Persevering Together
James 5:13-20 | The church showcases the gospel through a deep interconnectedness, faith-filled prayers, and loving pursuit of those wandering.
Persevering Together
James 5:13-20
Main Idea: The church showcases the gospel through a deep interconnectedness, faith-filled prayers, and loving pursuit of those wandering.
I. A Connected Church
James assumes that his audience is connected in a meaningful way to a community of faith in the church. The church among you ought to know:
If anyone is suffering, cheerful, or sick (5:13)
The elders of the church who are spiritual shepherds for the flock (5:14)
If someone is wandering away from the truth (5:19-20)
“The church is one of the God-ordained means God uses to keep us faithful. God is sovereign, and He does the preserving, but He does it through the church looking out for, caring for, and loving one another to keep one another from sin. This is yet another reason we ought to be involved in the lives of others in the church. God has ordained brothers and sisters who will share life with you to keep you close to Him, to keep you obedient to His commands, and to persevere you until the Lord comes back.” ~ David Platt
II. A Praying Church (5:13-18)
A few categories that James gives us regarding prayer & the church:
1. Pray in Every Circumstance (5:13)
1 Thessalonians 5:16–19: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
2. Pray for the Sick (5:14-15a)
The anointing of oil is likely symbolic (not medicinal or sacramental), reminiscent of “consecration” ceremonies in the Old Testament (cf. 1 Sam. 10:1); this was done to set apart the sick person for special attention from the Lord, asking that they might be healed.
The assurance that the “Lord will raise him up” likely has a double meaning; it could refer to physical healing in this life from sickness or a reference to the “raising up” of the saints at the day of resurrection.
3. Pray for Sin (5:15b-16a)
What is the connection between sickness & sin? On the one hand, not every sickness is a direct result of sin (cf. John 9). On the other hand - sin can indeed lead to sickness, and in an ultimate sense sin is the reason why sickness is in this world. Sickness has a way of helping us see our spiritual state clearly.
“Sickness is very humbling. Sickness knocks you down. So often you will be able to see sins, you’ll be able to admit flaws you couldn’t any other time. Sometimes the spiritual healing and confessing and getting right with God actually causes physical healing, but other times the physical sickness actually causes the spiritual healing. The Bible is saying here you must always do them together. You must always use physical sickness as a time for spiritual renewal. You must always make sure you’re working on spiritual healing as well as physical healing at the very same time.” ~ Tim Keller
4. The Power of Prayer (5:16b-18)
“Many of us do not pray as we should, and one of the reasons for this is that we do not believe our prayers will make much of a difference. Deep down, we don’t think they will change anything. And so prayer can become just a token thing, a gesture to others, a way of checking in with God without really expecting anything major to happen.” ~ Sam Allberry
III. A Pursuing Church (5:19-20)
To “wander from the truth” is a lifestyle pattern of a proclaiming Christian that leads them away from God, away from faith & obedience, and away from the community of believers.
Where the sick person is to call the elders, it is every Christian’s responsibility to proactively look out for those who wander from our own community. We must pursue those who are wandering from the truth with love and gentleness.
Galatians 6:1: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
A church that embodies this ethic of persevering together will be a community that is marked by the power and presence of Jesus himself, the one who “came to seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19:10).
The Faithful and Wise Steward
James 5:7-12
The Faithful and Wise Steward
James 5:7-12
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” -Matthew 24:45-51
James’ main point in this passage:
As stewards in Jesus’ kingdom, patience is our primary virtue and people are our primary responsibility.
As such, James is reminding his readers that Jesus and the gospel
Reshape our ideas of who we are in this world
Redefine what our priorities are in this world
Restructure how we interact with one another in this world
If you have been born again, if you are in Christ, then you are called to re-orient your entire understanding of who you are to Jesus and the gospel.
You are no longer who you were. Whatever your past circumstances, failures, or successes might have been, that person is over. “If anyone is in Christ, s/he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”
Nor do you get the privilege of re-inventing yourself. Under Jesus and the gospel, it simply does not matter how you identify. The good news of the gospel is about more than tapping into some fantasy version of yourself, thinking that if you can just put on the costume of the superhero you imagine yourself to be that somehow you will become that superhero.
The good news is this: We are who Jesus and the gospel says we are. God’s children! Heirs of His vast kingdom! Future kings and queens of all that exists! But right now, we are most like tenant farmers.
The word for “patience” James uses here means “long-suffering” and it generally applies to the object and texture of our patience.
Situations generally try our steadfastness. People typically test our patience. We bear up under circumstances when we are steadfast, but we bear with people when we are patient.
This kind of patience is also kind and gentle. It is not the eye-rolling, “Fine!!”-declaring, “have-it-your-way” kind of patience that makes us out to be martyr-heroes while making the other person out to be selfish and childish.
In the same way that the words patient and brother appear three times in this passage, three times in this passage James refers to Jesus’ return. In those references James indicates:
- How long we are to be patient - until the coming of the Lord
- What we must focus on as tenant farmers and stewards - establish your heart, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
- Why we establish our hearts to be lovingly patient - “behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”
Jesus is dead serious about the charge He left us with, so serious that He intends to hold us accountable for how wise and how faithful we are in doing what we were told.
Bad habit #1: Grumbling about others - “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” (5:9)
What James is addressing here is how we think about others in our hearts.
Bad habit #2: Powering up on others - “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” (5:12)
What James is addressing here is how we want others to think about us in their hearts.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” - Philippians 2:3-8
Our Future & Our Finances
James 4:13-5:6 | The gospel calls us to a humble estimation of ourselves rather than boasting presumptuously about the future or finances.
Our Future & Our Finances
James 4:13-5:6
Main Idea: The gospel calls us to a humble estimation of ourselves rather than boasting presumptuously about the future or finances.
I. Arrogance & Future Planning (4:13-17)
James is not against wise, strategic planning (cf. Lk. 14:28-30) or an entrepreneurial spirit in general (cf. Prov. 12:11); instead, he is warning of a prideful, self-centered arrogance in our planning & pursuits.
Planning that honors God will take into account four things:
The uncertainty of the future (4:14a)
“Much of what we fear is not so much because we do not think we can endure what scares us. Most of us have seen people who have done just that. Much of our fear is rooted in mystery, that we do not know what is around the corner from us. We cannot see how everything is going to turn out for us.” ~ Russell Moore
The shortness of life (4:14b)
The sovereignty of God (4:15-16)
The call of obedience (4:17)
Our time and our planning is ultimately not our own. “Lord willing” is not a contrite, pithy saying, but the greatest reminder and comfort that we could have for our futures and our plans. Jesus showed us this in an ultimate sense (cf. Mt. 26:36-42) so we might relinquish the illusion of control of our lives while trusting God.
II. Arrogance & Financial Power (5:1-6)
Even if this section is addressed to the unbelieving rich, we are not immune to the warnings & temptations described in these verses. The dangers that James describes is a result of not simply having money, but loving money (cf. 1 Tim. 6:10)
The rich here are condemned not for being wealthy, but for misusing their wealth in at least 4 ways:
1. Hoarding (5:2-3)
Matthew 6:19–21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
“God has not appointed gold for rust, nor garments for moths; but, on the contrary, he has designed them as aids and helps to human life.” ~ John Calvin
2. Defrauding (5:4)
3. Self-Indulging (5:5)
Ecclesiastes 5:10: He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
4. Oppressing (5:6)
“There is no neutrality when it comes to your relationship to and daily use of money. As you hold & use your money, you must constantly remind yourself that the holding and using of money are acts of worship. That’s just how significant the issue is. You are using your funds in the worship of yourself, even if you don’t know it, or you are using your money in the self-conscious worship of God. Your money is being invested in the building of your self-focused little kingdom of one or being offered in the interests of the grand & glorious eternal kingdom of God.” ~ Paul Tripp
2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
We can “be rich toward God” when we realize that he has been immeasurably rich toward us in Jesus Christ. When Christ is the true treasure of our hearts, we can seek first the Kingdom of God with our planning, priorities, and our bank accounts, realizing what is ultimate & eternal.
Conflict and the Gospel
James 4:1-12
Conflict and the Gospel
James 4:1-12
I. The Problem of Desire (1-5, 11-12)
a. Craving and Conflict (1-2b, 11-12)
Hēdonē - pleasure, often sinful, sinful indulgent pleasure.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9
b. Selfishness in Prayer (2c-3)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:9-13
His Name, His Kingdom, His Will. Before, Provision. Pardon. Protection.
“We turn God into a divine waiter. He is there to deliver our day dream to us. We touch base with him on a Sunday; we put our order in via prayer; we might even leave a decent tip in the collection plate. But God is essentially there to give us what we feel we need … and we get furious with him if he doesn’t deliver.” - Rico Tice
c. Spiritual Adultery (4-5)
“5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.” Isaiah 54:5
“20 Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 3:20
II. The Solution For the Heart (4:6-10)
a. The Humble Receive More Grace
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32
“For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.” Psalm 138:6
“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5
b. The Humble Repent
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
Sticking your head in the sand in the presence of a Lion may dull the sound of his roaring, but does little to lessen your chances of being devoured. - Sam Allberry
“God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. - C.S. Lewis
Wisdom From Above
James 3:13-18 | True wisdom is a gift from heaven above, shown by a life of personal humility & relational peace.
Wisdom From Above
James 3:13-18
“Knowledge these days is very easy to come by – almost too easy, given the flood of search results for almost any word or phrase you can imagine. But you can’t search for wisdom – at least not online. And it’s as rare and precious as ever… Wisdom is not just knowledge – mastering information about particular aspects of the world. Wisdom is understanding. It’s the kind of understanding, specifically, that guides action. It’s knowing, in a tremendously complex world, what the right thing to do is – what will be most honoring of our Creator and our fellow creatures.” ~ Andy Crouch
Main Idea: True wisdom is a gift from heaven above, shown by a life of personal humility & relational peace.
I. Wisdom & Her Deeds (3:13)
Wisdom is not seen in intellect or knowledge alone, but through a life of “good conduct” shown in the “meekness of humility.” As Jesus taught, “wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Mt. 11:19), not in talk or knowledge alone.
“Good conduct” can also be translated as “good life.” The truly wise will live in such a way that iit showcases the true “good life” of the Kingdom of God.
1 Pet. 2:12: Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
The good life of wisdom in the gospel is marked by “meekness” (or humility). The way of wisdom is the way of meekness because this is at the very heart of Jesus himself, who is wisdom revealed in the flesh (Matt. 11:29).
“Meek. Humble. Gentle. Jesus is not trigger-happy. Not harsh, reactionary, easily exasperated. He is the most understanding person in the universe. The posture most natural to him is not a pointed finger but open arms…‘Gentle and lowly.’ This, according to his own testimony, is Christ’s very heart. This is who he is. Tender. Open. Welcoming. Accommodating. Understanding. Willing. If we are asked to say only one thing about who Jesus is, we would be honoring Jesus’ own teaching if our answer is, gentle and lowly... lowly gentleness is not one way Jesus occasionally acts toward others. Gentleness is who he is. It is his heart. He can’t un-gentle himself toward his own any more than you or I can change the color of our eyes.” ~ Dane Ortlund
‘Meekness’ is not being timid or a pushover; it’s the idea of “strength or power under control,” used to describe ancient war horses in Greece. Meekness is harnessing strength in the right time and in the right way.
II. False Wisdom (3:14-16)
Origin: “Earthly, unspiritual, demonic” that takes root in the “heart”
Marks: “Bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, boastful pride”
“In its (selfish ambition) only pre-New Testament occurrence (in Aristotle), the word refers to the selfish ambition and the narrow partisan zeal of factional, greedy politicians.” ~ Douglas Moo
Fruit: “Disorder and every vile practice”
III. True Wisdom (3:17-18)
Origin: “From above” (cf. Prov. 2:6)
Marks: “Pure, peaceful, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy & good fruits, impartial, and sincere.”
The marks of true wisdom are the marks of the beatitudes (Matt. 5:2-12) and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). The marks of true wisdom are the polar opposites of what James has described in false, earthly “wisdom,” because they are the marks of Jesus himself.
Fruit: “A harvest of righteousness and a community of peacemakers”
“Peacemakers are people who breathe grace. They draw continually on the goodness and power of Jesus Christ, and then they bring his love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom to the conflicts of daily life. God delights to breathe his grace through peacemakers and use them to dissipate anger, improve understanding, promote justice, and encourage repentance & reconciliation.” ~ Ken Sande
James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
True Religion & The Tongue
James 3:1-12 | The tongue is powerful, dangerous, and impossible to tame without a new heart transformed by the gospel.
True Religion & The Tongue
James 3:1-12
Main Idea: The tongue is powerful, dangerous, and impossible to tame without a new heart transformed by the gospel.
I. The Power of the Tongue (3:1-5a)
What is a particular issue for teachers is also a general warning for all believers: the more words we speak, the more we will be judged by our speech.
Proverbs 10:19: When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
But whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
Though small, the tongue is incredibly powerful, just like a ‘bit’ for a horse, or a ‘rudder’ for a ship. The tongue has incredible power to either build up or to tear down, powerfully expressing the will of each human.
Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruits.
II. The Danger of the Tongue (3:5b-10)
The tongue is like a small spark that can set an entire forest on fire; it can reach & stain the whole body & all of its members, and it has the power to do so for the entirety of life. This is the inevitable end of the tongue when it is “set on fire by hell” (3:6).
The tongue is a “world of unrighteousness” because it can be responsible for any number of sins: deceit, slander, lies, half-truths, boasting, gossiping, tearing down, manipulation, stirring up dissension, etc.
“Social media simply is another way of exercising our tongues, either for good or for ill. Social media amplifies the reach of our tongues. It lets our private thoughts circle the globe and brings into public discussion conversations and statements that once would have been contained in a small circle of friends bantering in a coffee shop. That means it has huge potential for evil, because we are sinners, and as James reminds us, the tongue is hard to tame.” ~ Ligon Duncan
Matthew 12:36–37: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
James indicates a mark of “true religion” is the ability to “bridle” (tame) the tongue (1:26), while simultaneously making it clear that no human being can do this. Humans can tame every kind of animal, but we can’t tame ourselves. We need divine intervention to accomplish what is impossible on our own.
III. The Source of the Tongue (3:11-12)
The problem with the tongue is actually a problem in the heart, the “source” of the tongue. Our hearts are either dead in sin or alive in Christ. A product is always consistent with its source (whether fresh or salt water or fruit that comes from the corresponding seed).
Luke 6:43–45: “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
The remedy for the tongue is a heart that is transformed and made new by the gospel. In Acts 2, the tongues of the first Christians were “tongues as of fire” from heaven above, not from hell below. They were set ablaze “telling of the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11).
“[Pentecost] is James 3 in reverse. The effects of the tongue are no less widespread, but now the great forest is ablaze with the Spirit of God. The small spark of gospel living is able to change the course of a whole life and even whole communities and nations. Such godly fire only comes from heaven by the Spirit of God. If we have come to Christ, this new kind of speech is now our native tongue.” ~ Sam Allberry
Living Faith
James 2:14-26 | A faith without works is dead, while a living faith is evidenced by the fruit of good works.
Living Faith
James 2:14-26
MIM: A faith without works is dead, while a living faith is evidenced by the fruit of good works
I. Dead Faith (2:14-20)
Example 1: “Faith” that fails to help a brother or sister in need (2:14-17). This kind of “faith” is really no faith at all; it is dead.
Interlude: Separating faith & works (2:18); James warns that we cannot drive a wedge between “faith” people & “works” people. Faith will always be “shown” (made visible) by good works.
Example 2: “Faith” that is mental assent alone (2:19)
“If we are ever tempted to congratulate ourselves about our orthodoxy – about having our theology right – we need to remember who we share it with. The demons have sound doctrine. This should not surprise us. They came from heaven, after all. They know who God is. They know he is One. There are no atheists in the demonic realm. Affirming certain right things about God is clearly not enough. Hell is full of good theology.” ~ Sam Allberry
“Any theology that does not lead to song is, at a fundamental level, a flawed theology.” ~ J.I. Packer
Matthew 23:27: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”
II. Living Faith (2:21-26)
Example 1: The Faith of the Patriarch (2:21-23)
Genesis 12:1-3: Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 15:6: And [Abraham] believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Hebrews 11:19: He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
Example 2: The Faith of the Prostitute (2:25)
“The contrast is neat: Abraham, a major Bible figure; Rahab, a minor participant. Abraham the father of the faithful; Rahab a foreigner. Abraham the respected; Rahab the disreputable. Abraham a man; Rahab a woman… the contrast is intended to alert us to the fact that a fully comprehensive statement is being made — the primary works of faith are the works of Abraham and Rahab and they apply to all without exception.” ~ Alec Motyer
Joshua 2:9–11: [She] said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt… And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
If your faith is dead, Jesus is in the business of making dead people alive by his grace & mercy (Eph. 2:4). Although faith is shown to be alive by good works, faith is made alive by grace.
For those with a living faith, we’ve been made alive by the grace and mercy of God to be “his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)
Evidences of True Religion
James 1:26-2:13 | True religion is evidenced by caring for the needy, while refusing to show partiality like the world.
Evidences of True Religion | Compassion Sunday
James 1:26-2:13
“Gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. The doctrine of grace creates a culture of grace. When a doctrine is clear and the culture is beautiful, that church will be powerful.” ~ Ray Ortlund
Main Idea: True religion is evidenced by caring for the needy, while refusing to show partiality like the world.
I. True Religion & Compassion for the Needy (1:26-27)
James compares and contrasts “worthless” religion (lit. ‘empty’) with “pure” & “undefiled” religion. True religion is evidenced by caring for orphans & widows, the most vulnerable & needy of society in the 1st century.
This is “pure” and “true” religion because:
1. It imitates the character & nature of God Himself
Psalm 68:5: Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
Deuteronomy 10:17–18: For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
2. It reflects the very heart of the gospel
Ephesians 2:4–5: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
II. True Religion & Love for Neighbor (2:1-13)
“James’ point is a simple one: favoritism (or partiality) is profoundly un-Christian. It says, in effect, that someone who is worth more to the world is worth more to the church, and, correspondingly, that someone who is worth less to the world is worth less to the church. Favoritism ends up judging one person’s soul as being of greater value than another’s, and it does all this on the basis of superficial, worldly criteria. James will have none of it.” ~ Sam Allberry
Partiality (2:1) is a sin because it contradicts:
1. God’s Choice (2:2-7)
1 Corinthians 1:26–27: For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
2. God’s Law (2:8-11)
3. God’s Mercy (2:12-13)
“The very heart of what Christ has come to do is showing mercy. We demonstrate that we have received mercy from Christ when we show it to others. Mercy defines the gospel. Christ loved us even when we were unlovely in his sight; he gave promises to us that we did not deserve; and he showered us with blessings we could never have earned. Having been treated in this way, we will instinctively start to treat others in the same way. There is no other way to make a human being merciful than for them to be gripped and defined by the mercy of God toward them.” ~ Sam Allberry
2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
The Life Cycle of Sin & Salvation
James 1:13-18 | We can withstand temptations by understanding the nature of sin & treasuring the goodness of God.
The Life Cycle of Sin & Salvation
James 1:13-18
“Nearly all wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” ~ John Calvin
Main Idea: We can withstand temptations by understanding the nature of sin & treasuring the goodness of God.
I. Rightly Understanding Sin (1:13-15)
James shifts his attention from trials (external circumstances) to temptations (internal conflict). Every trial presents a temptation to either trust & obey God or to be drawn away from God toward sin.
The “life cycle” of sin according to James:
Our own desires within us
Mark 7:20–23: And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
“James is showing us something deeply profound about our human nature, for we are both agent & victim of our desires. The desires are our own, from our own hearts – yet it is us that they entice & attack. Within each of us there is this deep tension. We really are our own worst enemies.” ~ Sam Allberry
These desires conceive & give birth to sin
Sin conceives & gives birth to death
James is echoing the ancient temptation & fall of man from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Adam & Eve questioned God’s Word, questioned His goodness, had their desires twisted, blame-shifted, and death entered into creation.
“The awful truth is that we are fallen creatures, and as such are in constant danger of being ‘lured.’ Temptation starts with a question of identity, moves to a confusion of the desires, and ultimately heads to a contest of futures.” ~ Russell Moore
II. Rightly Understanding Salvation (1:16-18)
We are prone to lose sight of the goodness of God & his tangible grace in our lives in the face of temptations. James reminds his readers that “every good and every perfect gift” comes from God.
“Never forget that when we are dealing with pleasure in its healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on [God’s] ground. I know we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention, not ours, He made the pleasures: all our research has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which [God] has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden… An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula.” ~ C.S. Lewis
Just as sin has a “life cycle,” so too does salvation:
The “Father” of lights, of his own will, causes us to be “brought forth” (born again)
This new birth comes about by the “word of truth” (the gospel)
For those who receive this new birth, we become the “firstfruits” of his creation
What does all of this mean for the temptations we face right now?
We need to acknowledge temptations are normal part of the Christian life
1 Corinthians 10:12-13: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
The way of escape in our temptations is the way of Christ
Hebrews 4:14–16: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.