James 1:9-18 (Message #2 in James Series)
INTRODUCTION:
I love airplanes. I always have. They fascinate me. That
something made from steel and aluminium and other heavy materials can get off
the ground and soar through the air like a bird absolutely amazes me.
For many years I wanted to be a pilot. Even after hearing God’s call to missionary
service I assumed for a long time that I would end up being a missionary pilot,
because of my love for airplanes. However, God had a different plan for me,
and my dreams of flying have never yet come true. I am still hoping that
when I get to Heaven, I will be able to fly, one way or another. We’ll
see.
Like with any specialized field, aeronautics has its own vocabulary. A
word you will hear pilots use is “attitude.” However, when
they use that word, they mean it in a sense different from its common
usage. They are not talking about pilots being grouchy in the
cockpit. The dictionary defines “attitude” as:
1. The position or posture assumed by the
body in connection with an action, feeling, mood, etc. [e.g. to kneel in an attitude of prayer]
2. A manner of acting, feeling, or thinking that shows one’s
disposition, opinion, etc. [e.g. a friendly attitude]
3. One’s
disposition, opinion, mental set, etc.
4. In aeronautics, the position
of an aircraft or spacecraft in relation to a given line or plane, as the
horizon.
It
is in this last sense this I want to use the word today, to explain how
“attitude determines altitude.”
TRANSITION:
Today we are in our second study of the Book of James. Last Sunday we
looked at verses 1-8 of chapter 1 and I also gave some background information
about who James was and why he wrote this book. For those of you who were
not here last Sunday I would encourage you to go to my website (www.mikesteachingnotes.blogspot.com) and get the
notes from the first study. That will help bring you up to speed.
MAIN BODY:
Today we are starting at verse 9 but you will remember that James has already
been talking about how Christians should respond when they find themselves
going through times of trial and testing. We are to look at it positively,
“considering it all joy,” knowing that God will use it to build our character
and strengthen our faith. He says that trials build endurance. But
the fact is a lot of people do not see it that way. When trials come, they
look around for someone to blame. They fail to see the trial from God’s
perspective so rather than letting it run its course and “have its
perfect result” as stated up
in verse 4, they handle it all wrong and fail to get out of the experience what
God had intended. That is because “attitude determines altitude.” They
get their eyes off the Lord and start looking around them at the circumstances,
and in no time, they are in a fast glide path downward. That is because
for an airplane to go up its nose must be pointed up.
- To
borrow the story of Peter walking on the water, a lot of Christians are
looking at the waves swirling down below instead of at the Lord out there
on the horizon.
- In trials we lose sight of the horizon and
become easily disoriented. For that reason, we must keep our eyes on
Him.
- A
temptation overload is like an onboard systems failure. At that point
you cannot believe anything your instruments tell you. You must keep
your eyes on those things that never change to keep your bearings. Otherwise
you will end up crashing and burning.
Now in this next section
James gets specific about one specific kind of trial—poverty. Many of the
Jewish Christians to whom he was writing lost nearly everything when they fled
from Jerusalem and Judea to get away from the persecution that started with the
death of Stephen. Many of them left with just the clothes on their backs and
the coins in their pockets. Now they were scattered all over the Middle
East just trying to survive. With that in mind, let’s read starting at
verse 9.
Verses 9-10: But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory
in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation,
because like flowering grass he will pass away.
- “The
brother of humble circumstances.” Who is he? What is he like? What
does he face each day? First, he is a Christian, a child of
God. James calls him a “brother.” By the fact that his life is
being compared to that of a rich man, we can conclude that he is poor by
comparison. By “humble circumstances” I believe James is talking
about a person who has little money and possesses few of this world’s
goods. He scrimps by and ekes out his existence day by day, never
sure if he will be able to bring in enough to feed and clothe his
family. But James encourages this man to “glory in his high position.” What an odd
statement! We can only assume that he is talking about this poor
Christian brother’s high standing with
God. But
be careful here! He does not have a high standing with God because of
his poverty, but because of sonship through the finished work of
Christ. James is saying, “In spite of the fact that you do not have
much here and now, you are still a child of the King, a crown prince who
will one day rule alongside Christ, you are a joint-heir with Prince
Jesus. The Father loves you and has already prepared a mansion for
you in Heaven where you will be with Him forever.”
- But
how about the “rich man”? James has a word for wealthy Christians as
well. He says, “Rich
man, you need to beware of becoming attached to your riches so that they
do not become the driving force and focus of your life.” For you see,
that is always the temptation for rich folks.
- The
NASV says that the rich man is to “glory in his humiliation.” That is awkward
and hard to understand. In plain English it means that a rich
Christian ought to rejoice that in Christ he has been brought down to a
level where the “deceitfulness
of riches” (Mark 4:19) and the obsession to amass
and hold on to them are no longer primary or even relevant
considerations. Moreover, he needs to recognize that riches are
temporary. They will burn up one day. Material wealth will not
go with us into eternity. As someone wisely observed, “A shroud has no
pockets.”
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.
- Things
that look good today will not look so good tomorrow, because beauty
fades. New cars get old and turn into rust-buckets. Knockout
gorgeous models get saggy skin, wrinkles and age spots. Strong virile young men turn into fat old duffers with hair in all the wrong places. Houses go out of style and start to fall apart. You name
it and it has a shelf life, a pull-by date. Sooner or later its
beauty and attractiveness will fade away.
- James
says that wealth is like that too. The rich man looks good today,
like he has everything going for him. But none of that stuff
lasts. Everything he owns will eventually fall apart. In fact,
he too will pass away. The rich man will eventually die and leave
everything behind.
- Now
this news is not a great comfort for a rich person. James did not
intend for it to be. He was trying to bring comfort to the poor
Christians and a reality check to those who have been trusting in their
riches rather than in God.
Verse 12: Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for
once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has
promised to those who love Him.
- James
says that there are both present and future blessings for those believers
who persevere under trials. He speaks of the “crown of life” that is reserved for
them. He claims that Christ himself has promised this. But what
does this really mean? Is he talking about an actual crown that will
be passed out to certain people in Heaven? No, I do not think
so. The phrase, “the crown of life” is what is called an “appositional
genitive construction.” Put simply, James is saying that the crown consists of life
itself,
a gift that God has promised to all those who love Him. The Bible
states repeatedly that God has abundant blessings in store for those who
love Him, who keep His commandments, and serve Him faithfully whatever the
cost may be.
Verse 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.
- I
mentioned last Sunday that in these verses James deals with two different
types of trials: First, those that come from without in the form of
difficult circumstances beyond our control; and Secondly, trials from within that result from
temptations that we face because of our sin natures and our acquired taste
for sin.
- He
makes a clear distinction between “trials,” which can come from God in
order to refine us and make us more Christlike, and “temptations,” which never
come from God but from the devil, and are always intended by the enemy to
cause us to fall and flail and fear and fail. “Trials”
are designed by God to make us stronger, but “temptations” are concocted
by the devil in cahoots with our flesh, to bring about our spiritual ruin
and to embarrass God.
- So
here in verse 13 James makes the transition from the one kind of trial to
the other. The word “temptation” always carries the idea of luring a
person into sin. James probably had in mind here the Jewish doctrine
of “yetzer
hara,” which literally means evil impulse or evil inclination. Some Jews
reasoned that since God created everything, He must have also created the
evil impulse. And since it is this evil impulse that tempts man to
sin, ultimately God, who created it, is responsible for evil. But
James shoots that idea down in flames. He says categorically that God
is not the source of evil. Being perfectly holy He himself cannot be
tempted to do evil. Moreover, being holy He does not tempt anyone to
try and get them to do evil things. No, but in the next verse he
explains how evil happens. He lays out the downward staircase leading
a person toward sin.
Verse 14: But each one is tempted when he is carried away and
enticed by his own lust.
- He
says that “each one” who sins follows this same pattern. So, this is
true for believers and unbelievers alike.
- A
“trial” instantly becomes a “temptation” when our “lust” gets involved. Now when we
hear the word lust, we instantly think of sexual temptations, but the concept
is much broader than that. Lust just means a strong desire that is
not bridled by higher motives. A person can have a lust for fame, or
money, or power, or sex, or possessions. The sinful tastes of humans
are varied so lust comes in a lot of different colours and models, but it
is all really the same thing—uncontrolled desire for things that we do not
have.
- Let
me try to illustrate this using something that I am personally familiar
with. Let’s imagine that one day I have some time on my hands and am
just hanging out (First problem = idleness), so I decide to take a run up
to the Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership to look at their new
models. Sounds innocent enough so far. As I am walking around
drooling on the new motorcycles (Second problem = the lust of the eye) I
spot my good friend, Rick, talking with the salesman (Not a
problem). Soon I learn that Rick is buying a brand-new full-dressed bright
red 2020 Harley Road King with all the bells and whistles. My mind
begins to work, and the wheels begin to turn. I think to myself, “I deserve a new motorcycle as much as he does (Third
problem = jealousy/covetousness). My old bike is a 2007
model. Let’s see, that’s 13 years old, soon to be 14. Also, I need a new
bike because my old one does not have the kind of comfy rear seat with
back support and arm rests that I would like so that Ramel will be more
comfortable when we go on long trips (Fourth problem = selfish rationalization). Besides,
I would look really good riding on that deep purple model with the
metallic-fleck paint job and the 200 lbs. of chrome.” (Fifth problem =
vanity). Now
we have a serious problem here, Houston! At this point I am being
carried away and enticed by my own lust for big beautiful motorcycles
coupled with my lust for impressing other people. My self-talk is
leading me right down the path toward sin. I am being motivated by
pride, covetousness, and a few other sins and am justifying everything by
my “need” for a new motorcycle. Do you see how it works?
Verses 15-16: Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to
sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be
deceived, my beloved brethren.
- James
uses reproductive language here. He likens the conception of sin to
the conception of a child. The seed is fertilized, implanted, and
begins to grow. It gets nurtured and grows some more. It gets
bigger and stronger. Finally, the day comes when the birth happens. But
what pops out? Surprise! A fully-grown, fully developed big ugly
hairy sin. It jumps down off the birthing table, struts around the room
and proudly says, “Here I am!”
- When
a healthy new baby is born it is a joyful occasion for everyone. We
rejoice in that new life. Everyone is smiling. Everyone is
happy. The birth has brought forth new life and all kinds of
potential for good and for greatness. We say, “Maybe he will grow up to be a great doctor
and discover the cure for cancer.” Or, “Maybe she will grow up to become President
or a great ambassador.” However, when sin is born, things
quickly start to look like a bad horror movie. The ugly monster
strutting around the room suddenly pounces on the nurse and strangles
her. Then he leaps on the mother and crushes her throat. Then he
tears through the hospital slaughtering everyone in his path. Now
that is an ugly scene, but it portrays what James is saying: “When lust gives
birth to sin, and sin is accomplished, SIN BRINGS FORTH DEATH.”
- Verse
16 is a warning to not misread the signs. He says: “Do not be deceived, my beloved
brethren.” That
is because the devil’s deception plays into this story. We certainly can
be carried away by our own lusts, but we can also be deceived by
Satan. The enemy will try to place things in your path, knowing that
you are a sucker for that kind of temptation. He will form-fit the temptation
to fit your weaknesses. So, if you are not careful and vigilant, you
will step right into his tailor-made trap. Going back to my story
about motorcycles, knowing myself like I do, I am better off just not
going into those kinds of places, in the same way that a person who
struggles with alcoholism should stay out of pubs and taverns, and a
person who struggles with sexual temptation should stay off the Internet
when he/she is alone. There are things we can do to help keep
ourselves out of trouble and we should take every precaution.
Verse 17: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shifting shadow.
- Here
James is reminding us that God only gives us good gifts. He
never gives us cheap, counterfeit stuff. This is to drive home his
statement that God does not tempt us to do evil. That is not the kind of
present He gives to His children. James here uses a word picture to
say that God never changes (there is no variation in His light), and there
is no sin mixed in with His goodness (no shifting shadow). The Bible
says He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Man changes, but
God does not. Man’s love grows cold, but God’s does not. Man’s
commitment to God tends to wane over time, but God’s love for us only
grows stronger.
Verse 18: In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by
the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His
creatures.
- This
is just James’ way of reminding us that salvation is all of God’s doing,
and not of our doing. We are saved because of the working of His
sovereign will, not because of any participation on our part. James
here uses language pulled right out of Genesis 1 and the Creation
account. God brought forth life out of nothing, “ex nihilo.” He
spoke everything into existence and then pronounced it all “good.” So
also, it is with our spiritual life, our rebirth. 2 Corinthians 5:17
says that “if any man is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION.” In other words, we are saved through the sovereign
creative work of God.
- James
points out to his Christian readers that God had saved them so that they
would be the first wave of many more to come. Look how many millions
down through the centuries have come to believe in Christ as their Saviour. But
those early Jewish believers, scattered abroad were the “first fruits” of
what will one day be a great harvest.
CONCLUSION:
I suppose there are lots of things in this world that you can blame God for: typhoons,
hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc., even though the Bible says that all
these things are really the result of the fact that nature is all fouled up because
of man’s fall into sin. In other word, we are really the cause. We
might call them the “fruits of the Fall,” which are unlike the “fall fruits” of
apples and pears. When sin and death came onto the scene, death and
destruction reverberated throughout all of God’s creation. The Bible says
that the whole world now groans in pain, looking forward to the day when the
Lord will bring about a new heaven and a new earth.
But if it makes you feel better, go ahead and blame God for all the rotten
stuff that He allows to happen in this world. It is true, He is sovereign
and powerful, and He could stop it if He wanted to. But leaving that issue
aside, DO NOT EVER BLAME HIM FOR YOUR SINS. He does not cause anyone to
sin. He does not set you up so that your only option is to sin. He
will never tempt you or try to entrap you. No, that is all the work of the
enemy, Satan, and his little buddies, working in conjunction with your already
rotten flesh and sin nature.
Jesus came to save us from our sins and to set us free from the power and
dominion of sin. He came to make us new and to destroy the old sin nature
in us with its propensity to choose sin over holiness. In this passage
James tells us, “Don’t you dare try to lay the guilt of your sin on God’s
doorstep.” We are responsible for our own sin.
FEEDBACK:
So, what do we take home with us today from this passage? What do you find
here to meditate on in the days ahead? Is there a life lesson or is this
just a mental exercise with no real relevance to our lives? What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment