not treat some with more respect than others, for this is what the doctrine of the Grace of God teaches in this area of the Christian walk with the Lord.

 

The Word of God was convicting to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.  It also was refreshing to me as I think about the sovereignty of God.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Continue to trust the Lord that He will bring those whom He desires to continue to come to our Tuesday Bible Study, and that He will continue to give me peace concerning our investments.